Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

/ (Left) Joel Smets was pleased to put together two crash-free motos. The Belgian former World 500cc Champion grabbed third place in both to finish third overall and assume the points lead. (Above) Still smarting from a foot injury suffered at the German GP, America's Keith Bowen struggled all day, crashing in the first mota and ultimately failing to . finish in the top 15 overall. seconds before Bartolini could fight his way through to second. The Italian had also gated well but almost met with disaster in the first turn. "Lacher braked so late, our machines locked together and we almost went into the fence," Bartolini said. Once second the Italian quickly reduced King's lead. "He looked faster than he was in that ·race," King said. "] made a couple of terrible mistakes and even ran off the track once to waste my early lead. But] never let him get closer than two seconds. ] want to see thelap times of that race. Once] settled down] felt that] was riding consistent laps, but he was losing and then coming again. ] was never worried though and it was important psychologically to beat him ~ that one, both forme and to show him. Bartolini was gracious in defeat. "] made another big attempt to catch him three laps from the end," Bartolini said. "But I soon realized that it would be too risky to attempt a pass so ] settled for second and the overall win." There was a battle royal for third between Parker and Smets until the American faded badly in the closing laps. "That was a battle," Smets said. "We touched so many times when] tried to pass him earlier in the race, so ] decided to wait until he got tired. Lacher was close so ] knew] had to make the most of it and ] really charged hard when ] finally got clear of Parker." Lacher confirmed the intensity of the battle. "] had to come a long way to catch them up after] had tangled with Bartolini in the first comer," Lacher said. "And that had dropped me out of the top six. Perhaps it was a mistake not to go for the pass straight away but their battle was so hectic it was just too risky. It took me a lap to pass Parker after Smets had gone past and Joel had escaped by then." Even worse off was poor Peter Johansson, stopped in the first turn for lhe second race in a row. "It was even worse this time because a Honda crashed right in front of me and] jammed my front wheel into his frame and stalled the motor," Johansson said. The Swede was 10th aga.in. "] wish the race had been another 15 minutes," he said. "] took four places in the last three laps and could see three more riders just ahead of me." Keith Bowen eased his way through qualification but was in discomfort all weekend with broken toes in his left foot, a relic of a practice crash at the German championship round a week earlier. Early hopes of salvaging some- thing as he gated 14th in race one ended with a third race fall and Bowen never had a chance in race two, running 24th on lap one. fN Italian 500cc GP Castiglione del Lago, Italy Results: April 6, 1997 (Round 2 of 12) MOTO 1: 1. Andrea Bartolini (Yam); 2. Joel Smets (Hbg); 3. Shayne King (KTM); 4. Darryll King (Hus); S. Kurt Nicoll (KTM); 6. Franco Rossi (Hon); 7. Trampas Parker (Ver); 8. Bernd Eckenbach (Kaw); 9. Mikkel ·Br· fI~_._'.:..._-'-'--'''7:~~....,.-,---,---,-~ Ie"" . •.....,.: . Series leader .90iri9 into the Jtalian GP Avo Leok' riearly didn't even qualify: an Improyement of two 'second,s 'on his previqus best 10'minutes'from the. ·'end ol qiJalifi'cation just getting him· in as 19th ~20 qualify) in his gwup. He .'!Ias already resigned tQ 'surrendering' his points. ..Iead on Sunday. "I guess it's- over.~ but it was nice while 'itlasted," ·the open- · .ing·rou1'!d yvin'ner said~· ~ I Caprani (Hus); 10. Peter Johansson (Yam); 11. Gert Jan Van Doom (Hon); 12. Dietmar Lacher (Hon); 13. Jonte Engdahl (Hon); 14. Danny Theybe.rs (KTM); 15. Erwin MachtJinger (Hon). • MOTa 2: 1. Shayne King (KTM); 2. Andrea Bartolini (Yam); 3. Joel Smets (Hbg)i 4. Dietmar Lacher (Hon); 5. Trampas Parker (Ver); 6. Darryll King (Hus); 7. Kurt Nicoll (KTM); 8. Bernd Eckenbach (Kaw); 9. Franco Rossi (Hon); 10. Peter Johansson (Yam); 11. Danny Theybers (KTM); 12. Mikkel Caprani (Hus); 13. James Marsh (KTM); 14. Rupert Walkner (KTM); 15. Fredrik Hedman (Hbg). O/A: 1. Andrea Bartolini (Yam); 2. Shayne King (KTM); 3. Joel Smets (Hbg); 4. Darryll King (Hus); 5. Trampas Parker (Ver); 6. Kurt Nicoll (KTM); 7. Diehnar Lacher (Hon); 8. Franco Rossi (Hon); 9. Bernd Eckenbach (Kaw); 10. Peter Johansson (Yam). 500« WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MX SERIES POINTS STANDlNGS (Aiter 2 0112 rounds): 1. Joel Smets (54); 2. Shayne King (49); 3. Andrea Bartolini (45/1 win); 4. Kurt Nicoll (42); 5. Gert Jan Van Doom (35); 6. Avo Leok (3D/I); 7. Dietmar Lacher (27); 8. Darryll King (26); 9. Johan Boonen. (25); 10. Jonte Engdahl (25); 11. Peter Johansson (23); 12. Jacky Martens (20); 13. Trampas Parker (20); 14. Franco Rossi (17); 15. Bernd Eckenbach (16); 16. Danny Theybers (15); 17. • Mikkel Caprlmi (14); 18. Peter Dirkx (10); 19. Bengt Lteremans (9); 20. Willie Van W....I (9). Upcoming Rovnds: Round 3 - April 20, Sittendorf, Austria Round 4 - April 27, Payeme, Switzerland tent' last year which resu"ted io "the riot police' being qall.,p) 'and covld not lake aher low croY'ds at Bntish' 500'GPs' in recent years. .the·financial·ns~ '. Tra~a~ parker's V• .'feinati noW ha~ cable rather than hydraulic ~Iutch .. but. tlie KTMs cbntinue with this and. now have special hYOraulic oil which .should run c'ooierthan'the brake iluid 'used previously in tbe ... mechan1sr:n. . . ., . .. :v li~ah~ YZM~OOF project. I~ader M.asakazu Shi~hara was in' Cas: . tigliorie, :having arrived In .Europe ~o days ·earlier.·"1 will stay for two .weeks and return to Japan just before the A~stri,!n GP: W,e ha~e. b\l€'n . able to..carry out .some .very useful tests on carlJuretibn settings here dur" ing p,actic.e and, j~dging oy ibe times .set !;ly our riders (!?artolini "\las· fastest througno~t free praotice and qualified .third with, Johansson fifth less than a'quarter of a s~cond' slower). 'it wQl!ld appear.that >lVe now liave a good trasis for settings on 'fast, hard tracks, Both n.ders.. particularly Bar· .tplini, have made comme'nts about the bike and the team will stay In Italy lo·test in relation· to these things, du'ring t"e next one and a half weeks.." .Shlohara. only' appointed 'to the proje~t this 'year, has previously been' senior engineer on a number of road ·raclng. projects. ",lie result,of the .Belgia·n GP ':"as disappointing, ·but it is riot always possible to win immedi· . ately. Qn all of th.e proJects in which I have been involved we have beeri am told s0meboqy ;once 'saief tha.t evefYOne can be winnIng' within 'six or seven races. nowever, anq I.w~s confise~t that this famous for a day.'1 am would be n() .exception. " . . . . . . realistic .enough '.10 know' th~t my.win I.n Lommel . .Int.~.rting· ';'';ts tim., The~e."';ere siwerl :diffe;e.nt.mar.qu~s'i;' the 'was a freak resuft, I bave fi,steight of each. 'moto at Castiglione: The only manufacturer. to double up was' KTM witli 'Shayne King 'and Kurt Nicoll. T~e only Italian .16 preyi- . .always bee·n', 'better in ously win a 5pOcc. MX GP waf{ Fran1;o Reissi. 'and the 33·y.ear-Qld veteran' sand arid I had been riding' ' actually. h"d'bis best resulffor several yearS wltli erghth '.on.the day. Bar. ·there for 'two .months in' tolin"s win was Yamalia's first In the 500cc class smce' 1988 (Jacky' , training. We are. aho struggling 'to find. a g"od V,mond in Sweden) Only Gert Jan Van Doom of the f'rst-round podtur" · suspension Setup on hard:. . .' . .' '. . . . . even scored 10 Italy w,th just five points. Onl)( eiglit nders ori fpur.s,trolyitti _a tire deal. from Dunlop: "I. us.,p a D:un' .' .in 1l.aly. The other ride\s to .have. Y'cin.· Wcirld Cliamplonship MX (lPs· in all lop reart,re.whlch.we had boughttn Lommel, but the.fron t was a Russ,an-' . three classes are Kees Van der Ven (who c'ompletecl the f~at in 1986), ·l)18de. tife whlchlcioks Ii~ a Barum." Dutcn·FIM mari Alber!tHofhuis, J.ury· . Erje Gebciers 098'7), ·Jean.MiCher.Bayle:.<'199i·) and Trampas' Parker ·.president at both of tlie. first'two GPs. said that he was doubtful'as. to' the . .(19951. 'Ori)y Geboerj; ~ompleted the acliievem'mt:awa.y.fro.m the 'SOds in legaUl¥,,,f the.Hussian ti.re:. 'There. an!. ma~imum size~ for. tires anO. that ...his'lone 250Cc sea'on:.wtiile. Va,,- derVen 'started'oWhis. winning waYS'in . ·Russian one had. an awfullyheavy tread,.But no one ·protested.." Le,?k ,tIlE; 250s....Bayle.: par.ker. and 'Bartolini: have 'set tlleir: record.s in th;,125: . ·.wa,s ~

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