Crossers fight for top honor in Yogya
Crossers fight for top honor in Yogya
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Italy's world leading crossers Alessandro
Puzar and Alessio Chiodi ranked first and second respectively
after the 10th series of the World Motocross Championship in
France, and each has vowed to beat the other in the 11th series
on Sunday.
Puzar, on a Honda, has garnered 287 points, and Chiodi, on a
Yamaha, is only five points behind him. They will both battle
fiercely on Sunday to stay on top of the world ranking list.
"I must go all out to retain the top position I got in France
when we battle for top honor in Yogya on Sunday," Puzar
confidently said. If beaten in Yogya by Chiodi, Puzar added,
"that means I must relinquish my top spot."
Chiodi, on the other hand, will also make a do or die effort
to surge ahead of Puzar. If he wins in Yogya he will collect 20
points and lead by 15 points.
"I think I have the chance to win the race despite the
stinging heat and the high humidity here," Chiodi said.
Thirty-one world leading crossers of the scheduled 36 have all
arrived here for the race, 15 of them being the top 15 after the
France event held last month.
"Five of the scheduled 31 crossers were not able to come to
Yogya due to injuries they sustained in the France race," commit
tee official Faryd Sungkar said.
While the world top crossers mostly were confident of doing
their best it win the race, that was not the case with local
riders who top the national ranking list, saying that making the
best 10 "was something for sure they could not do. To be among
the best 20 is more than enough if we could do it," national
leading crosser Johny Pranata admitted.
However, eight of the home best hopes have been lucky as they
are automatically eligible for the race without going through the
qualifying time trial because of the absence of world rated
riders due to injuries.
They are Johny Pranata, Satya Sunarsa, Eddy Sumampauw, Dwi
Sugiarto, Irwan Adiansyah, Ronny Karno and brothers Tanujaya,
Pieters and Frans.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, the organizing committee of the race,
headed by Faryd and official of the world motor racing body
official, made a courtesy call on Sultan Hamengku Buwono X. (rsl)