After three weeks break the FIM SuperMoto World Championship returns to action for the penultimate Grand Prix of the season in Pleven, Bulgaria, this weekend, Sep-19.
After the last GP in Triscina, Davide Gozzini ended the day as the current S1 leader and became the third red plate holder of the season after Thierry Van Den Bosch and Thomas Chareyre.
Gozzini won the first two heats in Triscina and was second in the last one, so he is now leading the FIM S1 World Championship with just five points advantage over his 747 Motorsport TM Racing Factory team mate Thomas Chareyre.
Chareyre coudln't repeat his GP victory in Triscina and had to settle for an overall fourth position after his bike stopped in the last lap of the first heat. The Frenchman may have lost the leadof the Championship in Sicily but this weekend he has designs on taking it back.
After an unfortunate weekend in Sank Wendel, PMR H2O Aprilia Racing‰Ûªs Van Den Bosch was again riding for the victory. The Frenchman could not clinch the overall victory, but his 2-2-3 result saw the former champion on the second step of the podium. VDB is still third in the Championship 18 points behind Thomas Chareyre and knows that this weekend in Pleven is crucial if he wants to ad another title to his resume.
HM Honda Racing‰Ûªs Ivan Lazzarini kept his fourth position in the Championship after less than stellar weekend in Triscina. The Italian was suffering a pulmonary bronchitis, which prevented him from mounting the podium, and was classified fifth overall. The Italian knows that he has the potential to be among the top three riders, so this weekend he will race to reduce the 17 points difference with third classified VDB.
Husqvarna CH Racing Team‰Ûªs Mauno Hermunen climbed up one position in the Championship to fifth, just eleven points behind Lazzarini. The Finnish rider has proved that he is a contender for the overall victory after his two second places in Sankt Wendel and one third place in Triscina, but he is struggling to finish on the overall podium.
Bernd Hiemer dropped a position last round and is now sixth just one point behind Hermunen. The two time world champion has only been on the podium at his home track in Sankt Wendel after his third overall position, so German is heading Pleven with the goal of stepping up to the podium.
Adrien Chareyre seems to be struggling with the settings of his bike and has not been able to race with the leading contenders this season. The Frenchman is now seventh in the Championship after his 12th overall position in Triscina.
Andrea Occhini, seems to have found the perfect combination with his Suzuki and after the 5-4-4 result in Triscina completed the podium with third overall. The Italian got his best result of his professional career in front of his compatriots and moved from 14th to 8th in the point standings of the Championship.
GÌ©rald Delepine dropped one position after the Grand Prix of Sicily and is now ninth ahead of Italian Christian Ravaglia.
Main Photo: Davide Gozzini
Credit: Youthstream
S1 Championship top ten:
1. Davide Gozzini (ITA, TM), 190 points
2. Thomas Chareyre (FRA, TM), 185 p.
3. Thierry van den Bosch (FRA, Aprilia), 167 p.
4. Ivan Lazzarini (ITA, Honda), 150 p.
5. Mauno Hermunen (FIN, Husqvarna), 139 p.
6. Bernd Hiemer (GER, KTM), 138 p.
7. Adrien Chareyre (FRA, Husqvarna), 103 p.
8. Andrea Occhini (ITA, Suzuki), 92 p.
9. GÌ©rald Delepine (BEL, Kawasaki), 89 p.
10. Christian Ravaglia (ITA, Suzuki), 89 p.
