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FIM World MXI/MX2 Motocross Championship (Above) Series leade r Ben Townley (30) won the second MX2 moto. (Below) In only his second GP after a long lay-oH, Finland's Jussi Vehvilainen (269) mode it onto the podium with an impressive second-place finish in the MX2 class. tired . It has bee n a really goo d day for me . Eve ryon e is wo rking hard in the team and I hope I can win anot her GP before the seas on is finished." As for Pichon, "I knew when I came here that it would be a difficult race, I knew it would be difficult to beat Stefan," he said of his day. "In the first moto , I was not so far be hind him and put some pressure, but I made a small mistake and went over the bars. I had to start the bike again. It took me a while' as I never sta lled the engine so far. From this, I just had to do the best to com e back, but the three guys in front were really too far. "In the second race, I was rea lly motivated to win:' Pichon con tinued, "but Stefan had always a high motivation and he passed me in the woods. I didn't think it was possible to make a move there! I tried to stay close . I saw him doing a co uple of mistakes, and on the tricky double, he made an error and crashed. Josh was really close, and I pushed really hard. I 24 showed he will be a major player in the last three ro unds of the series. What about Cairoli? The Italian hero didn't win a moto but sho wed great expe rience as thos e arou nd him crumbled. It will take a big effort from his rivals to stop him moving onto t he top ste p of the podium in the 2005 MX2 Series . "Whe n I ar rived here yesterday, I had so me prob lems to understand the track and to take a good rhythm," Cairoli said. "Lap after lap, it was better and better. At the end of the day, things were going well and I started to en joy it. In the first race , I had a good start and rode strong but co uldn't pass Chiodi. It's not easy here to overtake a rival, and Chiodi has a lot of experience . Once I was close to passing him, but finally I decided to secure my second place. In the second race , I knew that Chicco had a problem in the first lap , and I took my overall win." Vehvilainen led the opening stages of the first and second moto and showed amaz ing spee d, then, after making a co uple of mistakes, dropped back to finish in sixth place in the first race. The Finnish rider has been out of Grand Prix racing for tw o years after breaking his back twice, yet in only his seco nd GP back, he led both race s and finished a brilliant t hird in the second moto for second overall. "It's a big surprise for me to be the re on the podium, for my secon d GP since the end of 2002!" Vehvilaine n said. "I injured my back twice , once in 200 3 and last time just before the open ing GP in Zo lder. It's great for me to get a podium. especially he re in Namur. I sta rted to practice six weeks ago and came back to the GPs o nly in Loket. I had tw o good starts today ; it's always important he re . I made some mistake s in the first moto and the seco nd one was better. I would like to was just rec over ing as Stefan started the race really fast. T hen Josh made a mistake , and I pulled away one or tw o seconds a lap. We changed some settings for the second race, and I was much more comforta ble on the bike." In the opening I25cc moto, Cairoli had a battle royal w ith forme r World 125cc Moto cross Ch ampion Alessio Ch io di, wit h Ch iod i getti ng the win by the smallest of margins, w ith another forme r Wo rld 12Scc Cham pion Mickael Maschio in third place. Ben Townley and Marc De Reuver of the KTM factory team both DNFed with pro blems, while the t hird of the KTM factory team Tyla Rattray finished down in seventh position. In the second MX2 moto, Townley and De Re uver do minated, althoug h the surprise rider was CAS Honda rider Jussi Vehvilainen of Finland. Ve hvilaine n led early, only to get passed by both Townley and De Reuver - although he did stay in contact with the KTM facto ry riders and AUGUST 18,2004 • CYCLE N EWS 40th Anniversary thank Harry, the boss of the CAS Honda team; I don't know many managers who keep confidence in a rider who get two big injuries in two years, and Harry was always behind me during this time ." eN GRAND PRIX OF WAUONIE NAMUR, BELGIUM RESULTS: AUGUST B, 2004 MXI MOTOI : I. Stefan Everts (Y am); 2.Jo shCoppins (H on ); 3. Steve Ramon (KTM); 4. Mickael Pichon (Ha n); S. Ken D e D ijcker (Han); 6. Kevin Strijbos (Suz); 7. Julian Bill (KTM); 8. Yo, hl At,",a (Hen); 9 . luigi Seguy (Y am) ; 10. BHIy Mac.kenzie (Y am); II. Tanel Leak (5uz); 12. Josef De bes (Suz); 13. Chris Burnham (KTM); 14. Marko Kovalainen (Hen); IS. Fobrizio Dini (KTM). MX I MOT02: I . Mickael Pichon (Han): 2. Josh Coppins (Han); 3. Stefan Everts (Y am): ... Kevin Strijbos (5uz); 5. Brian Jorgensen (Hon); 6. Tanel Leak (Suz); 7. Dan ny Theybe rs (Y ; 8 . Marn icq Berv cets (Yam); 9. Jose f am) Dobes (So2); 10. Yoshi Atsuta (Hon ); II . James Noble (Ho n); 12. Marko Kovalainen (Hon); 13. Laure Fre ibe rgs (Hon ); 14. Fabri zio Dini (KTM); IS. Mark Jones (KTM). MXI O /A : I. Ste fan Eve rts ; 2. Josh Coppins; 3. Mickae l Pichon ; 4. Ke vin Stri jbos; S. Tane l Leek; 6 . Yoshi Atsuta; 7. Jo sef Dobes; 8 . Steve Ramon; 9. BrianJo rgen sen ; 10 . Mark o Ko valainen ; I I. Ken De Dijcker ; 12. Julian Bill; 13. Dann y Theybers; 14. Marn icq Bervoets; 15. Fabrizio Dint FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MXI SERIES POINTS STA N D IN GS (Af t e r 13 of 16 round s): I. Ste fan Everts (572/6 wins) ; 2. Mickaef Pichon (4 79/4 wi ns) ; 3.Jo sh Coppins (44 1/1 win) ; 4 . Ste ve Ramon (394); 5. Kevin Strijbo s (360); 6 . Tane l Leo k (298); 7. Brian Jorg ensen (294/1 win) ; 8 . Cedric Me lotte (29 1/ 1 win); 9 . Ken De Dijcke r (2 11); 10. Yoshi Atsuta (181 ); I I . Luigi Seguy ( 178); 12. Joe l Smets ( 175); 13. C hris Burn ham ( 175); 14. Lauris Fre iberg s ( 157) ; IS. Mark o Kovalainen ( 139). MX2 MOTOI : I. Alessio C hiocli (Yam); 2. Anto nio Cairch (Yam); 3. Mickae l Maschio (Kaw); 4. Patri ck Ca ps (Y am); 5 . And rew McFarlane (Yam); 6 . Jussi Vehv ilainen (Hon) ; 7. Tyla Rattra y (KTM); 8. And rea Barto lini (Yam) 9 . ; C hris Stevanini (Hon) ; 10. Aigar l eek (KTM); I I . Carl Nunn (Ho n); 12. Pascal Leuret (KTM); 13. C laud io Fede rici (Yam); 14. Anthony Bo issie re (Yam IS. Sebas tien Po u rce l (Kaw). ); MX 2 MOTOl : l. Ben Townley (KTM); 2. Marc De Reuv (KTM); 3. Jussi Vehvilainen (Hon) ; 4. Anton io Cairoli er (Yam); S. Ste phen Sword (Kaw): 6. Carl Nu nn (Hen); 7. Sebastien Pco rcel (Kaw) ; 8 . And rew McFarlane (Yam); 9 . TyIa Rattray (KTM); 10. Man uel Monn i (Yam); I I. Anthony Boissiere (Yam); 12. Marvin Van Daele (502); 13. Thomas Allier (Kaw ); 14. Aigar l eak (KTM); IS. Kristof Salaets (Hon ). MX2 O /A : I. Antonio Cairoli ; 2. Jussi Vehvilainen; 3. Andrew McFarlane; 4. Tyla Rattray ; 5 . Be n To wn ley; 6 . Carl Nunn ; 7. Aless io Chiocli; 8 . Marc De Reuver; 9 . Stephen Sword: 10. Sebastien Pou rce l: I I. Mickae l Maschio; 12. Aigar l eak: 13. Patrick Caps; 14. Anthony Boissiere; 15. Andrea Bart o lini. FIM W ORLD CHAMPION SHIP MX2 SERIES PO IN TS STANDINGS (After 13 o f 16 rounds): I. Ben Townley (49 7/6w ins); 2. Tyla Rattra y (404/4); 3. Stephen Sw o rd (38211); 4. Anton io Ca iro li (3 37/1) ; 5 . Andrew McFarlane (329/1) ; 6. Alessio Chiodi (3 18) ; 7. Mickae l Maschio (303); 8 . Carl N unn (25 3); 9 . Patrick Caps (148) ; 10. Claudio Federici (20 7); I I. Aigar leok ( 194); 12. Anthony Boissiere ( 187) ; 13. Sebastien Pourcel ( 186); 14. Marc De Reuve r ( 177); 15 . James Dobb ( 154) .