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COPPINS OUT OF LUCK IN GERMANY:
Cruel luck for world championship motocross ace Josh Coppins as he climbs back from injury.
The 26-year-old, New Zealand’s top motorcycle racer, finished 12th in today’s Grand Prix of Deutschland after being caught in a first-lap tangle.
“By the time we sorted ourselves out I was dead last, 27th I think, and half a minute behind the leaders,” commented the Honda racer at the end of the 40-minute moto at Gaildorf in south-western Germany.
“I got going OK and I was able to pick off the riders, but it was too little too late really.
“I was happy enough with my riding, I was lapping at the same pace as guys in the top five or ten, but it’s gutting after I was on the podium last GP.”
The result yields only minor points for the Motueka-born pro racer but that’s of academic interest after Coppins, runner-up in the world glamour class last year, missed four of the first six races and is not in world championship contention this time around.
His stated aim is to be back gunning for grand prix victory by season end, ready for a strong title bid in 2004 when the effects of his huge January 2003 crash are fully overcome.
This 10th round of the championship on a calm, clear German day with temperatures around 30deg proved the most dramatic in a season of tension.
Controversial French champion Mickael Pichon is out of the title chase with several with broken ligaments in his left knee after a crash in this morning’s warmup. Already written off by many when he lost the title lead after winning the season’s first three rounds, the Suzuki factory rider threw down the gauntlet with a qualifying lap yesterday fully two seconds faster than anyone else could manage.
Pichon, 27, has flown home to France and is to have surgery Monday.
Ironically it was at Gaildorf Pichon clinched the former 250 world crown for Suzuki the past two years.[Read More:]
His demise left a wide open paddock for Stefan Everts, the Belgian star who has now won the last seven grands prix on the trot and seems destined to add yet another world title to his already record six.
In a class above everyone else today, the Yamaha four-stroke rider pulled valuable points ahead of his only real title challenger and countryman Joel Smets who struggled into third on his KTM almost half a minute behind his old rival.
Danish Honda rider Brian Jorgensen took second spot on the podium and must now fancy his chances of out-pointing Pichon for third by season end.
Once again Everts employed the radical ploy of warming up for the major event by contesting, and easily winning, the earlier 125 support race.
For Coppins, on the comeback from a broken back, ankle and feet, the German event commences a hectic end to the season.
Straight after today’s event he headed his motorhome to England where he races a non-championship international event on Bank Holiday Monday. Then it’s a trip east again to the Czech Republic for a grand prix next weekend.
Back in England a week later Coppins contests the final round of the British Champs at Pontrilas, then he crosses to France for the final GP of the year.
Championship points after 10 of 12 rounds:
1 Stefan Everts (Belgium) Yamaha 225; 2 Joel Smets (Belgium) KTM 210; 3 Mickael Pichon (France) Suzuki 188 points; 4 Brian Jorgensen (Denmark) Honda 134, 5 Kenneth Gundersen (Norway) Kawasaki 124; 6 Andrew McFarlane (Australia) Kawasaki 119; 7 Claudio Federici (Italy) Yamaha 113, 8 Yoshitaka Atsuta (Japan) CAS Honda 98; 9 Kevin Strijbos (Belgium) Suzuki 95;10 Marnicq Bervoets (Belgium) Yamaha 94. 13 Josh Coppins (New Zealand) CAS Honda 62.
Ian RJ Miles
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