Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

MOTOCROSS W RLDC O HAMPIONSHIP 250Cc M TOC O SSERIES O RS Round 8: Czech Grand Prix which often d epend ed on th e erra tic effor ts of the German, whose lap times varied dramatically. Everts had s ta rted fourth but soon disposed of Gi esbers and gave ch as e. Ev entually h e ca ug h t up to fellow H ond a rider Beirer , but th ere was no way past. " I h ope we don ' t ha ve . to rid e o n tracks like this aga in," sa id the cha m p after spend ing half an hour in a frui tless atte m p t to pass the German. "Pit held me up so mu ch. There wa s just no w ay to pa ss her e." After half an hour, Tortelli led by 13 seconds, but the win was not to be his. " I d on't kno w what the p robl em is, bu t my motor started to run very erraticall y, a nd I was s truggling ou t of th e corners," Tor telli said . " 1 just concentrated on trying to finis h the race then , but the problem cleared u p in the las t tw o laps and I was ab le to ho ld off Bolley for third ." Kawasaki team manager Jan De Groo t sa id, "W e wo n 't kn ow for sure until we get the bike out of the postrace impound, but it must have been an ignition problem. " The smiling winner .w as thus Beirer. " I was so full of confidence after that fir st race," th e win ne r sa id . "Wh e n 1 p as s ed Sebast ie n , I was d eterm in ed nobody was going to pass me." And to Everts' un d isgu ised d isgu st, he used every inch of the track to ens u re this . Boll e y t ri e d a ll h e kn e w to pu sh Tor telli o ff the p odi um in th e closin g tw o laps , bu t to no avail. Mickael Masch io was a lo t closer th is time but still ou t of sigh t, a nd Giesbers mad e sure nob od y got too close to his rear wheel 1-:\ this time. By Alex Hodgkins on STRAKONlCE, CZECH RE PUBLIC, JUNE 14 econd-moto ignition problems cost Sebastien Tortelli a double wi n and a s ha re of th e World Cha mp ionship 250cc MX series lead , and handed the overall win - the first by anyone other than the Frenc hman or title ho lde r Stefa n Everts this yea r - to the dynamic Pit Beirer, at [inin , in the Czech Republic. Th e cha m p, Eve rts , was less than com p li men ta ry - a n d hi s com men ts were valid - abou t the rid icu lou sly oneline nature of the tra ck after twice losing a mo to by the len gth of a mo torcy cle. The o rga n iza tio n worked ha rd to scrape the mud off the track on Saturda y evening, bu t the Jinin track , on the ou tskirts of Strakonice, home of the CZ factory which still produces chains and tools, is traditionally one on which passin g is di fficult , with ju m ps h alfwa y down each long straightaw ay that kill att empts to build momentu m. The "ba ttle" at the front was a tale of mistakes. Tor telli took the holesho t from Beirer a nd Everts, and th at rema in ed the ir orde r for 15 minutes until the German, pu sh ing Tortelli hard , fell. " It was stra nge," Beir er sai d . "Both Seb astien and I missed the lin e at the com er after the finishing lin e that lap, but he got awa y with it, and I slippe d dow n in the soft dirt. After that, it took me a couple of laps to regain my speed, but I was happy with my riding in the end . I wa s able to close on Sebastien an d Stefan at the end to prove to myself that I can race ag ain a t thei r speed for th e full 45 minutes," Everts had lost ground early on, and Beirer's mi stake left Tortelli six seconds clear, bu t on the half hour, the title candidates suddenly came around togeth er. "A backm arker had fallen off on the racing line, and I had to go into the soft d irt to go arou nd him and fell on m y side, " Tortelli said . "I was able to ge t up again jus t befor e Stefan . He was close but I didn' t feel any great pressure. It is s o difficu lt to pa ss he re, so I knew I would be okay if I didn't make any mistak es." Everts wa s a gentleman in defeat. S 8 [8 ~ J inin Circuit Strakonice, Czech Republic Results: June 14, 1998 (Round 8 of 16) "At least they h a d b lue flags this w ee k fo r th e lapped riders , but the y we re s tr uggling to find somewhe re to get ou t of the way," Ever ts said . Th e res t were now h er e. A mi stake w hich lost hi m fou rth to Mickael Maschio for a single lap (lap tw o) meant that Frederic Bolle y soon lost sigh t of th e leaders, and he eventually led home the fift h-p laced Yamaha rid er by nearly a minute - and nobody else could see him. Leon Giesbers held sixth until Jaimy Scevenels rode him mo st impolitely int o the track-mar ker tires. A fall cost Marni cq Bervoe ts se v en p laces, and la s t year' s Wo rld number tw o could on ly regain th ree of them in th e ne xt ha lfhour. Th e se co n d ra ce see me d a ll over halfway up the hill to the. first turn, as Tor telli again broke clear of the pack. Again, Beirer was seco nd, but the Frenchman, Tortell i, immediately set a bou t o pe ni ng up a lead , th e size of (Above) German Pit Beirer became the first person other than Stefan Everts and Sebastien Tortelli to win a 250cc GP this year. Beirer went 3·1 to win in the Czech Republic. (Left) Runner-up Tortelli (4) leads Beirer and the rest of the pack early in the race . Tortelli won the first moto. Briefl ••• Radso n Hond a t eam ow ner Dave Grant claimed on the weekend that Frederic Bolley had Signed a further two-year deal during the week. "Frederic said he wanted to ride for my MO TO 1: 1. Se bas tie n Tortell i (Ka w) : 2. Stefa n Evert s (Hen): 3. Pit Be ire r (Hon ): 4. Frederic Bollc y (Hon): 5. Mick ael Ma schio (Ya m); 6. Jaim y Sccve ne ls (Suz ); 7. jock c Karlsson (He n): 8. Paul Coo pe r (Ka w ): 9. Leo n Gies bers (KTM); 10. Mic ha l Kadlecek (Suz ); 11. Mark Eastwood (He n): 12. Marnl cq Bcrvoe ts (Suz): 13. Justin Morris (Hon): 14, Josh Co p pins (Suz): 15. Peter Iven (Ka w). . M OTO 2: 1. Pit Beirer (Hon): 2. Stefa n Everts (He n): 3. Sebastien Tort elli (Kaw ): 4. Frederic Bolley (Hen): 5. Micka e l Masch io (Yam) ; 6. Leon Ciesb ers (KT M); 7. Iocke Kar lsso n (Hen): 8. Jos h Co ppi ns (Suz ); 9. Paul Co o pe r (Kaw): 10. Mark Eas tw ood (Hen ): 11. Jai my Sceven els (Suz); 12. Miska Aaltoncn (KTM); 13. joakim Elias so n (Yam ); 14. Alessand ro Za nn i (Hon): 15. Jiri Ce pe lak (KTMI. O /A: 1. Pit Beirer (He n): 2. Sebas tien Tort elli (Kaw); 3. St ef an Everts (Ho n): 4. Fr ederic Belle y (Han); 5. Mlckael Maschi o (Ya m) ; 6. Io cke Ka rl sso n (Ho n): 7. Leon Gicsbcrs (KTM); 8. ]aimy Sceve nels (5uz); 9. Pa ul Coo per (Kaw): 10. Mark Eastwood (He n). WORLD CHAMPIONSH IP 250« MX SERI ES POINTS STAI\TIINGS (Alltr 8 of 16 ro unds) : 1. Stefan Everts (286/ 4 w in s); 2. Sebas tien Tort elli (279/3); 3. Pi t Beir er (2 12/0; 4. Fre d eric Soll ey (64); 5 . Joak im Karls son (1 7); 6. Ta llo n Vohla nd ( 16); i . Mick a el Ma schto (l1l); 8. Ma rn icq Ben/acts (t08); 9. Werner Dewit (86); 10. Leon Cicsbers (86); 11. Paul Coo per (62); 12. Iairnv Scevenels (59); 13. Justi n Morris (51); 14. Yves Dcma ri~ (45); 15. Josh Coppins (44); 16. Mark Eastwood (39); 17. Pe ter Ive n (33); 18. Miska Aa lto ne n (32) ; 19. Pierrick Pa get (23); 20. Fra ncisco Javier Go da Vioo (22). u Upcoming Rounds: Round 9 . M ontevarchi, Italy, June 28 Round 10· ~elo Horizonte, Brazit, July 19 consider riding here. In Asti last week he rode with pain-killers. He has a support cast for riding, but the only cure for the injury is rest. Tal- . Ion is looking forward to beingable to retum to act io n and sc ore points at M ontevarc hi in tw o weeks' time." Carlo explained that the injury was 'a small crack to the metacarpal bone In his hand.· team. no ma tter w hich bike we will race ," Werner De Wit. who broke an a nkle at As ti American Tallon Voh land did not ride In the Czech 'Republic because of his still-injured hand. Carlo Rinaldi. Michele's younger brother. who was in charqe of theYamaha team opera- 42 last week. will miss the rest of the season. "tto n at J inin, said. "Tallon tried to ride on Tues-, since a blow to the head at last month's European GP. . day and Thursday but was in too much pain to No date has been set for the return of Yves Demaria . ' who' has suffe red with dizzine ss '

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