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COPPINS ON PODIUM IN FRANCE:
Motocross ace Josh Coppins has ended the world championship season with
another barnstorming ride onto the podium at today\'s French Grand Prix at
Ernee.
The 26-year-old expat Kiwi took third place, for the second time since
returning from career-threatening injury.
His CAS Honda CR250R was again the first two-stroke bike home in a field
dominated by four-strokes under new rules in Motocross GP, the world\'s
premier class.
\"I was having a serious look at second place for quite a bit of the race,
until lap 13 which must have been unlucky for me because I had a little
slip and lost more than five seconds,\" commented New Zealand\'s top
motorcycle racer after the gruelling 40-minute marathon at the Circuit de
Vahais.
\"I got away to a reasonable start in the race but there were still seven or
eight bikes in front of me and it was a matter of pushing past but also
being patient so as not to overdo it.\"
The race was again dominated by Belgium\'s Stefan Everts who had already
secured this world title to take his tally to seven, an all-time record. He
also ran away with the earlier 125 GP to claim second in that title behind
countryman Steve Ramon.
\"Stefan was very fast and smooth again today,\" commented Coppins. \"He\'s in
superb form at the moment, really no one can touch him.
Coppins found himself contesting the lower steps of the podium with another
Honda rider, Denmark\'s Brian Jorgensen on a CRF450R, as five-times world
champ Joel Smets (Belgium) slipped to seventh place.
Coppins was second fastest in Saturday qualifying behind Smets on the steep
hillside circuit near Rennes in the Bretagne west of Paris.
Hot, sunny weather favoured fast racing at this 12th and final round of the
world championship but the gruelling 31.5km race distance dictated by
Everts\' pace took its toll with many pretenders slipping down the field or
right out of the running.
Coppins\' CAS Honda teammates finished in the small points on their
four-strokes: Japanese Yoshi Atsuta in tenth spot and Irishman Gordon
Crockard two places further back after a slow start.
Today\'s result confirms a huge return to form for Josh Coppins who was told
at the beginning of this year he may never race again and who missed the
first half-season after surgery to his spine, an ankle and both feet.
\"In some ways it\'s a pain that I\'m just starting to reach a peak as the
season finishes,\" commented the man they call Lizzard. \"But I\'m making the
most of every ride to build speed for a serious attempt at the world title
next year.\"
Although right out of contention after missing a third of the season,
Coppins climbed back to 12th spot in the championship. Taking his points
tally to an even 100 today, he finished just four behind Crockard.
Last weekend the Kiwi dominated the year\'s final British championship event
for his Midlands-based CAS squad. In three weeks he leads the New Zealand
team at the Motocross des Nations, the Olympics of motorcycling.
Final championship points:
1 Stefan Everts (Belgium) Yamaha 275; 2 Joel Smets (Belgium) KTM 235; 3
Mickael Pichon (France) Suzuki 188 points; 4 Brian Jorgensen (Denmark)
Honda 176, 5 Kenneth Gundersen (Norway) Kawasaki 150; 6 Andrew McFarlane
(Australia) Kawasaki 141; 7 Marnicq Bervoets (Belgium) Yamaha 131; 8
Claudio Federici (Italy) Yamaha 127; 9 Kevin Strijbos (Belgium) Suzuki 121;
10 Yoshitaka Atsuta (Japan) CAS Honda 117; 11 Gordon Crockard (Ireland) CAS
Honda 104; 12 Josh Coppins (New Zealand) CAS Honda 100.
Ian RJ Miles
And - More:
