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/128206
2003 Motocross Grand Prix Preview STORY AND PHOTOS BY GEOFF MEYER T here can be no doubt that the 2003 World Motocross Grand Prix season is going to be something special. Of course, the most appealing aspect of the new season will be the confrontation among defending 250cc World Motocross Champion Mickael Pichon, six-time World Motocross Champion Stefan Everts and fourtime World Motocross Champion Joel Smets in the newly named MotocrossGP 250cc class. Add names like James Dobb, Josh Coppins, Gordon Crockard and Pit Beirer, and we have a truly exciting six months coming up. Everts has already proven in the early season International events that he might just be the man to beat, although ignoring the brilliance of Pichon could leave many pundits with egg on their faces. For Everts, though, it's about taking his chances and putting pressure on Pichon. "If I can match his speed, then my experience will do the rest," Everts 42 MARCH 26, 2003· eye • • said. "I need to push him and let him make mistakes." With rounds held in France, Germany, Italy and Bulgaria, we can expect some good racing on technical circuits. Unfortunately, we won't be going to America, Australia or Brazil, although not too many of the facilities picked in 2003 are disappointing. As we went to press, there was still major uncertainty about which circuits will in fact run rounds. England was expected to hold a GP, yet Dorna pulled the plug on the British facility a few weeks ago, and that date is left open by the FIM for a possible major International event. Russia was also expected to return and was on the original FIM calendar, although after last year's event failed to attract spectators, and with time running out, the chances of Russia now being on the calendar look very slim. Namur, Belgium, was returning, although with Dorna recently deciding to stop with the promotion of the n • _ s GPs in 2004, even that round is looking brittle. Promoters are pulling in their finances, expecting a much cheaper sanctioning fee for next year's series, which would mean less chance of losing money on running a Grand Prix. It's not the first time the Europeanbased series had looked unlikely to host the original circuits, and we might just see many changes before the season begins. The displacement of the machines racing in each class will also change for 2003. For the first time in FIM Motocross races, the factories will run 250cc four-stroke machines in the 125cc class, with Honda, KTM and Yamaha all running the thumpers in the tiddler class. In the 250cc class, we will see the Yamaha 450cc, Honda 450cc and KTM 450cc machines run alongside the 250cc machines of Suzuki and Kawasaki. The 650cc class is going to be gnarly, as the big-bore boys at Husqvama and KTM go head to head with Joel Smets (2) and Stefan Everts (1) launch off of the line with the rest of the 500Cc class last year. This year they will both be competing in the newly created MotocrossGP class • the 250cc replacement class that will include up to 450cc four-strokes. each other and the extra-big-bore two-stroke machines. Yamaha, however, will not field a factory rider in the Open class for the first time in many, many years. MOTOCROSSGP CLASS The 250cc class, as mentioned, is brimming with class riders, and considering that the 2002 season saw some excellent racing in the Open class, the MotocrossGP class should be action-packed from the first GP until the last. Last year, Pichon often clocked better lap times than Everts and Smets, although these two great warriors may have to be put into battle with Pichon for their lap times to climb from 2002. James Dobb spent