Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

If the Friday night incident wasn't wild enough, there was more to come. Plenty more. On Saturday night came more conflict, and it again involved the Alessi family. It was once again Short who led the main, with Mike Alessi in a solid second as he entered the infamous Bercy tunnel section. Doing his best to gain ground on Short, Mike Alessi was greeted by America-based Frenchman Sorby, who was obviously mad at Mike, saying later that the teenager had taken him out in the opening moments of the main event - which was untrue. Sorby, standing next to his bike, blocked Mike then ghost-rode his bike into the KTM rider. As if his actions weren't bad enough, Sorby then gave Mike a mouthful of abuse. Then Jeff Alessi arrived on the scene and Sorby began haVing words with Mike's 16year-old younger brother. Jeff and Sorby then got into a scuffle, with both riders rolling around on the ground. It was one of the most bizarre scenes in the event's history, and it gave the large crowd even more reason to give the Americans a hard time despite the fact that this time the Alessis were truly innocent victims. Mike Alessi, feeling the full brunt of the attack, was emotional and confused by what went on in the tunnel. "I can tell you what happened," Mike Alessi said. "He was waiting for me, and then just rode his bike into me. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but then Jeff [Alessi] arrived, and lucky for me, I could get going again. I don't know what Sorby's problem was - I didn't do anything to hi m. With what happened on Friday with Boniface, and then with Sorby, I don't know what to think." Early in the race, Boniface had come into contact with Jeff Alessi and the two locked handlebars, with Boniface eventually landing on Jeff, which took both riders out. It was amazing to think that Sorby actually thought it was Jeff Alessi who was riding dirty. Sorby then made some comments that made absolutely no sense, taking moments from the weekend and twisting them around to match his own opinion. "I was just crazy," Sorby said. "These kids are just riding dirty - they do it all the time. Mike took me out in the opening corner. I want to let everyone know what really happened between the Alessis and me. I thought everything was done and over with until Alessi Weekly [a press release issued by the Alessi family] came out and was so far from the truth." Sorby continued to give his opinion, though not too many journalists or people in attendance at the event saw it the same way he did. "In the start of the main, going into the first turn, I thought I clearly had the holeshot from the middle gate," Sorby said. ''And then Mike Alessi came from nowhere on the inside and pushed me to the outside wall for no reason, and then ran over my foot and bent my brake pedal real bad. After that, I was sitting back in, like, fifth place behind both Alessi brothers when I saw Jeff Alessi riding so dirty once again with Steve Boniface. After about a lap of that, Jeff took both of them out. All weekend they have been riding crazy and cutting people off on the faces of jumps and looking around and moving over into everyone's lines. Myself and everyone else on the track is so tired of him riding like that, and because he ended my main early with his move in the first turn, I was rolling around the track when Mike came up to pass me again, and I took him up high in the corner and stopped him in the middle of the race and was yelling at him for the way he was riding. Jeff was behind us and saw me yelling at him and jumped off his bike and ripped me off my bike to [make me] let Mike go. Jeff and I started to fight in the tunnel for a minute or so; then we took off again. I stayed on the track and, from what I understand, Jeff pulled off and came in the pits looking for me, and when he noticed I wasn't there, he picked up a fire extinguisher and was going to throw it or spray it in my pits. I was still on the track, but I know this because a member of my team took pictures of him doing it." Then he apologized. Sort of. "I have to apologize for stopping Mike in the middle of the race - it was unprofessional and I should not have done that - but we are all tired of the way the Alessis do things and it is time [for it] to be stopped," Sorby said. "I should have said something to Mike in the right manner after the race, but you can't talk to Mike man to man without Mike's dad, Tony, being in your face." Of course, Short won the Saturday night program, ahead of Mike Alessi and Mike Brown. The racing up front was impressive, with Short shOWing great speed and technique. It was a pity that the American Honda rider was not given the full applause of the fans, who were more interested in venting their anger at Mike Alessi every time he arrived at the top of the podium. Sunday night's program was a little on the mellow side, as both Jeff Alessi and Eric Sorby were banned from racing. Boniface was also out, due to an injury. Short once again produced his magic to win for a third night in a row. Mike Alessi again finished second, and Brown was third on his Suzuki. eN Bucy STADIUM PARIS, FRANCE RESULTS: NOVEMBER 11-13, 2005 FRIDAY: I. Andrew Short (Hon); 2. Sebastien Tortelli (KTM); 3. Mike Alessi (KTM); 4. Jeff Alessi (KTM); 5. Mike Brown (Suz); 6. Billy Lonlnovkh (Hon); 7. lerr GI!>

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