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o eon • top In ranee By Alex Hodgkinson CUSSAC, FRANCE, JULY 12 eorges Jobe, the defending 500cc MX World Champion from Belgium, took a deCisive step towards a fifth title when he scored the 31 st win of his 14-year career to move into a 40-point lead in the series point standings with just four rounds remaining. ~ Although he had to share the moto wins with American Billy Liles and Italian Franco Rossi, Jobe was the complete master of an ever-changing Cussac track, which was still tacky from overnight rain during the opening moto, then became a little dusty by the third and final race. The near-perfect conditions' provided close racing all day, especially in the two motos in which Liles nipped Jobe over the finish line. Despite problems that forced Liles to race two motos without goggles, he restricted his losses to Jobe on the day to five points and has now moved to within nine of runner-up in the series, Englishman Kurt Nicoll, whose hopes of a championship title were severely dented at the French GP.. Although finishing in the top three twice in the first two motos, Nicoll struggled to match the pace of Jobe, and an ignition failure in race three cost him 13 valuable points. Despite his moto win, Rossi is coming under increasing pressure for fourth in the championship point standings by Brit Jeremy Whatley, who is firmly established as the fifth member of the leading group and secured third overall in France via a trio of fourth-place finishes. In the first moto, German Sie£ried Bauer grabbed the holeshot, but both Nicoll and Jobe forced their way past in the first sweeping turn. Nicoll could not hold back his rival, Jobe. "I was simply not riding well and settled for a safe second early in the race," said Nicoll. Jobe, on the other hand, was confident. "It was a case today of making good starts and then concentrating on your lines," Jobe said. Three-time champ Thorpe was soon third with Whatley and Liles dose behind, their struggle ending up being the highlight of the race. Finally losing his third place in the last three laps, Thorpe- was content with his score. "I've got to get back into the rhythm of racing after all of my problems," said Thorpe. "It was difficult for them to pass if I stayed on the line and I tried to be fair. When they (Whatley and Liles) were both behind me! I didn't know which of G Georges Jobe (1) stretched out his series points lead over Kurt Nicoll at the French GP with 1-2-2 moto finishes. them was trying to pass and it was particularly important that I didn't get in Billy's way, oecause he's fighting for the title. I could've been a little harder once he was past, but I don't think Jeremy can have any complaints. I hope not because we're on the same plane home!" Whatley, the British Champion, did not mind. '''We touched a few times but that was okay," said Whatley. "I got David on the next-to-Iast lap, but then I missed a gear and had to pass him again." Liles had a vision problem throughout the race. "I broke my goggles on the first lap and had to put the RollOffs behind my helmet. I think I could've gone faster, but I had to be careful with my lines to avoid getting (my eyes) roosted by dirt." There were more Englishmen behind. Brian Wheeler was sixth despite problems with the hand he hurt one week earlier. Mervyn Anstie was a close seventh, while Dirk Geukens was the second best Belgian after a typically strong ride through the pack. Johan Boonen was the third-best Belgian despite colliding with two riders at the start, while San Marino's Mauro Moretto and Italy's ~runo Salina also hit the ground in a separate incident within 50 yards off the start. "Rossi pulled across me straight out of the gate," complained Jobe of the start of the second moto. "I had to spend the first. lap passing as many' people as possible before they settled." While Rossi led, Jobe had worked well and passed closest rival Nicoll near the end of the first lap to claim fourth behind Liles and Whatley. For 10 minutes, Rossi raced clear but one small mistake dropped him to fifth. The Italian looped out and, although he remounted directly behind Jobe, he could not increase his pace again and finished a distant fifth. Jobe had already been repassed by Nicoll. Jobe said, "The track had dried out considerably, and I was too busy studying the new lines to find a way past Whatley." With Liles drawing gradually clear, Nicoll could not find a way past Whatley. But in the end it was Jobe making aIr of the moves. At the 20-minute mark, Jobe dove inside Nicoll at the bottom of a downhill, then within a lap he was second after forcing his way under Whatley. Liles' lead seemed secure but with two laps to go he was anxi~usly looking behind. "My rear brake faded badly near the end," said Liles. In a terrific chase, Jobe just failed to catch the American before admitting defeat at the second-to-Iast turn and coasting across the line. There was a change of positions on the last lap, as Nicoll finally passed Whatley, but it was too late to advance any further. Thorpe had been sixth initially, but had to relax his pace at half distance and dropped to 10th. A deserved sixth went to Boonen w.ho had charged from 18th on lap one to pass Mervyn Anstie in the closing stages. The final order was Liles first, followed by Jobe, Nicoll, Whatley and Rossi. With dust rising over the ever-drying track, J obe took command, once again, from the start of race three with Rossi, Liles, Nicoll and Whatley quickly past the quick-starting Warren Edwards, of Great Britain, and Anstie. No one could catch Jobe for 25 minutes plus half a lap, but then the champion made a rare and uncharacteristic mistake. "I changed my line on one corner for.a couple of laps after it seemed quicker than my original line," said Jobe. "Then I decided to change back for the last two laps and in a momentary lapse of concentration I went over the bars. I actually got up before Rossi came past, but I had not heen able to grab the dutch lever because of the handlebar protectors and I lost more time restarting." So Rossi, unfortunate earlier in the day, took a consolation win. Liles was third on the first lap, but was unable to mount a major challenge. Said Liles, "A rock hit my goggles on the second lap and I could see nothing with my right eye. I thought the lens had been broken and I threw the goggles away, but I still couldn't see. The impact had pushed the lens into my eye. I qecided to "Settle for third, but when Georges got up right in front of me, I went for him on the last lap. Would you believe it, another rock smacked me in the left eye three-quarters of the way round the lap! I really didn't think I was going to make the final hill; I rode slowly to the finish more from memory than anything else." Nicoll had suffered a blow to his title hopes. Frustr"'ted with his riding all weekend, he was holding fourth until his engine just stopped on a hill due to an ignition failure. That handed fourth and third overall to the consistent Whatley, while Anstie had his third good ride for fifth, just holding off a charging Smets at the finish, making the top five finishing order Rossi, Jobe, Liles, Whatley and Anstie. CN Results TIMED PRACTICE: 1. Billy Liles (Han) 2 min., 20.16 sec.; 2. Georges Jobe (Han) 2:20.27; 3. Franco Rossi (KTM) 2:20.29; 4. Kurt Nicoll (KTM) 2:20.36; 5. Jeremy Whalley (Han) 2:20.71; 6. Karl Sulzer (Hon) 2:21.77; 7. Ronny Weustenraed (Kaw) 2:22.45; 8. Warren Edwards (Han) 2:22.60; 9. David Thorpe (Han) 2:22.66; 10. Jo Martens (Han) 2:22.96; II. Jacky Martens (Hus) 2:23.03; 12. Siefried Bauer (Kaw) 2:23.07; 13. Olivier Perrin (Kaw) 2:23.14; 14. Mervyn Anstie (Han) 2:23.22; 15. Rudi Van Leevwen (Han) 2:23.23; 16. Joban Boonen (Kaw) 2:23.37; 17. Dirk Geukens (Hon) 2:23.15; 18. Stefan Larsson (Kaw) 2:23.62; 19. Mario Vicenzi (Kaw) 2:23.63; 20. Brian Wheeler (KTM) 2:23.69; 21. Jorgen Nilsson (Han) 2:23.74; 22. $oren Mortensen (Kaw) 2:23.90; 23. Joel Smets (Han) 2:24.12; 24. Darryll Norton-King (Kaw) 2:24.16; 25. Carlo Hulsen (HOn) 2:24.40; 26. Laurent Brevers (Han) 2:24.53; 27. Jason Higgs (Kaw) 2:24.62; 28. Christian Virnnd (Han) 2:24.67; 29. Viesturs Gaushis (Kaw) 2:24.71; 30. Mauro Moretto (Han) 2:24.77; 31. Pert Kovar (Kaw) 2:24.84; 32. Amost Zemen (Kaw) 2:24.89; 33. Eric Delannoy (Han) 2:25.03; 34. Thomas Kneip (Kaw) 2:25.07; 35. Jorgen Gustavsson (Kaw) 2:25.08; 36. Ralf Piau (Han) 2:25.11; 37. Gerald Delepine (Han) 2:25.36; 38. Jean Charles Tonus (Han) 2:25.41; 39. Giovanni Cavatorta (Han) 2:25.91; 40. Regis Simon (Han) 2:26.03; 41. Bjorn Jonsson-Boned (Yam) 2:26.15; 42. Jan Mrazek (Kaw) 2:26.47; 43. Bruno Salina (Han) 2:26.49; 44. James Robert Marsch (Han) 2:26.58; 45. Christian Chaumard (Hus) 2:26.66; 46. Patrick Demaria (Han) 2:25.85; 47. Ervin Krajcovic (Han) 2:26.91; 48. David Wijnants (Han) 2:27.03; 49. Jaakko Eckert (Han) 2:27.17; 50. Maurice Golay (Kaw) 2:27.29; 51. Torsten Schmid (Han) 2:28.11; 52. Jeroen Roijakkers (KTM) 2:28.12; 53. Bruno Verheaghe (Yam) 2:28.26; 54. Tony Andersson (Han) 2:28.38; 55. William Wopken (Kaw) 2:29.72; 56. Fred Van Loon (KTM) 2:30.27; 57. Jens Nielsen (Han) 2:30.27; 58. Rene DeRoode (Han) 2:30.95; 59. Juri Stodulka (Han) 2:30.99; 60. Howard Stanfield (Han) 2:32.47. MOTO I: I. Jobe; 2. Nicoll; 3. Liles; 4. Whatley; 5. Thorpe; 6. Wheeler; 7. Anstie; 8. ~ukens; 9. Bauer; 10. Larsson; II. Boonen; 12. Nilsson; 13. Suher; 14. Perrin; 15. Jo Martens; 16. Huisen; 17. Salina; 18. Norton-King; 19. Tonus; 20. Smets; 21. Higgs; 22. Platt; 23. Gaushis; 24. Kovar; 25. Delannoy; 26. Gustavsson; 27. Virnond; 28. lemen. MOTO 2: I. Liles; 2. Jobe; 3. Nicoll; 4. Whalley; 5. Rossi; 6. Boonen; 7. Anstie; 8. Smets; 9. Jo Martens; 10. Thorpe; II. Sulzer; 12. Nilsson; 13. Weus~ed; 14. Geukens; 15. Van Leevwen; 16. Pernn; 17. Larsson; 18. Hulsen; 19. Moretto; 20. Delepine; 21. Tonus; 22. Norton-King; 23. Simon; 24. Edwards; 25. Gustavsson; 26. Platt; 27. Kovar; 28. Zemen. MOTO 3: I. Rossi; 2. Jobe; 3. Liles; 4. Whalley; 5. Anstie; 6. Smets; 7. Weustenraed; 8. Nilsson; 9. Sulzer; 10. Van Leevwen; II. Boonen; 12. Bauer; 13. Higgs; 14. Mortensen; 15. Norton-King; 16. Hulsen; 17. Brevers; 18. Kovar; 19. Simon; 20. Gaushis Viesturs; 21. Cavatorta; 22. Tonus; 23. Platt; 24. Delepine; 25. Delannoy. 0/A: I. Jobe; 2. Liles; 3. Whatley; 4. Nicoll; 5. Rossi; 6. Anstie; 7. Boonen; 8. Smets; 9. Thorpe; 10. Nilsson; II. Sulzer; 12. Weustenraed; 13. Bauer; 14. Geukens; 15. Wheeler; 16. Jo Martens; 17. Van Leevwen; 18. Larsson; 19. Higgs; 20. Mortensen; 21. Perrin; 22. Norton-King. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 500 SElUES POINT STANDINGS: I. George Jobe (372); 2. Kurt Nicoll (332); 3. Billy Liles (323); 4. Franco'Rossi (198); 5. Jeremy Whalley (181); 6. Joel Smets (177); 7. Johan Boonen (175); 8. Jorgen Nilsson (145); 9. Marcus Hansson (124); 10. Dirk Geukens (124). 27