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/128233
F IM World C h a m p io n s hi p Motocross R o u n d 1 2 : Grand Prix of France Stefan Everts won all three c _ _ at the French MX GP in Ernee. He now has a total of 72 career GP wins. STO RY A ND PHOTOS BY G EO FF M EYE R ERNEE. FRANCE. SE PT. 14 he at . St ef an Ev e rt s U o nc e again m ad e h ist ory aro und th e undulating Ern ee ci rc u it in th e northwest of Franc e. Si x -ti me World Motoc ross C hampi on J o el Rob er t . w ho raced in th e gold en era of th e Gran ds Prix in the ] 960s and was for many yea rs c on sid ered the greatest Grand Prix ri der of all ti m e. sat and watched as Evert s produced a perfect da y . In front of aro und 2 0.000 sp ec tators. Ev erts won all three cl asse s at th e Grand Prix of France. tak ing fir st the 125cc cla ss. fo llowed by v icto ry in the MotocrossGP c lass . and the n finishin g off the day with an easy wi n in the 650c c m oto. Hid den amongst E v er t s' Fren ch trifecta was an oth er Be lg ian rid er . Stev e Ramon . Ramon wa s cro w ne d 125cc World Champion after finishing fifth in the ] 25cc race . It was o nc e again a da y for th e Belgia ns as th ey run toward the Motoc ross des Nations with their th ree World Champio ns . " I h av e wai te d so l ong . " Ev erts said. "T his is fo r sur e m y best season eve r. I hav e done eve r y t h ing I ever want ed to do in this sport. and to win three cl asses in o ne da y is just such a <;7 n blisteri ~g Everts led all but three laps combined in the three motos run. 8 S EPTEM BER 24 . 200 3 ' c ue I e n e _ s ni ce reward fo r the season . I have had m any ni ghts full with em oti on the last m onth . th in k ing about the hard times and the per i od wh en I was out injured. I ha ve sat at home and wept from m y pas t. T o h ave J oel Rob ert here. t o hav e him rai se a g la ss o f cham pag ne with m e. that is so speci al. I' ve kn own hi m all m y life, and he was th e m an who I looked at wh en all the emotions ca me ou t. I wan t to th ank my m other and fath er: if it was not f or t h e m , I would ne ver h a v e m ade it this far." Evert s. w ho led all but three laps o f the three races . had decided to com pet e in all three c l asses of th e Fr en ch GP onl y a li ttl e over a wee k pri or to the event. and de sp ite tem p er atures being aro und 90 degrees. he still was abl e t o show th e world he is th e best Grand Prix rid er . not just in 2003 . but in the hi story of Grand Prix racing . As for Robe rt. he was ha ppy to see the little bo y he on ce k ne w c ha nge the reco rd books with his 2 003 pe rformances. " It ' s great fo r t he sport ." Robert said . " What Stefa n did today, it's j ust what we all have wanted to see - history being made. Th at is so special. It was so lo ng ag o that I rode to m y