Chiodi out to win in Yogyakarta c'ship

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Winning the 10th leg of the World Motocross Championship is the main goal for Italian Alessio Chiodi in coming to this sultanate, where he and 30 other world top crossers will compete in the 125cc race at Maguwoharjo track tomorrow.

The 22-year-old Italian, who found the track in perfect condition, said yesterday that beating world champion and fellow countryman Alessandro Puzar has become his main objective to surge ahead in the world ranking list.

"I think I have a good chance to win Sunday's race, though I have only had a chance to check the track on foot, not on a bike," Chiodi told newsmen yesterday at the Aquilla Prambanan hotel.

The world motor racing governing body, FIM, which fully sanctions the event, barred, until yesterday, any rider from using the race track before FIM made its final inspection of the track, which cost the organizing committee about Rp 100 million (US$47,500) to build.

Puzar, for reasons unknown was not present at the meet-the- press session yesterday and was not available for comment.

The world's top 15 riders, in the 125cc division after the 10th leg of the world series in France, have arrived here, plus 16 leading riders from countries in five continents.

This year, the world 125cc class championship has been fixed by FIM to be staged in 12 countries, in which the Italian race, on April 2, became the opening of the series. After France, which hosted the 10th series, Yogyakarta was elected the venue for the 11th leg in the series. Reil, a small town in Germany will host the conclusion of the world series, scheduled for Aug. 13.

The 15 top world-ranking crossers, after the French race, must compete in the Yogyakarta event, as stipulated by FIM rules.

FIM elected Yogyakarta to host the 11th leg of the world series because the governing body found that the country's autosport association, IMI, has the capacity to organize such a world championship event, FIM jury president Bruno Comanducci of Italy, said.

"The track is perfect and we were satisfied with its condition. The committee has been doing a great job of hosting a world championship event," Comanducci added.

On seeing the good job Indonesia has done in hosting this race, he said that he believes Indonesia will have another chance to become a host country in one of the 1996's 125cc world series.

"I'm sure other places in Indonesia, such as Bali, which is widely known as a tourist destination, is an ideal place for a world motocross championship," Comanducci said. (rsl)