Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

FIM World Championship Motocross Series Round B: Citadel Circuit BRIEFLY••• Joel Smets let the press know in Namur that he is, in fact. talking with Aprilia but is entertaining other offers as well. The four-time World Motocross Champion has been given a contract by KTM but hasn't yet made a commitment. "In this time of my career, I will look at all options," Smets said. "Of course. if Aprilia only offers me the same as KTM. then I stay with KTM. If it's a much better deal. then I will look at it seriously, of course. Kurt Nicoll has my contract here, but 1won't sign it just yet. I will make a decision in France at the last Grand Prix of the season." When told that Yamaha is looking at replacing Mamicq Bervoets. Smets smiled and said, "Tell Yamaha I am available." Stefan Everts has had a lot of glory at Namur. Having won his first-ever 500cc Grand Prix here in 1998 as a wild card rider, Everts began a series of performances at Namur. which may even equal the amazing record of Roger DeCoster, who won several Namur Grands Prix in the 1970s and '80s. Everts won the individual overall at the 2001 Motocross des Nations at Namur. he won his 50th Grand Prix (equaling the long-standing record of GP wins by Joel Roberts, who also had 50 GP wins) in 2001, and Everts has now won a double GP around the treacherous cir· cuit. All told. Everts has taken five major wins at the Citadel. The famous Le Chalet du Monument cafe at the bottom of the Citadel circuit has been closed and sold off as office space. Historically famous for the place Hakan Carlqvist stopped to have a beer on his way to winning a Grand Prix, the cafe will be sadly missed by the huge number of British supporters who congregated there. Marc De Reuver, who had led the 125cc Championship earlier in the year, will miss the rest of the Grand Prix season. The Dutch KTM rider crashed hard at a round of the Dutch National Championship and injured his hip and shoulder. De Reuver hopes to be back for the Motocross des Nations in Zolder, on October 4. Blikstad (Suz); 15. Wyatt Avis (Yam). was just too tough this day. Melotte gave Honda its first Grand Prix victory in two years. (The last Honda win was Gordon Crockard's victory at the 2001 Swedish 250cc Grand Prix.) "I have worked really hard to turn my career around," Melotte said. "I am now in a position to race with Joel, and I feel I can do this again. I've waited my whole life to win a Grand Prix. To win it in the place I was born - it's just amazing." Smets was not happy to finish in third place, yet he enjoyed seeing his fellow Belgian take his first GP win. "I have said it for many years," Smets said. "If Cedric wants to be a star in the sport, he can. In the past, he has not prepared like he should have. Now he does, and you see the result. I just didn't have a good rhythm after racing the 250cc race. I didn't have anything to fight with the two guys up front." CN FIM WORLD C'SHIP 125 MOTOCROSS SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 8 of 12 rounds): 1. Steve Ramon (160/1 win); 2. Andrea Bartolini (148); 3. Mickael Maschio (139/2 wins); 4. Marc De Reuver (136/1 win); 5. Stefan Everts (1 18/4 wins); 6. Erik Eggens (106); 7. Tyla Rattray (96); 8. Stephen Sword (88); 9. Alessio Chiodi (67); 10. Luigi Seguy (63): 11. Rodrig Thain (62): 12. Marvin Van Daele (61); 13. Nicolas Charlier (56); 14. Antoine Lettelier (43); 15. Tanel Leok (42). MOTOCROSSGP: 1. Stefan Everts (Yam); 2. Joel Smets (KTM); 3. Mickael Pichon (Suz); 4. Marnicq Bervoets (Yam); 5. James Dobb (KTM) 6. Andrew McFarlane (Kaw); 7. Kenneth Gundersen (Kaw); 8. Brian Jorgensen (Han); 9. Josh Coppins (Han); 10. Claudio Federici (Yam); 11. Avo Leok (Hon); 12. Kevin Strijbos (Suz); 13. Antoine Meo (Kaw); 14. Paul Cooper (Hon); 15. James Noble (Han). WORLD C'SHIP MOTOCROSSGP SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 8 of 12 rounds): I. Stefan Everts (175/5 wins); 2. Mickael Pichon (173/3 wins); 3. Joel Smets (168); 4. Brian Jorgensen (112); 5. Claudio Federici (95); 6. Andrew McFarlane (94); 7. Kenneth Gundersen (93); 8. Yoshi Atsuta (80); 9. Gordon Crockard (78); 10. Mamicq Bervoets (78); 11. James Dobb (73); 12. Kevin Strijbos (64); 13. Marc Ristero (41): 14. (TIE) Patrick Caps (38)/ Antoine Moo (38). 650: I. Cedric Melotte (Hon); 2. Javier Vico Garcia (KTM); 3. Joel Smets (KTM); 4. Gordon Crockard (Hon); 5. Avo Leok (Hon) 6. Thierry Bethys (Han); 7. Joakim Karlsson (Hbg); 8. Roman Jelen (Hon); 9. Jonas Edberg (KTM); 10. Danny Theybers (Hbg); 11. Juha Salminen (KTM); 12. Michal Kadlecek (Yam); 13. James Noble (Hon); 14. Trampas Parker (KTM): 15. Peter Iven (KTM). WORLD C'SHIP 6S0 MOTOCROSS SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 8 of 12 rounds): I. Joel Smets (195/7 wins); 2. Javier Vico Garcia (172); 3. Cedric Melotte (165/1 win); 4. Danny Theybers (85); 5. Trampas Parker (83); 6. Michal Kadlecek (80); 7. Roman Jelen (79); 8. Bernd Eckenbach (77); 9. Fabrizio Dini (75); 10. Thierry Bethys (69); 11. Mark Eastwood (64); 12. Stuart Flockhart (62); 13. Antti Pyrhonen (61); 14. Avo Leok (43); 15. Joakim Karlsson (39). Citadel Circuit Namur, Belgium Results: July 20, 2003 (Round 81 125: 1. Stefan Everts (Yam); 2. Steve Ramon (KTM): 3. Andrea Bartolini (Yam); 4. TyJa Rattray (KTM); 5. Mickael Maschio (Kaw); 6. Stephen Sword (KTM); 7. Antoine Lettelier (Yam); 8. Nicolas Charlier Upcoming Rounds: Round 9 - Lierop, Holland, August 10 Round 10 - Gaildorf, Germany, August 24 (KTM): 9. Erik Eggens (KTM): 10. Luigi Seguy (Yam); 11. Alessio Chiodi (Yam); 12. Marvin Van Daele (KTM); 13. Tan~1 Leok (KTM); 14. Espen 16 JULY 30, 2003' cue • e n e vv so Rider changes are now the biggest rumors in the GP paddock. Some of those rumors include Kenneth Gundersen and Gordon Crockard going to Yamaha. Smets and Bervoets going to Aprilia, and Steve Ramon, Erik Eggens and James Dobb all leaVing KTM. Overall. there are many European riders who are due for new contracts. yet none have been contacted by American teams. American road racer Nicky Hayden was at the Belgian Motocross Grand Prix. The American champion was having a weekend off from his MotoGP duties and enjoyed his Namur experience. He also had a favorite in the 250cc race. "I've rldden some laps with James Dobb at the Glen Helen track [in the U.S.J," Hayden said. "So I guess he is the guy I will be backing today. I would like to come to some more races, although it might be difficult. It's a great place. You can really feel the history of thiS event." Also in Namur was Jeff Surwall from No Fear, and a long list of former Grand Prix Motocross Champions were also in attendance. including Heikki Mikkola, Andre Malherbe. Georges Jobe. Eric Geboers, Graham Noyce and many others. The legends were taken through the Village of Namur on Friday. Also on show were some of the old race bikes, such as Brad Lackey's Kawasaki, Hakan Carlqvist's Yamaha and Roger DeCoster's Suzuki. It is now understood that Arnhem will be one of the rounds of the 2004 World Supercross Championship. Arnhem will run on December 13. which will be the second round of the series. Stefan Everts had an unfortunate situation after his victory in the 250cc GP. Everts ran into a lady carrying a small child on her shoulders. The woman was taken to the hospital with an injury to her leg. The situation is an ongOing problem at the Belgian races, where flag stewards opened up the security fences. which are designed to keep the crowd off the circuit. Mike Brown continues to be a possible rider for the Grand Prix scene in 2004. Several teams are interested in Brown. although the most likely is the CAS Honda team, which is looking for a rider to race their four-stroke 2Sqcc machine. Ben Townley nearly cut his finger off in the 125cc qualification race on Saturday. The New Zealander, who is coming back from injUry, cut three-quarters of the way through a finger on his right hand after colliding with Mickael Maschio. who had crashed in the trees. He was taken to a local hospital where they stitched his finger. Despite the injury, he is expected to race the follow· ing Grand Prix in Holland on August 10. FIM Motocross commission president Wolfgang Srb would not give a comment on the possibili· ty of America not racing the Motocross des Nations. He did. however, make a comment on teams who do not compete in the event. "For any team which does not come, they are the losers," Srb said. "We have maybe 40 or 50 teams that want to come. They all come to represent their country. Its not about making money. it's about riding for your country. I can't imagine the ever-proud Ameri· can team would not want to compete for the biggest prize in motocross. I do know the American team needs the AMA to sanction the team· without the AMA, nothing will happen."

• Cover