Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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No pre-entry required at Area Qualifiers beach to pick a good starting position. Once the riders had lined up (a process that can take up to half an hour), the field raced down a 4-mile start-straight into a first corner from hell called Le Goulet. While the first 20 or so riders made it through Le Goulet without much trouble, the rest (as you can see by the picture) struggled. After 10 minutes, Le Goulet looked more like a busy Los Angeles freeway than a racecourse. By lap one's completion, Thiollier Vincent had surprised the favorites by leading the two Honda factory riders (Bethys and Jean-Claude Mousse), while three-time winner Demeester and ISDE veteran David Fretigne rounded out the top five. With top riders posting lap times of just over 20 minutes around the 10.3-mile course, the field quickly spread out, and by lap two's end, it was the two Honda 450cc riders who had taken command. Mousse soon suffered a bike problem and dropped back through the field, leaving Bethys to fight a long list of Yamaha riders. Amazingly, the lap times rose quickly, showing that the early pace was taking its toll on the competition. Although Bethys led lap three, his more-than-35-minute time proved that the course was getting rough and lappers were playing a factor. Behind Bethys came three of the Yamaha riders, Demeester, Thiollier and Fretigne. With another lap completed, Demeester took command of the race, passing Bethys on the rough back section of the course and building a 53-second lead. Bethys, in turn, was two minutes ahead of Frenchman Franck Verhaugue, and Fretigne held fourth place. Showing how much a race can change, Bethys repassed Demeester on lap five and pulled a 23-second lead. It was short-lived, however, as Demeester again took the numberone spot on lap six and was never headed from that moment on. Demeester stretched his lead over Bethys to nearly four minutes on lap seven, and by the end of the race, he had doubled it. "Last year I had trouble with my bike," Demeester said. "This year, everything went perfect. I'm really happy to get my fourth win and will now go for the fifth next year; it would be great to break the record of Kees Van Der Ven [who has five wins]." "I had an injury in 2001, and it took me a long time to recover," said Bethys, 20. "Today's second place is like a win for me. It was a tough race, as it always is here. You never know what will happen, and I did not give up until the end." Of the 1028 riders present, some 931 were recorded as finishers - not bad considering the very difficult conditions. eN 27th Le Tauquet Beach Race Le Tauquel, France Results: February 24, 2002 Q/A: 1. Arneud Demeester (Yam) 12 lep,; 2. Thierry Bethys (Hon) 12 laps; 3. Jerome Hemery (K.w) 12 I.ps; 4. Thierry Klutz (GG) 121.ps; 5. Yves Deudon (KlIw) II laps; 6. Timotei Potisek (Hon) 11 laps; 7. David Fretigne (Yam) 11 laps; 8. Christian Umbourg (KlJw) 11 leps; 9. Frenck Dunou (Vern) 11 laps; 10. David Casterll (Yam) 11 laps. www.mxsports.com INFORMATION (304) 284-0101 1(304) 284-0084 2002 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TRACKS NORTHEAST Budd s Creek. MD Mar 16-17 8udds Creek Mar 23-24 Birch Creek Danville, VA NJr 6-7 Doublin Gap MX Park Newburg, PA Apr 13-14 Actton Town Dillwyn, VA Ap< 20-21 Broon-e- T"'9a R;chford. NY Apr 27·28 Frozen Ocean Auburn. NY May 4·5 Pleasure Valley Armaugh, PA May 1&-19 F..1d of Dreams 80s....". PA Jun &-9 Amateur Regional Delmont. PA Steel City (301) 944-9555 (804) 836·7629 (117) 249--6063 (804) 836-7629 1607) 849-4438 1315) 784-5466 (814) 536-1845 (814) 629-6591 (304) 284-0084 Youth Regional Walkill, NY Jun 15-16 Wak'en MX SOUTHEAST ReddU. Fl Belwood. NC Mar 16-17 Motocross of Marion Mar 23·24 Parker Valley MX Mar 30-31 Monster Mountain Mer 30-31 Thundercross MX Devil $ Ridge Ap< 6-7 Tallassee, AL Ap< 13-14 Kilpatrick Ap< 20-21 Hillbilly Hills May 25-26 lazy Rrver Roberta. GA Okeechobee.FL Sanford. NC Albertville. At Chatswonh. GA Amateur Regional Macon, GA Jun 22-23 Echeconnie (845) 386-2739 (352) 591-2050 (423) 323-5497 (334) 215-7128 (863) 357-2277 (919) 776-1767 (256) 561-3495 (478) 405-5565 (706) 278·1620 (478) 475·5711 Youth Regional Jun 8·9 Blountville. TN Muddy Creek (423) 323-5497 MIDEAST Apr 6-7 Apr 13·14 Apr 2G-21 Apr 27·28 May 4-5 Scenic Highlands Newcomerstown, OH Sugar Grove. OH Mitchell, IN Midway Daniel Boone MX London. KY Charlestown, IN PodiurnOne Moy 11-12 Sundey Creek Jacksonville, OH Bloomingdale. MI May 18·19 Dutch Spon Park May 25-26 Log Road Motocross Bronson. MI Amateur Regional June 8-9 Red Bud Buchanan, MI Youth Regional Athens,OH June 15-16 Action Sports COCR NORTH CENTRAL Dyersburg, TN Me< 23-24 Great RNer MX Kahoka MO M.r~31 Midwest MOIOSPOrts Apr 13·14 MXP--Motocross Parents Columbia. MO Lincoln Triul M01OSports Casey, IL Ap,20-2' Ap< 27-28 South Central MX Salem IL May 11-12 Riverside Raceway WlOte~I.IA May 18-19 HKiden Valley Burltson TN May 2&.27 Moloclty Raceway Sloples. MN Amateur Regional Nashville. IL Jun 22-23 The Edge Youth Regional Byron MX Byron, IL Jun 8-9 h You may enler a lotal of 4 classes allhe Area and Regional levels (3 Amateur Classes or 2 Youth Classes per day) but must choose only 2 classes to ride al the NatIOnal level. N&I4 SANCTIONED Classes 1-17 must attend the AMATEUR regional Classes 18·32 must attend the YOUTH regional For 2-day Area Qualifiers: • Sal Classes (Other classes run on Sun.) •• Molocity Raceway runs on Sun. & Mon. AMATEUR DIVISION YOUTH DIVISION ·1. • 18. 2. ·3. 4. • 5. 6. • 7. 8. 9. Four Stroke (201-65Oc<) 125A 10. Junior 25 Plus 125 A Pro sport 11. Vel 30 Plus 125 B Stock 12. Vet 35 Plus 125 B Modified 13. Senior 40 Plus 250/0pen A 14. Senior 45 Plus 250/0pen A Pro Sports • 15. 125 C Stock Open B Stock 16. 125 C Modified Open B Modified 17. 250/0pen C 51cc4-6yrSlxkshan~oIl ...:tIIll • 19. 51cc4-li yrAMASlock Class 1 • 20. 51cc 7-6 yr AMA Siock Class 2 • 21. 65cc Stock 7-9 • 22. 65cc Stock 1G-11 23. 65cc Modified 7-11 • 24. 85cc Stock 7-11 ·25. 85ccStock 12-13 26. 85cc Modified 9-13 27. 85cc Modified 14-15 28. 105 Super Mini 12-15 • 29. 125 Stock 12-15 (330) (740) (812) (423) (502) (740) (616) (419) 544-a444 983-3937 849-0023 323-5497 569-6540 797·2413 68~418 636-5430 (616) 695-6405 (740) 594-6686 (731) 285-1694 (660) 727-3301 (636) 486-3174 (217) 932-2041 (618) 54&-5259 (515) 953-1932 (9011475-9301 (218) 894-5089 (618)327-9879 (815) 234-2271 SOUTH CENTRAL Fort Wonh. TX Mar 23-24 Village Creek Mer JO.31 Coopertand Raceway Shllwaler. OK Bad to the Bone MX West Monroe. LA Apr 6-7 Ap< 13-14 Freestone Wortham TX Ap< 27-28 Two Rivers Racing Milliken. CO Moy 4-5 Oak Hill MX Alvord. TX New MeXICO Camp Club Moriarty, NM May 4-5 Hot Springs. AR May 18-19 Malibu Amateur Regional Whnney, TX Jun 15·16 Lake Whitney Youth Regional Texarkana. TX Jun 22-23 Four Stales (817) (405) (318) (713) (970) (817) (505) (870) 572-7713 743-8545 386-5354 880-5533 587-5770 296-6742 884·9033 342-5373 (817) 22'-5573 1903) 547-1677 NORTHWEST Apr 28 Clarksbranch Roseburg, OR May 1&-19 Extreme Moloo;ports May 25 Washougal (541) 673·1671 Airway HOIghts. WA (5091928-8192 Washougal, WA (541) 673-1671 Amateur & Youth Regional Jun 15 Washougal Mar 17 Washougal. WA Glen Helen (541) 673-1671 SOUTHWEST San Bernadino CA (909) 880-3090 Ap< 13-14 Cedor City MX Cedar City. UT (435) 559-7223 AfY 27-28 Two Rivers Racing Milliken. CO May 4-5 New Mexico Comp Club Moriarty. NM (970) 587-5nO (505) 884-9033 PhoenIX. AZ (623) 546-1206 May 24·25 Speedworld Amateur & Youth Regional Jun 8·9 Cedor City MX Cedar City. UT (435) 559-7223 30. 125 Modified 12-15 2002 AMA AMATEUR & YOUTH NATIONAL MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS • 31. Women 8O-10Scc 12-15 • 32. Women 105, 125 & Up Aug 5-10 o o Loretta Lynns Ranch Hurricane. TN (304) 264-0101 YES! Start my subscription immediately to Cycle News. 1 year/50 issues for $45.00. (can be billed 2 monthly payments> Name Every week for two years (100 issues for $80.(0) Address Six months second class (25 issues for $23.00> City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State Zip This is a o New Subscription Phone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Order Date o Send to: ~ nJtJ!lII;, Inc. o o p.o. 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