WORW MOTOCROSS
CHAMP N H
IO S IPOPENER
Geboers Top Mudder-Trucker at Spanish GP
By T erry Pratt
Photos by Vo leny Howard
BARCELONA, SPAIN , April 9, 19 72Suzuki demonstrated determination to
reta in the 250cc Motocross Worl d
Champ io nsh ip here today as factory
rider Sylvain Geboers won the Grand
Prix of Spain to inaugurate the 1972
Grand Prix season.
After two sunny days of practice on
a dry, dusty track, race day dawned
dark and rainy. A steady downpour
soaked the course and rivers of orange
mud gouged paths down the many steep
hills.
Then the supporting races were
finished the co urse was a mire with
water standing ankle-deep in many
places on the track.
After the first few seconds of each
race goggles were usel ess and m any
retire ments were d ue to the riders being
hit in the eyes with mud.
Reigning World Champion and
winner of last year's Spanish Grand Prix
J oe Rob ert was injured in a first- lap
crash that put him ou t for the day but it
is no t know n if h is inj ury will affect h is
pe rformance in defending his ti tle
d uring the balance of t he season.
Robert wo n the first of two
40·minute motos wi th Geboers fin ish in g
a close second after working his way up
fro m seventh place.
Joel led t he first heat from wire to
wire and a eared to b e in co mplete
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Gast;" Rahier is already out front w it h Sy lvar;;""Geb oers visible on the left.
contro l of the race although he wa s
.pressured in the ear ly laps b y tw o
Russia n rid ers on co bby-Ioo king CZ
fac to ry bikes, and by Gebo ers w ho cu t
J oel's lead down to seven seconds in the
final lap s.
The Russian s, Guennady Moseev and
Pavel Rul ev, j umped into sec ond and
third spo ts an d bad gered Rob ert aro un d
th e we t an d slo pp y track for th e firs t
h alf of the rac e.
O Ue Pe tersson was in fo urt h p lace
introducing the p roto ty pe Kawasaki to
Grand Prix competition.
Behind OUe came th e two Hu skies of
Gaston Rab ier and Uno Palm. Rahi er
rode fo r CZ in last year's Trans-AMA
series . but this season the Belgian has a
contract wi th H
varna.
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III
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Facto ry mechanics fool with Sylvain's bike .
en
Rulex dropped back and Geboers
charged past Moiseev into second place
behind Joel. OUe Petersson feU back to
twelfth place and Uno Palm unloaded
briefly while another of th e Russian CZ
rid ers, Alexei Kib irn e, wo rked up to
fifth position behind Gaston R abi er.
So the Suzuki team made a 1-2 swe ep
of th e fir st moto but their p lan s for a
repeat in the second h eat were das h ed
on the first lap.
When t h e st arting barrier dropped
Gaston Rah ier got th e jump and led
Geboers , Uno Palm an d Robert into the
first tum .
Robert swep t aro u nd Palm first and
t he n Ge b oers on th e b ack sid e of t he
co urse . Bu t just as h e d rew near to the
leadin g H usky rid er , Gas ton h it a hay
b ale that had b een m ove d between races
and b o th men crashed in the mud. Joel
go t up in a rage and a ft er a h eated
exchange he rode slowly to th e pits
using his left han d o n the t hro ttl e.
Ro be r t took a tr ip to the hosp it al b ut
me mbers of his pit crew said he would
race next week in France.
Wh en the leader came into sight on
the seco nd lap it was Sy lvain Geboers
by a mile followed by Uno Pa lm o n a
new supertight Husky.
Third place was held do wn b y the ,
Sp an ish National Champion Jorge
Capapey on a Bultaco and fourth was
Engl ishman Jimmy Aird and h is Husky.
Next came two wild R ussi ans ,
Vladimir Kavinov and Alexei Kibirine
who blasted past Capapey on th e next
time around.
After a few laps the race settled in t o
a pattern and it became a battle of
endurance to last out the re maining
minut es in the slick puddles an d
blinding mud.
Geboers was way out in front an d in
second place Uno Palm was de fending
agai nst Kibirine on the CZ . Rabier h ad
p icke d h ims elf up and now lay in fo urth
place .
Wh en the clo ck fin ally ran o u t in the
sea son's first G.P. o nly eigh t machines
w er e still t hrashing through the mire.
But th e day had been charged w ith high
t en sio n racing and drama.
Suzu ki is st ill on top with the b est
riders and machines. But Hu sky bas new
mo torcycles t hat will be co mp eti tive
an d C Z has Russian riders who ar e as
t ough as they co me.
Ka was ak i h as shown that it can run in
fast co mpany and we haven't even see n
th e Yamaha team or an y of the
Americans. It 's go ing to be! an exci t in g
summer over here.
RESULTS
OVERALL
Sylva in Geboers
A lexei K lb ir lne
Gaston Rah ler
Uno Palm
Marcel Wiert z
Erling Klinke
Ole Ott oson
s ue
ez
HU5
Belg ium
USSR
Belgium
Hus
Sweden
ez
Den mark
Sui
H U5
Belgium
Denma rk
