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/128124
FIM World Championship Motocross Series Final Round: Kartenring Everts tried to pass the KTM ~actory pilot. The aggressiveness of the Yamaha rider made little sense, as Everts didn't require a high finish in order to secure the championship, but it looked like he wanted a win. "Of course I wanted to prove 1 was the best rider this year," Everts gcinned. "Joel has won the last three GPs, and I had not really shown the form of the early season. I wanted to take the lead and not give it up. Joel, though, was really charging; he knew he needed to win to take the championship. Second place for Smets was not going to give him anything. In the end, I backed off a little and let him go." Still, Everts got a sniff of a possible 51st GP win when Smets slowed, attempting to entice his countryman into another dogfight. "I don't know what his game was," Everts said. "He was playing games, and I was not about to get involved in it. I took the lead again on lap five, and he was doing some strange things. Once he could see I was not taking any chances, he re-passed me and took off." Smets, who was 23 points away from his fifth title, knew something needed to happen to Everts for him to have any chance, and he hoped to trick his rival into a mistake. "I had no other options," Smets said. "I could have just ridden off with the moto, or I could have tried to crash him out - 1 was not about to do the second option. 1 slowed and tried to get him to race me; of course he was not having any of it, and also backed off. Once I could see he was taking the consistent route, 1 didn't bother playing anymore - I then thought about the Grand Prix victory." Back in third place was Bervoets, Everts' Rinaldi Yamaha teammate, who again had to watch from afar as his countrymen raced off with the lRl9IdI wm- In the lSOOcc c ...., .IoeI s.-ta (rtghtI c....... a. . on the podium with _ champ Stefan Iiverts. s.-ta came on strong Iaee In the . ._n, but a groin Injury hindered hi. deten. . of the title, (Below) Scoring the 125cc victory was Eric Eggens, who put on a Iat...._n charge to take third In the class' final standings, BRIEFLY••• Though the entire 2002 World Championship Motoc...... schedule has not yet been released. It IS known that it wtll again be run over 14 rounds. with GPs expected to be held in Australia. Malaysia. Russia. Bulgaria. and the Czech Republic. among other countries. The 2002 Motocross des Nations will be held at the Spa track in Belgium. which is interesting considering that this year's event will also be held in Belgium (at Namur in one week). The Free Time team, which raced Yamahas this year. will be supphed with factory HRC Honda machinery in 2002. In addition. the Husqvama effort will be run directly from the facto· ry. unlike its erstwhile arrangement of privately run Italian teams. With the Motocross des ~ . just a week away. many of the teams have made changes to their original team rosters. England will take veteran Kurt Nicoll (the KTM team manager) on the Open-class bike. Carl Nunn on a 250 and Stephen Sword on a 125. In the wake of Andrea Bartohnl's failure of a drug test. Italy is going with Fabrizio Dini in the Open class. Claudio Federic, in the 250cc class and Thomas Traversini (not former World champ Alessio Chiodi) in the 125cc d,vlslon. Alessio Chiodi was fired by the Free Time Yamaha team on the Saturday morning of the Austrian Grand Prix, and the Itahan did not compete at the final round. Chiodi. who was leaving the team anyway. will race a 250cc Yamaha in 2002. Australian Brett Metcalfe arrived at the Austrian Grand Prix under the watchful eye of KTM boss Kurt Nicoll. The 17-year-old is pointed to by many as the next Chad Reed. and he showed great potential with a seventh-place finish in the 125cc GP. after running fourth for some time. Former World Champion Frederic BoIley is still unsure about who he will ride for in 2002. The Frenchman has had talks with RWJ Honda, Free Time Honda and the UFO/Martin Honda team that employed him this season. Stefan Everts will contest several off_ _ races this year, beginning with a German Supermotard competition. followed by a round of the Japanese National MX Championship In October and then some more Supermotard races in Belgium. Joel Smets, on the other hand. will not race during the off-season; instead. the former champ will take a rest and have another operation on his troublesome groin. 'I will have an operation and hope it gets better.' Smets told. 'If it does not, then I don't know what I will do.' Amencan photo hound and Cycle News contributor .Joe BonlMllo attended the Austrian Grand Prix and was not impressed with the layout of the Austrian track. 'Man, they would never race on a track like this in America: Bonnello laughed. 'Looks like a cross-country sectIon for an enduro. Here we are In beautiful Austna, and they run the track on a football field.' Other members of the press echoed the sentiment, as laying out a track on a completely flat field seemed counterintuitive in light of the rolling hills all around the circuit. Sevi\ral of the riders also complained, although it proved popular among the top competitors once it got rough, Never shy about expressing an opinion, Joe BOMello was also quick to express his thoughts on the European riders. 'These guys would not live with RICky Carmichael: Bonnello said. 'He holds it on longer than all these guys. I'll tell you. If he had gone to the des Nations. he would have whipped Everts like you wouldn't believe. Everts would be wondering what hit him.' 14 OCTOBER 3,2001 • c u e I e n e _ s