Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

But Co pp ins ' glory up front did n' t last fo r long , as Pichon rod e around him in the back sec tion of the tr ack and took over th e le ad by th e end of t h e f irs t lap . Masch i o a lso go t by Coppin s, w h il e Dema ria settled into fou rt h pl ac e. Pichon wa s o n t he g as thi s m oto a n d w as q u i ck to m a k e u p fo r h i s first -m oto screw -up . T he Suzu k i rid er had pulled out a four -sec ond le ad by th e th ird lap Ma s c hi o , C o op er and Dema ria m ixed it u p fo r a wh il e, and beh ind th em wa s anot he r fi g h ti ng grou p of r ide rs : Cop p i ns , B oll ey , D ug m ore , K ov al ain en , Fed eri ci and Bei rer. A s th e m ot o lengthen ed , so d id t he clouds in th e s k y . It w asn ' t l o n g befo re t h e r a indrop s ag ain st a rt ed falling , and Bo ll ey dec ided it was time to m ak e h is b ig pu sh to the fr ont. The number -one p la te hold er fo ug ht h is w a y up t o th e fr o nt and s oo n h ad m oto lea de r, Pic hon , in hi s sig ht . Bo l l ey w a s o n fire as h e r od e aroun d Pich on . By the m idw ay poin t it was rai n ing harder and Bolley had opene d up h is lead o n Pic ho n to fou r seconds . A fter a few more laps, Bo lley sud de nly we nt down and droppe d to fo u r t h, h an di n g the lead b ac k to a reliev ed Pich on . At thi s point, Coope r held second and Dema ria third. The rain fe ll harder an d hard er . Bolley m oved into third w hen Cooper slipped out and c ra shed . Bolley now set his sights on Dem ar ia , but had a hard time see i ng th e Yamaha rid er because he had tossed hi s goggles. Pichon wen t on to win t he second moto , whil e D emari a t o ok s econd and Cooper third . Maschio was running fi ft h and was in a position to take t he o ve rall victo ry, but he crashed lat e in th e race and saw his victo ry get w ashed a w ay . D emar ia 's 4 -2 wo uld be good enoug h to take the ove ra ll by j ust one poi nt over seven th -p lace Ma schio. "I think t hat nobody beli ev ed t hat I co uld wi n a GP," Demaria said . "And , of co urse, I' m rea ll y happy eve n if I had som e l uck th is we ek end in these difficult co nditi ons . Ev ery one d id m is tak es t oday ; m ay be I did less th an th e othe r rid er s. " I hope t ha t this win wil l help us, as we need to have th e full support of Ya ma ha to fig ht w it h t he other factory tea ms . Since t he b eg i nn in g of t h e season, I was co mpla ining about the bike and t he parts; I t h in k th at no w everyone will listen to m e more ca re fully , as I proved I'm st ill able to win ra ces" Maschio said afterwards, "I m ad e two m istakes in t his sec o nd race, and I lost t he GP . I'm , o f c ourse, di sappoi nted. The track was really difficult wi th th e sho we r : the re we r e so me de ep lin es, and I mad e a m ista k e in o n e of th em . Bu t I'm happy to see t h at I h av e no more p r ob le ms with my finger; I had no ph y sica l problems this week end , and I hop e to w in one GP soon" " I wa s ex pe cti ng a dou ble wi n today." Bolley said . " I' m reall y disap po inte d a s I t oo k o n ly a fifth and a third p lace. In th e fir st rno to, I di d my bes t af ter the crash at th e start wi t h local ri ders, and in the second I m ad e a mistake o n the slippery track wh il e I was in th e lead. Even if I was fourth after this crash , I co uld w in t he m ot o if I d idn 't have a problem with a bro k en Roll -Off. Withou t gogg les it was impossib l e to f oll o w an yone , so I co uld n't ca tc h D em aria" Pichon said wh en all was said and d one : " In th e f irs t heat , I hi t a po st and crashed heavily wh ile I was sec ond . I had no front brake and had big prob lems with m y front wheel , so I c o u ld n' t j ump an d I d id n 't want t o take any risks . " I n t he seco nd m o t o , " Pi ch o n a dde d. " Bo lle y p asse d m e an d I couldn 't go fast er, as I had pro blems to breathe. I was never in good shape since m y arri val in B r azil , a nd I' m h ap py t o loo se o n ly th r ee po i n ts , espe cially after my bad fir st heat. " e N Brazilian &P BelaHari.a nte, Brazil Results: July 17, 2000 (Round 11 0' 161 MOTO 1: 1. Mickael Maschio (Yam): 2. Claudio Federic i ( Yam) ; 3 . Josh Copp in s (S uz); 4 . Yves Dema ria (Yam): 5 . Frederic Bolley ( Han) ; 6 . Paul Coo per ( Hus): 7 . Pit Be it e r (Kaw); 8 . Peter lve n ( Kaw); 9. Danny Theybers (KTM) ; 10 . Alex Zanni (Yam); 11. Vehvilainen; 12 . Alex Belometti ( Kaw); 13. Mickael Pichon (Suz) ; 14. Gordon Crockard; 15. Serge Guidetty (Han). M OTO 2 : I . Mickae l Pic hon (Suz ) ; 2 . Yve s Dema ria (Yarn ) : 3 . Fr ederic Belley ( Han ); 4 . Paul Cooper (Hus); 5. Gordon Crockard: 6 . Josh Coppins (Suz); 7. Mickael Maschio (Yam) ; B. Cla udio Federici (Yam); 9 . Peter l ven ( Kaw) ; 10 . Da nny They bers (KTM) ; 1 1. Alex Belometti (Kaw ) ; 12. Vehvilainen; 13. Ma rko Kovalainen ( Hon ); 14 . Serge Guidetty (Han); 15. Callin Dugmare (KTM) . Q/A : 1. Yves Demaria (Yam) ; 2. Mickael Maschia (Yam ); 3 . Frede ric Belley (Han) ; 4 . Josh Coppi ns (Suz): 5. Claudio Federici (Yam ): 6. Mickael Pichon (Suz): 7. Paul Cooper (Hus); 8. Peter lven (Kaw) ; 9. Gordon Crockard; 10. Danny Theybers (KTM) . FIM WO RLD CHA MPIONSHIP 2 50« MX SERI ES ( After t 1 of 16 rounds): 1. Mickael Pichon (317/3 wins): 2 . Frederic Bolley (296 / 4 wins) ; 3. Pit Bel ter (23 0) ; 4 . Josh Coppins (2 15); 5 . Claudio Federici (2 05/1 win } : 6 . Paul Coo per ( 16 3); 7. Gord on Crockard ( 158/1 win); 8. Yves Demaria ( 149/1 win) ; g. Mickael Ma schio ( 119) ; 10. Danny Theybers (9 1). (Abovel The pack heads Into the Belo Horizante fi rst tum, with Josh Coppins (71 leading Paul Cooper (18 1, M ickael Pichon (151, Serge Guid etty (3 11, Alessandro zanni (251, Gordon Crocka rd (13 1 an d th e rest of the pack . (Leftl Sh own here w it ho ut go ggle s, M lc kae l Pic hon saw his points le ad dim inish again, as a crash held him to 13th in m oto one. The Frenchman came back to w in m a to two. (Rightl M ic kae l Masch lo sc ored the moto-one vict ory a nd fin ished second overall. (Be lowl Defending ch am pi on Frederic Bolley (1 1, shown he re chasing Serge Gu idetty (3 11 and Alessandro Belometti (10 1, fi nishe d th ird overall and moved to within 21 po ints of co untryman Mickael Pic hon. cue I e n e _ S • A UGUS T 2 , 2000 43

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