Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

3-3 moto finishes. Fellow American Jeff Dement also added to his seasonal total in both motos despite a case of the flu and a revival of hostilities from the AMA National days with Great Britain's James Dobb. Gating second to Chiodi, Federici was in a class of his own in race one, winning by 13 seconds after passing the champ on lap four of the 20-lap race. "I knew I was strong, but I had such bad starts in France (at the opening round)," Federici said. "That race (the first mota in Italy) proved that we have this sorted out. I was confident (enough) to pass Chicco anyway, but when he went wide approaching a corner, I took my chance. It was difficult to hold the inside line on the camber and we were alongside off the next jump, but I flattened my jump, got my wheels on the ground first, and was in front. It was very slippery after the rain just before the race, and I concentrated very hard on building an advantage in case I made a mistake. But I didn't." Italy's Luca Cherubini was unable to hold the pace, and he dropped from third to seventh. "I must make my military, service this year and cannot train properly," Cherubini said of his lack of energy late in the race. Brown was happy to make his way onto the podium after putting in a tremendous charge from 30th place on the Cat Honda. "1 spun the rear wheel on the gate," Brown said of his bad start. "It was just like ice after the rain. After that, I had to push hard, but (felt good and the only difficult pass was on my teammate Siggi (Luigi Seguy)." France's Seguy's fourth place added to Cat team manager Dave Thorpe's joy. Brown had no chance to advance further. "When I got to third, the leaders were way out of sight," Brown said. . The slippery'surfa,ce, particularly at the road crossing, cla imed rna ny vic- tims, including Great Britain's Carl Nunn, who hurt his left shoulder in a fall on lap one and did not ride again. Also bailing here was Italy's Erik Camerlengo, who tore finger ligaments as he put out his hand to break his fall. And James Dobb also crashed, putting the blame on someone else. "It wasn't my fault," Dobb said. "(Antti) Pyrhonen fell there and pushed everyone out, and I was the one on the outside of the corner who went down." At the finish, Dobb had an argument with American rider Jeff Dement. "We were both battling up the field," complained Dobb, "and he (Dement) kept coming up the inside of me in the turns even though he didn't have a clutch." For his part, the American was less . than polite about the Englishman. "Yeah, he started it," Dement said, "when he slammed me early on even though he could see my clutch lever was hanging down. I've got enough problems with the flu, and the lever was already gone on lap two when I fell after nearly slipping into track-marker tires." The Texan eventually, finished a frustrated 15th, one place behind Dobb. '1 had him," Dement said of Dobb. "I broke clear and then fell off with one lap to go." The ultimate hero of the race, however, was Slovenian. teenager Sebastjan Kern. In his first GP outside his homeland, riding a stock Yamaha with the only sign of a sponsor being a sewn-on patch for a national fuel chain on the back of his shirt, he was an incredible ninth. It was a nice way to celebrate his 18th birthday. More rain before the second race made the track treacherous. Three Yamahas led on the first lap, but not one of them was Federici's YZ. Cherubini took the holeshot, but, in his words, he "stalled at turn two and got run over." Next to lead was Camerlengo, but only until the first downhill jump; according to him, he was trying too .i:3rlefly---'---,-u~.~~.,.....-,.. hard, which resulted in a hard touchdown. "The pain on landing taught me to ride J;Ilore carefully," he said. Great Britain's Paul Malin then took over the lead, but that wouldn't last for long. . '1 had changed the gearing to get out of the gate and had no power up the hills," said Malin. On lap two, Brown moved into the lead, but Chiodi and Federici both swept past him on lap three. "I knew I needed to pass him (Brown) early because of the conditions," Federici said. "He chased me hard for half the race before I started to move away. But then I let my concentration lapse, got sideways on a jump and crashed. I did it again at the same place the next lap:" Still, he wa, second, well clear of Brown - but Chiodi was gone. "No problem," the defending champ . shy of becoming th~' most ~~ccessfu! italian' in .any class.. 'but.his ta~get ' could s"till chartge - Alessandro Pilzar'is' still very'. much an ,active partie;· pao.t in . , ' GPs. which statts·the liveek after Easter. the 500cc . ", . The Yan,aha teams, have bee~ hard ,at work since 'their defeat' at the Selgia" Cedric Melotte was a no'nstarter in It~ly d~spite qualifying on , French, GP, Claudio FederiCi's bike now weighs even less.than,the Husq. Saturday. "I've had a 'problem all week with my hand," 'Melotte said, "I . . , varnas, and Team De Carli has aiso been working' on the motor, Federici . must have trapPe;G a nerve or something." said, "We haye made changes to the .electronic ignition and expect better ,starts, "'. Meanwhile" Carl Nunn 'and meeh'anic 'Kevin Harris'spent two days. li~ly's "Luc~ Ch!lrubin;' is not the 'only 1·25~e G~ .rider. currently h~,!,. p"rec!' in his sporting aims by military conscription. Austrian Michael " last week at'the Rinaldi workshop, . ' " M.i1anol'ic-,faces·a hectic.driv~ after ,each GP at the mome,ro. "1'''1 also You won't see AIe,!sio Chiodi wearing. the same color riding gear tWo doing.my milit~ry seryice, andthey,give me FridaY'Off b~fore!,ach.GP, but .times·in' a,rqw: The W!"rld .ohamp has two differenfoutfits "in red ·and.yel.. : Ihaye to, be pack.in camp by 6:30 Monday moming." ,iow -,from clothing spons,?rUfO, ".I always ride one motoin each color, ~ . , ,. , ',qiodi ~aid:. .'. '.' " '.' " , .. ' The impressive-looking big.team rigs, which infest th",··GP. 'p~ddo~ks 'n'owadays', eertainly'have their disadvantages,:as Harty Everts soon found Aiessio Chiodi''; 20th. GP' wi~ . all coming in the, 1~5ec .c1as,\ . siillieave . out: Aft~r spending two hours .negotiating the' final 1'Z mile.s·, from the him third q..,the all-time.winners', list (in the. 125ee 'division). S"lgium's ,motorway to the Cirigoli 't

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