The 'Stefan Everts and YZ450FM show' rolls on unabated within the 2006 MX1 World Championships as both the rider and motorcycle of the Yamaha Intur Sports team gained their ninth consecutive victory this weekend at Uddevalla for the Grand Prix of Sweden. The Scandinavian circuit had been reversed and some of the sections converted into more technical challenges but the hard and dusty terrain remained. 19,000 fans turned out in hot and sunny weather conditions.
The 33 year old took his fifth pole position of the season (and third in a row) yesterday and did not hide his lack of fondness for the Uddevalla undulations, stating that the venue was one of his 'least favourites' of the calendar; hardly surprising as the Belgian has not won in Scandinavia since 2003.
In the first moto Everts enacted a now familiar routine for his many fans by seizing the lead on the first lap and controlling the race from his pursuers. The Belgian notched his fourteenth moto win in a row despite the moto-long presence of Jonathan Barragan and a distance between the pair that fluctuated between one and three seconds for the total of a very hot 35 minute and 2 lap duration. On the last two laps it was the Intur Sports team rider who was more decisive through a pack of backmarkers and the first step in his 96th victory was complete.
As in the British Grand Prix two weeks ago, Everts gave himself a harder job in the second sprint when he crashed on the first lap and had to work the entire race to catch his main rivals. Finally a fantastic performance was rounded off by overtaking leader Steve Ramon with one circulation remaining to notch his 15th moto win in succession. He now holds a career tally of 96 and is drawing ever closer to the big 'ton'.
Cedric Melotte crashed in the morning warm-up period and jarred his hip. The Belgian needed painkillers to finish 11th in the first moto and pulled out of the second sprint unable to complete the distance.
Everts' domination of the MX1 series can be seen in the World Championship standings. His points lead has stretched to 114, more than four motos, over Kevin Strijbos. Melotte is ninth.
Livia Lancelot has taken third position in the Women's World Cup riding a YZ250F. The French youngster led the first moto until a heavy crash knocked her back to fourth. In some discomfort she made another mistake while out front in the second affair and claimed 10th.
The teams can now enjoy another free weekend but machinery and spares will be packed and crated for the lengthy trip to the southern hemisphere and the Grand Prix of South Africa at the Sun City complex on July 16th.
Stefan Everts, Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross Team:"This is not my favourite track here in Sweden so I knew it would be tough because in the past two years I had been struggling. However I took a good pole when everybody was close together and the first race went OK. Barragan kept close and I had a three second lead but I made a mistake in the whoops and he caught up, then we were into the lappers. It was tight at the end and I felt a bit tired because of the heat. I rested in between the races and then the second one was better. After the mistake the first few laps were pretty hard because everyone was going fast and it was not easy to pass. I saw the Suzuki guys pull away and I thought second might be possible but first was a long shot. At one stage Steve stopped gaining seconds on me and then started to lose them; that gave me some wings! I pulled harder and it was close. It was exciting for the crowd."
Cedric Melotte, Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross Team:"I had a stupid crash this morning and needed to take some painkillers to enter the first race. Every time I sat down on the bike I had a lot of pain in my back and around my spine. I found it difficult to use my feet and I was fighting too much with the bike today. I preferred to stop in the second race because the pain was too much."
Michele Rinaldi, Team Manager:"It was not an easy weekend for Stefan on this track and he was not the clear fastest. The first heat was OK and he made a very exciting race in the second one. He looked to have reached a highest position of third but Ramon slowed down and he picked up his speed and took a fantastic result for him, us and for Yamaha."
Race classification MX1:Round: 9 - 2006 GP of Uddevalla, Sweden
Circuit: Uddevalla
Circuit Length: 1750
Crowd: 19000
Temp: 29ºC
Weather: Hot and Sunny
Race 1: 22 Laps1 S. Everts Yamaha BEL 38' 45.263
2 J. Barragan KTM ESP +4.324
3 J. Coppins Honda NZL +14.111
4 S. Ramon Suzuki BEL +23.370
5 T. Leok Kawasaki EST +24.941
6 K. Strijbos Suzuki BEL +54.231
7 G. Crockard Honda GBR +59.603
8 K. De Dycker Honda BEL +1' 8.611
9 J. Garcia Vico Honda ESP +1' 13.560
10 J. Noble Honda GBR +1' 18.441
11 C. Melotte Yamaha BEL +1' 24.967
12 B. Jorgensen Honda DNK +1' 30.351
13 J. Bill Yamaha GBR +1' 34.027
14 M. Van Daele Honda BEL +1' 38.964
15 D. Theybers Suzuki BEL +1' 40.610
16 A. Pyrhonen TM FIN +1 lap(s)
17 K. Nemeth Suzuki HUN +1 lap(s)
18 J. Lindhe KTM SWE +1 lap(s)
19 C. Desalle Suzuki BEL +1 lap(s)
20 M. Kovalainen Honda FIN +1 lap(s)
Race 2: 22 Laps 1 S. Everts Yamaha BEL 39' 54.109
2 S. Ramon Suzuki BEL +3.881
3 K. Strijbos Suzuki BEL +17.410
4 G. Crockard Honda GBR +22.967
5 J. Coppins Honda NZL +30.702
6 K. Nemeth Suzuki HUN +38.034
7 J. Garcia Vico Honda ESP +59.738
8 J. Noble Honda GBR +1' 7.798
9 K. De Dycker Honda BEL +1' 15.851
10 J. Bill Yamaha GBR +1' 18.647
11 M. Priem Yamaha BEL +1' 21.586
12 L. Freibergs Suzuki LVA +1' 27.213
13 M. Kovalainen Honda FIN +1' 30.737
14 A. Pyrhonen TM FIN +1' 36.841
15 N. Bradshaw Suzuki GBR +1' 37.859
16 A. Salvini Suzuki ITA +1' 44.060
17 T. Allier Kawasaki FRA +1' 55.534
18 C. Desalle Suzuki BEL +1 lap(s)
19 B. Jorgensen Honda DNK +1 lap(s)
20 A. Bobkovs Honda LVA +1 lap(s)
Championship standings MX1: 1 Stefan Everts Yamaha BEL 442
2 Kevin Strijbos Suzuki BEL 328
3 Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 294
4 Tanel Leok Kawasaki EST 294
5 Ken De Dycker Honda BEL 292
6 Jonathan Barragan KTM ESP 212
7 Javier Garcia Vico Honda ESP 165
8 Pascal Leuret Honda FRA 159
9 Cedric Melotte Yamaha BEL 157
10 Manuel Priem Yamaha BEL 146
11 Julien Bill Yamaha GBR 145
12 James Noble Honda GBR 132
13 Brian Jorgensen Honda DNK 131
14 Marvin Van Daele Honda BEL 127
15 Antti Pyrhonen TM FIN 106
16 Sebastien Tortelli KTM FRA 99
17 Gordon Crockard Honda GBR 86
18 Danny Theybers Suzuki BEL 84
19 Joshua Coppins Honda NZL 72
20 Alex Salvini Suzuki ITA 55
Manufacturers standings MX1:1 Yamaha 442
2 Suzuki 369
3 Honda 317
4 Kawasaki 298
5 KTM 267
6 TM 106
Related Linkswww.yamaha-racing.com
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