Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

KESTER, BELGIUM, JULY 12 t is becoming th e great question in Europe a t the moment: W ho is the best rider in Eu ro p e -Joel Sm ets, w ho leads th e Worl d 500cc Motocro ss Cha m p io nsh ip , or St efan Ev e rt s , th e 250cc World lead er? The two cha mp ions once again battl ed for the distinction of be in g Eu ro pe's b e st. This tim e th e motocross battl e wa s held in Kester, Belgi u m, and for the second consecutive ti me in th e p a st month, Smet s took hom e the win. In what turned ou t to be a piece of promotional smarts, the Kester Trophy ' was run w ith the sa me three-mote for mat; but this year, the first mo to wa s a typical 40-mi nute bla;;t, followed by the second moto, w hich featur ed a staggered start, and the third and final mo to utilized several one-lap dash es. For Smets, the forma t would prove to be to his likin g , a s th e two-tim e World cha m p limped home to a pair of fourth-place finishes in the first two rnotos, only to wi n all the one- la p dashes - and the Kester . Trophy. The first mot o of the dav showcased Eve rts a t his best, as t h~ four-time Wo rl d 250cc Cha mpio n bolted to th e front and stay ed there. " I jus t did wh at I had to ," Eve rt s said. " It w as lu cky I go t a great start, and by the third or fourth corn er, I was alrea dy in the lead; that made it d ifficult for the others ." Smets di d his best to produ ce a clash of the titans, bu t fell in the process. "I fell three times. It was tou gh wit h the rain and mud, but 1still was giving it everything, and that' s motocross, " said the Belgian rid er, who finished fourt h. Second place went to former World 500cc Champ ion Jacky Martens, and in third p lace came England 's Mark Eastwood , wh o is retu rn ing to so me of the form that ea rn e d him th e pl a ce o n Everts' Honda factory team. Moto-one failures included Sweden's [oaki m Karlsson. He had bee n d icing for the lead only to crash and finis h in 26th pl ace, while Rob H erring ca me home 37th, an d Marnicq Bervoets, still fight- (Above) World SOOcc MX Champion Joel Smets won the Kester Trophy. an intern ational exhibition race In Belgium. (Left) Fin ishing sec ond to Smets was 2SOcc World champ Stefan Evert s. (Below) Shayne King too k third overall. I 50 "The weath er was no t so good, but it was a nice win . Now 1 can go to France nex t w eek (for the next round of th e 500cc GP series) and feel I got in some good practice." Takin g secon d pla ce in th e d ashes was Eas twood, w ith Srnets' Hu sa be rg teamma te Da nn y They bers fini shing third . rx ing for his pla ce on the Suzuki team, finished 30th. The second moto look ed like tou gh goi ng for Everts and Smets, as the two started miles behind the slower riders in the staggered sta rt, where the top riders of the previo us mot o lined up be hi nd the low er-finishing riders. "I was in last , obviously, ou t of the start, bu t 1 d id not find it too tough to get past many rid ers ea rly," said Everts, who had mo ved to fifth (as Sme ts had moved to sixth) by half-distance. Up front was New Zealand 's Shayne King. ' '1 finished seventh in the first moto, so 1 ha d a littl e cush ion on Eve rts a nd Smet s, but then 1 lost m y go ggl es and cou ld on ly see ou t of one eye," Kin g sa id. "I knew Eve rts was co mi ng an d tried m y best to hold him off." But th at w ould not happen. Everts mov ed in to the lead with time running out. "I wa s a little su rp ris ed , but , w it h only on e lap to go, I got by King," said Everts, w ho had passed eve ry rid er in the field . Sm et s' luck was not as good , as he aga in fell. "Starting from the back, I expec ted it to be toug h, and when 1 fell it was not po ssible to keep charging," said · Srnets, w ho aga in fi nished fourth. King fi nis hed second. "After my blood problems th e last few weeks, it was n ic e to have the energy to finish so well," sai d King, who had been suffering fro m a blood d isorder the past few w eeks. " It reall y go t slip pery ou t there, and it was a sha me Stefan go t by on the last lap." The thi rd and final mot o cons isted of the one-lap da shes, an d this was wh ere th e trop hy wa s w on. Sm ets fin ished w it h ju s t abo u t e ve ry lap win , a n d Ever ts cras he d ou t early , only to b e black-flagged as he trailed the field . "I bro ke my front-brake lever early in the first lap and jus t ma d e it to qu ali fy for the next race," Everts said . "Then 1 fe ll in th e t hird ra ce a nd broke m y clutc h . Tha t w as it." Smets, thou gh , was Mr. Cool as he b las ted his Husaberg in to th e lead on mos t occasions and t oo k horn e th e Keste r Tro phy. " It was a good d a y ," Sme ts sa id . Keste r MX Track Keste r, Belg i" m Results: July 12,1 998 MOTO 1: 1. Stefan Everts (lion); 2. Jacky Martens (Hus ), 3. Ma rk Eastwood (Ho n): 4. JOtc"I Smets (H bg); 5. [aimy Sccvencls (Suz): 6. Av o Leok (H o n): 7. Sha yne King' (KTM); 8. Ma r ko Kov alaic k [H on); 9. DilTT)'lI King (H us ): 10. Miska Aa lto nc ( x n l1\'n. M OT O 2: 1. Ste fa n Everts (H o n): 2. Shay ne King (KTM); 3. Willie Van We'S~1 (Ho n): 4. Iocl Smets (Hbg): 5. Miche l Ka dlcc ek (Suz ); 6.J a m(.'S Ma rch (KTM); 7. Avo Leek (Hon ): 8. Da n ny Tbey be rs (Hbg): 9. M ar ko Kovalai ek (Ho n) 10. Bernd Ecke nbach (Hus). MOTO 3: 1. J~ll' 1 Smets (H bg ): 2. Mar k Eas twood (H e n): 3. Danny Theybe rs (Hb g); 4. Shay ne King (KTM ); 5. Mamicq ~rvocb (Suz), 6. Pet er lven (Ka w ): 7. J" lcky M arte n s (H u s ): 8. [ai m y Sce veu e ls (Suz) : 9. Miska Aa lto nen (J...'TM ); 10. Serge Vandersetssen (Kaw). O/A : 1. Joel Sme ts (210); 2. Ste fa n Eve rts 08£;); 3~ Shayne King (79); 4. Ma rk Eastwood (153); 5. Danny Tbey bers ( 148); b . Wi lli(. Van Wl' ssc l (134 ); 7. Ja ck y · Marten s (lJ I) ; 8. Avo Leok (21); 9. Mich el Kadl ecek (119); to. Iaimy s,.. .-vcne ls ( 12)

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