Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128010
le t Boll ey rid e pas t him a nd in to th e lead . Everts stayed back in th ird p lace, keeping watch for Beirer . It all started ea rly in th e first moto when Beirer, w ho had wo n bo th mot os on this very track at the Mo tocross des Na tions in 1997, sho t in to the early lead . Man y we re ex pecti ng Be irer to r u n a way agai n, bu t Pichon, Everts and BoIley had other id eas. While Boll ey wa tched fr om a safe four th pla ce, Pichon and Everts nipped at the leader 's heels tum after tum, and Beirer would eve ntually fold under the p ressure . Beirer' s Ka wa saki s lid ou t from underneath him a nd by th e tim e he rem ounted , ma ny riders had already passed him. T he fa ll b y Beirer p ut Picho n into the lead, Everts into the ru nner-up position and Boll ey into third . Leon Geisbe r filed into four th, followed b y Ma s ch io, Ry an Hu gh es and Jo sh Coppins. It was sho rtly ther eafter that Bolley d ecid ed to ma ke hi s move. His teammate Eve r ts 'gave him free access into seco nd , w h ile Picho n p u t up a weak figh t before giving way to Bolley. Mea nwhile, Beirer worked his way back up to seventh when he had his get toge ther wi th Maschio. "I had the inside line and Beirer jus t ca me cha rg ing through and hit me," Masc hio sai d with an angry expression on his face. "He rod e into me." Be ire r go t up quic kly, lo sing one pos ition, but the same could no t be said for Masc hio, who dropped to 17th place. Mean while, Hu gh es had tak en over four th p lace, but all was not well w ith the lon e Ame rican. "I got hit in the face wi th a rock by Everts," Hughes said . " It knocked m y tooth out and I had to slow down a little. 1 just had to fight on though. I did no t wan t (David ) Vuillem in to get by me, tha t's for sure." The French Yamaha rider, Vuillernin, who had climbed up fro m a 15th-p lace start, could not come to terms with the rough Nismes track. "This track is so roug h," he said . "All you' re do ing is wi nding the throttle and then ju mping. You land wit h such force, it is v ery tou gh on th e bi ke and th e body. I could see Hughes up ahead and knew we are fighting for thi rd place in . the cha mpionship, SO I just had to take so me cha nces." Afte r 15 laps, it was still Bolley ahead of Picho n an d Hu gh es, who had moved past a tirin g Everts. "I was getti ng a rm pump and just had to let Hu gh es by," Everts said. "I could've maybe tried to ho ld on, bu t it was no t important if he go t me. Maybe if Be irer wou ld have come n ea r er I wo uld have fou ght a little harder." With a clear track Bolley went on to win by two seconds a head of Pichon, followe d b y Hu gh e s, Ever ts and Vuil lernin . Th e seco n d m ot o saw Ya mahamounted Alessand ro Belornetti pull the h ol esh o t a hea d o f Pich on , Be irer , Vuillemi n and Maschio. It was not long, however, before the top riders blew past Belometti; by the end of lap one the Italian Yam ah a rid er was already in sixth p lace and ge tting pressure from se venth- p laced Everts, who wou ld eventually ride past the Italian . Hug hes was mired in the pack back in 1Oth place. Up fro nt, Pichon had moved into the lead, but Bolley - wi th the ti tl e ve ry mu ch o n h is mind - clo sed in on th e Suzuki rid er and bega n pecking away at the leader. "I cou ld see Belley," Pichon sa id . "I was having troubl.. wi th the feel for the tires, and 1 really had to fight to keep the wheels in a straight line. It did not make it any easier with Bolley coming." Pichon eventually gave way to Bolley - on lap five - a n d the Ho n da r id e r would never give it up. Elsew here in the pack, Vuillemin was makin g his move, until the spo kes in his front wheel sta rted to giv e ou t. " I los t sever al s pok es a n d it was im possible to continue," Vu illemin sai d . "I just overjumped the jump before the finish line and landed really hard ." As th e rac e wore on, Bolley conlinued to lead the wa y clear of Pichon, w ho soo n had Beirer on his tail. Beirer eventua lly got around Pich o n and settled into second, bu t had no cha nce of catch ing th e lon g -g on e Boll ey . Hu gh e s worked his way up to the lead gro u p , followed by Cop pi ns. Everts circu lated the track back in sevent h. "I go t really tired and nea r the end was just chasing Co ppins and gelling a little ou t of shape," Everts said . "I'm not too disappointed , I wa n ted a pod iu m here, but all in all it' s go ing very well ." "I kn ew I need ed to get so me points on Beirer here," Bolley said . "We go to (Left) Mlckael Pichon is adapting to his new works Suzuki quickly. He went 2ยท3. Germ any n e xt week and Pit will be pumped to win on his hom e track. 1 feel co n fi d e n t to take th e champio nship though, no worries." CIf Circuit Saint Joseph Nlsmes, Belgium Results: August 22, 1999 (Round 14 of 16) MO TO 1: 1. Fr ed e r ic Bo lle y (Han) ; 2. Mi c ka el Pichon (Suz): 3. Rya n Hu ghe s (Ha n); 4. Stefan Evert s (Hen): 5. Da vid Vuill emin (V .1m ); 6. Pit Beircr (Kaw ): 7. Josh Co ppi ns (Suz): 8. Brian jor gense n (Suz ); 9. Leo n Geisbers (S Ul); to. Go rd an Crockard. (Han); 11. Ma rk JonL (Hen): 12. Ma rcel Van Dronen (Yam): 13. Mickael 'S Ma schi o (Yam ); 14. Ma rk E astwood (Hon); 15. Philippe Dupasquier (He n). MO TO 2: 1. Frede ric Bolle y (Ha n); 2. Pit Beirer (Kaw), 3. Mickae l Pichon (Suz); 4. Ryan Hughe (Ho n): s 5. Jos h Co ppins (Suz): 6. Micka el Maschi o (Yam); 7. Stefan Eve rts (Han); 8. Leo n Gtesbe rs (Suz) ; 9. Ma rk Jon es (Ha n); 10. Brian Jorgensen (Suz): 11. Alessa ndro Belometti (Yam ); 12. Philippe Dupasq~ier (Han ); 13. Mark Eastwood (Hon); 14. Gordan Crockard (Ha n); 15. en Jussi vehvilaine.. (He n ). 0 1A: 1. Fred er ic Bollev Il-ion): 2. Mickael Picho n (5uz ); 3. Ryan Hu ghes (H'on); 4. Pit Beirer (Ka w ): 5. Stefan Everts (H u s); b . Josh Coppins (5uz) ; 7. Leon Gel sbe rs (5uz); 8. Brian Jorgense n (5uz); 9. Micka el M asch!o (Ya m ); 10. Mar k Jo n es (H en ): 11. D .1Vid Vu ille m in (Ya m) ; 12. Go r dan C rocka rd IHo n ): 13. Ales sandro Belom e tf (Ya m ); 14. Ph ilippe Dupasquier (Ho n): 15. Mark Eastwood (Ha n). Fl M WOR LD CHA MP IONSH IP 250cc MX SERIES PO INT STANDING S (After 14 of 16 ro und s); 1. Pit Beirer (396/2 w ins ); 2. Frederi c Bollcy (393/6); 3. David Vuill emin (329/2); 4. Ryan Hu ghes (328); 5. Marn icq Berv oets (267 /3) ; b . Mick ael Ma sc h io (248); 7. Jos h Coppins (234); 8. Leon Geisbers (73); 9. Rem y Van R... (164 / 1); 10. Alessandro Belometti (16); 11. Go rd a n Croc kard ( 02); 12. Mark Jones (gg); 13. Brian Jor gensen (82); 14. Ma rk Eastwood (76); 15; Paul Coo",... (68). Upcoming Rounds: Round 15 - Gaildorf, Germany, August29 Round 16 . Budds Creek , Maryland , September 12 '" '" '" 00 ~ .8 E a '" Ul 39