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Fujinami, Cabestany Split Motegi Wins D epsol Montesa HRC's Takahisa Fujinami !"'\and Sherco's Albert Cabestany split victories in the two-day Grand Prix of japan, the layout at the Motegi Twin Ring Circuit comprising round three of the World Observed Trials Championship, May 21-22. Even though Fujinami and Cabestany both came away with a victory and a thirdplace finish in the two-day event, it was Cabestany who had the better weekend, as his results put him atop the World Championship points standings. The Spaniard moved ahead of countryman Adam Raga, the Gas Gas rider only managing two fourth-place finishes on the weekend. The Repsol Montesa HRC team's success was not limited to just FUjinami, as both Marc Freixa and Dougie Lampkin also made it on to the podium with 2-7 and 5-2 results, respectively, over the two days. After the two opening rounds, the series left Europe for the first time and headed to here as the observer deemed that his front wheel had passed above and wide of the critica! marker on the final summit. Aware of the consequences of going for gold, Lampkin played it safe with a precautionary dab after having watched Raga escape with a two through trying a more radical line. Fujinami delighted the thousands of home fans watching from the road below as he produced a typically full blooded clean, which Cabestany was to repeat immediately behind the japanese reigning World Champion. Freixa and Fujinami swapped roles on section five, as the Spanish rider rode neatly to the end cards for just a single mark, while the hometown hero failed within the first few meters. Raga and Cabestany both escaped with scrappy threes, leaving Lampkin to show them how it was done with his clean. Lampkin was the only rider to score less the Twin Ring Circuit - and for once it did- n't rain for the japanese round. That meant conditions were dry and dusty - a replacement for the wet and muddy conditions that have become a trademark of the Motegi round. With five out of the IS sections now being of an indoor nature, the general opinion was this was not necessary in a location that has so much natural scope to offer. The remaining hazards set on the outside of the tannac circuit had a similar theme, with steep and dry bankings being very much the order of the day. The top runners and expected victory challengers passed through the first three manmade sections without loss, with the exception of Cabestany, who parted with his first mark in the more tricky section three. The trials started for reaJ at section four, which was an adaptation of a similar section used before and was set high on a steep rocky face with the oval circuit as a fitting backdrop. The exit of this hazard caused all the problems, the almost vertical series of small steps proving very difficult to than a five in section six, as he used his large frame to lift himself clear for a very physical three. This gave the British rider the lead with the trial moving to the steep wooded area of section seven. The closing hazards were not difficult, but the loose soil and sheer steepness of the terrain caught even the front runners at various points, and the lead swapped several times as each rider committed at least one error on their way to the end of the first lap. Lampkin found himself back in joint fourth at the halfway point with teammate Fujinami. Raga was the early leader with a score of 10 marks, just one mark ahead of Cabestany and Beta's Kenichi Kuroyarna. but also it brings a lot of pressure, and I was dent going to the other rounds." certainly feeling that on the first lap," Fujinami said. "At this point, I thought it was going to be like the first two trials in Europe, but I really tried to focus hard on the second lap, as I knew my rivals were all making mis- deserved the victory. It is an important victory both for me and the team, and one I hope Lampkin ended the day second and was pleased, his points tally from the weekend putting him third in the series standings, eight points behind Cabestany and four behind Raga. "Second is a good result after yesterday, but again, it has been very close between all of the riders," the multi-time World Champion said. "My mistake in section three this morning has cost me the victory, but it seems incredible to think I have only lost to repeat tomorrow and throughout the rest marks of the season." Championship trial. The competitions need to be tougher if we are to find a real World Champion, and I think all the top riders would agree with this. Hopefully, the coming rounds will give us all a better possibility to fight for the title in a way we would all prefer. Right now, there are four or five riders that can be champion, and I think it is going to stay that way for most of the season." takes. This gave me a new confidence, which was increased by the support of my fans. I really rode at my best in the afternoon, and I think from my second-lap score that I The second day also featured hot and dry weather, and the first lap was a nervous affair as the expected added severity failed to materialize, leaving the favorites of sections four, five and six as the key hazards once again. Even these sections failed to phase Raga, who handed in his first-lap punch card to reveal a full string of cleans. His total of zero was only two clear of Cabestany, who had lost his marks as late as section 10 as he pushed his way out of the final hillclimb. Antonio Bou found himself in third place on three marks after the first 15 sections, his advantage over Lampkin at this point again being at a World just a single mark. Fujinami and Freixa did what was necessary to come home one mark in the clear, giving him the victory and a clear lead in the championship. "Yesterday. I was happy, so today I his first victory of the 2005 season. Behind advantage over Raga in the champi- him things were very close as just five marks covered second to seventh positions. Freixa onship to become the new leader," Cabestany said. "The victory is more narrow ledge with absolutely no run up. Freixa suffered his first failure of the day cleans tie-decider. "Riding at home brings some advantages, satisfying because I had to ride with a lot of pressure, as I knew exactly what the other riders' scores were before I rode each section. There was no room even for one mistake, as the trial was far too easy. I am now very confi- VDB, Beltrami Top Sosnova World Supermoto JUNE 1, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS sections am very happy, not just to have won the trial but also to have taken a clear conquer as the riders turned at it from a 6 five were down in fifth and sixth place. Cabestany kept his cool brilliantly for the rest of the second day. Riding at the back of the field, he Fujinami shined on lap two with an awesome attack. He posted an unequalled series of cleans to complete his second tour for a totaJ of just four marks, enough to earn him posted the second-best final-lap score to take the runner-up spot just ahead of Cabestany. Raga, meanwhile, demoted Lampkin to fifth after winning the most- KTM's Thierry van den Bosch won the 5 I class, while Honda rider Massimo Beltrami won the 52 class at round three of the FIM World Supermoto Championship at Sosnova, Czech Republic, on May 22. Whether the track was dry, wet or mixed on a rainy weekend in Sosnova, the result was the same for "VDB," who was unbeatable on the Czech asphalt, setting the fastest time, winning Superpole. breaking the lap record and winning both motos. Van den Bosch scored fifty points and took over the series points lead after former World Championship leader Gerald Delepine DNFed the second moto. in ''Of course I am very happy of my perlect weekend," van den Bosch said. "I'm now leading the championship, too, and I want to thank my team, KTM and Michelin for their support." Ivan Lazzarini finished second overall to get back on track after his difficult weekend in Namur. He is now fourth in the standings, behind VDB, Delepine and German KTM rider Bernd Hiemer, who had some troubles in the first moto on the slippery track but then got a strong second place. With three different winners in three GPs, the S2 class is again wide open this year. Third in qualifICations, third and second in the motos, Italian rider Beltrami out- paced Frenchmen Boris Chambon and jerome Giraudo to give his team, Daverio Formula, its first GP win. '" am very happy with this victory, both for me and Daverio Formula, my team that supplied me with a perfect Honda," Beltrami said. "Today was very hard, because track conditions changed very fast from a very slippery tarmac to an almost perfect grip. It is a dream to win this Grand Prix, as last year I had a very bad accident here in Sosnova." Edcly See! dominated the first molO, while a group of four riders (Beltrami, Stephane Blot, Giraudo and Adrien Chareyre) battled for the second spot and finished in the same second! In moto two, polesitter Chambon had a perfect start in the second moto and led the entire race, carding the first-ever moto win for the 4S0 KTM. Behind him, a small group (Beltrami, Massimo Verderosa, Giraudo and Chareyre) battled for the second position, while Seel came back from 26th to 17th after a crash on the second lap. It was not a good weekend for Husqvarna, as Davide Gozzini struggled on track and finished seventh and eighth, while Aprilia riders got two top-six results. Of the Aprilia's reigning S2 World Champion, Giraudo was third overall, earning his first podium finish of the season.