Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

and the Husky thumper registered 492cc. As a result, Jobe lost his protest fee and the sympathy of many of his rivals. Georgia's Billy Liles finished the day in fourth overall, despitecompeting with a badly bruised left heel and two broken fingers on his left hand" In blistering temperatures which hovered around the l00-degree mark, the organizers had their hands full to keep the potential dust-menace in check At the riders'request, they watered the track prior to the support races that preceded the first two GP motos, and vision remained perfect throughout thos€ races. Nicoll was in the perfect place in race one as he grabbed the holeshot, with fellow KTM rider Franco Rossi and Jacky Martens in tow. Jobe gated poorly and was ouside the top l0 as ttre pack sormed up the hill after the first two turns, but the champion was already sixth after a lap, and needed only a couple more laps to dispose of fellow Belgians Rudi Van Leeuwen and Dirk Geukens. In front Nicoll had easily moved clear while Martens relentlessly pressured Rossi. Martens was even able to occa- sionally sneak past, only for the Italian to immediately retaliate in the following corner. Midway thrtough the moto, however, Rossi drop@ bacl. "[ was all over the place trying to keep Jacky back. It was time to back off before I aashed," said Rossi. During the week, Rossi hadbeen given orders by KTM to support Nicoll as much as possible, but he had no answer to the charging Jobe and made no att€mpt to block him unfairly. After 18 minutes, Jobe was in third place, and was closing all the time on Martens and Nicoll. Clearly in no mood to help his compa.triot, Martens raised his pace to keep Jobe at arm's length, but still made no impression on Nicoll. Jobe, a very close third as he began the final lap, coasted aqoss the line after finally accepting his position half a lap from home. A race-long battle for fifth evennrally lvent to Billy Liles. With identical track conditions in the second moto, Jobe made life hard for himself by crashing in the first turn. "It looked as though Georges lost it and wiped out Rossi," said Belgium's Johan Boonen, who was hinderedby the crash. "We all just piled into the back of them." Jobe needed an extremely snong ride after his first-tum crash, and he carne ttuough. Restarting last the champion was l5th after a lap, l0th the next time round, and fifth after only 12 minutes. He overtook Englishman Brian Wheeler on a long climb, to annex third at the halfway stage. The leaders were long gone by that point, however, and Jobe wisely backed off the ttuottle and saved his energy for ttre last race. Nicoll had quickly swept past Hans- son and seemed secure at the front, but Martens once apin refused to give up without a fighr "[t's so slippery and the fotir-snoke gets so much traction," said Nicoll. "You have to feed in the power really carefully today on a two-stroke and I could feel Jacky moving closer and closer as we c;lme out of the comers all race." Wheeler rodea sftongrac€ to maintain fourth to the tlag, with Liles taking fifth from Geukens on the last time around The third race was a disgrace, as blinding dust cut vision to a minimum. Track workers were alrcady out on the track with tankers when the order not to water Czrme from Jury president Amost Zmen. "Both Nicoll and Jobe said that we should not water when I consulted ,{hem," said Zemen. - There can be no question *rat the Czech, a fluent French speaker, had misunderstood the champion, but Nicoll disputed his involvement. "They came to ask me and I said that they should ask the riders at the back. I had been in front all day and was in no position to judge," said Nicoll. David Thorpe was furious: "I told them they should swamp iL" Siggi Bauer was last off ttre surt and pulled off alter two slow laps. "It was terrible. We . were actually stopped at times at the back of the track," said Bauer. English Jury delegate John Bussell said, "If they are going to ask the riders,. then they must ask the riders who are likely to be downfield, not just the so. called stars. Look at iq It is a disgraoe. The public can see virtually nothing." In the race, Nicoll and Liles moved past quick-starting Italian Ioris Gatti on the third lap and Liles was on the pa.ce for half the race. "My fingers were a problem because I was only holding on with one finger when I had two on the clutch, but the big problem was my heeL" said Liles. While Nicoll raced on to an unchal- lenged win, Liles fell ba& into the grasp of a grateful Jobe, who had been a lonely third after struggling past Wheeler, Rossi and Gatti. Jobe, who had clearly been saving himself for a late assault on Liles, was spared the efforr It was an important pass, as he could then theoretically follow Nicoll home three times in Switzerland and still clinch the crown. Before the Swiss finale on August 25, however, the FIM Appeals Commission will meet to discuss the KTM appeal to havethe firstmotoof last month's British GP annulled because of a starting-pte malfunction. If the appeal, which is unchallenged, is upheld, Nimll will lead by six points. 0!l Results MOTO I: l. Kun Nicoll (KTM); 2. Ja&y Manens (Hus); t. Georges Jobe (Hon);4. Franco Rossi (KTM); 5. Billy Lils (Hon); 6. Dirk Geukens (Hon); 7. David Thorpe (Hon); 8. Jo Manens (Hon);9. Jmgm Nilson (Hon); 10. Loris Gatti (Hon); I l. Mervyn Arstie (Hon); 12. Ronny Weustenraed (Kaw); lt. Darryll KinS (Xaw); 14. Brian Wheele (KTM); 15. Ikrl Sulzer (Hon). MOTO t l. Nicoll; 2. Martens;3. Jobe;4. Wheeler; 5. Lils; 6. Cafiens; 7. Nillson; 8. Smets; 9. Thorpe; 10. Sulzer; ll. Gutafssou 12. Bauer; 13. Ansde; 14. Hansson; 15. Weustenraed- MOTO 3: l. Nicoll; 2. Jobe; 3. Lileq 4. Gatti; 5. Rossi; 6. Martens; 7. Smer; 8. Wheeler; 9. Geukens; 10. Boonen; ll. Smith; 12. Gustalsson; 13. Cavatorta; 14. Thorpe; 15. Nillson. OVEnAI.T-' L Kun Nicoll (KTM);2. Gmrses Jobe (Hon); t. Jacky Manens (Hus); 4. Billy Ljles (Hon); 5. Dirk Geukens (Hon); 6. Franco Rossi (KTM); 7. Brian Wheels (KTM); 8. Irris Gatti (Hon); 9. David Thorpe (Hon); 10. Joel Smea (Hon); 12. Jorgea Gustalsrn (Ikw); 13. Jo Martens (Hon); 14. Menyn Anstie (Hon); 15. Kal Sulzer (Hon). WOILD CIIAMPIONSHIP sflkc MX SERIES PQINT STANDINGS: l. Georges Jobe (Hon); 2. Kurt Nicoll (KTM); E. Billy Liles (Hon); 4. Jal Smets (Hon); 5. Franco Rossi (KTM); . Johan Boonen (Xaw); 7. Jorgen Nillson (Hon); 8. Joemy Whatley (Hon); 9. Dirk C,eukens (Hon); 10. Marcus Hansrcn (I(aw); ll. Jacly Martens (Hus); 12. Mervyn Anstie (Hon); 13. Ikrl Sulzer (Hon); 14. Jo Maneas (Hon); 15. Brian Wheeler (KTM). sa L{ Et 7) H E E-t B AI O) O) (o C\ a b/l Maicus Hansson (66) and Kurt Nicolt (9) dive for the inside line, while Brian Wheeler (26) and Billy Liles (5) head for the outside. Defending Champion Georges Jobe posted 3-3-2 finishes for second overall Jacky Martens (2) hounded Kurt Nicoll (9) in the first two motos. 17 //t W $ E g '4. ,, E ,ir, ti w ."*: rn # n W ,& A . ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,;.: ,&., 7m W,T .'a:.1 &a I

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