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  June 8, 2003 |
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World Motocross Championship, Round 5,
Venue - Sevlievo, Bulgaria
Motocross Grand Prix -- Jorgensen takes Podium to Confirm 4th Place |
Brian Jorgensen of the Tiscali Honda Team climbed on the podium Sunday with a
magnificent third place finish at the Grand Prix of Bulgaria. Jorgensen battled against
the heat and 80% humidity to record his best result since 2000, finishing just 11 seconds
behind winner Stefan Everts (Yamaha) and Joel Smets (KTM). Jorgensen moves to
fourth place in the championship with 67 points. Series leader Mickeal Pichon (Suzuki)
suffered his second defeat of the season, taking fourth place after a poor start and a
crash. Everts closed the gap on the Frenchman to only eight points with his second
successive win in two weeks. Joel Smets, thanks to some consistent riding, is also
catching up with Pichon, and is now trailing by only three points after Sunday's round
five of twelve.
Jorgensen flew like a rocket out of the start and headed the 30-strong field into the first
turn alongside German Pit Beirer (KTM), then holding a tight inside line and
overtaking Beirer within a lap, "I felt very comfortable out front, I led for three laps, I
never looked back and it seemed a very long time before anyone started to close in on me.
I was trying to control my breathing and not get arm pump, at first I found it easy to
look for lines but as I was alone I lost my rhythm." Everts did close and passed the Dane
on lap four of 21. "Stefan came up the inside on one of the hills, I tried to follow his lines,
he had pretty much the same route, he rides so smooth and broke away from me. For
the first time this season I rode the bike like it should be ridden, how a 450cc should
perform rather than stop-go in all the corners.
"When I panic I hold the lower gear, you have to change up to get the best out of the bike,
I am learning to use the gears. Smets caught me and closed the gap, he made a move
but his speed wasn't that fast and I passed him back after the giant downhill table top. I
went to the inside, got by and just looked at him. I held the inside he was much slower
on the right side of the track. He passed me up one of the hills, it was then I looked back
for the first time, I could see that I had a big gap and with six laps to go I knew I had a
safe third position. Maybe Smets would have made a mistake so I kept right up with
him but in the end I finished third and took my first podium since 2000. I am now in
fourth position just behind the very best riders in the world. To stand on the podium
with six times champion Everts and four times winner Smets is good. To know that you
have the speed and are capable of running with the best, it makes all the hard work
worth it and shows my critics that I can run with the best despite coming from a small
place like Denmark!"
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World Motocross Championship, Round 5,
Venue - Sevlievo, Bulgaria
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MXGP
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| 1 |
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Stefan Everts (Yamaha) |
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| 2 |
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Joel Smets (KTM) |
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| 3 |
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Brian Jorgensen (Honda) |
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| 4 |
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Mickael Pichon (Suzuki) |
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| 5 |
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Andrew Mcfarlane (Kawasaki) |
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| 6 |
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Claudio Federici (Yamaha) |
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| 10 |
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Yoshitaka Atsuta (Honda) |
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| 17 |
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Joshua Coppins (Honda) |
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125cc
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| 1 |
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Mickael Maschio (Kawasaki) |
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| 2 |
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Andrea Bartolini (Yamaha) |
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| 3 |
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Marc de Reuver (KTM) |
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| 4 |
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Stefan Everts (Yamaha) |
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| 5 |
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Erik Eggens (KTM) |
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| 6 |
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Steve Ramon (KTM) |
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