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Koersel, SelglurTI'" February 12. 2oc::x:J Belgian Motocross Te Koersel Fonteintje MX Park Up front, Everts again looked in control, but his lack of stamina on the big Husqvarna got the best of him on the fourth lap, when he was bucked place finishes. Former 500cc World Champion Joel Smets, who won the first moto, and Finnish rider Marko Kovalainen, rounded out the top three overall. Many spectators came out to witness the Everts/Husqvarna debut, and Everts did not want to disappoint them, but he knew that it wasn't going to be easy. "It's going to be tough on the fourstroke here," Everts said of the sandy Fonteintje track. "In the sand the bike wants to move around more, so I'll have my work ahead of me here." Smets and Everts sprinted into the first turn of the first moto side be side, with Everts emerging out in front. He gradually pulled away from Smets before his arms started weakening several laps into the race. "I felt g'ood early," Everts said. "I knew I had to get a good start and try and settle into an easy pace. I had to forget about anybody else in the race. I did not want to push myself too much." Smets closed the gap back up on a tiring By GEOFF MEYER ulti-time World Motocross Champion Stefan Everts made his debut on the factory Husqvarna 570cc four-stroke at the Motocross Te Koersel in Belgium, and his results were mixed. The race, the first in a series of GP warm-up events, revealed that Everts is coming along okay in his first year on the Husqvarna team and the fi·rst time ever racing a four-stroke, but, he'll be the first to tell you that he and his team still have a lot of work ahead of them before the gate drops for the first 500cc GP in Australia, in March. "We have done a lot to the bike," Everts said. "I don't expect too much today, we still have some things to change, the bike is good, but I'm still having trouble with my arms pumping up. We will do something to the suspension to make it work a little better." The aforementioned "arm pump" turned out to be Everts' biggest problem of the day, as the former 250cc rider is still adapting to his thumper's Open-class power. In both motos, Everts jumped out to early leads only to feel the onset of arm pump, which resulted in crashes and an 11 th overall placing. But when he was out in front, Everts looked good. KTM rider Danny 1heybers, of Belgium, ended up taking the overall win after posting a pair of second- M 52 MARCH 1. 2000' eye • e n e...., s verts, who had also ecome ill at ease with mets breathing down is neck. As a result, verts went crashing off e track, wrapping his orks Husky around a ee. "'I was so tired," verts said. "I wanted to eep a good speed. I as trying different ings, but my arms had o strength left." Smets, looking right t home on his new KTM ur-stroke ride, was pressive, as he calmly ok the lead and ran off ith the win. He finished ut the moto well ahead f Theybers, Kovalainen, verts and KTM factory rider Peter Johansson. "That was pretty much what I expected," Smets said. "I knew Stefan would come out and fight. Had he gone away from me and won by a minute, then I would've been worried. " The second moto started out much like the first moto, with Everts jumping out to an early lead. Smets, though, was having his problems and pulled up the rear of the pack after falling a couple of times. off his machine. "I was really tired from the first moto," Everts explained. "I could not hold on anymore. I was thrown over the handlebars and hit my head; I could not continue, I was feeling really dizzy." Dutch rider Leon Geisbers took over from there and went on to win the moto ahead of Theybers, Sweden's Jonas Engdahl, Kovalainen. Johansson and Smets, who finished out the day with an impressive come-from-behind performance. Despite a tough day, Everts looked at the positives. "I had the same trouble with the aluminum-framed Honda in 1996," Everts reasoned. "It took me a few races to get that Honda sorted out, too. It's the same story with this bike. Come the first Grand Prix of the year, the bike will be even better. We still have some work to do though, for sure. " Fanteiuje M_ss Pml KoeJ'lllI, Belgium Results: Febnulry 1Z, ZDDD O/A: 1. D.nny Theybers (KTM): 2. Joel Smets (KTM); 3. Marko Kovalainen (Hon); 4. Leon Geisbers (Suz); 5. Peter Johansson (KTM); 6. Jonas Engdahl (Hon); 7. Marcel van Orunen (Vor); 8. Werner Dewit (KTM): 9. Gert·J.n Boekhorst (Hon); 10. M;sk. Aaltonen (Hus); 11. Stefan Everts (Hus); 12. Peter Iven (Kaw); 13. Willie Van Wessel (Hus): 14. Mats Nilsson (Hon); 15. Anton van de Weterlng (Hus). The Husqvama technicians, here working on Everts' bike, still have some dialing in to do but should be ready for the GP series opener on March 19.