Cassidy hops along to victory
By TMX Archives on 23rd Oct 08
CASSIDY Anderson shipped his 450 Honda all the way over from the USA to win a very exciting 22nd running of the Mettet Superbiker event, run over three days of last weekend, in the town of Mettet, in Belgium.
What a weekend it was, as just under 300 fanatical Supermoto riders from all over the world – 75 from the UK alone – along with 30 of the world's top motorcycle racers and with 44 quads all descended on the small sleepy town close to Charleroi for race after race of Supermoto at its best.
There was practice all day Friday with more on Saturday followed by qualifying heats for all but the top riders but it was all a build-up to the last race on Sunday when ‘Starbikers' would meet the ‘Bestbikers' in a 15-lap ‘Superbiker' finale.
The Starbikers where made up from stars from most motorcycle sporting disciplines and had riders like Karl Muggeridge and Regis Laconi from road-racing, with riders from current motocross racing like world MX2 champion, Tyla Rattray, with MX1 star Josh Coppins, plus great names like Andrea Bartolini, Joel Smets and not forgetting former AMA motocross legend who is now competing in Supermoto in the native country, Jeff Ward.
The Bestbikers were all Supermoto riders from every level of ability to the local crowd favourite and no stranger to our shores, Frederic Fiorentino, but only the best would go through to the big races.
But the rider that most had come to see, and probably added two or three thousand spectators to the already massive crowd, was Belgian superstar, Stefan Everts, who got a cheer wherever he was in the races.
Mauno Hermunen used the power advantage of his 510 Husqvarna to lead the pack of 44 riders into turn one with the American, Anderson, in his wheel tracks.
But as they slid the bikes sideways off the dirt section for the first time the Finish rider was still in control as Mickael Pichon was doing everything he could to hold off charging German rider, Jurgen Kunzel.
Frederic Bolley and Eric Delannoy filled the next two places with our own Keith Farmer, who had been on form all weekend, seventh and was definitely not being intimidated by the big names around him.
For the first six hectic laps, Hermunen and Anderson fought over the lead and, in so doing, allowed Pichon and Kunzel to close on them. Eventually the two-way fight for the lead became a four-way scrap.
At the halfway stage, Anderson took the lead, leaving Hermunen to fight off the attentions of Pichon and Kunzel, while Bolley closed in on the pair. Meanwhile, Farmer did all he could to get on terms with Delannoy.
Further down the field, Everts was making up from a poor start and was up to 11th spot just behind Darryl Atkins as the pair held their own amongst some full-time Supermoto regulars.
With two laps to go, Bolley crashed out of fifth place, while leader Anderson had a seven-second lead over Hermunen.
At the finish line and with the evening sun low in the sky, Anderson took victory by just under 5.5-seconds from Hermunen who had Pichon on his tail.
METTET SUPERBIKER SUPERMOTO
Mettet, BELGIUM
PROXIMUS SUPERBIKER: 1 Cassidy Anderson (US - 450 Honda), 2 Mauno Hermunen (SF - 510 Husqvarna), 3 Mickael Pichon (F - 450 KTM), 4 Jurgen Kunzel (D - 450 Husqvarna), 5 Eric Delannoy (B - 600 KTM), 6 Keith FARMER (GB - 550 Aprilia), 7 Stefan Everts (B - 450 KTM), 8 Markus Volz (D - 450 KTM), 9 Jean-Marc Gaillard (B - 450 Honda), 10 Darryl Atkins (NZ - 550 Aprilia), 11 Andrea Bartolini (I - 450 Husqvarna), 12 Roman Fevre (F - 450 Suzuki), 13 Joshua Coppins (NZ - 450 Yamaha),... 24 Lee JONES (GB - 450 Aprilia), 43 David HARTLEY (GB - 560 KTM).
STARBIKERS: 1 Mickael Pichon (F - 450 KTM), 2 Frederic Bolley (F - 450 Honda), 3 Stefan Everts (B - 450 KTM), 4 Darryl Atkins (NZ - 550 Aprilia), 5 Micky Dymond (US - 450 Husqvarna), 6 Sven Breugelmans (B - 480 KTM), 7 Joshua Coppins (NZ - 450 Yamaha), 8 Didier Jadoul (F - 450 Kawasaki), 9 Joel Smets (B - 450 BMW), 10 Cedric Melotte (B - 450 Aprilia), 11 Regis Laconi (F - 450 Kawasaki), 12 Sebastien Le Grelle (B - 450 Honda), 13 Jeff Ward (US - 450 Honda), 14 Stefan Nebel (D - 450 Suzuki), 15 Tyla Rattray (ZA - 450 KTM), 16 Karl Muggeridge (AUS - 450 Honda), 17 Stephane Chambon (F - 450 Kawasaki).
SUPERQUADER: 1 Mark DONNELLY (IRE - 610 RST), 2 Adam Hofmann (S - 450 EATV-HPS), 3 Mark Troughton (IRE - 550 VLS), 4 Pavel Sobczyk (PL - 550 Aprilia), 5 Hans-Rudi Herren (CH - 650 WTEC), 6 Niclas Lundback (S - 612 RST), 7 Maxim Cluydts (B - 450 Honda), 8 Davy Brems (B - 450 Honda), 9 Alfred Wolber (D - 612 PST KTM), 10 Nino Betschart (CH - 450 Yamaha),... 14 Cathal McCARTAN (IRE - 565 WTEC), 15 Daniel McDERMOTT (IRE - 500 Yamaha),... 20 Niall McDERMOTT (IRE - 485 Gas-Gas).
For full report see T+MX News, Friday, October 4, 2008
Stephane Chambon (3) leads Mickael Pichon, Frederic Bolley, Jeff Ward and Stefan Everts in the Starbikers race.