Poursonal highlights - MX2 Review
By John Dickinson on 3rd Jan 07
SEVEN different winners, the eldest 25-years-old and the rest under 23, a further four on the podium, six more top six, it was MX2 action at its finest, and in the end the champion was the second youngest amongst them. What more could you ask for?
How about a champion who won the most races, like in the ''good old days'', rather than a metronome who collected points like a squirrel does with nuts?
Don't get me wrong, Christophe Pourcel was a worthy champion, and his riding talents were obvious even before he rode his first GP, but he lacked the aura of a champ, and it had nothing to do with his refusal to speak English!
Holder of the red plate since round five in Japan, the French teenager didn't add another GP win to his early season German double until he shocked the opposition with a win in Holland at the penultimate round.
Yet he could grin smugly all through the summer as even non-podium days like that at the British GP in June increased his points cushion because from May to August he never failed to outscore his closest chaser.
There was nothing special about his opening GP salvo at Zolder, 32 points from 7-4 motos, but even that was only five points off the podium as everyone else struggled to find consistency.
Rattray, De Reuver and the champion-to-be's big brother Sebastien all led the opening moto at one time, Carl Nunn was on the rear wheel of first one and then the next for ages, but incidents in the wretched weather - there was snow, hail and brilliant sunshine in rapid succession throughout the 40 minutes - saw them all slip down the leaderboard and the closing laps witnessed an overwhelming win for David Philippaerts with Kenneth Gundersen charging goggleless out of the pack to second.
''I still can't believe I won that race!'' admitted the Italian later in the year. ''I was riding so slow early in the year, but everyone else seemed to fall off!''
For full report, results and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, January 5, 2007