MX GP round 10 - Sun City (SA)
By TMX Archives on 16th Jul 06
MX1 : South Africa falls to Everts and Yamaha might. Round: 10 - 2006 GP of Sun City, South Africa. Reigning World Champion Stefan Everts, of the Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross team, now has just three more victories to reach a magical and all-time record total of 100 career wins after taking his 97th success and tenth consecutive triumph at Sun City in South Africa today.
The 33 year-old Belgian clinched both motos in dominant and now familiar fashion in front of 25,300 spectators to stretch his unbeaten run to ten rounds and nineteen races.
A journey of almost 200km was necessary to reach the luxurious holiday 'oasis' of Sun City from the capital of Johannesburg. The complex boasts one of the best and most spectacular hotels in the world in the form of the 'Palace' and the motocross circuit is an entirely man-made creation sculpted from land next to the large car-park situated just beyond the entrance to the resort.
The venue set standards once again for its organisation and the pleasant layout of the surroundings including two sides of the track flanked by grandstands and decent viewing possibilities. The terrain had been improved over the two previous years with softer dirt allowing for more ruts and racing lines although the hard pack was still slippy in places.
Everts captured his fourth pole position in a row and sixth of the season yesterday with a late lap only eight hundredths of a second ahead of Steve Ramon. He started moto one in third place and needed a circulation to gently ease his way past his countryman and then holeshotter Josh Coppins. With a customary clear track stretching ahead, Everts began to work and pulled out a lead of five seconds over his Honda rival in a matter of minutes. His 18th consecutive moto victory was then a formality and he only had to worry about the backmarkers which was a tough task in itself.
The second outing was almost a carbon-copy and Everts crossed the line almost five seconds ahead of the New Zealander with Ramon also in attendance. The eighth double of 2006 represented Everts' first triumph on African soil and the landmark means that his lead in the standings has pulled to 136 points. In theory his tenth World Championship could be won in the fairytale setting at Namur, Belgium during the first week of August.
Cedric Melotte finished the opening race in sixth position and put up a stiff resistance to the speed and aggression of Ken de Dycker while holding fourth but eventually had to concede two places to his fellow Belgian and Tanel Leok. Later on in race two he was picking his way through the field after a bad start but got a stone in his throat and struggled to breathe. The luckless Belgian was again forced to stop and the DNF was his sixth of the campaign. He is 8th in the World Championship 14 points behind Pascal Leuret.
The Grand Prix of the Czech Republic, home to two World Championship celebratory parties for Everts and Yamaha in the last five years, will take place once more at the Loket circuit in the far west of the country near the idyllic town of Karlovy Vary.
Stefan Everts, Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross Team:
"I am a bit surprised myself at how I can win so many GPs, and maybe in a few years time I will look back at what I have done so far and realise the achievement. I have also never won ten in a row, nine was the most; so that is a personal record. I have never won in South Africa before so that also was special. I did not wave to the crowd on the last lap this time! I came here with a positive outlook after two years of bad luck and it really worked out today."
Cedric Melotte, Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross Team:
"I am trying to ride and enjoy myself on the bike at the moment and that is what I did in the first race. My arms got a little bit tired in the last three or four laps. I had a really bad start in the second race but I was coming back slowly. I was gaining on De Dycker and Leuret and was enjoying myself. I was pushing hard for the top ten but then something entered my throat and I could not breathe and wanted to vomit. It is a real shame because I could not continue and should have had a good result."
Carlo Rinaldi, Racing Manager, Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross Team:
"It was another perfect weekend. Stefan's starts were not as good as we have become accustomed to but he proved again who is the fastest. There is not much to say because we have seen this type of GP before this season; Stefan just wants to win at any cost. We made a few settings on the bike but we changed hardly anything. Cedric had a half decent race the first time and while he was coming back from a bad start he got a piece of dirt caught in his throat. He could not breathe and had to stop, losing a lot of points, so that was a pity."
Race classification MX1
Round: 10 - 2006 GP of Sun City, South Africa
Circuit: Sun City
Race 1: 20 Laps
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 S. Everts Yamaha BEL 39' 49.835
2 J. Coppins Honda NZL +5.555
3 S. Ramon Suzuki BEL +11.709
4 T. Leok Kawasaki EST +19.545
5 K. De Dycker Honda BEL +21.713
6 C. Melotte Yamaha BEL +53.306
7 P. Leuret Honda FRA +1' 2.336
8 M. Priem Yamaha BEL +1' 4.923
9 K. Strijbos Suzuki BEL +1' 11.786
10 J. Bill Yamaha GBR +1' 27.554
11 A. Pyrhonen TM FIN +1' 34.262
12 W. Avis KTM RSA +1' 49.209
13 J. Barragan KTM ESP +2' 43.560
14 J. Garcia Vico Honda ESP +1 lap(s)
15 G. Crockard Honda GBR +1 lap(s)
16 C. Dugmore Kawasaki RSA +1 lap(s)
17 K. Stegen Suzuki RSA +1 lap(s)
18 L. O'Farrel Yamaha RSA +1 lap(s)
19 D. Keramidis Honda GRC +3 lap(s)
20 C. van Niekerk TM RSA +4 lap(s)
Race 2: 20 Laps
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 S. Everts Yamaha BEL 40' 19.139
2 J. Coppins Honda NZL +4.591
3 S. Ramon Suzuki BEL +9.215
4 T. Leok Kawasaki EST +37.551
5 K. Strijbos Suzuki BEL +40.730
6 J. Barragan KTM ESP +1' 25.723
7 K. De Dycker Honda BEL +1' 32.927
8 P. Leuret Honda FRA +1' 37.300
9 A. Pyrhonen TM FIN +1' 39.573
10 J. Bill Yamaha GBR +1' 40.537
11 G. Crockard Honda GBR +1' 41.009
12 M. Priem Yamaha BEL +2' 4.872
13 W. Avis KTM RSA +1 lap(s)
14 C. Dugmore Kawasaki RSA +1 lap(s)
15 J. Noble Honda GBR +1 lap(s)
16 L. O'Farrel Yamaha RSA +1 lap(s)
17 R. van der Westhuizen Honda RSA +2 lap(s)
18 K. Stegen Suzuki RSA +2 lap(s)
19 K. Bowen KTM RSA +3 lap(s)
20 A. Nielsen Yamaha KEN +3 lap(s)
Championship standings MX1
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points
1 Stefan Everts Yamaha BEL 492
2 Kevin Strijbos Suzuki BEL 356
3 Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 334
4 Tanel Leok Kawasaki EST 330
5 Ken De Dycker Honda BEL 322
6 Jonathan Barragan KTM ESP 235
7 Pascal Leuret Honda FRA 186
8 Cedric Melotte Yamaha BEL 172
9 Javier Garcia Vico Honda ESP 172
10 Manuel Priem Yamaha BEL 168
11 Julien Bill Yamaha GBR 167
12 James Noble Honda GBR 138
13 Brian Jorgensen Honda DNK 131
14 Antti Pyrhonen TM FIN 128
15 Marvin Van Daele Honda BEL 127
16 Joshua Coppins Honda NZL 116
17 Gordon Crockard Honda GBR 102
18 Sebastien Tortelli KTM FRA 99
19 Danny Theybers Suzuki BEL 84
20 Wyatt Avis KTM RSA 63
Manufacturers standings MX1
Pos. Manufacturer Points
1 Yamaha 492
2 Suzuki 409
3 Honda 361
4 Kawasaki 334
5 KTM 291
6 TM 128
MX2 : Cairoli takes first victory of 2006
Round: 10 - 2006 GP of Sun City, South Africa
Circuit: Sun City
Date: 16 July 2006
Crowd: 25300
Temp: 31oC
Weather: Hot
MX2 World Champion Antonio Cairoli climbed the top step of the podium for the first time this season at a hot Grand Prix of South Africa. The De Carli Yamaha rider completed an excellent tenth round of the FIM World Championship for the manufacturer and only the second time this term that Yamaha have owned both classes on the same day.
The Sun City circuit was again a gleaming picture of good organisation and attention to detail. In its third and final year of hosting the South African round the venue even counted on an improved terrain, perhaps the biggest weak point of past editions. Softer dirt from the dark clay texture meant less dust and more grip.
Cairoli was masterful in qualification and enacted a text-book performance by leading from gate to flag in the second heat, earned second pick of slot on the start line for the two 35 minute and 2 lap motos. The first race saw the World Champion circulating in a lonely third after a dodgy start meant that he lost the back of David Philippaerts and Tyla Rattray disputing the win. He pushed through to third despite having trouble with a bent plastic radiator guard catching the bars of the 250F because of an off-track excursion. The top three finish was a decent platform from which to try for the overall and he defeated local favourite Rattray by winning the second moto in style for his sixth race trophy from the twenty held so far.
Kenneth Gundersen was visiting South Africa for the first time having missed the last two years due to injury. The first moto saw the Norwegian clatter a haybale that had been dragged into his path and he fell heavily onto his left hand. The Ricci Racing rider needed medical attention at the side of the track and will now head back to Italy tomorrow night for an examination on a possible broken bone in his wrist.
Alessio Chiodi showed signs that he is coming back to the decent speed he showed before a fast practice crash in Japan left the former World Champion with an injured knee. The Italian is still missing race fitness however and ended the day twelfth overall after a set of average starts.
Davide Guarneri slipped off his 250 in the first qualification heat race yesterday and injured his right knee. The Italian was a reduced force but scored ninth overall with moto finishes of ninth and 12th.
Antonio Cairoli, Team Yamaha De Carli:
"For sure I am very happy about this win because for many GPs I have been close to victory but one mistake has cost me dear. I managed to take one moto in the past but then finished too far back in the other. It is the first time I have won in South Africa. I had some trouble with the radiator guard in the first moto after I jumped off the track; it was difficult to balance and I lost a lot of time. It was a fast race so I thought about the points. I really liked the track because the mud was softer this year and there were many jumps."
Alessio Chiodi, Yamaha Team Ricci:
"The knee is a little bit better but my physical condition is not so good because I have not been able to train properly recently. I hope things will get better, it is coming back slowly."
Race classification MX2
Round: 10 - 2006 GP of Sun City, South Africa
Circuit: Sun City
Race 1: 20 Laps
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 D. Philippaerts KTM ITA 39' 58.600
2 T. Rattray KTM RSA +1.252
3 A. Cairoli Yamaha ITA +27.332
4 G. Swanepoel Kawasaki RSA +32.669
5 C. Nunn KTM GBR +34.481
6 T. Searle Kawasaki GBR +38.529
7 D. Guarneri Yamaha ITA +42.451
8 S. Pourcel Kawasaki FRA +45.990
9 A. Chiodi Yamaha ITA +46.376
10 C. Pourcel Kawasaki FRA +47.003
11 M. Monni KTM ITA +59.201
12 R. Goncalves KTM POR +1' 11.559
13 T. Church Kawasaki GBR +1' 39.682
14 J. Dougan Honda GBR +2' 1.111
15 M. Kok Suzuki RSA +2' 4.076
16 B. MacKenzie Yamaha GBR +1 lap(s)
17 K. Fitzgerald Yamaha RSA +1 lap(s)
18 N. Naude Yamaha RSA +1 lap(s)
19 F. Fourie KTM RSA +1 lap(s)
20 F. Ford Yamaha RSA +1 lap(s)
Race 2: 20 Laps
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 A. Cairoli Yamaha ITA 40' 44.327
2 T. Rattray KTM RSA +4.810
3 C. Nunn KTM GBR +6.250
4 C. Pourcel Kawasaki FRA +21.592
5 M. Monni KTM ITA +23.473
6 R. Goncalves KTM POR +26.331
7 S. Pourcel Kawasaki FRA +29.590
8 T. Searle Kawasaki GBR +30.146
9 D. Guarneri Yamaha ITA +38.294
10 G. Swanepoel Kawasaki RSA +52.685
11 B. MacKenzie Yamaha GBR +1' 2.303
12 A. Chiodi Yamaha ITA +1' 29.588
13 T. Church Kawasaki GBR +1' 47.242
14 J. Dougan Honda GBR +1 lap(s)
15 N. Naude Yamaha RSA +1 lap(s)
16 R. Branch Kawasaki RSA +1 lap(s)
17 J. Kruger KTM RSA +1 lap(s)
18 J. de Bruin Yamaha RSA +1 lap(s)
19 F. Fourie KTM RSA +1 lap(s)
20 K. Fitzgerald Yamaha RSA +2 lap(s)
Championship standings MX2
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points
1 Christophe Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 379
2 Antonio Cairoli Yamaha ITA 347
3 David Philippaerts KTM ITA 329
4 Tyla Rattray KTM RSA 305
5 Marc De Reuver KTM NED 284
6 Carl Nunn KTM GBR 241
7 Billy MacKenzie Yamaha GBR 228
8 Tommy Searle Kawasaki GBR 224
9 Gareth Swanepoel Kawasaki RSA 210
10 Sebastien Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 207
11 Kenneth Gundersen Yamaha NOR 194
12 Rui Goncalves KTM POR 193
13 Alessio Chiodi Yamaha ITA 185
14 Davide Guarneri Yamaha ITA 153
15 Manuel Monni KTM ITA 125
16 Luigi Seguy Yamaha FRA 94
17 Anthony Boissiere Yamaha FRA 87
18 Aigar Leok Yamaha EST 73
19 Matti Seistola Honda FIN 69
20 Pierre-Alexandre Renet Honda FRA 56
Manufacturers standings MX2
Pos. Manufacturer Points
1 KTM 459
2 Yamaha 433
3 Kawasaki 403
4 Honda 153
5 Suzuki 22