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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55th editie Motocross 't Fonteintje Een Van de Drie Smets off until the last comer of the last lap, losing second place by only the shortest of margins. And third overa II in a debut race on a new bike against such a field is nothing to sneeze at. MOTO 1 Despite several recent Injuries and a surgery, 500cc Worid MX Champion Joel Smets scored a convlnclng preseason win to show that not everything has changed In the worid of Euro MX. STORY AND PHOTOS BY GEOFF MEYER KOERSEL, BELGIUM, FEB 11 nternational motocross is currently in a state of disarray, with controversy surrounding the approaching tripleheader/single-moto-format GP series, the cancellation of several traditional winter races, and the recent news that a popular Italian promoter was being denied both a GP and the I The KTM rider's win came via a 21 moto tally, while Rinaldi Yamaha teammates Marnicq Bervoets and Stefan Everts completed the podium with 1-2 and 3-3 results, respectively. "I know Joel," said Bervoets, skeptical of his long-time rival's claim. "He is in good condition. He's been back on the bike long enough to be fit. I came here being the underdog that's the way I have always been, and I'm okay with that." Everts was not at all interested in how his fellow Belgians had performed. After nearly two years out of steady competition, the four-time World Champion just wanted to survive. "I'm happy to be riding the Yamaha," Everts grinned. "I have made a completely new start - everything has changed from what I have been using the last two years. I'm working with my father again, myoid trainer. Anything I had in the last few years is gone; I'm happy for that. I won't try and race with the top guys if I feel I can't match their speed. Today I just ride my own races, then see how I feel. " Everts did, in fact, put serious pressure on Bervoets in the early going of the first heat, before holding MX des Nations in 2001. But when Joel Smets climbed to his customary position at the top of the podium of the hastily arranged Motocross 't Fonteintje warm-up race, it almost seemed as if everything would be okay. The sport's future direction still remains to be decided, but the victory - coming as it did in front of 20,000 old-school Belgian spectators by an old-school rider on an old-school open-class bike in old-school cold, treacherous conditions and utilizing an old-school two-moto-format served as a sort of calming influence on the otherwise-nerve-wracking preseason. "I am very surprised," said Smets, who has suffered several injuries over the past few months. "I came to the track this weekend expecting to be off the pace. My off-season has not been good. I have not ridden the bike as much as normal, so this is a very promising start for me." 38 MARCH 7, 2001 • cue I _ n __ s That aforementioned field included not only Smets, Bervoets and Everts, but also Peter Johansson, Andrew McFarlane and Matt Nilsson, so it was not surprising to see some risks taken at the start of the first moto of the day. Bervoets grabbed the holeshot ahead of McFarlane, Gert Jan Van Doom, Johansson, Smets and Everts. "The Yamahas can really get nice speed from the start," Bervoets said. "That's always been the case. I have McFarlane right behind me, and Stefan was just behind him." As for Smets, a wide starting posi· tion on the gate aided in his being pushed wide, and the tall Belgian dropped back to 15th place after the first tum. "I was like in the top lOin the first corner," Smets said. "I had an outside position, and everyone went on me. I was a long way back when we started to come around for the first lap." By the end of lap one, Bervoets had already pulled several bike lengths ahead of Van Doorn, who in turn was battling to contain a charging Everts. Back in sixth place now, Smets made a pass on McFarlane, who had decked his Rinaldi Yamaha when he high-sided into a turn. Johansson was a long way back, finding the Belgian sand difficult even for a Swede (sand is prominent in Scandinavia). "This track is terrible," Johansson said. "I never go good at this place. As he did much of last season, Mamlcq Bervoets finished second to Belgian countryman Smets at the Een Van de Drie circuit on his factory Yamaha. We have to race, though. I need to get time on the bike, and this is the only race to do it." Everts moved into second place and made some ground on Bervoets. Smets, on the other hand, was still struggling to get past some of the other riders. "My arms were pumping up," Smets said. "I rode the bike for the first time in the sand last week; I knew then that my arms would be a problem." With the race at half·distance, Bervoets was long gone, and Everts and Smets began their little battle. Everts looked to be tiring, and with second place in sight, Smets charged up to Everts' back wheel and made a move for the pass. "I could see Stefan, and really wanted to push to pass him," Smets said. "I made a mistake at one stage and got too close. His bike threw up some dirt, and my goggles were totally covered in sand; I could not see anything. It was a part of the traok where I had to either slow and clean my goggles or ride blind. I took the second option, missed a rut and crashed under the fence. I lost about 15 seconds. Eventually I got him though." Despite riding a brilliant race, losing out to S'"!1ets with only a few yards remaining was dissapointing to Everts.