Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

500cc MX Series: Round 9 MOTOCROSS ~ Liles keeps rising with Dutch GPwin ~ By Alex Hodgkinson VALKENSWAARD,HOLLAND,JULYI9 coring his second GP win in 15 days, American Billy Liles moved into second place in the World Championship 500cc MX Series point standings and reduced his deficit on series leader Georges Jobe to 38 points with just three rounds and, more importantly, nine motos remaining. The Georgian clinched the overall on the day with come-from-behind rides on his Honda in the first two motos, but he had to settle for second to the defending champion, Jobe, the last time out after suffering from cramps in his chest when track and atmospheric condihons turned the three moto, 20-minute-plustwo-lap Dutch GP into a test of endurance as well as speed. Torrential rain on Friday, after weeks of fine weather meant that the track became more demanding than ever, while oaring temperatures and high humidity made breathing so difficult that only 34 riders even started the final moto. Title candidates Liles, Jobe and Brit Kurt Nicoll shared the top three placings overall for the third time in nine GPs, even though the Belgian had faced a difficult ride in race one when his Honda became difficult to restart after stalling. Nicoll suffered poor starts all day and paid the price for a less aggressive approach than Liles, finding the leaders gone each time before he could emerge out of the pack. KTM's main man, Nicoll also alleged he was the victim of blocking tactics by Jobe's fellow countryman Gerard Delepine. As usual in the Benelux sand, the placings were dominated by Belgians, who took five of the top eight placings. Stefan Larsson holeshot the first race, only to be passed by Jobe at the back of the circuit and lose second to Liles and Joel Smets on the next lap, but the Swede was back in third place before the end of the lap, as Jobe, with Liles already in hi wheeltracks, stalled. Restarting a hot motor was not easy on such a day, and the champion kicked more than 20 times before the works Honda fired; he restarted 19th and faced a hard remainder of the moto. Up front, Liles and Smets seemed to have escaped at one time, with Nicoll 10 seconds back in third. But he astonishingly closed the gap by the 20-minute mark. "If only I had got a better start I might've been able to challenge, but I had to put a lot of effort into catching up. I got alongside Joel at one time a couple of laps from th.e end, but not quite past," said Nicoll. "At least I have my speed back again." Smets had closed right up on Liles at midrace, but the American was always in charge: "1 was in front and just had to concentrate on my lines:" Larsson maintained fourth despite riding the last two laps with a broken pipe, and was fortunate not to be noisetested, while Jobe's last pass was over the tabletop on Englishman Jeremy Whatley, 10 minutes from the end. The Netherlands' Carlo Hulsen, who was the day's fastest qualifier, was a bitter disappointment for the Dutch crowd, S as he was n~ver able to rise out of the pack, but another homecountry favorite KeeS Van der Ven just broke the top 10 as best Dutchman after early front-runner Hans Koenen dropped back to 14th. There was once again no stopping Liles in race two. Down in eighth place on lap one behind Nicoll, as Jobe took the lead, Liles needed just five laps to move into second place and within two laps had pulled back Jobe as well. At the 20minute mark, Liles stormed past for the win. "1 was much faster than anyone else through the wide part of the track after the start, and had no difficulty moving up," said Liles. "Once in front I just held my lines again and was in control." Jobe admitted defeat: "1 knew Billy was faster there but I couldn't hold him off. I'm happy with second. I had a hard first race and needed to save some energy for the third race in this hea t." Nicoll completed the top three, but was furious. "Delepine blocked me on purpose for two laps. The man is a (expletive). By the time I got past him I had no chance of chasing the leaders." After a brief tussle, Nicoll did however pass Geukens for third on the same lap Liles took the lead. Nilsson also had problems with Delepine, who eventually faded badly in the closing laps to finish 14th. Jobe quickly moved into the lead at the start of the third and final moto, while Liles used up three laps before moving into second. The deficit on Jobe was five seconds and the American gradually closed in, but with five laps to go he was in trouble. "1 started to feel tight in my chest at half distance and it just kept getting worse. I thought I could still have won if I could keep it a mild cramp, but five laps from the end I could hardly breathe and just concentrated on keeping clear of (Ronny) Weustenraed. He got close with a lap to go but fortunately this is not an easy track to pass (on.)" Nicoll had paid the penalty for his worst start of the day, and for being intimidated by Delepine. "We've got the KTM starting well on hard tracks, but I struggle to get out of the gate on soft and," said Nicoll after climbing just three places from a first-lap eighth, through a strung-out pack. OJ Billy Liles scored the overall win with 1-1-2 moto finishes and moved himself closer to points leader Geotges jobe, with only three events remaining in the series. jobe managed to salvage second overall, despite finishing seventh in the first moto. Results: TIMED PRACTICE: 1. Carlo Hulsen 2 min. 20:92 sec.; 2. Bill Liles (2:21:56); 3. Ronny Weuslenraed (2:22:22); 4. Georges Jobe (2:22:29); 5. Kurt Nicoll (2:22:38); 6. Joel Smets (2:22:92); 7. ]ohan Boomen (2:23:84); 8. Rudi van Leeuwen (2:24:03); 9. Jo Martens (2:24:31); 10. Dirk Geukens (2:24:44); 11. Jeremy Whatley (2:24:56); 12. Jargen Nilsson (2:24:71); 13. Steffan Llrsson (2:25:02); 14. Kees van der Ven (2:25:30); 15. Gerald Delepine (2:25:33); 16. Darryl King (2:25:64); 17. Jorgen Gustafsson (2:25:67); 18. Mervyn Anstie (2:25:86); 19. Mauro Moretto (2:26:07); 20. David Thorpe (2:26:16); 21. Stuart Coyle (2:26:18); 22. Karl Sulzer (2:26:35); 23. Bjorn Jonsson (2:26:36); 24. Jason Riggs (2:26:40); 25. Jeroen Roijakkers (2:26:44); 26. Jean-eharles Tonus (2:26:46); 27. Soren Mortensen (2:26:60); 28. Hans Berendsen (2:26:87); 29. Eric Delannoy (2:26:89); 30. Brian Wheeler (2:27:01); 31. David Wijnants (2:27:49); 32. Franco Rossi (2:27:51); 33. Jaakko Eckert (2:27:52); 34. Tony Andersson (2:27:60); 35. Hans Koenen (2:27:65); 36. Jared Smith (2:27:73); 37. Warren Edwards (2:27:75); 38. Peter Herlings (2:28:08); 39. Thomas Kneip (2:28:16); 40. Patrik Hoglund (2:28:22); 41. James Marsh (2:28:38); 42. Mario Vicenzi (2:28:54); 43. Ton van de Voorn (2:28:81); 44. Marc Velkeneers (2:28:82); 45. Llurent Brevers (2:28:84); 46. Gunnar Dahle (2:28:87); 47. Bruno Salina (2:28:96); 48. (TIE) Bruno Faussone/Gerard van den Brink (2:29:32); 50. Fred van Loon (2:29:75); 51. William Wopken (2:29:95); 52. Giovanni Cavatorta/Jacky Martens (2:30:29); 54. Ralf Plait (2:30:69); 55. Petr Kovar (2.:30:98); 56. Mark Broadbelt (2:31:28); 57. Diddier Cresson (2:32:55); 58. Torster Schmid (2:33:48); 59. Llrs Sorensen (2:36:17); 60. Jens Nielsen (2:36:34); 61. Howard Standfield (2:36:95); 62. P. Papadonikolakis (3:19:41). MOTO 1: 1. Liles; 2. Smets; 2. Nicoll; 4. Llrsson; 5. Martens; 6. Geukens; 7. Jobe; 8. Whatley; 9. Boonen; 10. Van der Ven; 11. Weustenraed; 12. Nilsson; 13. Hulsen; 14. Koenen; 15. Anslie; 16. Thorpe; 17. Mortensen; 18. Sulzer; 19. Roijakkers; 20. Leeuwen; 21. Delepine; 22. Eckert; 23. Berendsen; 24. King; 25. Andersson; 26. DeJannoy; 27. Jonsson; 28. Faussone. MOTO 2: 1. Liles; 2. Jobe; 3'. Nicoll; 4. Geukens; 5. Nilsson; 6. Boonen; 7. Smets; 8. Martens; 9. Hulsen; 10. Anstie; 11. Leeuwen; 12. Weustenraed; 13. Whatley; 14. Delepine; 15. Mortensen; 16. Roijakkers; 17. Wijnanls; 18. van der Ven; 19. Tonus; 20. Moretto; 21. Salina; 22. Hoglund; 23. Eckert; 24. M~h; 25. King; 26. Kneip; 27. Andersson. MOTO 3: L Jobe; 2. illes; 3. Weustenraed; 4. Smets; 5. Nicoll; 6. Nilsson; 7. Hulsen; 8. Geukens; 9. DeJepine; 10. Leeuwen; 11. Martens; U. Wijnants; 13. Sulzer; 14. Higgs; 15. Anstie; 16. Rossi; 17. Gustafsson; 18. Roijakkers; 19. Wheeler; 20. Faussone; 21. Tonus; 22. Knei p; 23. Marsh. O/A: 1. Billy Liles (Hon); 2. Georges Jobe (Hon); 3. Kurt Nicoll (KTM); 4. Joel Smets (Hon); 5. Dirk Geukens (Hon); 6. Jorgen Nilsson (Hon); 7. Ronny Weustenraed (Kaw); 8. Jo Martens (Hon); 9. Carlo Hulsen (Hon); 10. Johan Boonen (Kaw); 11. Stefan Larsson (Kaw); 12. Jeremy Whatley (Hon); 13. Rudi van Leeuwen (Hon); 14. Gerald DeJepine (Hon); 15. Mervyn Anstie (Hon); 16. Kees van der Ven (Hon); 17. David W~nants (Hon); 18. Karl Sulzer (Hon); 19. Jason Higgs (Kaw); 20. Hans Koenen (Hon); 21. Soren Mortensen (Kaw). WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SOOcc MX SERIES POINT STANDINGS: I. George lobe (418); 2. Billy Liles (380); 3. Kurt Nicoll (373); 4. Joel Smets (216); 5. Franco Rossi (198); 6. Johan Boonen (192); 7. Jeremy Whatley (184); 8. Jorgen Nilsson (170); 9. Dirk Geukens (155); 10. Marcus Hansson (124). 23

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