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/128107
F IM World Motocross C h a m p io n sh ip MX Series R ound S : G e orges .Jobe Circ u it (Left) Stefan Everts dominated the 500cc GP at Spa. He easily won after ge tting a good start and running away w ith it. S TORY AN D P HOTO S B y G EOFF MEYER SPA, BELGIUM, MAY 27 "1f'll o r fou r -t ime Wo rld Moto cro s s Champion Stefan E verts , m oti vating hims e lf fo r th e E uropean 500cc Grand Prix wa s a n easy ta s k . Just weeks pr ior to the s ixth round of the World 500cc Motocross Championship , Eve rts was to ld that his un cl~ (Pie rre) had be en diagnosed wit h canc e r. For ma ny ye ars, th e br othe r of Eve rts ' father (Ha rry Eve rts ) had supported his yo ung n eph e w, or ga nizing the Stefan Everts fan cl ub and giv ing m oral support a t j us t a b o ut every Gra nd Prix of Everts ' c a re e r. An emot ional Everts c lim bed atop th e podium in Spa, Belg ium , and wi t h tears in his e ye 's procla imed that h is victory was for his un cle. "It's b e e n a diffic ult time for the family : E ve rts sa id . "Pierre b e ing s ick has inspired me and given me an r 22 JUNE 6 ,-2001 • cue I e (Righ t) M lckael Pichon recorded his fifth 250cc GP win of the season. n eVIl'S extra motivation , if I win the c ha m p ionshi p it will be for my un cle." What Everts did do on the hills ide track, which over looks the famous Spa-F rancorchamps track in the northeast of Belgi um , was completely dominate . For the first time all seaso n, the Yamaha rider's earl y- race speed wa s too much for Joel S mets , a nd , as S m e ts tired with a rm pu m p , Everts rod e to an easy victory , a nd even S mets was not surprised. "He is the most gifted motocross rider in the world , " Smets said. "E v e ry b o dy is ask ing , ' Wa s I sur prised with his early speed? ' To be honest, if I could m atch him without an injury I wou ld be happy. Tod a y he was just to o good . My groin injury is m uch better, and I ha ve s till s ome wo rk to do before I a m 100 per c en t, bu t it' s gett ing bette r." With S m ets ho lding on for second place , it was again left up to Ma rnic q Be rvo e t s (t he thi rd of the Be lg ian trio) to cla im th e last podi um p lace. For th e fourth tim e this ye a r, it was a Belgium monopoly of th e podium a nd th e 20 ,OOO- st ron g Belg ian cro wd loved it. In the 250cc class, Corona Suzuki rider Mickae l Pich on was forc ed to fight for victory , taking the lead early, only to have fellow Fr enchman and defending Wo rld 250cc Motocross Ch ampi on Fr ed er ic Bolley , make a pass on lap five a nd control the ra ce for three laps. Pichon though is not a quitter, and he rep a ssed Bolley on lap eight and th en took off, winning th e moto by nearl y 30 seconds.