Bolink and Grobben triumphants Opening Cross Lommel
The opening match of VLM and BMB was played today under a radiant sun. Mike Bolink became the big winner, with two series victories, in the quarter liters. Cedric Grobben was the most regular (2-1) in the 500cc, ahead of MXGP rider Jonathan Bengtsson and Dietger Damiaens.
Of course, Lommel itself has few secrets for the majority of riders, but the surprising potholes provided a completely different surface than expected. According to many, the 'culprit' was the new sand that was supplied this winter.
With five contenders for overall victory, the 500cc class was more than worth it. That impression was confirmed in the morning. With five qualified in less than 0,9 seconds. Moreover, the difference between pole sitter Damiaens and Van Massenhoven was barely 0,074 (!) seconds, VLM champion Van Meer only had to give up 0,165 seconds.
The first round was a demonstration by the Swede Bengtsson. He turned out to be just a little too strong for Grobben, although it was mainly a mistake in the fourth round that defeated the Limburger. The KTM hegemony was completed by a rock-solid Wouter Van Massenhoven in third. Great work by the BeTeMo rider who started outside the top 10. Damiaens was much further behind, but recovered nicely to 4th, while VLM newcomer (MC De Buiting) Roy Sillien finished neatly fifth.
In the restart, Bengtsson was again the early leader, but Cédric Grobben's regularity was now the deciding factor. Grobben was by far the fastest man in the race and the SHR Motorsports Bagger Paul rider rode to a resounding victory. At the finish he had a 14,2 second lead over Dietger Damiaens, who was now well into the start. After his hip injury in Ottobiano, Bengtsson had to settle for second place in the final standings, while Van Massenhoven delivered almost a copy of the first series.
Neutral spectators wondered out loud whether Jens Van Meer had just woken up from his hibernation. However, the inconspicuous race of the cross rider from Zele fits perfectly into the plan. First build up slowly after a demanding 2018, and in terms of speed it was certainly good. The returning Mike Vanderstraeten recorded two top 10 places in “his Lommel”. BMB rider Tim Louis piloted his Kawa to eighth place (7-9) in his opening race.
No Greg Smets after all
BeTeMo's new leader for the 250 Greg Smets left the competition scratching their heads with his great time in the timed training. However, it was not a walkover. Belgian champion Mark Boot was in the lead and danced around the circuit. In a fascinating spectacle, Mikkola Racing's two-stroke specialist was never given a free pass. Behind him, Smets - on the four-stroke - and a strong Mike Bolink fought an animated duel. However, the Belgian 250 champion had to slow down in the final phase due to inflated arms, which ultimately resulted in Bolink taking the victory ahead of Smets and Boot. Ex-EMX150 champion Jack Bintcliffe finished fourth.
Postponement does not have to mean adjustment, Smets thought. With an impressive display of power, the EMX300 winner from Valkenswaard grabbed the competition by the throat. Behind him, Boot, a strong start Bram Schoepen and Mike Bolink tried to provide resistance.
Boot made a mistake, ended up next to the track, hit a post and damaged his radiator. Exit for the highlight of the first heat.
Smets' victory seemed like a certainty until he was surprised on the penultimate lap and fell over his handlebars while entering the first corner after the start. To make matters worse, Bolink was unable to avoid Smets, who was trying to scramble to his feet. A second crash that was too much for Greg. This is how Bolink, who will compete in the EMX300 this year, was awarded the victory. A smart driving Mattis Meerschout - who started tenth - took second place. A great result for the young KTM North Europe Racing rider who had suddenly dropped out in the first moto.
All results here
Inters 250 Race 1
1. Mike Bolink, 2. Greg Smets, 3. Mark Boot, 4. Jack Bintcliffe, 5. Omar Baloglu, 6. Rico Lommers, 7. Bram Schoepen, 8. Joël Van Mechelen, 9. Nick Leerkens, 10. Jordi Van Mieghem
Inters 250 Race 2
1. Mike Bolink, 2. Mattis Meerschout, 3. Joël Van Mechelen, 4. Greg Smets, 5. Nick Leerkens, 6. Jack Bintcliffe, 7. Jordi Van Mieghem, 8. Kristof Scheyen, 9. Damian Wedage, 10. Rico Lommers
Inters 250 Final score
1. Mike Bolink 50, 2. Greg Smets 40, 3. Joël Van Mechelen 33, 4. Jack Bintcliffe 33, 5. Nick Leerkens 28, 6. Rico Lommers 26, 7. Jordi Van Mieghem 25, 8. Bram Schoepen 23, 9. Mattis Meerschout 22, 10. Damian Wedage 22
Inters 500 Race 1
1. Jonathan Bengtsson, 2. Cédric Grobben, 3. Wouter Van Massenhoven, 4. Dietger Damiaens, 5. Roy Sillien, 6. Jens Van Meer, 7. Tim Louis, 8. Jacky Tausch, 9. Emmanouil Kritikos, 10. Mike Vanderstraeten
Inters 500 Race 2
1. Cédric Grobben, 2. Dietger Damiaens, 3. Jonathan Bengtsson, 4. Wouter Van Massenhoven, 5. Jens Van Meer, 6. Roy Sillien, 7. Jacky Tausch, 8. Emmanouil Kritikos, 9. Tim Louis, 10. Mike Vanderstraeten
Inters 500 final standings
1. Cédric Grobben 47, 2. Jonathan Bengtsson 45, 3. Dietger Damiaens 40, 4. Wouter Van Massenhoven 38, 5. Jens Van Meer 31, 6. Roy Sillien 31, 7. Jacky Tausch 28, 8. Tim Louis 26, 9. Emmanouil Kritikos 25, 10. Mike Vanderstraeten 22
Photos: Dieter Jans
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