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/128609
FIM World Championship 1 25cc MX Series Round 2: Le Comtesse Circuit Great Britain's Carl Nunn won both motos of the French 125cc GP. STORY AND PHOTOS GEOFF MEYER By PLOMION, FRANCE, APR. 2 r, arl Nunn had the ride of his life . . ,at the French 125cc Motocross Grand Prix at Plomion. The 21-yearold rider from England raced to I-I results on the tricky track, and it was a performance that caught the eye of many. The Yamaha-mounted rider more than impressed former World Champions Dave Thorpe, Graham Noyce, Alex Puzar and Trampas Parker with the ride. "Nobody could have beaten Carl today," Parker, a two-time World Motocross Champion said. "If I said I could've beaten him, I would be not be honest. He was just awesome today." Parker finished in third place in the first moto and claimed fifth overall. It was his best showing in a few years and was a much-needed confidence booster. Thorpe and Noyce, two of England's greatest motocross riders, had similar thoughts about the young talent. Both were sure his victory was not a fluke. "He was just in a league of his own," Thorpe said. "He's got a lot of talent, no doubt about it. I was very impressed that he did it for two motos; he will be tough to beat in coming weeks." Noyce, who had helped Nunn with his preparation for France, was quick 28 APRIL 19. 2000' eye I e to give his fellow Brit some heavy props. "You don't see many performances like that," Noyce said. "He just dominated, nobody could touch him today. He's had some concentration problems [in the past], so I hope I have helped him with that. He's loaded with talent and today he used it." Puzar, who finished third overall in France, likened Nunn's performance to that of the older-day riders. "Today was real motocross," Puzar said. "You had to really ride hard. Nunn got great starts and rode this track perfect. This was not an easy track and, once he got into the lead, he was gone - very impressive." Nunn, who had ridden just average in the opening round of the World 125cc Championship just a week earlier in Spain, looked like he has turned the corner in his career after dominating on the rough and muddy French track. Still, can he keep this sort of pace and become England's first ever World 125cc Motocross Champion? "I knew if I could get a good start I could win," Nunn said. "I've been messing my starts up, and today I just rocketed out of the gate. My confidence is so high at the moment, I feel I can now get some' momentum going and do this again." While Nunn's performance was impressive, he is still in fifth place in the World Championship points race. n e _ s points ahead of him, that did nothing to make Dobb feel any better. "I was sick in Spain and feel better now," Dobb said. "I just was chasing guys down all day. I wanted to follow up on the first round results, but it just did not happen." The first moto in France pretty much set up the day for Nunn, yet it was 15-year-old Billy McKenzie, a teammate of Nunn, who produced a huge surprise. Coming into the first lap of the opening moto, it was Nunn, Langston and the Brit McKenzie. McKenzie was not about to sit back and just enjoy third place. "Langston made a mistake and I got past," McKenzie said. "I saw Carl up ahead and tried to push to get to him. I felt really good, as though I belonged in second place in a Grand Prix, but I made a mistake and lost some places." McKenzie eventually dropped back to 25th place by moto's end, yet his early showing was enough to prove his time in World Motocross racing will come. Langston, now over a midrace concentration lapse, was soon into second place and feeling good about his position. The South African, who had led both races in the opening round in Spain, was this time making consistency his ploy. "I just wanted to get around without crashing," Langston said. "I crashed twice in Spain. I don't want to throwaway too many points doing that." As for Nunn, he got over some midrace nerves, then sailed to a convincing victory. "I had some concentration prob- Right now, that race is being waged between two KTM riders, Grant Langston and Jamie Dobb. Even though Dobb won the opening round of the championship in Bellpuig, Spain, it is Langston who leads the championship. The 18-year-old South African is on fire at present; producing consistent results that have lems again, "Nunn said. "Once over him three points ahead of Dobb after that, though, I just set about keeping two rounds. a good distance between myself and "I feel I'm the most consistent, 'so Langston. That worked out okay and I far," Langston said. "To be leading got the win." the championship, that's what it's all Langston .. a good second - held about. I led both motos in Spain but off a strong-charging Trampas Parkcrashed twice; here in France, I might er, Thomas Traversini and Dobb. not have led, but I scored really good Mike Brown had fought back from points, that's the trick." near last to finish in 10th place, while Langston, like Nunn, suffered concentration problems in Spain, yet in round two he was mister reliable. "I had a little trouble in the first moto with my concentration," Langston said. "Overall, though, I was okay; I got through it and kept the bike in one line, that was important." As for Dobb, his heroic performance in the opening round was quickly forgotten, as he trailed with 5-4 results in Plomion. It was not a bad performance, yet in the real world, he lost big time to the younger brigade. Nunn's face told it all as the press converged on him. Suddenly, Nunn was the man and despite the fact Opening-round winner, James Dobb, was only that Dobb was still some nine so-so in France, going 4-5 for fourth overall.