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FIM World Championship Motocross Series Round 1:2: Extreme Park STORY AND PHOTOS BY GEOFF MEYER All Mickael Maschlo needed to clinch the 2002 125cc World Motocross Championship was a sixth-place finish In Russia. He finished a calm fourth amid a sea of KTMs. YAKHROMA, RUSSIA, SEPT. 15 hile Mickael Pichon and Stefan Everts had already been crowned World Motocross Champions in previous rounds of the FIM series, it was not until every lap of this year's 125cc series was completed before Mickael Maschio could claim the tiddler title. Maschio, who won his first 125cc World MX Championship by taking fourth place in the Russian Grand Prix, did it the hard way. Having arrived at the spectacular Extreme Park circuit on the outskirts of Moscow in Eastern Europe with a 10-point lead over Patrick Caps, and II over Steve Ramon (both of the latter riders aboard KTM machines), it seemed only a major problem could cause the Jan de Groot Kawasaki rider to not win the 2002 crown. No such problem arose, and Maschio took the title. "I am elated," Maschio said. "To win a World Motocross Championship is just what you race for. I have some talks with teams in America, and this is a great bargaining tool for me. I am in a good position now for my future." Pichon took yet another 250cc win, his 11th of the 12-race series. Although he had an early struggle with Joshua Coppins, the New Zealander went down in a collision with Maschio's fellow Frenchman and Pichon went on to the victory. Coppins remounted for second. If the Ferrari Formula One team ever needs a new team manager, it needs to look no further than KTM team manager Kurt Nicoll. After watching Joel Smets lead the Russian 500cc Grand Prix for every lap, Nicoll sent out the order for Smets to pull over with only 300 feet remaining in the moto. Smets rolled off the throttle and let his fellow KTM rider Javier Vico Garcia take the win, a victory that gave Garcia third place in the seasonending points, ahead of Rinaldi Yamaha rider Marnicq Bervoets. Second place went to Smets, with 500cc World Champion Stefan Everts in third on his Rinaldi Yamaha. Smets was not sure how to take the pit signal. "I don't know," Smets said. "I usually race to win; today, I had to listen to the big boss, I guess. I showed I was the quickest out there." 'W IN THE KTM·DOMINATED 125cc CLASS, KAWASAKI'S LONE GUNMAN, MICKAEL MASCHIO, FINISHES UP ON TOP As the three riders lined up on the starting grid side by side, you could feel the tension. Ramon held the pole position and lined up on the very inside of the grid; alongside him was 17-year-old Tyla Rattray, then came Caps and Maschio. When the gate dropped, Maschio pulled off one of his best starts of the season and, after a few bikelengths, moved his green 125cc GP What more would you expect from this class? All season long, it's been Maschio, Patrick Caps and Steve Ramon fighting for the championship. 12 SEPTEMBER 25. 2002' cue I • n _ ... s Kawasaki into the path of his two rivals - the first battle had been won by the wily Frenchman. As the riders entered the first lap, Holland's Marc De Reuver led Ben Townley, Maschio, Caps, Kenneth Gundersen, Aigar Leok and Ramon. Maschio's dream looked good although, on lap five, Caps pushed his way past, and then, a lap later, Ramon did the same. Still, Maschio only needed to keep inside the top half-dozen for his championship to be secure. Caps retired from the race on lap nine after his rear wheel picked up some track bunting, while Ramon began to make his charge. By lap 12, Ramon had moved into second place and was hounding race leader Ben Townley. Two laps later, Ramon took the lead and reduced Maschio's championship lead to just four points. "I was really riding the best I have all season," Ramon said. "I knew I had to do something, and despite my terrible start, I was giving myself a chance for the title." Even at that moment, Maschio would need to drop back to sixth place, and the French rider was never in danger of doing that. He cruised across the finish line in fourth, behind Ramon, Townley and De Reuver, to win the 125cc World title. "I didn't need to do anything stupid," Maschio said, "just take my time and keep inside the top five. I didn't have any pressure from riders near the end, and that was good for me. This is a great result for the team, and I know Jan De Groot is known for taking unexpected riders to championships, so I thank him. "I was getting nervous. I felt okay. My lines were good, although you never know what can happen. Your dream is to be World Champion since you are a child, and then the moment arrives. I felt confident in the bike we had not had any DNFs all year and still I tightened up a little." 250cc GP Coppins entered the Russian 250cc Grand Prix ready to rumble, and when the gate dropped for the last GP of the year, Coppins used his newfound aggression to move into the lead. It was a short-term thing, though, as Pichon passed him and, at first, seemed to be moving away quickly. However, Coppins put his head down and began to chew away at his former teammate. After a few laps, Coppins edged his machine past Pichon, taking the lead and really battling with Pichon for the first