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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FIM World Championship Motocross Series Round 2: Eurocircuit Joel Smets, once again, hardly worked up a sweat en route to the 650cc class win. American Jeff Dement finished in 13th place. After a poor start the Yamaha-mounted rider pretty much retained his position for the complete race. MatacrassGP BRIEFLy••• · Many people in the Grand Prix paddock are beginning to think both the United States and Australia will return to the Grand Prix Series in 2004. Circuits such' as Budds Creek and Broadford in Australia have shown interest in running a Grand Prix next year, and with Dorna now out of the scene. the chances are looking good. although only if the sanction fee is low enough to make it feasible. In the 250cc mota Everts pulled an impressive holeshot, leading 17 -yearold Belgian Kevin Strijbos into the first lap. Behind the two leaders came Pichon, Pit Beirer, Claudio Federici, Yoshi Atsuta, Brian Jorgensen, Kenneth Gundersen, Smets and Andrew McFarlane. It was not the start Smets had hoped for. "I just didn't get the drive to the first corner," Smets said. "I am not here to do favors for anyone. If I got the start, I knew I could've won, but I just didn't get the start. 'The track here is just too fast, too short, so making up time is difficult. I had to work my nuts off to catch the other guys. I also got hit in the crotch by a stoqe or something, and that did not help me; in fact it hurt like hell." While Everts was enjoying his time at the front, Pichon fought past Strijbas and set out after the leader. By lap 10 the Corona Suzuki rider was onto Everts and looking for a way past. From lap 10 until lap 14, the two went at it, neither willing to relax and give the other the upper hand. Pichon, though, once again showed his aggressive side and won the confrontation. "I was not pushing so hard," Pichon said. "I couldn't push any harder. I was a little worried, as I wanted to keep some condition in the end, and I was looking at Stefan and watching if he was making mistakes, which he began to do after about 20 minutes. It was the same as last year for me - Bailey led early last year then made a mistake, and Stefan made the same mistake in the same part of the track. Then I began to push harder and put some pressure on. I wanted to pass him, then he passed me back twice, then I just pushed hard and didn't know he was having trouble. It was a tough race for sure. This is a good win for me, maybe one of my best. Everts was prepared to beat me here, and I was not really ready. I don't feel 100 percent here." Second-placed Kenneth Gundersen had shown speed in qualification and to nobody's surprise passed a tired Strijbos within five laps to pick up his first podium finish of the season. "I was in 10th place in the first lap," Gundersen said. "I slowly worked my way into third place. I was struggling a little with arm pump, but it came good, and I was lucky Stefan Everts had problems. I really put a lot of pressure on Strijbos and managed to get him late in the race. I didn't feel any pressure." Everts finished back in ninth place, angry and disappointed with his Dutch Grand Prix. Having looked good enough to battle with Pichon, Rider injuries are not just a problem in American supercross races. In Europe several top riders are injured, as well. In the 125cc class. Ben Townley. who raced in Holland despite a problem with a wrist injury he obtained while training in America. will have an operation to repair the wrist. "My wrist is at a 30-degree angle, and the doctors have told me I have to get it fixed. or it will never be 100 percent." Townley said, "I won't ever race at my best until I get it done." Townley has also shelved any plans of racing the AMA Supercross and National MX season in 2004. "I want a World Championship first. - Townley said. "I won't go to America in 2004. I'll get fit and race the 2004 World 125cc title. then maybe try America a year after that. I don't want to go to America as a nobody: first I want a championship." Other riders recovering from injuries at the moment are James Dobb (broken foot), Josh Coppins (broken ankles). Gordon Crockard (separated shoulder), Yves Demaria (broken back). Jussi Vehvilainen (jnjured shoulder), Carl Nunn (jnjured wrist), Andrew McFarlane (injured shoulder) and Patrick Caps (broken shoulder). The word from Europe is that the Kawasaki/Suzuki tour-stroke effort will more than likely be run by two teams. although both Suzuki and Kawasaki factory teams in Europe have little information. Sylvain Geboers. the team owner of the Suzuki team, said, "We have no news. In fact, I heard about the bike from a website: otherwise we don't know anything. I know the combining of the two companies to make this bike is due to the fact we just can't compete with Yamaha and Honda, so to work together is going to make a better bike. otherwise we couldn't have done it." Jan de Groot. the Kawasaki team manager, is looking at continuing his efforts in 2004. "You would think they will run two different teams anyway," de Groot said. "I mean, Kawasaki and Suzuki will still want individual teams involved." News about Giuseppe Luongo running the World Motocross Championship in 2004 spread fast in the Valkensvaard pit. The news was released in the south of France where Luongo was running his World Supermoto Championship. "I am happy to say the deal is just about done," Luongo said. "I am excited about next year. It is obvious that the single-mota format did not work, and that is something we will look at. We also want to work with countries we have worked with in the past, such as America and Australia. I hope everyone can support this series in 2004 and we can help get motocross back to where it once was. I believe Doma have done the best they could: I don't doubt they did what they thought was good for the sport: it just didn't work out with the television and single-mota fonmat. Otherwise they brought some good changes." FIM delegate Wolfgang Srb was also excited about the possibility of working with Luongo again. "The contract is with the lawyers and should be signed soon," Srb said. "We all look forward to working with Luongo again in 2004. He has done great work for motocross in the past. " . The KTM 250cc four-stroke did not participate in the Dutch Grand Prix. Instead Erik Eggens rode a 125cc two-stroke machine. KTM will now race the four-stroke in the Dutch Championship races, not wanting to risk the machine's DNFing a GP. "It is not quite ready for the GPs," Eggens said. "We will work with it in the Dutch Championship, although it is not safe to race in the Grand Prix. The bike itself is very, very good. It just need more work: we will probably race it in Germany in a month's time." 22 APRIL 23, 2003' cue I e n e _ s Pichon is now two-tor-two and has established himself as the one to beat in this year's MotocrossGP Series.