The memorable 1998 Motocross of Nations in Foxhill.
It is hard to believe, but it has been 20 years since this heroic match was burned into everyone's memory. We have previously written about this legendary MXoN in Foxhill, British, but now we link you to the many images of what was on display at the time.
The Motocross of Nations has been a charged competition since its inception in 1947 and that has never changed in the following years. All countries with top motocross riders send their three best riders to an annual competition for national teams. In 1998, Joël Smets had problems with his left arm in the run-up to the MXoN and had to undergo surgery. Team manager Joël Robert was criticized for appointing Patrick Caps as a replacement and there was no indication that the match near Swindon in England would end up in the history books. The other two pilots who competed for Belgium were Marnicq Bervoets and Stefan Everts.
A week earlier, a completely devastated Everts was driven home in the Greek GP 250cc and lost the world title to the Frenchman Sébastien Tortelli. So these were not ideal circumstances for the Belgian team. To top it all off, on that particular day of the MXoN in Foxhill, the weather was extremely bad and the rain was pouring down. The course, which has considerable height differences, was in a dramatically bad and very slippery condition.
Joël Robert got his kicks after the first heat when he saw Patrick Caps cross the line in fourth. Bervoets finished sixth in that series. Everts won both his heats in a way no one could do that day: he continued to spin laps at a tight pace while half the field was on the ground. At the bottom of each hill, pilots waited for a good moment to start the climb. Stefan Everts, together with Bervoets and Caps, wrote motocross history by winning this race in an unparalleled way. To give you an idea: Ricky Carmichael rode his first MXoN for the USA and never made it into the top ten. It is mainly because of the extreme conditions and the way in which Everts dominated this race that this 1998 MXoN will never be forgotten. Our colleagues from the VRT had made a nice summary of this competition at the time, you can find it via this link. At the bottom of this message you will find a comprehensive summary of what happened that day, and you can find the three heats in question on vimeo.
September 27, 1998 – Foxhill, Great Britain
1. Doug Henry (USA/Yamaha)
2. Aaltonen (Finland)
3. Rob Herring (Great Britain)
4. Patrick Caps (Belgium)
5. Francisco Garcia Vico (Spain)
6. Marnicq Bervoets (Belgium)
7. Alessio Chiodi (Italy/Husqvarna)
8. Gert-Jan Van Doorn (Netherlands)
9. Darryll King (New Zealand/ Husqvarna)
10. Kocirek (Czech Republic)
Race 3 (250/Open) top 10
1. Stefan Everts (Belgium/Honda)
2. Gert-Jan Van Doorn (Netherlands)
3. Darryll King (New Zealand/ Husqvarna)
4. Marko Kovalainen (Finland/Honda)
5. Belometti (Italy/)
6. Bernd Eckenbach (Germany/Husqvarna)
7. Shayne King (New Zealand)
8. Francisco Garcia Vico (Spain)
9. John Dowd (USA/Yamaha)
10. Marnicq Bervoets (Belgium)
1. Stefan Everts (Belgium/Honda)
2. Michael Pichon (France/Honda)
3. Marko Kovalainen (Finland/Honda)
4. Paul Malin (Great Britain/Yamaha)
5. Pit Beirer (Germany/Kawasaki)
6. Kadlecek (Czech Republic)
7. Alessio Chiodi (Italy/Husqvarna)
8. Jasinski (Germany)
9. Krajelj (Czech Republic)
10. Remy Van Rees (Netherlands)
Final score MXdN – Foxhill 1998
1. Belgium (Bervoets, Everts, Caps) 22 points
2. Finland (Aaltonen, Kovalainen, Gustafsson) 45
3. New Zealand (D-King, S-King, Coppins) 49
4.Netherlands 50
5. ONE 54
6. Germany 68
7. Great Britain 70
8. Czech Republic 82
9. Slovenia 91
10. Estonia 99
Article Photo: Luc Verbeke – Photo Patrick Caps: Serge Frocheur – Photo Stefan Everts: Donn Madea
Text: Danny Hermans – MXVintage.be
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