Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Round 6: Teutschenthaler Talkessel FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 500ee MX SERIES By Alex Hodgkinson TEUTSCHENTHAL, GERMANY, JUNE 13 t seems it's either win or bust for Peter Johansson this year on the factory KTM. The Swede followed up his zero score from Czecho by scoring his second GP win in the last three events to scorch back up the standings to fourth, following the German GP at Teutschenthal. A strange choice of gate cost points leader Andrea Bartolini dearly, and he saw his points lead cut to 35, while the German round of the World 500cc MX Series was the first MX GP in any cla s this year in which not a single American scored any points. . No one denies that the start in Teutschenthal heavily favors the inside gate. Indeed, the only rider in either race not to choose the gate closest to the inside - which was still available - was pole setter Andrea Bartolini. "I couldn't believe it when I saw he had gone for gate three and left me the inside," grinned Johansson after race one. "I was even more astounded when he did it again in race two." In race one, Bartolini made a perfect start and had half a bike length's advantage over Johansson halfway down the straight, but P.J. knew that was not enough. "I just kept the gas on long enough to push him out, and then turned tight to lead down the next straight," Johansson said. Bartolini, meanwhile, ~hot into the middle of the turn. "Johansson touched me and I locked up with (Joel) Smets," Bartolini said. But Smets was soon second, and it wasn't long before Bartolini was third. Bernd Eckenbach had initially been second. "I made a small mistake on a jump, which put me back to fourth," Eckenbach said, "but then my troubles really began. My fuel cap came loose. I tried to screw it back on while I was going along and ended up losing it completely and got covered in fuel." The wayward line on the jump had inadvertently caused Gert Jan Van Doorn's retirement. "I landed on Smets' rear wheel as he was pushed off line and hurt my right hand when I crashed," Van Doom said. Smets stayed on and Darryll King • was third, but not for long. "My footpegs broke off as I approached a jump," King said, "and I landed hard on my head. I tried in race two, but I had suffered a concussion and didn't know where I was after a couple oflaps." Bartolini was suddenly third without actually passing anyone. And for 15 minutes he lost ground to the front two. "The track was much too slick for our bikes today," Bartolini said. "The big I ':Brieflv... .. After the recent throng of DNFs.· Husaberg brought two bikes with 1998 motors and ana· log ignition to Teutschenthal' for Joel Smets. Chief mechanic' Ludo Van der Veken said.. "SEM. the Swedish company which produces the digital ignition. can' give us no explanation ·~hy·the prqblerT\sOC9u"el! when the ignition gets too .hot. We have incorporated' so.me qf . the. eng'ihe .m·cidificalions. but we use last ~nsson four-strokes were getting the power on the ground without any wheelspin out of the turns, but I was all over the track. I caught up to Peter when he tangled with Smets, but he soon left me again." Smets had passed Johansson for the lead after 10 minutes, but he could never shake off the Swede. '1 was faster than Joel on one half of the track and he faster than me on the other," Johansson said. "He passed me when I made a mistake, and when he left a gap on the inside going into a turn, I went for it. He touched my rear wheel with his front wheel and went down. I didn't mean him to fall. Andrea was then on my rear wheel, but I put in two quick laps and shook him off." Smets, mean while, was fourth, behind Demaria, by the time he had gotten himself sorted out, and he narrowly failed to regain third at the checkered flag., Rob Herring's chance of running absent at the German GP. having heeded medical advice that he must rest his cracked arm/shoulder joint. whne Jocke Karlsson's shattered kneecap is currently in plaster. Georges Jo~ broke a bone in his left hand and also his collarbone dUring free' training. When his fuel cap flew off on the first lap of qualifyirig and he was soaked with. fuel. Yves Demaria first returned to ·his camper. show-' ereq and changed before returning to the tr~ck just , a minutes before the end "f the session to qualify.. year's ig-nition. The cooling f1n~ on the ignition Bader Man.neh was ba~k 'on .the GP trail cover also. reduces. remperature Iiy four. after missing. the Czech round With' an injury: degrees. - An oil cooler from an XR400 was fit- . -I'm gradUally getting some of my fitness back . ted io the headstock. . and I clln at least try to bailie for placings this' week." he said: Mannen 'finished 27-22 on his M~dical report; Trampas .Par.ker .-was· VZ400E zero to with them ended when a rock jammed his chain, which then broke, wrapped itself around the front sprocket and bent the gearshaft. Alessandro Puzar crashed in turn one with Avo Look and then took a rock on his right instep, while Shayne King had slowed temporarily 'early on as he sought the cause of his bike's ill handling. But he continued when he discovered it was nothing worse than broken steering-head bearings. Amazingly, Bartolini again took the number-three gate in race two, and this time he really paid the penalty after tangling with Van Doorn. '1 never touched him - he fell on his own," claimed Van Doorn, who had again started from gate two. "He pushed me out," claimed Bartolini. Wha tever the case was, the series leader went down, severa I other riders hit him, and his teammate Puzar, who had shot out of the ga te the fastest, was pushed way out wide. Van Doorn and Chris Burnham held the lead along the valley, but neither was at the front for long. Riding with two broken ribs, Burnham soon had to ease his pace, while Van Doom pulled off the track before turn two. "I knew when I landed off the first jump that my hand was not strong enough to carry on," Van Doom said.. Johansson swept to the front again, but he couldn't hold it there. "Demaria and Smets were too fast for me in that race," Johansson said. Still, it was good enough for the overall win once Smets took the lead. Smets had relentlessly worn down Demaria for a deserved win, while Bartolini struggled. Peter.Johansson rode the new KTM fourstroke to another victory at the German 500Cc GP. The Swede went 1-3. "I was nervous and took a long time to make my passes," Bartolini said. "It went better in the middle of the race, but then I was just too tired to attack any further once I got to lath." Herring was easily the fastest twostroke rider, garnering a magnificent fourth on his spare bike. eM Teutschenthaler Talkessel Teutschenthal, Germany Results: June 13, 1999 (Round 6 of 13) MOTO 1: 1. Peter Johansson (KTM); 2. Andrea Bartolini (Yam); 3. Yves Demaria (Hus); 4. JOel Smets (Hbg); 5. Francisco Carcia Vico (Yam); 6. Miska Anltonen (Yam); 7. Chris Burnham (Hon); 8. Shayne King (KTM); 9. Danny Theybers (Hbg); 10. Willie Van Wessel (Hus); 11. Erwin MachtJinger (Hen); 12. James Marsh (KTM); 13. Rupi Walkner U

• Cover