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couldn't attack, but I kept Joel back. Sure, it was close, but I was confident first few laps," Johansson said. "I I had given enough." hadn't ridden the track for five hours, Champion Bartolini inherited fourth. "I thought I had the holeshot as J started to turn at the first corner, but another rider [Max Bartolini, no relation] came with great speed from the outside and got my front wheel," Bartolini said. "I slithered along the ground and had to clean the mud off my gloves before I could restart, so I was absolutely last. I pushed hard for 25 minutes, but then I started to have and it was completely changed." take the overall, but suddenly second problems and could not fight anymore. I have only been able to ride a bike once since Australia because of my right hand". The doctors think I After 25 minutes I have no power, "I had all the wrong lines in the He had to withstand challenges from both Rinaldi Yamahas. Bervoets said of his race, "I was soon in third and only needed Peter to gear wasn't there anymore, and I fell in the confusion as I tried to find drive. I adapted to riding without it and was pulling places back again, but then the gearbox broke completely." Bartolini said, "Same as race one. only pain." Still, Bartolini got third, as Darryll King was struggling in the have a piece of broken bone in there somewhere, and I have developed very bad tendonitis. If I have an operation, then I must stop for two months, and then the season is finished. I can also not do many things in physical training because of problems with the thigh I broke 20 months ago. The metal rod, which was taken out in the winter got bent during last season, and the bones are rubbing on the muscles and the skin. I just could not push after 25 minutes." The lower leaderboard had a Defending champ Andrea Bartolini was hoping to pull off a win at his home GP, but he had to settle for second overall, via 4-3 moto finishes. - except for the brief spell midrace when Smets passed him - despite a strong early challenge from England's Chris Burnham. The VOR newcomer was to eventually throwaway fourth on the penultimate lap. "When Joel came past me, I knew that was my chance of a podium gone, but I was so far clear of Andrea, , thought I could cruise," Vi co said. "And [then]' stalled it'" King was more resolute. ''I'm happy," he said. "We still don't have the rear suspension sorted, and I pack. "I got hit in the back by someone's handlebars early in the race and could hardly breathe," King explained. "It finally cleared in the last couple of laps and I olOuld gain a place a lap." eN Crossodromo Gioiella Castiglione del lago, Italy Results: April 2, 2000 [Round 2 af 161 MOTO 1: 1. Mamicq Bervoets (Yam). 2. Darryll King (Hus), 3. Joel Smets (KTM), 4. Andrea Bartolini (Yam), 5. Max Bartolini (Yam), 6. Erwin Machtlinger (Han), 7. Rupi Walkner (KTM), 8. Chris Burnham (VOR), 9. Roman Jelen (KTM), 10. Johan Boonen (KTM), 11. Demien King (KTM). 12. Fabrizio Dini (Hus), 13. Gert Jan Van Doorn (VOR), 14. Jante Engdahl (KTM). 15. James Marsh (KTM). strange appearance as many top names exited. Peter Johansson, the winner here 12 months ago, was another rider who was pushed out at turn one but restarted only to get a fright at the next tight turn, as he discovered the rear brake line had been severed. Willie Van Wessel had a footpeg break off as he held fifth, Bernd Eckenbach fried a clutch, Jochen Jasinski did not start -as his MOTO 2: I. Joel Smets (KTM), 2. Peter Johansson (KTM), 3. Andrea Bartolini (Yam), 4. Miska Aaltonen (Hus), 5. Fabrizio Dini (Hus), 6. Darryl! King (Hus), 7. Max Bartolini (Yam), 8. Gert Jan Van Doorn (VOR), 9. Erwin Machtlinger (Hon). 10. James Marsh (KTM), 11. Marcel Van Drunen (Hus), 12. Roman Jelen (KTM). 13. Jonte Engdahl (KTM), 14. Rupi Walkner (KTM), 15. Willie Van Wessel (Hus). O/A: 1. Joel Smets (KTM), 2. Andrea Bartolini (Yam), 3. DarryJl King (Hus), 4. Max Bartolini (Yam), 5. Marnicq Bervoets (Yam), 6. Peter Johansson (KTM), 7. Fabrizio Dini (Hus), 8. Erwin Machtlinger (Han), 9. Miska Aaltonen (Hus), 10. Gert Jan Van Doorn (VOR). FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 500« MX SERIES POINT STANDINGS (Arter 2 of 16 rounds): 1. Joel Smets (75/2 wins), 2. Darryll King (54). 3. Marnicq Bervoets (52), 4. Andrea Bartolini (50), 5. Peter Johansson (35). 6. Andrew McFarlane (22), 7. (TIE) Shayne King/Max Bartolini (20). 9. Erwin Machtlinger (20), '10. Gert Jan Van Doorn (18), II. Miska Aaltonen (17),12. Willie Van Wessel (17).13. Fabrizio Dini (16).14. Michael Byrne (14), 15. Chris Burnham (14),16. Rupi Walkner (11).17. Roman Jeten (J]), 18. Ava Leak (10), 19. James Marsh (10).20. Johen Boonen (6). pre-season knee injury was not ready for the landings when the track dried out for race day, and Avo Leok was just one more to find out how difficult a hot four-stroke is to restart after smashing into a fallen Miska Aaltonen as they moved forward menacingly in tandem towards the top six. Race two was all about Smets, but Johansson completed a KTM J -2 sweep. Upcoming Rounds: Round 3 - Valkenswaard. Holland, April g Round 4 - Osuna, Spain, April 23 BRIEFLY• •• Stefan Everts is poised to return to action at round three of the 500cc series. Radson/L&M team owner Dave Grant said, "Stefan rode a bike on Thursday. but only for a few minutes. The titanium pins. which he has in his hand. are each ben I slightly outwards, but they were rubbing on his skin. He will try to adapt his riding style so that this does not happen. and he hopes to ride in Holland [April gl. Whatever happens. the pins will come out after the Spanish GP [April 23] at Easter when there is a three-week break in the schedule. " Riders of standard YZM426F Yamahas were seen cutting up used cola cans on Saturday evening in the Castiglione paddock after they had been warned midday Saturday that they risked disqualification if they rode with their standard exhaust systems. Apparently the FIM decided 18 months ago that. as of January 1. 2000. any pipe behind the muffler can be no longer than 5mm. But the world governing body did a pretty slack job of communicating this rule change. "I must admit that the factory GP teams knew of this rule change proposal. and our pipes are legal." said Yamaha 500cc GP race chief Carlo Rinaldi. "but the FIM never notified the factory. and the production bikes have been delivered with a 35mm long pipe behind the silencer." Customer entrants were also unaware of the rule change, as were the technical stewards of the Italian fed- eration, who passed all of the YZ426F units at Friday's tech inspection. Apparently. they had not yet received a copy of the new rulebook from Geneva. Even the FiM Jury president was unaware of the change until a well-known paddock busybody made him aware of the situation. It was quickly agreed that no action would be instigated from either the officials or the factory teams in Italy, but. in the event of a protest from another privateer. the rule would have to be invoked. Consequently, Yamaha teams were seen cutting up cola cans and welding them over the offend- Mamlcq Bervoets recorded his first-ever 500cc GP moto win. ing pipes so that the silencer had the appearance of an enclosed unit. cycle n e _ S • APRIL 19. 2000 19