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/128097
FIM World Championship 1 25/2501500cc MX Series Round 1 : EI Circuito De Bellpuig (Left) Stefan Everts, on the L&MYamaha, returned to action and pretty much picked up where he left off • winning. He 'topped the opening round of the 2001 500cc GP Series in Spain. Defending champ Joel Smets (below) unintentionally helped Everts' cause by crashing while leading. being lifted off his works Yamaha four-stroke and onto the shoulders of his father, Harry, after winning in Spain. With tears in his eyes, the 28year-old Belgian was obviously delighted to be back racing again and, even better, on top of the podium. Despite winning, though, Everts really wasn't 100 percent after competing in only his second GP in the last 18 months. His arms were writhing in pain, mainly from the lack of riding over the past year, but he still persevered and came away with a big, confidence-inspiring and emotional win. "I have worked hard," Everts said. "This is something I could not have expected. I chased Joel [Smets] and, to be honest, he was riding at a speed I was not comfortable with. I intended to just settle for second, and then suddenly I. was leading. Those first few laps were very difficult, I was STORY AND PHOTOS By GEOFF MEYER BELLPUlG, SPAIN, MARCH 17,18 "'here were many reasons to be especially interested in the opening round of the FIM World Championship MX Series this year, most notably the use of the new singlemoto format; the return of four-time World MX Champion Stefan Everts; Everts and defending 500cc World Champion Joel Smets, who annihilated the class last year, going at it head to head; and all of the usual new bikes, teams and colors that make the opening round of any series exciting. And while the.single-moto format seemed to go over well in Spain, it was the Everts/Smets confrontation, which Everts won, that had the 25,000-plus spectators talking while driving home from the EI Circuit De Bellpuig track. It was no doubt an emotional and special moment for Everts as he was U 8 MARCH 28, 2001 • 0: U 0: I e n e _ so having great trouble with arm pump' [because] I was so nervous today." Second place in the single 500cc moto was Italian Andrea Bartolini. The Husqvarna rider moved into second place 01) lap four and remained there until the end of race. "I battled with myself," Bartolini said. "Early I felt I could maybe race with Stefan and Joel and then I realized I had to just work on remaining in control of second place. It was a good day for me, this track is very tough, you must constantly watch for changes in the track and different lines." It was not all about the victor at the opening Grand Prix of the season. Smets was the early race leader, but he crashed heavily in the whoops section. The crashed relegated him ,from the hunted to the hunter, and just as he had done a few times last year, he fought back from what seemed like a hopeless situation. Coming from 27th place after his