The Oh' zone...
By TMX Archives on 21st Aug 08
WITH temperatures touching 25-degrees Centigrade helping to create thick dust clouds on a narrow circuit on which passing was difficult, the latest round of the IMBA European MX2 Motocross Championship at Ohlenberg in Germany on Sunday became of battle of survival.
Top Brit at the end of the day was Phil Mercer who produced a typically gutsy British performance to finish a superb second overall as he reeled off a strong 2-2-3 score-card. Next best was the consistent Matt Porter in a fine sixth overall, just one place ahead of Simon Lane.
For the remaining Brits on duty at Ohlenberg though, it was a tale of misfortune. Lying fourth in the championship standings at the start of the day, Lee Payne was knocked off in moto one when holding a top ten position before he suffered a rear-wheel puncture in moto two – but still managed sufficient points for eighth overall.
For final team member, James Lane, two falls and a bike which stubbornly refused to restart meant that he was relegated to 33rd overall – certainly a meeting he will quickly want to forget!
Riding on his local circuit, German Andre Adrian led moto one with Simon Lane, Mercer, Christoph Selent, Martijn Romviel, Matt Porter
and Kenny Beekmans in tow.
While Lane, Mercer and Porter were going for it at the front, Payne was back in 34th position after being knocked off.
Two-laps in and Mercer blasted past Lane to chase leader Adrian in a battle that
While Porter posted a very impressive sixth, Payne displayed tremendous determination to get back to 17th, one place ahead of team-mate James Lane.
In a repeat of the opener, Adrian led moto two only to quickly come under intense pressure from Mercer, while James Lane made a great start to hold third ahead of Porter, with Payne ninth and Si Lane 17th.
Four laps in, and unfortunate James Lane slipped off, then spent another two very
frustrating laps attempting to fire his machine back into life before retiring.
IMBA EUROPEAN MX2 Motocross CHAMPS
Rd 5 – Ohlenberg, GERMANY
MOTO ONE: 1 Andre Adrian (D), 2 Phil MERCER (GB), 3 Christoph Selent (D), 4 Martijn Romviel (NL), 5 Simon LANE (GB), 6 Matt PORTER (GB), 7 Kenny Beekmans (NL), 8 Menno Verleng (NL), 9 Ronne van Rooji (NL), 10 Tiziano Peverieri (I), 11 Sebastian Potraz (D), 12 Ricky Nijs (NL), 13 Manuel Gallo (I), 14 Rene Egsgaard (DK), 15 Jurgen Kuppers (D), 16 Alexander Hubner (D), 17 Lee PAYNE (GB), 18 James LANE (GB), 19 Randy Schouten (B) 20, Frederic Birth (F).
MOTO TWO: 1 Adrian, 2 MERCER, 3 Kuppers, 4 van Rooji, 5 Romviel, 6 Nijs, 7 Selent, 8 PORTER, 9 Beekmans, 10 Peverieri, 11 PAYNE, 12 Verleng, 13 Pascal Meyer (CH), 14 Egsgaard, 15 Giorgio Marinicioni (I), 16 Schouten, 17 S LANE, 18 Devis Vipera (I), 19 Gallo, 20 Potraz.
MOTO THREE: 1 Romviel, 2 Selent, 3 MERCER, 4 van Rooji, 5 Adrian, 6 PAYNE, 7 PORTER, 8 Meyer, 9 S LANE, 10 Schouten, 11 Vipera, 12 Gallo, 13 Marincioni, 14 Peverieri, 15 Christian Scholer (DK), 16 Stefan Rueger (CH), 17 Nijs, 18 Hubner, 19 Christian Juul (DK), 20 Potraz,... 34 J LANE.
OVERALL ON DAY: 1 Adrian 165 points, 2 MERCER 158, 3 Romviel 152, 4 Selent 145, 5 van Rooji 131, 6 PORTER 123, 7 S LANE 106, 8 PAYNE 100,... 33 J LANE 30.
SERIES STANDINGS: 1 Romviel 617 points, 2 Adrian 586, 3 van Rooji 534, 4 MERCER 516, 5 PAYNE 473, 6 Selent 465, 7 PORTER 403, 8 Peverieri 354, 9 Beekmans 341, 10 Egsgaard 339, 11 S LANE 321,... 16 J LANE 236.
FOR FULL REPORT SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2008