Who will win the GP sidecar cross in Markelo?
Just over half of all rounds to go in the GP Sidecar Cross season, the global circus of sidecar cross gladiators will descend on Markelo next weekend.
The battle continues, and how! The battle for World Cup points is so hot this year that it makes the drought in Markelo and the surrounding area pale!
Halfway through the World Cup sidecar cross season, there are indeed a number of teams that have managed to distinguish themselves a little more from the rest. It is likely that one of the top three teams of the current 2019 Sidecar Cross World Championship standings will take the title, although one never knows within sidecar cross!
The top three consists of Bax/Stupelis in first place, followed by Vanluchene/Van den Boogaart and Hermans/Musset. Team Bax has a lead of 25 points but has not yet achieved a 0 score in the World Cup this season, where team Hermans and Vanluchene both lost big points. This is the main reason that Bax/Stupelis are in the lead with this nice lead in points because the top three are very evenly matched this season and apart from incidental success from other teams, Bax, Vanluchene and Hermans are always the first to be found somewhere. .
Team Bax currently seems to be the main one to score big because, apart from the often poor starts, the World Cup is running smoothly for the professional team from Bergeijk.
However, team Bax already experienced misery in the ONK'S. For example, baking player Stupelis is recovering from a bizarre incident that happened during the ONK in Oss on June 23. There, Stupelis' leg got under the rear fender and got stuck between it and the spinning rear wheel. Despite the pain, team Bax/Stupelis continued after this and managed to score quite nicely. However, Stupelis briefly handed over the baton to compatriot Daiders last weekend to join Etienne Bax during the ONK in Valkenswaard. So just take it easy for a weekend and the question is whether Stupelis has fully recovered after this short break. On the other hand, multiple champion Stupelis never lacks character, as evidenced by that 2nd heat in Oss when he managed to complete another 25 minutes with a torn leg!
The French GP of Plomion proved to be a bridge too far for the chasing teams of Hermans and Vanluchene. Hermans/Musset dropped out in the 1st heat, lying first (!!!), with mechanical failure.
Team Vanluchene crashed hard in the 2nd heat when Van den Boogaart fell out of the sidecar and driver Vanluchene suddenly flew hard into the fences at right angles! A baby was injured, but he has now been released from the hospital and said that he greatly appreciates all the expressions of support from the team involved! That's how the sidecar cross is, 'When the flag drops, the bullshit stops'! However, between the drop of the finish flag and the slamming down of the starting gate, there are almost literally 30 minutes and 2 laps of blood, sweat and tears. Because you can count on the fact that the two Dutch and Belgian teams from the top 3 in the standings will have a knife between their teeth for the World Cup points. Hermans/Musset now seem to be in the winning flow, Vanluchene/Van den Boogaart always ride well in Markelo and Bax/Stupelis will show their skills spectacularly again.
It seems to be a 'who of the three' but of course there are more privateers on the coast!
We have almost forgotten that the young Veldman/Janssens team rode from 28th place to victory in the blowing sand of Lommel in the first round. Veldman has just returned from a wrist injury but can always excel in a GP and it wouldn't be surprising if he ends up on the podium next Sunday.
In fourth and fifth place in the World Cup standings we see the Belgian teams of Sanders and Dierckens.
Team Sanders scores consistently every match, just missed out on the GP podium a number of times, but we are satisfied in fourth place. However, just last weekend, his regular baking player Lari Kunnas injured his finger. That is why Sanders will be at the start this weekend with 'substitute king' Kenny van Gaalen. Solid driving and scoring will be the motto for team Sanders.
In fifth place we see Dierckens/Bax. Fast starter Dierckens seems to be going faster and faster with Robbie Bax. At the beginning of the season, the team often fell back from promising positions, also due to the lack of match rhythm. In recent matches, however, the Dierckens/Bax tandem appears to be able to hold onto top places and this makes them certainly a candidate for the cups in Markelo.
Normally the cannibal from Lochem, Daniel Willemsen, is always an outsider for the podium. However, the ten-time World Champion has a problem. At the time of this writing, no truck driver has yet been found to assist Willemsen in the sidecar! However, Willemsen has announced via a video that he will be there in Markelo. We will all see which rabbit he will pull out of the hat on Saturday! For example, Daniel Willemsen's participation is in doubt... but if everything goes as it goes, Willemsen is an immediate podium candidate.
Keuben/Rietman will also compete together again in Markelo for the World Cup points. Bakkenist Rietman has recovered sufficiently to show his skills again alongside Justin Keuben. The combination has clearly shown an upward trend this season and it seems to be waiting until the team knocks on the door for the top five places in the day's results.
In that respect, the men of team Keuben probably look at team Van Werven/Beunk with some sympathy-fueled jealousy! Both always cheerful gentlemen from the Achterhoek have a lot of experience and their performances seem to be getting better and better. If the ball rolls in the right direction, one should not be surprised if we see Van Werven/Beunk suddenly end up on the podium at the end of a hellish sidecar cross day.
There are still a large contingent of teams from the Benelux that would also like this. For some, however, actually qualifying for the GP will be a challenge in itself. This weekend we even see a debutant in the form of Weijers/Van der Putten. The gentlemen from the NK class are doing so well this season, as evidenced by their guest appearances in the ONK, that they have decided to take a gamble and qualify for the GP in Markelo.
This will be difficult because not only good teams from the Benelux are coming to Markelo, but the entire global sidecar world is coming to cross swords!
One of the foreign teams that will probably be talked about the most in Markelo is the British team of Wilkinson/Humphrey. The gentlemen have not yet scored any points for the 2019 World Championships as they crashed hard during qualifying for the first GP in Lommel. With several fractures in his back, rider Wilkinson had to watch as his competitors were able to ride the World Championships. But now the friendly black/pink English brigade is finally back in the World Cup field.
Other British people who certainly want to have a say in Markelo are both Brown teams. Nestor Stuart Brown increasingly sees his son Jake Brown matching his performance this season. We will see this weekend whether the experienced Brown/Chamberlain or the young Brown/Millard will score the best. Other Brits who would also like to make themselves heard are King/Gray and Hodges/Grahamme, both of whom have had a good season so far in the World Championship Sidecar Cross.
From France we see the top team of Valentin Giraud who, together with Andres Haller, fights for a top spot in every match. During the GP in Kiev he scored 0 points due to an injury, but the following GP in front of his home crowd in Plomion won. Giraud comes to Markelo for nothing less than the podium.
From Switzerland we see Heinzer performing well this season and perhaps he can pull off a stunt in the heats in Markelo, just like in Lommel. The Austrian team of Weiss/Schneider hopes to make their comeback in the second half of the World Cup after Weiss suffered a lingering wrist injury. Weiss' sights were set on Markelo, but it is not yet certain whether the combination will make its return this weekend.
The German teams are already having a hard time driving to the World Cup points in the sand, but most of the attention will go to team Reimann. The driving force behind this team is the Australian Brian Anthonny who literally left everything behind to try his luck in the World Cup sidecars. To the delight of himself, his family and even the Australian Motorcycle Federation, after all his effort, this already resulted in World Cup points this season and that was the first time ever that someone from 'down-under' managed to score points in the World Cup sidecars . In Markelo, Reimann/Anthonny will certainly want to score more points, probably passionately encouraged by Anthonny's family who have sold their home and hearth and have recently made the big leap to Europe to make their sidecar cross dream come true. Talk about dedication!
More than 40 sidecars will compete in Markelo on Saturday to determine which 30 will start at the GP on Sunday via the qualifying races and the all-decisive last-change qualifying. On Saturday we will also see the National Championship sidecars in action twice in the supporting program.
On Sunday at 13.15:16.00 PM and XNUMX:XNUMX PM the starting gate will drop for two heats of the World Championship Sidecar Cross and history has shown that this always provided a spectacle on the Herikerberg in Markelo!
More information/timetable/participant lists on
www.motorcrossmarkelo.nl
Photos: Orangehat.nl
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