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/128402
Wan Everts (72) sufhred from mac:flkMt problems, which left him sIrallded _ the start line far the ~. . final, and finished 17th. In !he ~ main, Everts ninth. '&.. The huge Belgian crowd was disappointed when Everts failed to leave the start line when his bike lost all power. Some laps down, Everts did his best to come back through the field, a task that proved impossible for the motocross legend. As for Chambon, he took the lead early, with Demaria and jadoul doing their best to keep him in their sights. Corser held a lonely fourth, with josh Coppins having a race-long battle with Australian road racer Broc Parkes in his Supermoto debut. In the end, Chambon was just too quick for Demaria, and he scored an easy victory. "It was not easy early, as Demaria and jadoul kept close to me," Chambon said. "I think this year's circuit is nice to ride, not so much dirt, and some nice, fast corners. They have worked hard to make this race even better, and the crowd is always into the racing." Chambon's luck ran out in the opening Superbiker heat race when his bike also died on the start line. To make matters worse, he was thrown to the ground as another machine crashed into the back of his stalled KTM. There was never much doubt that Bernd Hiemer, another KTM rider, would take Chambon's place at the front of the pack, with Hiemer going 3-1 for his team to score the victory. Second place went to Aprilia's jerome Giraudo with a 1-3 tally, while Kunzel, also on a KTM, rounded out the top three. World Motocross number two Coppins, riding for the CAS Honda team, enjoyed his first-ever supermoto outing, finishing fifth in the Starbiker race after battling with Corser and other road-racing riders. "I was scared to pass on the road-racing section," Coppins said. "I could only pass on the dirt section, and when I was on the road section, I really didn't feel comfortable. I wasn't sure where I would end up if I went into the corners too hard, and these guys were passing up the inside, and that makes me worry a little. You sort of sit the bike up and let them through. You learn your limit all the time, so it takes experience to get comfortable with your limit - and I have never done this before. You just don't know what the competition is going to do. When they come in hard, you stand the bike up and let them through, because I am always thinking they will run into me, because that's what happens in motocross. That is hard to get used to. Riding the bike isn't hard - it's fun for the first time. After one day it's a little boring, sliding and that type of thing, but in the race... then it's great. I mean, if you practice Supermoto, it would be so boring, while in motocross it's always fun even in practice." Coppins also came close to having two accidents in the opening Superbiker heat. The New Zealander did, however, enjoy his battles with Corser. "Chambon stalled the bike on the start and I nearly ran into him; then I was riding too hard trying to make up time," Coppins said. "I then got caught up in a crash in the second corner, and I was a long way back. Racing Corser was a lot of fun. I made up a lot of time racing him in the dirt, and he wasn't making that much time on me in the road section, so I was happy with that." Suzuki-mounted Corser was coming off winning this year's World Superbike Championship and was in good form in Mettet. Corser, like Coppins, was new to Supermoto, but he found his footing rather quickly. "I have done it a little bit, just for motorshows and stuff," Corser said. "Racing these Supermoto boys, I can see where I am losing time. For me, the road section is not a problem, but the dirt section was tough. I have not done jumps for many years, and that was difficult. I only rode the bike, like, for four hours, so it's taking me a while. I had some good starts, and that kept me in with the front guys at times." Rinaldi Yamaha hero Everts is a regular on the Superbiker weekend, haVing raced as many as eight of these races in Mettet, and a number of other races throughout his career. A problem with his bike in the opening moto of the Starbiker cost him any chance of producing an impressive result and he eventually finished in 17th place. "I got to the start and the bike just stopped," Everts explained. "I couldn't start it, and we had a problem with the reserve and something got stuck in there. We fixed it for the second race, but I was a long way back, and then Chambon stalled and I missed him, but I was so far back and that first lap is very dangerous. I think finishing ninth was a good result. The dirt is really hard - it's like the road section. I still made some passes in the dirt, but I have experience in this race. I have ridden here since 1995, so I am okay with the speed. The dirt used to be soft with bumps, but today it's just hard and fast." Former British Motocross Champion and Grand Prix winner Gordon Crockard was also in Mettet, making only his second-ever Supermoto appearance. For Crockard, the speed was exciting. "I did a World Supermoto round in Ireland this year," he said. "I am just riding my motocross practice bike. I was 12th in the Starbiker and a long way back in the other race. Somebody stalled on the line and that happened near me, and I just missed that. And then I got into the Demaria crash. It's all about confidence, and I don't have any understanding about that. It's hard to find the limit. Here it's always grip, and if you lose grip, you crash. It's hard to find the fine line. It is fun leaning the bike over. It's amazing - a serious sensation. I make a lot of mistakes, but it's good fun. The off-road section is rockhard and the rubber is on the ground. eN It's just hard dirt." CIRCUIT JULES TACHENY METTATE, BELGIUM RESULTS: OCTOBER 16, 2005 STARBIKER: I. 5tephane Chambon (KTM); 2. Yves Demaria (KTM); 3. Didier Jadoul (Kaw): 4. Troy Corser (Suz); 5. Josh Coppins (Hon); 6. Broc Parkes (Yam); 7. Chris Carr (KTM); 8. Jeremy McWilliams (Yam); 9. Xavier Simeon (5uz); 10. Eric Sorby (Hon); I I. 5tephane Nebel (Yam); 12. Gordon Crockard (Yam): 13. Raphael Leclercq (Hon); 1-1. Fabien Foret (Hon); 15. Didier Van Keymeulen (Yam). SUPERBIKER OVERALL: I. Bernd Hiemer (KTM); 2. Jerome Giraudo (KTM); 3. Jurgen Kunzel (KTM); 4. Eddy Seel (Hus); 5. Gerald Delepine (Hus); 6. Stephane Chambon (KTM); 7. Christian Ravaglia (Suz); 8. Marc Fraikin (KTM); 9. Stefan Everts (Yam); 10. Wilfred Reiter (KTM). CYCLE NEWS • NOVEMBER 2, 2005 3S