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/128638
FIM World Championship Supercross Series Round 1 : Stad de France Looking David Vuillemin lapped fourth place in the main event at round one of the two-round Wortd Supercross Series. He is clearty looking forward to perfonning well when the AMAlEA Sports Supercross Series kicks off in January. the 1998 and ' 9 9 Stad de F ranc e events had been muddy affairs. Still , with Vuillem in having won both those race s, it was little surprise that he was the qu ickest rid er to qualify on a s lig h t ly damp c ircuit. V uille m in clocked a time of 1.03.00 around the Am e r ic an -st yl e track, while Mike La Rocco was next-best with a 1.03.05 , fo llowed by McGrath with a time o f 1.04 .50, Grant Langston at 1.04 .57, and MiCkael Pichon showing that his Su p erc ro ss skills have not declined with a 1.05.04 time. HEATS The first qualification heat saw an easy win for Vuillemin , as he jumped out of the start and led all the way to the finish line. Second was laRocco, with Greg Albertyn in th ird place. Jeremy McGra th won the second qualification heat ahead of New Zea land's Josh Coppins and French Supercross hero Theirry Bethys . Pichon led home a slow-starting Langston for the third heat win , while Rod rig Th ain was third. think you can tak e this win and put it out of what it is; the European Super cross season is just some fun for th e Americans , so I'm not about t o g et too exci t ed about winning tonight." B y GEOFF MEYER PH OTOS BY S T EVE B RUHN PARIS, FRANCE, OCT. 20, 2000 n front of 45,000 of his horn-blow in g countrymen , David Vuillemin produce d a dom inating perfo rmance i n th i s se ri es ' o pe n in g round . Th e defendi ng champion raced to a con vi ncing wi n , and prov ed th at he will b e a se ri ous c o n t e n d e r w h e n t h e AMAl EA Sp ort s Supercross Serie s be g in s o n Ja n u a r y 6. F r om t h e m oment the riders at tack ed the tech nical Stad de France trac k , Vuill em in was in a cl ass of his own, qu alify ing a c oupl e of second s ahea d of his riv al s (incl ud ing AMA Supercross Champi o n J erem y McG rat h ) , then w in n ing h is he at ra c e , se m i - f in a l , and the fina l. Vuillemin is w ithout doubt the man of the moment, and though he w ill take a short holiday after th e Bercy Supercross, he will no doubt be prepared when the 2001 AMA Superc ross Ser ies gets under way in Ca li fo rn ia in early January. " It's great t o win in Paris ," Vu illemin said . "I wa nt to take som e tim e off ; my p lan was not to do th e c o m plete Wo rld Supercross Champi o nsh ip . I want to rest a little and th en get re ady for 2001 in USA . I don 't I 14 NOVEM BER 8 ,2000' c u e I ... n e 'ftI' s After some heavy rain o n the Fri da y , rac e day proved to be a little dif ferent tha n the previous two years, as Jeremy McGrath (center) showed plenty of speed, but a first-lap tangle w ith Mickael Pichon led to his earty retirement from the race.