Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 250cc MOTOCROSS SERIES all directions at the second turJ:f." It was so hectic in the pack that 1 let them all settle on the first lap. Then 1 could charge. It was a lot easier to move forward this time though because the deep dirt on the outside of the turns was dry from the beginning." After passing Everts the first time at the same place as in the opening moto, VohIand was soon on a tiring Bervoets' tail. "1 had much better lines than he did and 1 had to decide whether to risk showing them to him because Tortelli was already long gone," Vohland said. "Marnicq looked tired so I went for it and suddenly I was in front. I didn't see Sebastien crash but I saw where it was and 1 guess 1 know what happened. There was a huge rock imbedded in the ground which you couldn't see. It nearly got me a few laps later. That's how 1 know it was there." Tortelli confirmed Vohland's suspicions of an imbedded rock, with disastrous resuJts. "Suddenly my front wheel hit something and I was flying through the air," Tort~ said. "I was uP. quickly but my bike would not start straight away. 1 could have still led, but that put me back to fifth." Despite this, Tortelli was soon back to third without much difficulty. "Everts was no problem," he said. "I had much better lines." Meanwhile, Bervoets was charging again 'and looking for a way past the flying VohIand. .By Alex Hodgkinson TALAVERA DE LA REINA, SPAIN, MAR. 16 allon Vohland stole the show at the first showdown of the motocross champions when the 24-year-old American Yamaha team leader carded 3-1 moto finishes in the World 250cc MX series opener at the Spanish track in Talavera. "I guess I got lucky that (Sebastien) Tortelli crashed in race two, but I'll take those too,". Vohland said. "I had to come out of the pack both times (7-12 starts). 1 just gotta work on my gating." 12Sec champ Sebastien Tortel1i made a sensational start to his regular 250cc GP career. The French Kawasaki teenager stole the holeshot in both motos, ran away with the first-moto win and was 10 seconds clear of the pack in the second moto until a major get-off. He recovered to third by the finish to tie VohIand on points in the standings. One point back after a pair of strong seconds is Suzuki leader Marnicq Bervoe.ts, while defending champion Stefan Everts trails by another eight after unhappy rides to distant fourths. GP newcomer Mike Brown, the winner at Beaucaire three weeks earlier, went home with a score of zero after two collisions in the first moto and a second-race crash which left him with broken ribs. The event started early, 12:15 p.m., to ensure the event finished in time to let the crowd go to a pullfight to be held later that day. The first moto was a runaway for Tortelli, who simply roasted his competitors to confirm his superfast qualifying pace as well as the fact that he's gunning for the title. "It was a completely new experience for me," Tortel1i said. "Not just changing class - that's the first time I ever holeshot a GP moto." After holding Bervoets 50 yards back for three laps, the Frenchman just disappeared into the distance and was 14 seconds clear and playing with different lines long befoIe the Iace was halfway over. Be.rvoets was second all the way but just couldn't match the Frenchman's impressive pace for more than the first few laps. "I could hold him in the early laps but I started to get arm pump and make mistakes." Bervoets said. "That's how he got away. I rode through it and was . able to hold off Tallon's challenge. 1 felt strong again at the finish." After his slow start, VohIand had been the man making the moves as he powered his way forward from his seventh-place start. "I was next to Tortelli on the gate and he got the jump on me," Vohland said. "I tried to draft in behind him but they closed me down from both sides going into the turn. It wasn't too much of a problem to get to fourth, but Stefan (Everts, in third) is too experienced to let anyone pass him easily. Tortelli was long gone and 1 could see Bervoets, so 1 decided to wait for the track to dry in the final quarter and then try to find some new lines out in the dirt. 1 actually (Above) Tallon Vohland (right) was the overall winner at the opening round of the World Championship 250cc MX Series In Spain. He was accompanied on the rostrum by second-place finisher and flrst-moto winner Sebastien Tortelll. (Right) Vohland (24) won the second moto. passed Everts inside, but 1 had gotten ·the drive out of the loose dirt on the outside of a wide tUIn. I was soo'o on Bervoets, but he cm:ne strong again at the end and I had to settle for third. I'm happy. 1 was the only one moving forward. 1just need to sort out my starts." Everts was not happy in fourth and fel t that his tires and mousse tubes were at least partially to blame. "I just wasn't getting any grip with th.e Pirelli mousse tires," Everts said. "It was the same yesterday in qualification. 1 was slid,ing all over the track and couldn.'t force any harder. I'm going to race with air in my tires and risk a flat tire in the second moto." Everts had ridden with Dunlops previously. The first- and second-place riders were on Dunlops, but Vohland had fared just fine on his Pirellis. Pit Beirer did well to keep three of the top four in Sight but it was already confirmed that the title will more than likely go to one of the leading quartet. Yves Demaria had been passed and left behind by them all, Frederic Bolley went backward from 10th to 19th in pain from a recently broken toe and did not start race two, while Brown was already down in the first turn. "1 didn't gate too well and then ran into a KTM (Miska Aaltonen's) which was on the ground," Brown said. "I crashed with someone else (Denis Hewartson) at the back of the track." On the rear wheel of Joakim Karlsson by half distance, Brown faded back again in the second half of the moto to finish 17th. Everything looked oh so familiar in race two as Torte)li took the holeshot and immediately opened up a 10-second advantage as VohIand was mired even further back than in the first moto. "I'm just going to have to work on those starts," Vohland said. '1 banged bars with a KTM (Aaltonen) all through the first turn and bikes were headed in "I felt really tired midrace, but 1 was strong again at the end when 1 was able to pick up Tallon's lines," Bervoets said. 'We touched a few times but it was fair. We were both going for the win." The fiercest attack had come two laps from the end as they banged bars going up the hill while in a last desperate attempt Bervoets dived for the inside in the final tum but carne up a length too short. Everts looked unhappier than in the opener but was unavailable for comment. The champion only trails by nine points, however, and the talented veteran will certainly have better days. Poor Brown was out on lap three after a crash while running 12th. "Another guy came across me," Brown said. "1 took the bars in my ribs and they feel broken." Be.irer was once again easily the best of the rest, but Honda of Troy's Dutch-

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