MX500

Stefan Everts got his agile Yamaha back to winning ways with a stunning victory in the prestigious European GP on a track carved out of the hillside overlooking the famous Formula One race circuit. Having won four of the first six GPs, the 28 year-old Belgian now leads the series by an impressive 23 points over his main rival and countryman Joël Smets. Teammate Marnicq Brevets once again got on the podium, but admitted he is getting frustrated after again finishing third - for the third time in succession and the fourth time this year. Andrew McFarland looked fast all weekend and was expected to finish in the top ranks, but the result finally did not materialize due to an unfortunate fall. Andrew bravely continued to
secure a tenth place finish. 

Everts was dominant all weekend as he and his Yamaha adapted best to the unusual track. Stefan supported the organisers in their attempts to build a spectacular and demanding circuit. ‘I like it, and I think the organisers have worked really well to improve it even further since last year. It is different to the sort of tracks we normally ride in GPs, but I think we need this variety if we are going to call it a real world championship. My team found the perfect set-up for me on this spectacular track and everyone saw the result.’

They did indeed, as Everts grabbed the holeshot and never looked back; ‘Smets was on my rear wheel for fifteen minutes, but I held him at bay, that was my first victory of the day. I stayed calm, whilst I built up my speed. He was close, but I was confident and didn't get nervous. Once I had found my rhythm I could force the pace and got away from him without any trouble.  It was a perfect win and a tribute to the entire team.’

Now faced with a five week break until the next round, Stefan summed up the first part of the season: ‘I am really satisfied and actually surprised that I am leading already by so many points. But that is a tribute to my Yamaha and the team. I don't expect to reach my best form until the end of July, but look how fast we are already !"

Bervoets, after a more satisfying ride at the German round two weeks earlier, was a frustrated man despite finishing third again; ‘It sounds silly to have to keep saying that my forearms pump up, but they did. I wish I could say something else, but after 10 minutes I got the same problem again. I had stayed with the first two until then. We thought we had found the cause, but we clearly haven't, and now I must work through June to sort it out. I am a professional motocrosser and this shouldn't be happening to me." 

McFarland could have joined his team mates in the top five after advancing rapidly from twelfth to ninth, but then disaster struck on lap four; ’I had a really good pace, but one silly mistake and I crashed. I not only lost time remounting, I also couldn't get my rhythm back. There was a whole pack of riders on my rear wheel and I had to concentrate on riding defensive lines, so I just never got back to my earlier pace.’

Nevertheless Andrew finished tenth and the six points gained mean that the Australian series newcomer is just eight points shy of fourth place in the standings.

- MX250 -

Mickael Pichon continued his relentless run of form by recording his fifth win of the season at the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa today. 

The Frenchman had an early battle with current champion Bolley but ended up taking the race by some 28 seconds. 

Pichon has now taken 145 points from a possible 150 and is some 59 points clear of second place in the 250cc World Motocross Championship. 

Team-mate Josh Coppins finished in fourth place after battling through the field following his tenth position start. 

Mickael Pichon - "The race went very well for me. Frederick (Bolley) put me under a lot of pressure at the beginning but after I had built up a lead of a few seconds, I could just concentrate on finishing the race. In the end I had opened up a gap of 28 seconds. If we can keep getting these results, it will put us in a good position to take the championship at the end of the season."

Australian Chad Reed has a fantastic ride to finish 3rd on a Kawasaki.

Josh Coppins was 4th - "After the luck I’ve had recently, I am pleased to finish with a fourth place and get 13 championship points. I knew I had to finish the race and I wasn’t prepared to push too hard for third place and possibly crash. My plan is to always get top in the top five in each race and I need to get back into that run of consistency, to get some confidence back in myself and in the bike. I have the next month to prepare for the final part of the season. Things will hopefully turn around and I can focus on finishing in the top three in the world championship." 

Pit Beirer came to Francorchamps well prepared and was in buoyant mood on Saturday. ‘We did a lot of work on the bike in practice’ Beirer said. ‘I am happy with the changes, and I also like the track, it’s very technical and it takes a lot of work from the riders, for the better guys this track is good. I am confident and have been testing on tracks similar to Francorchamps all week long, so I am ready for it.’

Beirer proved he had the speed when the gates dropped. ‘I had a terrible start, something like 25 out of the gates, then I really rode great in the first lap, passing many riders, by lap one I was already fifth! The track was good for me; I was using the big berms and was able to ride around the outside of everyone. I then got arm pump and struggled to hold off Josh Coppins and Chad Reed, on one hand I am happy, but also disappointed because I was close to the podium.’ 

Claudio Federici had a similar bad mid-field start, took time to find his rhythm and, like many other riders on the unconventional Francorchamps track, got hindered by arm pump. Claudio stated; ‘I had trouble getting going. I was into about eleventh on lap one, and was with a group of faster riders, I managed to find some good lines and moved past Gordon Crockard and Danny Theybers. Then I got arm pump a little and Crockard took me back. With a couple of laps remaining I could just improve one position into seventh place when I moved inside of Carl Nunn.’ 

- MX125 -

The Francorchamp track featured a bit of everything, basically it has moist surface with sand and hard packed parts. Chiodi did not favour the track. ‘I am not a fan of a track like this, it’s too varied, many area’s are soft but then you find hard parts and even some stony bits. The track layout is good though, very technical, but the differences in soil I don’t like so much.”

When the gates dropped Chiodi was too aggressive on the gas and wheelied out of the start gate; ‘The race was difficult, I missed the start and was a long way back on the lead riders, I just gave it too much power and could not get the front wheel down quickly enough, which meant that I had to get past many riders in the first lap. I moved into seventh place around lap five, then was able to pass Stephen Sword, who slowed me up for too long. With one lap remaining I managed to get passed Kenneth Gundersen. The result did not satisfy Chiodi completely; ‘I felt confident that I could win, in practice my speed was as good as Dobb’s and the other top riders. I hoped to be top three, but just missed out.’