Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 500cc MOTOCROSS SERIES ,. rammed me in the first tum and I had to ride too hard on the first lap to move back from about 15th to seventh," Shayne King said. "My forearms pumped up so I couldn't push it any more during the first half of the race. Once I got on the gas I had much better lines than Kurt and DarryU and it was easy to pass." Ahead of him on the poclium was birthday boy Smets. "It may sound silly, but I am really happy with second," Smets admited. "I lost the title last year because I made too many mistakes and I have been doing the same thing this year. It was really important for me to finish a race without crashing. Once I get into the habit of doing that I know that the speed is there and I can start to force it again." Nicoll was a frustrated fifth. ''I'm fighting the bike all the way today and I can't put my finger on the problem," icolJ said. Fellow KTM rider Trampas Parker had a long hard ride to seventh after making too little headway early on from 13th, and Peter Johansson was a disconsolate 10th after getting closed down badly in the first turn. Dietmar Lacher did well to take 12th after hitting the deck twice on the first lap. By Alex Hodgkinson ..... I-< ~ 34 CASTIGLIONE DAL LAGO, ITALY, APR. 6 talian Andrea Bartolini gave the YZM400F Yamaha a win in only its second GP and achieved his own personal piece of history at Castiglione dal Lago, as the 28-year-old rider became the fifth rider in the history of the sport to win GPs in all three classes (after Kees Van der Ven, Eric Geboers, Jean-Michel Bayle and Trampas Parker). "This win has given me the most satisfaction," a jubilant Bartolini said afterward. "To win, and so quickly, on a bike in which I have been involved in the . development, is particularly sweet. And in front of my home crowd." Defending champion Shayne King and new points leader Joel Smets also had cause for delight. The Kiwi inflicted a morale-boosting defeat on the Italian in the second moto, while the Belgian went to the head of the table on his 28th birthday. "And it's the first race for a long time that I didn't crash in either moto," King said. The first moto was just what the home crowd came to see. Things looked bleak for Bartolini as he gated poorly and completed the first . lap 11th - with most of his major rivals ahead - but the Italian Yamaha teamster's riding was a class apart. "He's riding smooth, he's got the best lines, he's jumping higher and further than everyone else, and he's riding the turns tighter and getting on the gas quicker," King said. Bartolini passed the champion after 10 minutes to hold fifth and at 25 minutes took over a lead which he was never to lose again. Bernd Eckenbach had been the initial (Above) History tlmlls two: Andrea Bartolini piloted the Yamaha YZM400F to Its first major motocross win In front of his countrymen at the italian GP. With the victory, Bartolini also became only the fifth rider In history to win motocross GPs In all thrae classes. (Right) Former 125 and 25OccWorld Champion Trampas Parker finished fifth overall with 7-5 performances on his Vertematl. leader, but sensibly accepted his fate as he dropped back gradually to eighth after leading for three Japs. "It doesn't look good to be going backwards already in the first moto," Eckenbach said. "But I was determined to ride my own race and not to make mistakes. I should've stayed top six, but my rear brake got too hot and I was having to ride too carefully on the downhills during the second half of the moto." Next to lead was Darryll King and indeed the Kiwi offered the most resistance to Bartolini, actually repassing him the first time he came past. Smets eventually passed the Husky three laps from the end, and King then stalled to fall into the clutches of Kurt Nicoll and King's brother Shayne. The champion, Shayne King, was relieved to have made the podium. "I made a good gate, but someone One would have thought that KTM.frame engineer Tobbe Gustafsson had had a premoni tion as he kicked some ruts flat in the first turn immediately before race two because it was on that very line that King holeshot. "I was back to myoId tricks," King said. "Holeshot, then run away and hide." Indeed it was as he led by nearly 10

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