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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127853
MOTOCROSS W ORLDC HAMPIONSHIP 500ccM TOCRO SERIES O SS Round 10: Belgian GP NA.\IUR, BELGIUM, AUG. 3 ft er 50 years, amur remains as sensational as ever. Darryll King won his second success ive GP for Husqvarna; Andrea Bartolini became the first rider in half a AJ century to win a race in his first time at the Citad el; and crowd power prevented the organize rs from cutting a treacherous section of the track before race two. Trampa s Parker co ns o lid a ted h is eighth in the s tand ing s with seventh o ve rall, but neither Keith Bowen nor Dag Boyesen scored on their baptism at the infamou s circuit, which winds its wa y for ne a rly two mi les arou nd th e battlements of an ancient hilltop fortres s overlooking the town . Bartolini surp rised eve n himself by topping his qualification group on Saturday. . "I wa lked the track tw ice yesterda y' to try to learn it," Bartolini said. "It is so much fun here and the crowd is fantastic, particularly d own by the cafe alongsid e the road . But the race will be d ifficu lt. The star t is vital here, an d ou r Yarna ha s ha ve not been getting ou t of the gate well in recent GPs." But in Na mur it did . Bartolini didn 't holesh ot, but he was third on lap one, behind Darryl! King an d C hris tophe Bertrand , an d a t halfdistance hit the front to become the first rider ever to win at Namur on his debut si nce tha t very firs t race around th e Citadel 50 years ago . "Words can not describe how ha ppy and prood 1'a m to win here:' Bartolini said . "Now 1 know how it must feel for a Formula O ne pilot to win Monte Carlo . After the rain this morning and in the early laps , the ground is so soft and the ruts a re as high as you r kn ees in some places. That w as how I passed Darryll, He stopped with his rear wheel spinning on the long uphill climb to the Esplanade. I w asn't worried w hen he came back to within four seconds with three laps to go, because I w as always in co ntro l, and even if he caught me , it By Alex Hodgkinson . (Above) In Ihe lirsl 500cc GP mota, Chrlslophe Bertrand (38) grabs the holeshot in Iront 01 the Citadel at the Namur circuit in Belgium. (Below) Darryl! King made his first appearance at the Namur track a good one, going 2ยท1 to take the overall win at the 500cc GP. would have been difficult to pass. One' hund red percent concentration was vital to sta y out of trouble." King ca me horne a dutiful second, and Joel Smets extended his points lead with third . 'They were a long way in front , bu t my first thoughts must go to the championship in conditions like th is, and 1 finished ah ead of Shayne King," Smets sa id . "1 had pu shed ha rd in the early laps to get to th ird , especially to catch N icoll; but once he wa s gone, I cou ld ride my own race." N icoll had moved to third on lap two, but was out two laps later to sec his third in the stand ings pu t in dou bt. "The spokes in my rear wheel colla psed : ' Nicoll sa id . "I felt something wrong on the big climb the lap before." Shayne King had a hard ride to sev en th. "I gated bad ly and got closed dow n in the first turn: ' Shayne King said . "I was 14th on lap one." The cha mpion finished immediately behind two other KTMs - Boonen and Park er "- and w as und er pressure from Danny Theybers , bu t was not angry at a lack of team orde rs. " I told th em a ft e r England th a t 1 don't want any fa vors : ' King said, referrin g to when Trampa s Par ker w as orde red by "1M bosses to pull over to let Nicoll by in England . "I' ve won all my titles on merit, and if I lose this one because Joel was faster, then so be it." Parker w as strong si xth from 10th on lap one. "I th ink a good resu lt here had as much to do with good fortune as rid ing ability: ' Parker admitted . "There is just one line almost all the way around, and you must not get too close to the rider in front in case he stops and you are stuck behind him ." While teammate Bartolini basked in glory, Peter Johansson came home 20th after a crash. The rai n had stop pe d for race two , but in the woods the track was already a