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 MXI/MX2 Motocross Championship My 7 OWN RACE Andrew McFarlane 5th (2-13) MX2 McFarlane is not giving up on his chase for the World MX2 title, although he knows that GP winner Antonio Cairoli is in good form. The Aussie struggled in the early going in the second moto and lost any chance of a podium finish. "My weekend started bad during qualifying on Saturday," McFarlane said. "Somebody took me out during the race, and as a consequence I was only 19th on the gate. I had a good start, found some great lines, and I could pass many riders early on. Unfortunately, Cairoli had made a gap by the time I had passed [Davide] Guarneri for second. Luck was again not on my side in the second race when [Patrick] Caps crashed in front of me. Everybody tried to avoid him, and [Marc] De Reuver hit me in the action. This has not been a good weekend for me, but the championship is not over yet. I will keep on fighting till the end, and hopefully I can produce a strong result next week." 34 Cedric Melotte DNQ Melotte is just not having the luck he needs to make a break in the MX2 class. An injury in the Saturday practice session wrecked his weekend - and any chance he had of racing for the Belgian Motocross des Nations team this year. Melotte will return to the MX I class in 2006. "I crashed during my qualifying race on Saturday," Melotte said, "but I cannot remember what happened exactly. My mechanic told me that I landed on my front wheel. I lost control of the bike and I took the impact on my right arm. I was in tremendous pain and I needed to go to the hospital. Scans made clear that I have broken the right radius, and they immediately gave me a cast. Looking at the situation from the best possible perspective, I now will use my forced time off to have surgery done for both my radius injury and the wrist injury that has kept me back." 6 Tanel Leok 5th (8-2) MX I Leok was brilliant in the second MX I moto, pushing for the win early and then showing josh Coppins a thing or two about mud racing. "I was in third position down the start straight," Leok said, "but at the next two corners, everyone just went off line - they were in ruts, clashing handlebars, sliding off - it was difficult to stay upright. I was well back but managed to push hard in the opening laps while other made mistakes. I found my rhythm and moved to 10th. I was a long time there, as I caught up to riders on the same pace. The race line was less than half a meter wide, so if you went off it, you could easily fall. I couldn't find a way around Gundersen; De Dijcker fell, I think, so we both moved up one position, and I ended the race in eighth. I made a much better second-moto start and by turn two I had moved from third to second place. I was there for five laps, but then [Mickael] Pichon passed me. I was trying to find his lines and was closing when Everts fell, almost losing the lead. He blocked the rut, Pichon went off line and got stuck, and as Everts restarted, I moved to second position again. I was really pushing - this was to be my best-ever result in the MX I. The previous [best] was third place. I knew that Coppins would be trying hard to pass, as he's fighting for the championship, but I held on to second place until the checkered flag." 30 Ben Townley 6th (3-7) MXI Townley finished in sixth position after holding down second place early in moto two and looking likely to get a podium finish. The Kiwi wants to finish the season with a victory before he heads to America. "I really had to dig deep," Townley said. "I tried too hard and went down twice in the first heat. After that, I came back really strong, and I was happy with that. 1pushed too hard in the second heat. Fighting through the pack really takes a lot of energy, and I gave it all I had today. I'm trying too hard at the moment. I need to relax a bit more and let it come to me. I had my sights set on a podium overall, but I guess that will have to wait another week." 44 AUGUST 31,2005 • CYCLE NEWS crowd saw Everts lead the opening race from start to finish. Ramon took second, ahead of Townley and Pichon, who made an impressive comeback from dead last at the start. Early on, JK Racing's Luigi Seguy held a promising fourth, but the Frenchman had to settle for sixth in the end. Drier and bumpier, the track conditions had improved for the second race, but series leader Everts was every bit as determined to stamp his authority on the event. The Belgian again pulled away from the pack, but he had a bit of luck on his side in taking the win. In the final minutes of the race, he made his aforementioned mistake and crashed on a tricky, sloped corner. As Everts was trying to start his bike again, Pichon caught him, but then got stuck in the very same corner. On his second attempt, Everts got his YZ450FM to fire again, and it was early enough to get him to the finish line ahead of Leok and Coppins. Despite the thick mud that covered the Gaildorf track, Antonio Cairoli had good starts and he never looked back en route to winning both motos of the MX2 class - the young Italian looking more and more like the next MX2 World Champion. Cairoli looked at ease throughout and impressed with his control and speed in the poor conditions. "In the winter, I rode a lot in tough and muddy conditions in Belgium, and this has helped me a great deal," Cairoli said. "Even during practice, you are competing against some of the fastest riders in the world, and the tracks are rough, just like they are in the World Championship. Of course, riding was hard on a track like this, but it is actually okay when you can go out in front and riders in front of you do not ruin your vision. I'm really in good shape now, and I'm looking forward to the last couple of races of the season." England's Carl Nunn finished second overall after putting together a very consistent weekend. The KTM factory rider is still unsigned for the 2006 season and is hoping these results will give him a better chance to find a team. Wet weather is always something Nunn has enjoyed, and Gaildorf was to his liking. "Every time I woke up during the night, all I could hear was rain, and it continued through the morning," Nunn said. "Marc [De Reuver] did not go out for warmup, and the team asked me if I wanted to do the same, but I wanted to try the track, because during the heat race yesterday it was not wet. I got to grips qUickly with the mud and I was quickest, and this gave me some good confidence going into the race. I crashed in both motos through stupid mistakes, but it was so easy to make those mistakes out there. My first start was not great, and I was fifth, so I knew I needed the holeshot for the second. Antonio [Cairoli] came past me pretty quickly. I settled into Briefly..• Continued lrom page 42 Here is a quick look at what is expected for some of the 2006 teams. Rinaldi Yamaha Everts and Melotte in MX I ; CAS Honda josh Coppins and one other MX I rider; Martin Honda - possibly Brian jorgensen, Mattio Bonini in MX2; KTM - Marc De Reuver, Sebastien Tortelli, jonathan Barragan, and possibly Mickael Pichon in MX I, Tyla Rattray and David Philippaerts in MX2; De Groot Kawasaki - Tanel Leok and possibly joel Smets in MX I, and Stephen Sword in MX2; Geboers Suzuki - Kevin Strijbos and possibly Steve Ramon in MX I ; De Carli Yamaha - Antonio Cairoli in MX2; RWj Honda - james Noble in MX I ; Pourcel Kawasaki - Sebastien and Christophe Pourcel. The top 10 riders who have yet to sign are joel Smets, Steve Ramon, Mickael Pichon, Pascal Leuret, Ken De Dijcker, Brian jorgensen, Andrew McFarlane, Billy Mackenzie, Carl Nunn and Alessio Chiodi. my own race, and apart from the mistake trying to pass [Mickael] Maschio, when I hit some tires at the side of the track, it was all okay. The conditions were really difficult, because in some parts of the track there was lots of grip and in other parts there was none. The first few laps were about staying on; then you had to build your speed and improve your lap times." Third place in the MX2 class went to little-known Manuel Monni, riding a KTM machine. Monni went 4-7 for his bestever GP finish. CN GAILDORF CIRCUIT GAILDORF, GERMANY REsws: AuGusr 21, 200S (ROlN> 14 OF 17) MX I MOTO I: I. Stefan Everts (Yam); 2. Steve Ramon (KTM); 3. Ben Townley (KTM); 4. Mickael Pichon (Hon); S. josh Coppins (Hon); 6. LUigi Seguy (Yam); 7. Kenneth Gundersen (KTM); 8. Tanel Leok (Kaw); 9. Kevin Striibos (Suz); 10. Ken De Dijcker (Hon); I I. jonathan Barragan (KTM); 12. james Noble (Hon); 13. Mark Hucklebridge (Hon); 14. Lauris Freibergs (Suz); 15. Antti Pyrhonen (TM). MX I MOTO 2: I. Stefan Everts (Yam); 2. Tanel Leok (Kaw); 3. josh Coppins (Han); 4. Mickael Pichon (Han); 5. Steve Ramon (KTM); 6. jonathan Barragan (KTM); 7. Ben Townley (KTM); 8. james Noble (Han); 9. Ken De Diicker (Hon); 10. Pascal Leuret (Hon); I I. Brian jorgensen (Yam); 12. josef Dobes (Kaw); 13. Lauris Freibergs (Suz); 14. Gordon Crockard (Yam); 15. Antti Pyrhonen (TM). FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MX 1 SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 14 of 17 rounds): I. Stefan Everts (589/6 Wins); 2. josh Coppins (536/2 wins); 3. Ben Townley (460/3 wins); 4. Mickael Pichon (404/2 wins); 5. joel Smets (385); 6. Steve Ramon (380); 7. Pascal Leuret (278); 8. Ken De Dijcker (268); 9. Tanel Leok (254); 10. james Noble (252); I I. Brian jorgensen (234); 12. jonathan Barragan (228); 13. Danny Theybers (226); 14. Yoshi Atsuta (185); 15. Antti Pyrhonen (168). MX2 MOTO I: I. Antonio Cairoli (Yam); 2. Andrew McFarlane (Yam); 3. Carl Nunn (KTM); 4. Manuel Monni (KTM); 5. Patrick Caps (Han); 6. Davide Guarneri (Yam); 7. Christophe Pourcel (Kaw); 8. Max Nagl (KTM); 9. Stephen Sword (Kaw); 10. Pierre Renet (Yam); I I. Rui Goncalves (Yam); 12. Matteo Bonini (Hon); 13. Mickael Maschio (Yam); 14. Gilles Dejong (Yam); IS. Billy Mackenzie (Yam). MX2 MOTO 2: I. Antonio Cairoli (Yam); 2. Alessio Chiodi (Yam); 3. Mickael Maschio (Yam); 4. Carl Nunn (KTM); 5. David Philippaerts (KTM); 6. Davide Guarneri (Yam); 7. Manuel Manni (KTM); 8. Christophe Pourcel (Kaw); 9. Marc De Reuver (KTM); 10. Stephen Sword (Kaw); I I. Patrick Caps (Hon); /2. Matteo Bonini (Han); 13. Andrew McFarlane (Yam); 14. Garrath Swanepoel (Kaw); 15. Max Nagl (KTM). FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MX2 SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 14 of 17 rounds): I. Antonio Cairoli (SO 1/6 Wins); 2. Andrew McFarlane (482/3 wins); 3. Alessio Chiodi (427/1 win); 4. David Phillppaerts (389/2 wins); 5. Cedric Melotte (352); 6. Stephen Sword (308); 7. Christophe Pourcel (297); 8. Carl Nunn (289); 9. Billy Mackenzie (266/1 win); 10. Davide Guarneri (260); I I. Mickael Maschio (250); 12. Rui Goncalves (241); 13. Patrick Caps (217); 14. Anthony Boissiere (197); IS. Matteo Bonini (164).