Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

/ MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 125cc MOTOCROSS SERIES 4: Austrian GP Dobb said. "I was catching the Italians on the twisty parts of the track but their bikes were much too fast for my Suzuki on the straights and hiIIs." It was fitting that Dobb hould return to form at the Austrian track - his last major win in Europe had been at the same facility in 1992. In all seven Italians made the points in that race and it could have been eight had Camerlengo not crashed spectacularly on a downhill at half c\istance when running ninth. "He'll be okay for race two," explained sidelined teammate Bob Moore. "He landed on his feet and his ankles are pretty sore." A jubilant puzar led the second moto all the way to clinch the overall, but it was a tense battle for 30 minutes, as Chiodi dogged him all the way. '1 was always confident 1 would win even when Chicco was there behind me," Puzar said. "But he pushed me hard "for 30 minutes. That makes up for the disappointment of the first moto." '1 was able to close right up on Sandro after 20 minutes and I thought I had a chance to win," Chiodi said. "But then (Above) Alessandro puzar (100) leads Chlcco Chiodl (121), Frederic VIaIIe (3) Erik Camerlengo (9) and the rest of the pack at the Austrian 125cc GP. (Below) puzar won the race for his 20th career win. By Alex Hodgkinson SCHWANENSfADT, AUSTRIA, MAY 4 andro puzar stormed to the 20th GP win of his career, and his third at Schwanenstadt in Austria, but the 1995 champ did not pull back any points on series points leader Chicco Chiodi, as the two 1talians shared top spots in both races. With the French contingent not happy on the ultra-fast iederholzham track and both Bob Moore and Paul Malin forced to sit out the race, Claudio Federici completed the Italian festival with third overall. Moore, who had moved into a challenging fourth in the standings with his win at the previous round in Spain, had actually achieved that success with a fracture of his lower left arm, and the injury was to prevent him even attempting Saturday qualification after two different pain-killing injections had proved insufficient in the reconnaissance practice earlier in the day. Malin, last year's World number two who has yet to score this year, pulled out after Sunday morning's warmup with a recurrence of the back problems which have dogged him since the opening round of the series in Indonesia. Philippe Dupasquier had split with the Italian Platini team during the week and had a point to make as he pushed Puzar wide in the first turn to lead for four laps in the opener. The Swiss sensibly let the faster men pass without extending himself over his linti ts and finished sixth. Even before taking the lead, Puzar was in trouble. '1 caught my gear shift in a rut on the second lap and it was not possible to change gear," puzar said. Sensing his rival's plight, Chiodi started to apply pressure after 20 minutes. Puzar went down but was able to remount before third-placed Federici arrived on the scene. While Chiodi was content to maintain his lQ-second lead, Puzar was wringing his TM's neck on the long straights and climbs and the motor not surprisingly began to protest in the dosing laps. With two laps to go, Puzar fell for a second time to let Federici through but, despite the pain from a knock to the groin, the ex-champ hit back on the last lap to regain second place. The French were hating it. Vuillemin could advance no further than 11 th from 28th on lap one: Frederic Vialle got no further than eighth and was losing ground again at the end to Luigi Seguy, while Mickael Maschio was their best man in fifth. The biggest threat to the Italian 1-2-3 had been James Dobb, the Brit who raced the AMA circuit for three years but this year has returned to the GPs on a basically stock Suzuki. "I'm still having a little trouble with the hand I broke before the first GP, so that was the best 1 could hope for,"

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