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MX1: Everts takes podium despite bad starts
Round: 10 - Grand Prix of Sweden
Circuit: Uddevalla
Date: 3 July 2005
Crowd: 21000
Temp: 23ºC
Weather: Changeable
World Champion Stefan Everts was able to climb the lowest step of the podium after passing Steve Ramon for fourth position on the last lap of the second moto at Uddevalla this afternoon. The Grand Prix of Sweden, the tenth round of the 2005 FIM MX1 World Championship, took place in front of 21,000 spectators and under warm and sunny conditions.
Everts still enjoys a healthy lead in the Championship standings even though a comprehensive double by Josh Coppins (Honda) this afternoon sliced fourteen points away from his advantage. Ben Townley took his fourth consecutive podium with the runner-up spot. Jorgensen has only been able to post eight points in the last two GPs and has tumbled to tenth.
Everts suffered a brace of his poorest starts this season and was deep in mid- pack when he rounded the first turn in both motos. During race1 he ended the opening lap in seventh and quickly pulled through to fourth by lap four, however he wasn't able to close down the gap to Jonathan Barragan (KTM) in third, who was having the best race of his young career so far. Brian Jorgensen had been running in fifth behind his team-mate until a bike stall dropped him to ninth, the YZ450FM stuttered again the following lap and he was relegated all the way to twentieth. From that standing the Dane could only improve by one position.
Everts, who confessed that he wasn't a fan of the fast Uddevalla inclines, actually fell while in deep traffic negotiating the 'S' section after the opening turn in moto2. The Belgian produced an excellent performance on a circuit that did not lend itself to easy overtaking by pulling back from eighteenth on the first lap to dramatically push past Ramon with less than one circulation remaining. Brian Jorgensen completed a disappointing 'semi' home Grand Prix when he crashed twice in moto2. The second incident, a collision with Luigi Seguy, forced his retirement.
The World Championships now enjoys a brief pause and with few national competitions occurring next weekend it is the first authentic break for the Grand Prix stars. Preparations will begin earlier than usual however as the eleventh round of seventeen will take place at Sun City in South Africa on July 16th-17th.
Stefan Everts (Yamaha L&M Motocross Team) - third overall "I blew it with my starts today and that has been my problem this year. My riding has been good enough but I was tense in the first race and not relaxed. I crashed at the start of the second one but I was catching up and the speed was much better. Physically I felt very good. Josh is gaining a lot of points at the moment and this is not a good situation. I am having a difficult time but there always seems to be one of these every year and I am sure I will turn things around sooner or later and get back on top. I will use the week and half break to go riding and try and do a bit better in South Africa."
Brian Jorgensen (Yamaha L&M Motocross Team) - 23rd overall "I would love to have answer for what is going wrong at the moment. This was a terrible weekend for me regarding everything. This is the closest to a home GP that I have and it was not how I wanted it to be. I'm not a guy who makes excuses but it did not go to plan today. We have been doing a lot of testing between the GPs to set-up the bike to my particular style of riding and we haven't been able to find a good path. I was maybe a little bit unlucky today but luck comes with confidence and good riding and these elements are not coming together for me at the moment. The engine stalled twice today and the first time I thought that maybe I braked a little too hard but then it cut out again and I lost positions. In the break we changed the carb and a few things and it was better for the second moto. I was not riding well and put myself into some bad situations, because I can start well but when you are deep in the pack it can be tricky and risky. I went down the first time and! then unfortunately I collided with Seguy. The throttle was stuck and the handlebars were bent. Now I want to go to my home in Denmark, take some rest, re-set and find some strength to pick things up in South Africa."
Race classification MX1
Round: 10 - Grand Prix of Sweden
Circuit: Uddevalla
Circuit Length: 1750
Lap Record: 2' 2.045 (Joel Smets, 2003)
Fastest Lap Ever: 2' 2.045 (Joel Smets, 2003)
