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Contributor: Ian Miles.
Besieged motocross ace Josh Coppins has made the best response to his detractors, claiming runner-up spot in today’s Grand Prix of Sweden.
The expat New Zealander was the only rider to take the race to defending 250 world champion and runaway points leader Mickael Pichon of France, on the stony Glimminge circuit at Uddevalla.
Embattled by a doping charge after taking a hay fever tablet, and suspended for a fortnight by his race team, Coppins put everything else aside to storm the natural rock quarry track 100 km north of Gothenberg.
“What can I say … this shows people I can ride just as well without hay fever tablets,” commented the 25-year-old pro racer. “For a while I didn’t even have a bike to ride, now here I am in runner-up position. “It feels great.”
The result extends Coppins’ unbroken string of podium places to six, a record not even Pichon can claim.
Today the Kiwi kept the flying Frenchman closer than anyone has managed in the eight events to date this year
. His overall second in the title chase is extended by today’s placing, with overall third place holder Pit Beirer (Germany) clinging to fourth spot today.
Coppins now has 158 points, 30 short of Pichon. Beirer has drifted to 17 points behind his Honda teammate with 141.
After an indifferent start, Coppins pushed through the field in the early laps and closed to within a hundred metres of Pichon’s Suzuki, maintaining that distance throughout the 40 minutes to finish just four seconds adrift.
A further five seconds back came another Frenchman, two-time world champion Fred Bolley and the Kiwi split the tricolour podium.
“I like coming to Sweden although the track here is very challenging,” Coppins said after the race in cool but sunny conditions. “I was aware Fred was there but I was confident I could hold him off. “It would have been good to get a bit closer to Mickael but he had just that little bit extra … he’s right at the top of his form at present and it’s tough keeping him in check.”
Early favourite, Norwegian Kenneth Gundersen, winner of the 125 Grand Prix here last year, just failed to pip Beirer for fourth on the last lap while defending world 125 champion Jamie Dobb was close by in sixth.
Bolley has now leapfrogged Gundersen for fourth in the hunt for the crown.
Coppins’ fellow expat Ben Townley contests the 125 Grand Prix this afternoon local time.
The New Zealand pair race in USA in a fortnight during a month break in the world championship programme. The next grand prix is in Belgium on 4 August.
[The two Australians contesting the GP series, Kim Ashkenazi (Yamaha) and Andrew McFarlane (Kawasaki) have been credited with 19th and 25th placings respectively and Kiwi Darryl Atkins (MJ Church Kawasaki) 28th.]
Points after eight of 12 rounds:
World 250 championship: 1 Mickael Pichon (France) Suzuki, 188 points; 2 Josh Coppins (NZ) Honda 158; 3 Pit Beirer (Germany) Honda, 141; 4 Fred Bolley (France) Yamaha 125; 5 Kenneth Gundersen (Norway) Kawasaki 121; 6 Jamie Dobb (England) KTM 108.
