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/128105
FIM World Championship MX S e ri es Round 5 : Mitteldeutschland Just as Dobb has domi nated the small -bore class, Mickael Pich on is stea mrolling th e 2 50cc competition. De s p it e fi ni shi ng ru nner -u p a t t h e Belgian GP two weeks ago , the Co ro na S uzuki rider loo ked as unbeatable as ever in ro u n d five. De fe n ding World 250cc Champion Frederic Ba Iley , rid in g a factory Honda for the Mart in team , claimed th e pole position on Saturday , ye t wh e n it came time to race , Pichon took th e lead early and set a pa ce that even Bo lley cou ld not m atch . The number-oneplate holder , Bail ey, was abl e to ho ld onto second place , a long wa y a he a d of Fren chman Yves Demaria . Pichon though knew what he had to do after be ing beaten by Gordon Crockard in rou nd four two weeks ea rlier: "Ta ke the momentum back, " Pichon sa id. "I do n't want anyone ' to thi nk it's goi ng to be easy to bea t me . After Be lgium , I' m sure the o thers t ho ug h t I was th e re for t he tak ing. That's not the case, I will fight for the cham pi onshi p , it's not goi ng to be lo st by me, the y h ave to win it." For Bailey it was time t o come clea n about h is team prob lems, something th at was c o m mo n knowledge thr oughou t th e GP pits. "We h ad a te a m tal k last we e k ," Boll ey sai d . "Eve ryone is now motiva te d to do the be st, th e bike is mu ch bette r at this Grand Prix, I we nt into (Left) KTM's James Dobb ruled the 125cc class at the German GP . He 's w on all but one round so far. (Below) Suz uki Corona 's Micka el Pi chon ha d little problems w inning the 250cc class. TEUTSCHENTHAL, GERMANY, MAY 13 O U m ight sa y that England ' s James Dobb is o n a rol l. Th e KTM fa cto ry rid e r ha s wo n a lmo st e ve rything so fa r in this ye a r's World 12 5 cc Moto c ro s s C ha m pi o ns hips, and, once again , Dobb produced another b listering performance, tak ing the lead on lap one of the German Grand Prix and never loo k ing back . With o nly five rounds go ne in the series, the Britis h rider is now so m e 5 5 p oi nt s a hea d o f seco nd- pl aced ride r Erik Eggens , who - a lso a boa rd a KTM - rode to a second -p lace finish in th e Ge rman GP. Finishin g in th ird p la c e in Ge rm any was Be lg ia n rider Steve Ramon, on a factory Kawasa ki. Fo r Dob b, though , he was still taking it one rac e a t a t ime a nd n ot th inking too much a bo ut wrapping up titles yet. "Anything c an hap pen," Dobb sa id. "I kn ow I can have some bad luc k , c rash, ha ve b ike trouble . It's a long season, and just like my riva ls a re having tro uble now , the same can ha ppen to me in the futu re. The champions hip is not over a nd with another nine rounds rema ining I am not even think ing about winning th e t itle , I'm still taking it one GP at a time." 24 MAY 2 3,2001 De_os STO RY AND P HO TOS BY GEO FF M EYER Y • C U . C I e