race anyway, Everts was sure he had
the goods to take victory. He played
the waiting game, rode through some
early problems, lost touch with
Demaria in mid-race, then set the
Frenchman up for the kill.
"I had big trouble in the middle of
the race," Everts said. "I was behind
Demaria and got tired. 1 let Smets
and [Vico] Garcia past and started
thinking more - taking better lines.
Finally, I felt strong enough to go for
the win. I didn't know Smets had a
problem, and I was more focused on
Demaria anyway. This win is so
important for the championship,
although I can have problems also.
I'm not about to think about six World
Championships just yet."
In third place, quiet Spanish rider
Garcia was again happy to make the
podium, his second in three races.
"I know I can run with Everts and
Smets," Garcia said. "I didn't have
any problems at all. I passed Smets,
and then he crashed. I tried to stay
with Everts, but he was using some
good lines and I could not keep a
good enough rhythm to race with him.
Today, third place is good for me."
As for Smets, another major mistake has more or less ruined his
chances at the title. "The front wheel
just slipped away," he said. "I made
the wrong setup, and I was struggling
from the start - first with arm pump,
and then with not crashing. Eventually I crashed, and when I got up, I kept
fighting, but with the setup I chose, it
was impossible. It's not over yet,
although it's going to take a big effort
to come back."
eN
®
TOYOTA
MillenniuM
