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COPPINS TO CZECH:
Motocross ace Josh Coppins is on a high heading to the Czech Republic this
week.
Fresh from an impressive showing at an International event in England [Read More: ]
on
Monday, the expat Kiwi lines up for the penultimate round of the world
champs with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Out of contention for the title because of major injuries in the early
season . after finishing runner-up last year . 26-year-old Coppins is
coming back to his best in Motocross GP, the world\'s top class.
The Honda ace climbed onto the podium with a thrilling third place two GPs
ago and despite a minor fall which relegated him to 12th in last weekend\'s
event in Germany the laidback pro racer is full of confidence for Loket,
just inside the Czech border with Germany.
\"It\'s a good circuit, we\'ve ridden it before,\" commented Coppins\".
\"It\'s another chance for me to put points on the board, and more
importantly to get up with the leaders.\"
Coppins reports he has overcome most of the effects of his broken back,
ankle and both feet from a January crash in the USA.
\"I\'ve been happy with the way my riding has improved in the three months
since I came back,\" he said.
\"It\'s been frustrating at times, it seems so slow, but I\'m getting on top
of it now.
\"I\'m still not back to full fitness and there\'s still a bit of speed to
pick up, but I want to put that right over these last two GPs,\" added Coppins.
\"I can\'t make any impression on the title from here, I\'m still outside the
top ten, but I can get to the front of the individual grand prix races.\"
On his factory-prepared CR250R two-stroke, Coppins will have a grandstand
seat as the most dramatic championship in years reaches climax.
Heavy favouritism now rests with Belgian Stefan Everts to go even deeper
into the history books with a seventh world crown, but the title will
probably go right to the final round as he inches away from countryman and
fellow four-stroke pilot Joel Smets.
Their way has been cleared somewhat with the demise of Frenchman Mickael
Pichon, the reigning 250 class world champion who led this chase for much
of the season before losing ground on his two-stroke Suzuki.
Then last weekend the controversial Pichon crashed heavily in Germany. He
needed knee surgery this week, by the same specialist who operated on
footballer Ronaldo, and is expected to be out for several months while torn
ligaments mend.
The Lokeske Serpentiny circuit 150km west of Prague offers the chance for
Everts again to win the double of 125 and Motocross GP classes, as he has
the past five GPs on the trot on his Yamaha bikes.
For Smets, who still has enough points to keep Everts honest in the major
class, there\'s also a quest for points in the big 650 category.
Smets is favoured to take this crown for KTM which would give him a
personal fifth world title . enough to equal an all-time record until
Everts moved the bar higher last year.
All of this surrounds Coppins as he keeps his eye on the podium.
\"I\'ve raced with Joel and Stefan for most of my nine years in Europe,\"
commented the rider called Lizzard.
\"They\'re both great champions and it\'s fitting to see them going into the
record books like this .. but they needn\'t think I\'ll be pulling over to
let them get there.
\"My aim is to join them on the podium and if I can beat either or both of
them, I\'ll do it.\"
Loket is Coppins\' third event in eight days and there\'s no rest ahead. Next
weekend he rides the final round of the British champs for his English CAS
Honda team, before the last GP of the year in France a week later.
Qualifying is on Saturday at the Czech Grand Prix, with the big race early
Sunday afternoon local time.
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
