Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Cycle News 1999 06 02

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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Round 4. Crossodromo di Gioiella FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 500cc MX SERIES (' '- (Left) Peter Johansson piloted KTM's fourstroke GP bike to its first World 500cc MX victory at the Crossodromo di Gioiella circuit in Italy. The Swedish rider earned the overall win with 1-2 moto scores. (Above) Series ieader Andrea Bartolini cruised to a safe third-place fihish in moto one, but the italian uncorked it in moto two and won It for second overall, further padding his points tally. By Alex Hodgkinson ~ §; .... 22 CASTIGLIONE DEL LAGO, ITALY, MAY 16 ter Johansson made up for the , 'sappointment of his zero score in Austria two weeks earlier by registering the fir t overall GP win for the four-stroke KTM at Castiglione del·Lago in Italy. The 37 points from his 1-2 moto finishes doubled his championship score and moved the Swede to fifth in the standings. His first-moto win made him the seventh winner in seven motos. P.J:s defeat in race two came at the hands of Andrea Bartolini. The Italian Yamaha star not only became the first rider to win two motos in the series, but he also extended his lead in the standings to a commanding 25 points as defending champion Joel Smets suffered his second mechanical DNF in eight motos. Arrierican Trampas Parker was onc.e again best two-stroke (eighth) in race one, but he ended the day with his right arm in a sling after a first-turn crash in race two. The firsj moto was a great win for Johansson. "T wanted that one," Johansson said. "I had a great start and felt comfortable. Smets passed me after 15 minutes, but I got back inside him on the same lap. When he started to have problems, I had a comfortable lead, but then I made life difficult for myself on the next-to-Iast lap. The track was very slick by the end, and I overshot a turn. I was sideways and had to stop completely to regain control. The Yamahas were close then, but I kept thern just far enough back that they were not a problem." So what happened to Smets? "Something with the carburetor," Smets said. "Dirt, I suppose. I felt so confident for 15 minutes, and I wi\s sure I could win that race even when Johansson went back inside me. But then the motor started to run erratically. I was riding as hard as I could, but I had to be so careful on the big jumps on the·hillside." A champion never gives up, and Smets was still 13th at th~ final turn. '1 don't believe it," Smets said. '1 lost three places in the last 20 metres as (Danny) Theybers, (Fabrizio) Dini and CRupi) Walkner came past." There is no point for 16th! Both Yamaha riders were satisfied with their podium finishes. "I knew I had to fit hard-track tires for the end of the race when it would be slick, and I didn't have enough grip to a ttack in the first half of the race, so Johansson' got away," Alessandro puzar said. "G had) a bad start," Bartolini said. '1 came up to the leaders, but it was too risky to try a pass, so I stayed third and increased my points lead." Parker had an heroic ride. The·380

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