Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Mons International I ~ By Geoff Meyer MONS, BELGIUM, MAR. 22 tefan Everts has entered the defense of hi World 250cc Championship in the best form of his career, and a win in the last International of the preseason certain!y proved this. His rivals could be in for a long year. Usually a slow starter to the season, four-time World Motocross Champion Everts looked brilliant as he carved up a field of top 250 and 500cc riders to win . the Mons International with I-I results. Finishing second to Everts was Husaberg's Joel Smets with 4-2 results, and third place went to another Belgium sand rider, Suzuki's Marnicq Bervoets, with 3-3 finishes. . For Everts, who had spent the week recovering from a virus, it was especially sweet in Victory Lane. '1 took some tablets from the doctor a couple of days before Mons, but I expected to struggle here a little," Everts said after his win. "This is one of those tough deep-sand tracks Belgium is famous for, and you really need to have your fitness perfect, but I must say I feel really good for this \!arly in the year." The Mons track; in the French-speaking part of Belgium (just below Brussels), was at its most dangerous as the cold, wet weather in Europe had left the track in no condition for the weak, and it was looking likely that Everts (with his cold) and World 500cc Motocross Champion Joel Smets (with his shoulder injury still healing) would be struggling against the likes of a healthy Bervoets, brothers Shayne and Darryll King, as well as Yamaha's two four-stroke specialists, Andrea Bartolini and Peter Johansson. Like true champions, though, both Everts and Smets fought overcame their problems and showed why they are the favorites for the defenses of their World titles. The first moto of the day saw Smets take the lead, ahead of a hard-eharging Darryll King, Everts, Werner Dewit and Bervoets. For Yamaha riders Johansson and Bartolini, the start was not as spectacular, as the two trailed near the rear of the field. Smets had made a great first lap, while ~verts moved past King, "Bervoets and Dewit and set out after Smets. "1 knew I could catch Joel," Everts said. "He has been really riding fast, but 1 felt good early, and 1 could see he was . . g a little." Actually, Smets was having troubles. "My arms were pumping really bad," Smets said. "1 always have arm j:>ump in these races - not enough practice this morning, plus I'm still having problems with my shoulder - well, not so much when I'm riding, but 1 am really not sleeping very well." Smets and Everts had cleared away from the others, while Suzuki team riders Bervoets and Dewit were engaged in a heated battle for the third and fourth places. "My arms were killing me," Bervoets said. "This track is one of the worst S around." Dewit was also suffering. "This track is very narrow. and bumpy, so you get no chance of passing," Dewit· said. "1 think everyone's arms are hurting." The King brothers were -plugging away in fifth and sixth place, but their sand-track form was anything but (Right) Stefan Everts will be heading into the 2S0cc GP season full of confidence after winning both motos at the Mons International in Belgium. (Below right) Joel Smets rode well at Mons. At one point, the defending SOOcc World Champion passed Everts before crashing. He still finished a strong second overall. (Below) Suzuki's Marnicq' Bervoets rode to a pair of third-place finishes. (Bottom) Husqvama's Darryll King struggled in the sand but still finished fourth. impressive. 60th riders were way back from the lead pair. Up front, Everts had blasted past Smets, and now it was his turn to experience arm pump. "As soon as 1 passed Joel, the arm pump started," Everts said. "He was really putting some pressure on, and I could hear his four-stroke behind me. But luckily he made a mistake." Smets had been roosted by a lapped rider and, with his vision impaire?, he crashed. "It was stupid," a somewhat angry Smets said. "I was riding okay and felt good to pass Stefan; then a lapped rider messed me up." From then on, Everts cruised to the win, while Smets' problems grew. "With one lap to go, I was a -strong second and .thought, 'Just take it easy:" Smets said. "Then it happened again, my goggles were filled in, and I crashed and lost two places." Smets would move from his safe second to fourth place, . behind Dewit and 6ervoets. Fifth place went to Darryll King, with Shayne King in sixth. Yamaha's strongmen Johansson and Bartolini finished 12th and 25th, respectively. In moto number two, Smets again showed that his starting prowess is one of the best, as he again led KTM rider Johan 600nan, Everts, 6ervoets, Shayne King, Dewit and Darryll King. Then Smets and Everts again conunenced a battle royal, with the two charging around' the long, narrow Mons track. "You can't take anything away from Joel," Everts said. "He is one of the best; I'm not saying we are the two fastest riders in the world, but we are two of the fastest." The action was first-class all the way, but the leader of the class was again Everts, as Smets' moto-one problems returned to haunt him again. "It was not easy in the lead:' Smets said. "Stefan was putting a lot of pressure on, .and I again made mistakes. When he got by me, I had nothing left to fight with." Further back, Bervoets made the most of Smets' speed loss and in no time was onto the Husaberg's back wheel. "1 felt strong," Bervoets said. "1 thought I could get Joel, but it's so difficult to pass here. He's a big guy also." The King brothers held fourth and fifth, with Darryll again having the upper hand, while Dewit had crashed out. Bartolini and Johansson trailed in 15th and 17th. Up front, there was no stoppjng Everts, as he won by 24 seconds over Smets, who had moved away from Bervoets. Bervoets came home third, Darryll King fourth and Shayne King fifth. Taking the overall and entering the new Grand Prix season with another win, Stefan Everts had some bad news for his rivals. '1 have not seen too much of Tortelli, or some of the others, but I feel very good this year," Everts said. "Our team is very strong. We have done a lot of work on the bike and it's better than last year, for sure. I don't want to make any predictions, but I'm looking at winning more GPs this year than last." fN Mons International Mons, Belgium Results: March 22, 1998 MOTO 1: 1. Stefan Everts (Hon)i 2. Werner Dewit (Suz); 3. Mamicq Bervoe's (5uz); 4. Joel Smets (Iibg): 5. DarryJl King (Hus); 6. Shayne King (KTM). MOTO 2: 1. Stefan Everts (Hon); 2. Joel Smets

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