Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

F IM W orld M o t o c r o s s Championsh ip MX S erie s I' m n o t 10 0 p er c ent and d id not expect to be, so whatever I have won so fa r is a bonus , th e rea l part of the c ha m pi o ns hi p begins in a month 's tim e. Then we will see what happens in the po ints ra ce." eN Georges Jobe Circuit Spa. Belgium Results: May 27, 2001 [Round 6 of 141 12 5 : 1. Jam es Dobb ( KTM ); 2 . Er ik Eggen s (KTM); 3 . Steve Ramon (Ka w); 4 . Alessio Chiodi (Ya m) ; 5 . Kenneth Gunde rsen ( KTM ); 6 . Stephen Sword (Husky); 7. Sven Breugelmans (Yam) ; 8. Luigi Seguy (Yam); 9. Patrick Caps (Yam ); 10. Alex Puzar ( Husky) ; 11. C hrlsthm Steva nini ( Husky) ; 12. Thomas Tra verslnt (KTM) ; 13. Kevin Strijbos (Yam) ; 14. Alex Belometti (Yam); 15. Billy Mackenzie (Yam) FIM WORLD 12Scc JVI X SERIES POINT STA ND INGS (After 6 of 14 rounds): 1. James Dobb (145/5 wins): 2. Erik Eggens (85/1); 3. SteveRamon (72 ) ; 4 . Alessio Chiodi (60) ; 5 . Sven Breugelmans (50 ); 6. LUigi Seguy (46 ); 7 . Alesse ndrc Belometti (45 ) ; 8. Patrick Caps (38 ) ; 9 . Christian Stevanini (3 6) ; 10. Th om as T raversini (35 ) ; 11. Mark De Reu v er (32) ; 12 . Ste phen Sword (32 ) ; 13 . Brian Jorgensen (26 ); 14. Kenneth Gundersen (2 2) ; 15. Marc Dorsch (19). o 250: 1. Mickael Pichon (Suz); 2. Frederic Bolley (Hon); 3. Chad Reed (Kaw) : 4. Josh Coppins (Suz); 5. Pit Beirer (Yam ); 6. Gordon Crockard (Hon) ; 7. Claudio Federici (Yam); 8. Ca·rl N unn ( Husky) ; 9 . Lauris Freiberg (Hon) ; 10. Danny T heybers (KTM. ; ) 11. Jussi -Pekka Yeh vll ain en ( Hon) ; 12 . Johnny Aubert (Yam); 13. Collin Dugmore (KTM); 14. Paul Cooper (Yam); 15. Peter Iven (Kaw ). FIM WORLD 250« MX SERIES POINT STANDINGS (After 6 of 14 rounds); I. Mickael Pichon (145/5 wins): 2. Gordon Crockerd (86/1); 3. Claudio Federici (60 ); 4 . Frederic Bolley (5 6 ); 5. J osh Copp ins (5 6); 6 . Pit Belt er ( 5 4 ); 7 . Yve s Demaria ( 54) ; 8. Chad Reed (50) ; 9. Danny Theybers (47); 10. Jussl·Pekka Ve hvilainen (40); 11. Paul Cooper (36 ); 12. Marko Kovalainen (32 ); 13. Mlckael M~sch io (24); 14. Carl Nunn (20) ; 15. Collin Dugmore (20). 500: 1. Stefan E vert s (Ya m); 2 . Joel Sm ets ( KT M ); 3 . M arn icq Be rvoe ts ( Ya m) ; 4 . Pete r Johansson (KTM ); 5. Francisco vtec-oeeere (KTM) ; 6. Cedric Melotte (VOR); 7. Shayne King (KTM); 8. Mats Nilsson (Hbg); 9 . Christian Burnham (Hon); 10. Andrew McFa rl ~n e (Yam ); 11. Fabrizio Dini (Yam) ; 12. Gert -Jan Va n Doorn ( VO R) : 13. Ma rce l Va n Drunen (Hbg); 14. James Noble (KTM); 15. Miska Aelton en (Yam). FIM WORLD 50Ccc MX SERIES POINT STANDINS (After 6 of 14 rounds); I. Stefan Everts ( 140/4 wins); 2. Joel Smets (117/2) ; 3. Mam icq Berv oets (9 0 ) ; 4 . Jo hnny L1 ndhe (45 ); 5 . Fran cisco viceGar cia (4 5 ) ; 6 . Ce dr ic Me lott e (3 9); 7 . A ndr ew McFarlane (37); 8. Shayne King (30); 9. Avo Leek (28 ) ; 10. Wil lie Van Wessel s (2 8) ; 11. Peter Johansson (22); 12. Johan Boone (22); 13. Gert n Jan Van Doom (22 ); 14. Andrea Bartolini (20); 15. Bernd Eckenbach (20). BRIEFLY• •• IAbove) A not-yet-healthy Joel Smets could not hang with Everts. Still, the defending champ took runner-up honors In the 500cc class. Iy hard : Be ire r said. "I then go t a rm pump an d just wanted to stay on the bike . In the e nd they both got past." Re ed , who ha d fo llow ed Co ppins for most of the race , was enjoying his battl e , a nd with two la ps re maining moved into third place. "I tried to kee p with Josh ," Reed sai d. "He wa s rid ing re a lly s mooth an d I kept him in sight, the n , passed h im and he got m e bac k. With two laps to go, I was able to ge t him bac k a nd tak e th e po dium place , those las t t wo la ps were th e longest in my ca reer." Pic ho n c ru ised across the fin ish line 28 seconds a hea d of Bolley , with Reed a further two -seconds back. "l had a lot of fun to day : Pichon sa id . "This is the bes t GP for me so fa r. I rea lly had a nice time on th is trac k. I feel m y cond ition is good , but I s ti ll ne ed to wo rk hard , ot herwise Bolley will be there wa iting ." 500cc GP It came as little s urprise when Ste- fan Everts , Joel Smets and Marn icq Be rvoets entered th e op ening la p in the top-three position s . So fa r, a t just about e ve ry GP , th e t hree Belg ia ns ha ve dom ina ted pr o c e e d in g s , a nd this ra ce was not a ny different. What was different, howev er , was t he fac t tha t Eve rt s lo o k ed much stro nge r than Smets in the ea rly go ing . "I d id not wa nt to g et ne rvo us ," Everts said. "' knew at th e first fou r 24 JUNE 6 , 200 1 cue I e rounds this year that J oel ha s been q uicker in the first pa rt of th e ra ce an d I did not wan t to pus h myself too hard . I was surprised th at I could co ntrol the race and he did not seem to be a ble to match my speed." Sm ets saw it d ifferently, and with the riva lry between th e two riders stronger than ever, he was not about to give a ve rsion that was ma ybe a little o ptimistic. • "I felt okay," Smets said . "To be ho ne st, he was mak ing man y m is takes a nd that gave me e nc o uragement. The n with about six lap s gone , m y a rms sta rted p umpi ng up a nd I had to back off, I thought I could get some feeling bac k in my arms and try a ga in later to fight with him , bu t he had m ade too big a n adva ntage, so I just cruised for the last pa rt of the mota ." As for Bervoets, his suspect arms were again major concern as he lost time on the two lead riders . " I don 't know wha t t o do ," Bervoets sai d . "I thought we had fixed the p roblem. My arms , on ce aga in , started hurting as ea rly as th e first few laps. I just had to slow and watch them ride off. After Germany, I fe lt I could race with Smets and Eve rts , but today I had no cha nce." F or Ev ert s , th e hu g e applau se from the Be lgian cr owd as he crossed the finish line was enough to ins pire him to wha t he is sta rting to fee l will be his fifth World Motoc ros s Ch ampionship. "I will be at my strongest in Ju ly: Eve rts sai d . "I a m s u rp rised that I lead th e champion ship at th is stage . n e _ os Joel Smets is coming to Southw ick for sure. The Belgian had thought about not racing in America afte r his injured groin continued to trouble him. yet afte r talks with his KTM team manager Kurt Nicoli. the trip will go ahead. Smet s is not com ing to America for a holiday. though. and wili only be happy with one place on the podium. " Like any race I enter: Smet s said. " I'm coming to America to win. I wili have a bike very similar to my GP bike. just a few changes to fit into the AMA regu lati ons . I'm excited abou t rac ing in Sou thwi ck and see ing what A meric an motoc ross is like. I know Carmichael and Tortelii are very good riders and I can not say for sure I wili win the race. but that is of course my aim. as it always is." With Grant Langston nearly a sure bet to do well in Southwick. and Smets possibly the best sand track rider in the worl d. it wili be interesting to see how many KTM officials arrive at the fourth round of the series. Jamie Dobb wili also be in Southwick to support Smets and Langston. " I'li go along." Dobb said. ' It' s no point in going there and racing. although I think I could do okay. you only have to look at how Grant [Langsto n] is doing with the KTM . and in the sand nobody can match the KTM machines.The Georges Jobe circuit in Spa was prepared by American Marc Peters. Peters. who has designed tracks in America for some of the fact ory teams. made a big diffe rence to the 2001 version of the GP circuit. Several riders commented that the jumps we re bett er shaped and that the design was very exciting. W hile Peters had been invited to design the track for Georg e Jobe. it is unclear if he wili return for more GPs. Austra lian C had Reed . who claimed his first ever GP podium in Spa. is already busy organizing his 2002 plans. and America could possi ble be part of them . " ' have had contac t with one of the top teams in America." Reed said. " It' s not that I am not enjoying Europe. because I am. but it's aiways been my dream to race in America, and I am much bette r at Supercross than mot ocross anyway." Reed. who. ciaimed some podium finishes in the 2000 Bercy Supercross. has talked with Jeremy McGrath about racing in America. Reed is arguably a bett er Supercross rider than his feliow Aussie Michael Byrne. who finished 10th place in the 2001 Supercross Series. Several to p Grand Prix riders wili compete in an Indoor Motocross on June 2 . Riders such as Stefan Evert s. Joel Smets, Marnicq Berv oet s, Josh Coppins. Gordon C rockard. Shayne King and Chad Reed will do battl e in the Genk Stadium in Belgium. It is expected that the Supercro ss skills of Reed wili be too much for the GP regulars. Yves D emaria broke his shoulder in Spa. The French Yamaha rider crashed in practice and was taken to a local hospital . where he was diagnosed wit h a broken shoulder blade. Demaria wili miss the comp lete month of June. but should return for the next GP in Sweden on July 1. KTM factory rider Peter Johansson made his return at the Spa GP. The Swede. who was injured in a preseason International, finished fo urth in the 500cc mota and is now 11th in the championship points. Several riders com piained of ar m pump at Spa. W ith the one-mota format and not much practice during the GP weekend . Pit Beirer, Mamicq Bervoet s, Gert Jan Van Doom . Claudio Federici. Gord on C rockard, Alessio Chiodi and Joel Smets ali are report ing having more trou ble than in previous years. W hile Eurosport . the major cable network in Europe. fai led to keep the ir promis e of broadcasti ng mot ocross action live from the Belgian event. they have promised to teievise one of the future rounds of the series live ; however, at this moment they are not sure which one . The Euro- pean GP was shown on Belgian television live. and was also shown in France. Holiand and Portugal live. delayed progr ams from Spa wili be shown to several countries in Europe in the upcoming weeks. including a 52·minute package by Eurosport (three days afte r the GPl . Stefan Evert s' best la p tim e during his 500cc mota win was two seco nds quicker than Joe l Smets' . Evert s clocked a 2;02.65 1. with Smet s best being 2:04.337 . In the other classes. James Dobb went 2:02.41 1. and M ickael Pichon 's best was 2:02 .339 . However, the second-placed rider in the 250cc race, Frederic Bailey . cloc ked a 2:01.254 for the best time overall. On the tight Georges Jobe track . Pichon's winning time of 39:36.41 5 was quicker than the 500 cc race. which took 39 :40.69 1 to complete . and the time in the 125cc race was 39:41 .726. . Gordon Crockard. who is not a direct Honda fact ory rider. was given factory forks for the Spa event. C rockard though is not impressed with factory stuff. "To be honest, I don't care what I have on the bike." Crockard said. "A s iong as I can get the bike i want then it's okay . So far we have not had much fact ory parts and the team has done a great job with the way it' s gone."

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