Strong team performance at GCC event in Mernes
Round three of the 2008 German Cross Country championship was a white and blue affair, as three of the top four bikes in the XCPro class were BMW G 450X machines. The BMW Motorrad factory team may have been denied its third consecutive victory, but overall the racing at Mernes proved to be a major success for the factory team.
BMW works rider Simo Kirssi - the current GCC series leader and winner of the opening rounds at Tollwitz and Walldorf - was yet again the fastest man out of the Munich manufacturer’s camp, but it was Frenchman Cyrille Coulon who claimed the overall race victory with Kirssi coming home in second place. Arguably though, the ride of the day went to fans’ favourite, five-times World Motocross champ Joel Smets, who came from last position to secure the final podium spot.
Under blazing sunshine, Kirssi grabbed the Le Mans-style start and guided the field into the first lap, shadowed by his teammate Bert Meyer and Coulon. The Frenchman set a blistering pace and wasted no time, passing Meyer in lap one and then Kirssi on the following lap to take the lead. Smets meanwhile suffered drama in the first chicane. Finding himself trapped under his own bike after a crash - and visibly in pain - the likeable Belgian re-joined the race in last position. But Joel was on fire and quickly started to pick off competitors to the left and right, forcing his way through the pack and ultimately rounding out a magnificent performance by stealing third place from Meyer.
After the chequered flag, the BMW Motorrad Motorsport crew applauded their riders and everyone on the team was delighted with the result. After all, success is the best reward for all the hard work and extensive development carried out to date.
“I started well and enjoyed the track,” said championship leader Kirssi, who had been following Coulon for a large portion of the two-hour race, yet had to accept the runner-up position. “Cyrille went by in the second lap and I couldn’t quite keep his pace. Not today. I am not satisfied and would have preferred to win.”
Commenting on his excellent podium spot, Joel Smets described how the adrenaline kept him battling until the end: “There was a lot of dust in the first corner after the start. I couldn’t see anything and don’t even know why I crashed. Maybe I clipped another rider’s bike, perhaps someone touched mine or maybe I just lost the front. Anyway, I was lying there with my leg trapped between the rear wheel and fender. I hurt my hip in the incident and had to ride through the pain for two hours. Nevertheless, once I started making my way though the pack it was a lot of fun and I am pleased with the result.”
Bert Meyer, who completed the BMW display of strength behind Kirssi and Smets, had his hands full with rival Arnaud Demeester early in the race. The veteran Frenchman however crashed out two thirds into the proceedings.
“The start went well today,” said Meyer. “After re-fuelling though, I ran into an old problem of mine - struggling to regain my rhythm. I was then battling with Arnaud Demeester and took control before he eventually crashed out. Fourth place is okay.”
The final word went to Team Manager Wolfgang Fischer, who praised all his riders for their efforts: “Simo rode his own race in second place. His lap times were similar to Coulon’s, but he couldn’t quite keep the pressure on him. Joel delivered an exciting race and came from being way behind to take third, while Bert had a great battle with Demeester, which continued until the Frenchman dropped out. All our team riders completed the race and two of them finished on the podium, so all in all it’s been a great day for us and a superb day’s racing.”
Results from GCC Mernes XCPro class
1. Cyrille Coulon (FRA), Yamaha, 22 laps
2. Simo Kirssi (FIN), BMW Motorrad Motorsport, 22 laps
3. Joel Smets (BEL), BMW Motorrad Motorsport, 22 laps
4. Bert Meyer (GER), BMW Motorrad Motorsport, 22 laps
5. Marco Straubel (GER), KTM, 21 laps
6. Stefan Geyer (GER), KTM, 21 laps
7. Falko Karbautzki (GER), KTM, 21 laps
8. Christoph Seifert (GER), KTM, 20 laps
9. Steffen Albrecht (GER), Yamaha, 19 laps
10. Andreas Schulz (GER), 19 laps