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/128184
International Supercross te Gent Vlaanderen Stadium ""F""F il",IAAtll BELGIAN STEVE RAMON TOPS HIS HOME SUPERCROSS STORY AND PHOTOS BY GEOFF MEYER BLAARMEERSEN, BELGIUM, NOV. 23-24 I, IrI elgian rider Steve Ramon used his consistency to earn a popular win at the Gent Supercross in his home country of Belgium. The 125cc World Motocross runner-up finished with 4-2-1-1 results to keep just ahead of French Yamaha rider Johnny Aubert, while American Tyler Evans came home third after taking the overall on Saturday night with 1-1 results and following that up on Sunday with a less-than-impressive 6-5 score. Ramon had bad memories of his last battle with Evans, although this time he was happy to end the night in one piece. "( was a little worried," Ramon said. "( didn't get the win on Saturday, and my arms locked up a little that was why Evans got me. I had crashed with Evans at the Munich Supercross two years ago and broke my leg, and 1 was worried he might try something again, although on Saturday night he was just too quick. Sunday, 1 could get my rhythm, and it was not too difficult to take the overall." The two-night Supercross extravaganza was an accident-riddled affair. The weekend was full of injuries. (Below) Ramon won the overall after taking both Sunday victories. (Below right) Tyler Evans rode his new ECC Suzuki to both wins on Saturday night, but poor qualification and poor starts on Sunday cost him his chance at the overall. He stili finished third. American Kevin Crine was lucky to escape serious injury when his bike landed on him in the Saturday night show. Crine fell coming over a jump and broke two ribs and the D7 vertebra in his back. The American remained in the hospital in Europe, and although he had feeling in his limbs, it could have been very different. Another American, Casey Johnson, also crashed, although his accident came on the Sunday program, causing him to miss the last race of the weekend because of a sore arm. At first, it was thought he had broken his arm, although it was later revealed that he had not. Joel Smets also rode the Belgian race. While not a supercross rider, the four-time World Motocross Champion battled hard but finished outside the top 10 in each of the four main events. Saturday started with Casey Johnson winning the semifinal ahead of Crine, Ramon, Frederic Vialle and Smets. In the second semi, Evans won ahead of Aubert, Patrick Caps, Canadian Doug Dehaan, and New Zealand's Daryl Atkins. Evans had ridden a perfect race in the semifinal, although that was not the case in his first main-event win in Belgium. After a poor start, Evans made his way into the lead and passed a crashed-out Johnson to win ahead of Aubert, Marko Kovalainen, Ramon Johnson, Caps, Stefan Ludwig, Danny Theybers, Peter Ivan and Damien Plotts. "I didn't get the start at all," Evans said. "I had passed' everyone except for Casey [Johnson], although he crashed, and 1 was able to get the win." Johnson, who had held the lead for the first five laps, made a mistake that cost him victory. "I felt okay," Johnson said. "I had made some mistakes throughout the 30 DECEMBER 11, 2002' cue • e n e _ s