Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Left) World Champion Joel Smets didn't have the best of days in Italy. Although he won the second moto, the Belgian was forced out of the first'moto with a mechanical failure. (Above, left to right) Darryl King, Andrea Bartolini and Rob Herring celebrate their podium finishes in the opening round of the 500cc Grand Prix Series. "That was just my shakedown speed," King said. ''I'm looking to start winning later in the month in Switzerland and Austria." Herring was on the pace all weekend and had come quickly from an innial 12th, passing World Champion 101'1 Smets on the way. But after taking 10 laps to get to third, he found that the leader was long gone. "Andrea (Bartolini) was out of sight, so I decided to wait for the last two laps to attack DarryIl," Herring said. "But I wrenched my knee in a heavy landing and had to settle for third. At least I can't do any real damage to the knee anymore; I don't have any ligaments left in there!" Smets, meanwhile, had lost any hope of earning points while trying to hang on to Herring. Too many heavy landings over the numerous tabletop jumps had played havoc with the spokes in the front wheel. Other prominent men to hit trouble were Peter Johansson, who stalled on the second lap and had to let the field go past before his Yamaha would restart; Husky newcomer Bernd Eckenbach, who found more grip than he expected in a graded turn on the opening lap and ended up getting bogged down; and Shayne King, already shaken by a firstturn collision the previous week which had left him with a trapped nerve in the elbow and no feeling in his throttle hand, had suffered a freak accident on practice day. "We were trying a frame with a new geometry and when the forks were fully depressed, the wheel touched the exhaust," Shayne King said. His troubles continued in the race. . "One of the bolts holding the triple clamp broke and I was riding the final laps with the bars moving around," he explained. Bartolini looked set for a double win as he tool< the holeshot in race two, but the Italian could 'never escap.e from Herring and Smets. When the clutch problems recurred at half-distance, he had no alternative but to ease his pace. By then Johansson and Van Doorn had also come up to challenge, but Herring looked to have the situation under control until the final 10 minutes. "I just hit the wall," Herring said. "I would probably have been okay if I had a few seconds' lead, but I let Smets get to me mentally." He eventually droppe,d to fifth, behind Bartolini. Smets inherited the lead, but he too came under pressure - from Johansson. "I had the best lines of all of us and got right onto Joel's rear wheel, but in the last couple of laps I started to pay for that hard first race," Johansson said. "I got cramp in my legs and settled for second." £1\' Italian 500cc GP Mantova, Italy Results: April 5, 1998 (Round 1 of 12) MOTO 1: 1. Andrea Bartolini (Yam); 2. Darryll King (Hus); 3. Rob Herring (Hon); 4. Johan Boonen (Bus); 5. Gert Jan Van Doorn (H.an); 6. Jochen Jasinski (Yam); 7. Shayne King (KTM); 8, Avo Look (Hon); 9, Peter Johansson (Ya,m); 10. James Marsh (KTM); J l. Mikkel Capra,ni (Yam); 12. Bernd Eckenbach (Hus); 13. Erwin Machtlinger (Hon); 14. Rupi WaJkner (KTM); 15. David Campbell (Hon). MOTO 2: 1. Joel Smets (};bg); 2. Peter Johansson (Yam); 3. Gert Jan Van Doorn (Han); 4. Andrea Bartolini (Yam); S, Rob Herring (Hon); 6, DarryU King (Hus); 7, Bernd Eckenbach (Hus); 8. Willie Van Wessel (lion); 9. Avo Leek (Hon); 10. Jochen Jasinski (yam); 11. Shayne King (KTM); 12. Johan Boonen (Hus); 13. Chris Burnham (Han); 14. Mats Nilsson ()-Ion): 15. Rupi Walkner (KTM), O/A: 1. Andrea Bartolini (Yam); 2. Darryll King (Hus); 3. Gert Jan Van Doem (Han); 4. Rob Herring (Hon); 5. Peter Johansson (Yam): 6. Joel Smcts (Hbg): 7. Johan Boonen (Hus);_8. Jochen Jasinski (Yam); 9. Avo Leok (Hon); 10, Shayne King (KTM), WORLD 500cc MX SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 1 of 12 rounds): 1. Andrea Bartolini (33/l win): 2. DarrylllGng (27); 3. (TlE)Gert Jan Van Doorn/Rob Herring (26); 5. Peter Johansson (24); 6. Joel Smets (20); 7. Johan Boonen (17): 8. Jochen Jasinski (16): 9. Avo Leok OS); 10, Shayne King (14); 11. Bernd Eckenbach (13); 12. Willie Van Wessel (8); 13. James Marsh (6); 14. Mikkel Caprani (5); 15. (TIE) Chris Burnham/Erwin Machtlinger (3); 17. Rupi Walkner (3): 18. Mats Nilsson (2); 19, David Campbell (1), Upcoming Rounds: Round 2 - Payerne, Switzerland, April1g Round 3 - Schwanenstadt, Austria, April 26 250Cc World Motocross Championship Series Round 2: Portuguese Grand Prix Ol1f;e 110t el1ougt, for Vot,lal1d AGUEDA, PORTUGAL, APR. 5 merican Tallon Vohland scored his first Grand Prix moto win since the • opening round of the 1997 series as he took the victory in the first race of the Portuguese 250cc GP at Agueda, But he was powerless to prevent defending champion Stefan Everts from registering his second overall win of the year, as a slip late in the second ,race dropped Vohland to sixth. Moto winner Everts had been runner-up to Vohland in race one. Inclement weather once again affected the 250cc world series; after heavy rain,during the week, there seemed even the possibility of cancellation, but A the omission of part of the original track plus regular work with the earth-moving equipment got the circuit raceable, and both qualification and the racing were held under clear skies, More rainfallon Saturday night, however, again drenched the circuit. Falls hampered Sebastien Tortelli's efforts, while Everts appeared to have the measure of Pit Beirer, the German who won the opening moto of the series. The champion passed his fellow Honda rider midway through race two to clinch the moto and tile GP victory, Crashes kept Marn Icq Bervoets pointless, and four riders - Everts, Tortelli, Vohland and Beirer - have already distanced themelves from their ~ challengers in the standings, Portuguese 250cc GP Agueda; Portugal Results: AprilS; 1998 (Round 2 of 16) MOTQ 1: 1. Tallon Vohland (Yam); 2. Stefan Everts (Hon); 3. Pit. Beirer (Hon); 4. Sebastien Tortclli (J(aw): 5. Werner Dewit (Suz); 6. Jocke Karlsson (Hon): 7. Frederic Bolley (Hon): 8. Mickael Maschio (Yam); 9. Leon Giesbers (KTM): 10. Mark Eastwood (Hon); 11. Justin Morris (Hon); 12. Michal KadleceJ:t (Suz): 13. Jaimy Sccvenels (Suz); 14. Miska Aaltonen (KTM); 15. Marko Kovalainen (Hon) MOTO 2: 1. Stefan Everts (Hon): 2. Pit Beirer (Hon); 3. Sebastien Tortelli (Kaw); 4. Mickael Masch:io (Yam); 5. Yves Demaria (Kaw); 6. Tallon Vohland (Yam); 7. Werner Dewit (Suz); 8. Frederic l3Qlley (Hon); 9. Michal Kadlecek (SU2); 10. Mark Easj:wood (Hon): 11. Collin Dugmor~ (Hon); 12. Joakim Eliassen (Yam); 13. Jajmy Scevenels (Suz); 14, Paul Cooper (Kaw); 15. Leon Ciesbers (KTM). O/A: 1. Stefan Everts (Hon); 2. Pit Beirer (Hon): 3. Tallon Vohland (Yam); 4. Sebastien Tortelli (Kaw); 5. Mic.kael Maschio (Yam): 6. Werner Dewit (SU2); 7. Frederic Bolley (Hon); 8, Mark Eastwood (Hon); 9, Yves ~maria (K."W)i 10. Michal K.,dJecek (Suz). WORLD 250cc MX SERrES P01NTS STANDINGS (After 2 of 16 rounds): 1. Stefan Everts (74/2 wins); 2. Sebastien Tortelli (60); 3. Tallon Vohland (54); 4. Pit BeiTer (52); 5. Jocke Karlsson (27); 6. Mickael Maschio (26); 7. Yves Demaria (24); 8. (TTE) Leon Giesbers/ Justin Morris/Jaimy Scevenets (23); 11. Werner Dewit (20); 12. Paul Cooper (17); 13. Frederic Bolley (l7); 14. Mark Eastwood (17): 15. Marnicq Bervoets (14); 16. Javier Francisco Garcia Vice (13); 17. Micha.l Kadlecek (12); 18, Josh Coppins (11); 19. Collin Dugmore (5); 20, (TI"E) Joakim Eliasson/Serge Guidetty (4). Upcoming Rounds:, Round 3 - Valkenswaard, Holland, April1g Round 4 - Vilars-sous-Ecot, France, April 26 R~b Herr;"ng's' RWJ' Honda' hybrid wi\h' CR50Q motor in CR250 frame went throUgh the official, Italian tech on' Frid'IY at 240 pounds , and features a very neat 3,'38-gallon tank lor The European four-stroke manuh.oturers have the U.s-. that wraps around the frame and radi- ' re,acted to the YZM400F challenge ., ", signifi- ator without,any need .for wider pla'sties, Brietly~"_ .•. .cant. redUl;:tion in weight for their ~or"s bikes. The Husaberg apPeared with changes as described in this section, of the report from tbe Beaucaire warmup race and-weht through' tech at just ov"r 246 pounds. a reduction of 11'·to 14 pounds 'from 'last year: This .weight.'figure: was' equaled 'by Husqvarna and compared incredibly well with the 271 pounds they r~,istered for much of las\ ,summer, The ,reduction has been achi'eved by extensive use cif carbon' ,fiber:~rid 'titanium', A,lIlhree Husky fiders _ Kirig. Eckenbach 'and Boonen,- receive identi'cal 630.0.0 bikes with Mariocchi UfD forks' and , a Sachs-Boggi shock, Minor frame modinca- ' tions pl"s the riew.suspension units are said to have improved handling si,gnifipantly. . , O~ly Waiter',Bartolini rode'~ Verte~ati. "s a·, ,fire at the, factory had played havoc with the preparation, of tbe factory race bikes: Jef Jansen rode a production YZ400F at'Mantova, With a' three-speed. :493.0.0 motor. the bikes ,are basically 'standard hut with a Marzocchi upside·down fork to "replace the Paeoli units, At 258 pounds, the'Vertemati is fn the: same weight bracket as. the standard VZ400F Yama: has. Another'ltalian newcomer was the 360 TM of Jud SimonC.ini: "We are privately' entered, but have built the bike in collaboration with the factory. ,. he said, "there are 'no plans ,for production. but TM will 'present, a fo'urstroke at t,he Milan, Show .in :October, " , ' Shayne King's KTN! - the only full.faotory bike' Heikki Pentilla. (engine tuner for Yamaha this from Mattigh,ofen this year -, featu"is .a longer- year, and :on, the payroll at Mattighofen since ' stroke motor, but 'retains its 368cc qapacity last fall) said thai it is most 'unlikely' that the an(J has a n.ew ignition to service:both the' 400cc i

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