Stefan Everts has swept yet another round of the 2006 FIM World Motocross Championship series. He took his 98th GP win at the Grand Prix of Czech Republic over the weekend and now sits only one point away from his 10th World Title – right where he wants to be heading into his home race, the GP of Belgium on the Citadel circuit of Namur. Everts is currently undefeated in the Citadel, and there is no place he’d rather wrap up his championship in the final season of his career.
“I am thinking about the title for sure,” Everts said. “It’s been a long way to this and it’s a chance of a lifetime to win next week, and become World Champion at the Citadel. It’s a dream I have had all my life.”
Second place went to a hard-charging Josh Coppins, who also handed in a great performance. The New Zealander battled with Everts in the first moto but was forced to settle for second. In the second moto, the CAS Honda rider placed third behind Kevin Strijbos to take second overall with his 2-3 score.
KTM’s Jonathan Barragan finished third overall in the MX1 class after finishing with a 3-4 score. Locket marked his second podium finish, the first being the GP of Portugal.
Tyla Rattray and Antonio Cairoli each took moto wins in the MX2 class, but it was KTM rider David Philippaerts who came away with the overall victory. Philippaerts battled closely with Cairoli and Pourcel in the second moto, and there was some bar banging and block passing on the way to the finish.
Current championship leader Christophe Pourcel finished second overall with a 6-2 finish, and openly expressed his disapproval of Philippaerts riding style.
“The fight I had with Philippaerts was difficult, to me he does not ride by the rules,” Pourcel said. “He is very aggressive and I don’t like racing close with him.”
Of course, the Italian saw it differently than his rivals.
“In the second heat I passed Pourcel,” Philippaerts said. “I block passed him, and the second corner he passed me back in a normal fashion, I passed Cairoli hard, but this is motocross, I think it is okay to ride that way.”
Pourcel is still in control of the championship with a 32-point advantage. England’s Carl Nunn of the Champ KTM team finished third in the MX2 at Loket with a 3-5 finish followed by Antonio Cairoli (11-1) and Marc De Reuver (9-4).
MX1 MOTO 1: 1. Stefan Everts (Yam); 2. Joshua Coppins (Hon); 3. Jonathan Barragan (KTM); 4. Steve Ramon (Suz); 5. Ken De Dijcker (Hon); 6. Kevin Strijbos (Suz); 7. James Noble (Hon); 8. Tanel Leok (Kaw); 9. Pascal Leuret (Hon); 10. Wyatt Avis (KTM); 11. Manuel Priem (Yam); 12. Clement Desalle (Suz); 13. Alex Salvini (Suz); 14. Kornel Nemeth (Suz); 15. Lauris Freibergs (Suz).
MOTO 2: 1. Stefan Everts (Yam); 2. Kevin Strijbos (Suz); 3. Joshua Coppins (Hon); 4. Jonathan Barragan (KTM); 5. Steve Ramon (Suz); 6. Ken De Dijcker (Hon); 7. Gordon Crockard (Hon); 8. Cedric Melotte (Yam); 9. Tanel Leok (Kaw); 10. Manuel Priem (Yam); 11. Wyatt Avis (KTM); 12. James Noble (Hon); 13. Kornel Nemeth (Suz); 14. Alex Salvini (Suz); 15. Marko Kovalainen (Hon).
MX1 O/A: 1. Stefan Everts (50); 2. Joshua Coppins (42); 3. Jonathan Barragan (38); 4. Kevin Strijbos (37); 5. Steve Ramon (34); 6. Ken De Dijcker (31); 7. Tanel Leok (25); 8. James Noble (23); 9. Manuel Priem (21); 10. Wyatt Avis (21).
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MX1 POINTS STANDINGS (After 11 of 15 rounds): 1. Stefan Everts (542/11 wins); 2. Kevin Strijbos (393); 3. Steve Ramon (368); 4. Tanel Leok (355); 5. Ken De Dijcker (353); 6. Jonathan Barragan (273); 7. Pascal Leuret (202); 8. Cedric Melotte (190); 9. Manuel Priem (189); 10. Vico Garcia (172).
MX2 MOTO 1: 1. Tyla Rattray (KTM); 2. David Philippaerts (KTM); 3. Carl Nunn (KTM); 4. Alessio Chiodi (Yam); 5. Tommy Searle (Kaw); 6. Christophe Pourcel (Kaw); 7. Gareth Swaenepoel (Kaw); 8. Patrick Caps (Hon); 9. Marc De Reuver (KTM); 10. Matti Seistola (Hon); 11. Antonio Cairoli (Yam); 12. Rui Goncalves (KTM); 13. Carlos Campano (KTM); 14. Manuel Monni (Hon); 15. Tom Church (Kaw).
MOTO 2: 1. Antonio Cairoli (Yam); 2. Christophe Pourcel (Kaw); 3. David Philippaerts (KTM); 4. Marc De Reuver (KTM); 5. Carl Nunn (KTM); 6. Billy MacKenzie (Yam); 7. Tommy Searle (Kaw); 8. Sebastien Pourcel (Kaw); 9. Gareth Swaenepoel (Kaw); 10. Manuel Monni (Hon); 11. Carlos Campano (KTM); 12. Patrick Caps (Hon); 13. Alessio Chiodi (Yam); 14. Rui Goncalves (KTM); 15. Max Nagl (KTM).
MX2 O/A: 1. David Philippaerts (42); 2. Christophe Pourcel (37); 3. Carl Nunn (36); 4. Antonio Cairoli (35); 5. Marc de Reuver (30); 6. Tommy Searle (30); 7. Gareth Swaenepoel (26); 8. Alessio Chiodi (26); 9. Tyla Rattray (25); 10. Patrick Caps (22).
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MX2 POINTS STANDINGS (After 11 of 15 rounds): 1. Christophe Pourcel (379/1 win); 2. Antonio Cairoli (347/1 win); 3. David Philippaerts (329/4 wins); 4. Tyla Rattray (305/3 wins); 5. Marc De Reuver (284/1 win); 6. Carl Nunn (241); 7. Billy MacKenzie (228/1 win); 8. Tommy Searle (224); 9. Gareth Swaenepoel (210); 10. Sebastien Pourcel (207).
