No Bul' from Toni!
By TMX Archives on 21st Jun 07
THE fiery friendship between Toni Cairoli and Chris Pourcel came to an end in Bulgaria on Sunday as the duo clashed twice out of the start gate - the Frenchman getting the worst of the deal each time - while the Italian in MX2 and Josh Coppins in MX1 again won to extend their championship leads yet further.
Tommy Searle took another podium after arip-roaring ride to second in race one and there were points all theway down the line for Gareth Swanepoel, Ken De Dycker, Mike Brown, CarlNunn, Sean Hamblin, James Noble, Gordon Crockard, Tom Church and MartinBarr. Billy MacKenzie missed out after a heavy crash in race one.
MX2
POURCEL had already admitted how vital the insidegate was for turn one at the Sevlievo expressway, but pole brought himlittle at the start in either race after collisions out of the gatewith Cairoli.
''I lost control and veered sideways,'' reckonedCairoli, and jury president Gernot Kaufer confirmed that he consideredthe collision to be: ''...a racing incident. There was a rut whichcaused it.''
But Pourcel was not alone in considering it to beon purpose: ''It's not the first time, and he did the same last week toSearle. He came straight across me!''
The move gave Cairoli the advantage and, eventhough Searle made it to turn one first, the Italian was able to turntighter and led leaving the corner to speed to his 13th moto victory ofthe season.
Searle held second for four laps and had the placeback at the finish: ''I'm learning every week. Pourcel and Tyla bothgot past me, but I came back and re-passed both of them before thefinish. The only one who is still out of reach is Cairoli.''
Rattray finished third, but Pourcel dropped backto sixth: ''I was so angry after what happened at the start. I was notbreathing properly and tensed up in the middle of the race.''
Overtaking was a rarity on an expressway withlittle technical difficulty, but Swanepoel and Hamblin both worked hardat it and made more progress than most.
WORLD MX2 MOTOCROSS CHAMPS Rd 8 - Sevlievo, BULGARIA
1 Antonio Cairoli (I - DeCarli Yamaha) 25 + 25 = 50
2 Tyla Rattray (ZA - Red Bull KTM) 20 + 20 = 40
3 Tommy SEARLE (GB - Red Bull KTM) 22 + 16 = 38
4 Christophe Pourcel (F - GPKR Kawasaki) 15 + 22 = 37
5 Pascal Leuret (F - Nouvelle Honda) 18 + 18 = 36
6 Gareth Swanepoel (ZA - Molson Kawasaki) 13 + 15 = 28
SERIES STANDINGS after 8 (of 15) rounds: 1 Cairoli 392 points, 2Pourcel 309, 3 Rattray 298, 4 Leuret 245, 5 SEARLE 244, 6 Swanepoel 201
NEXT ROUND: July 1 - Uddevalla, SWEDEN.
MX1
SEBASTIEN Pourcel had made it a family double onpole, but the KTMs of Jonathan Barragan and David Philippaerts shot outof the gate, the Spaniard never to be seen by the opposition again.
''I've had problems with injuries to bothshoulders for the last two months, but I feel OK again,'' explained theSpaniard who had not raced at the front since Valkenswaard.
Within six laps, Coppins was second and knew hehad little chance of more: ''The track is so easy, everyone can racefast. I didn't touch either Ramon or Philippaerts to pass them, but Ihad to give them the option of backing off or a collision.'' The Kiwifinally had to give up all hope of catching Barragan when he crackedhis privates on the tank mid-moto.
WORLD MX1 MOTOCROSS CHAMPS
Rd 8 - Sevlievo, BULGARIA
1 Joshua Coppins (NZ - Yamaha) 22 + 25 = 47
2 Jonathan Barragan (E - Red Bull KTM) 25 + 16 = 41
3 Steve Ramon (B - Team Suzuki) 18 + 22 = 40
4 Sebastien Pourcel (F - GPKR Kawasaki) 20 + 18 = 38
5 David Philippaerts (I - Red Bull KTM) 16 + 20 = 36
6 Ken De Dycker (B - CAS Honda) 13 + 15 = 28
SERIES STANDINGS after 8 (of 15) rounds: 1 Coppins 368 points, 2 Ramon271, 3 Philippaerts 222, 4 Pourcel 222, 5 Barragan 214, 6 Strijbos 211.
NEXT ROUND: July 1 - Uddevalla, SWEDEN.
For full report, results and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, June 22, 2007.