The Motocross De Nations 2001
An Article by Jamie Clarke, with pictures from Mark Caines (where stated) and Marge Clarke (the rest).
Update (24/02/02) : 3 pictures from Sarah Brown of "the teenagers".
Le Grand Voyage dans Belgique
There was another expedition to the Moto Cross de Nations (the world cup of Motocross) in 2001. In 2000 some club member went to the event when it was in France. Their experience inspired the rest of us, and when we herd it was to be in Namur (the "Monaco" of motocross) in 2001 we just had to go.
We set off from Clarke HQ (Medway) on Friday night after a slight delay (passport Parry ?), in our packed minibus. Drinking had started from Clarke HQ and continued throughout the journey. Arriving at Dover (later than our ferry) we went on to the next boat, where we met more Britain supporters (the wigs - due to their snazzy, red and blue wigs). We quickly found the bar and sat down and drank (more) and watched TV (the Kilye Monouge video was the highlight).
Arriving in France we made the impromptu decision to go to eastenders. So at 2:30am (ish) we are all going round this huge warehouse grabbing creates of wine and beer and gasping at the price. We then load this all in to our already cramped minibus leaving very little room.
We drive on up the motorway towards Belgium and found an aire (lay-by) where some of us set up a tent while others after drinking so much just chose to sleep in the van at around (3:30 - 4:00 am).
Waking up very early (6:00 am ???) and very tired (still) we drove on into Belgium and nodded off. We arrived at a roadside restaurant around 9:30am where we all had a much needed breakfast.
That early morning - (left to right) Nicola Clarke (in the van), Dave Parry, Mark Caines, Phil Playfoot, and Collin Bushell.
A long drive later we arrived at Namur (roughly in the middle of Belgium) and went in search of our hotel. After asking several traffic wardens we found ore little hotel (picture below) where we promptly unloaded all our gear.
The Hotel and most of us (by Mark Caines):-
Top (left to right) - Rosaline Brown, Matthew Sheppard, Alistair Brown, Dave (Passport) Parry, Sharon Bushell, Jen (the drunk) Edwards, Dave Edwards, and Collin Bushell.
Bottom (left to right) - Sarah Brown, Alan Clarke, Nicola Clarke, Jamie Clarke, Marge Clarke, and Roger Brown.
Missing - Mark Caines (taking the picture) and Phil Playfoot (holding the flag up ?).
Another group shot by Marge Clarke.
Jamie Clarke (me - the webmaster) relaxing. By Sarah Brown.
Nicola Clarke dozing on Matt Sheepard's bed. By Sarah Brown.
Most of us, after a quick drink (we also drank on the way there) made our way to the track, while the ladies went off "shopping".
Namur is on at the junction of 2 rivers, on a small flat riverbank with hill surrounding it. The only other time I've seen places like this is in the Rhine valley in Germany, its very spectacular.
We crossed from the main town to the foot of this huge hill. On top of it was the citadel, which is really a Napolonic fort rather than a castle. Phil asked for direction to the top from a local in his best French (what French I hear you ask - take a guess). We follow Phil and about half an hour later we end up at the back of the course taking a very long, long, way around. We arrive at the start which is on parade ground on the plateau at the top of the hill. This was just a small table top, and a very small start line.
The river, with the citadel in the background. The track basically went through the woods in the back ground going from almost river level to a plateau at the top of the hill.
Alan Clarke with Nicola Clarke in the background.
We decide to follow the track round and was shocked at the width of the track - it was narrow (4 meters - and Canada Heights is 6m !). There were huge machines working all round the track that were state of the art. We went along the top of the ridge following the track and went past the trade stand. We were bitterly disappointed to learn the T-shirts were stuck in the USA so we couldn't have any. The track then jumped on to a road and went under a tiny bridge right past people house and then off on the grass bank beside the road. We followed the track round into the woods and down the hill - so far this track seamed narrow but easy (oh were we mistaken). We came upon what might be called a cliff. It was massively steep - we worked our way down the muddy bank to the bottom of this "jump" that must have been as high as a house. Here we waited for the 125cc qualifying. Alan Clarke and Dave Edwards quickly predicted that all riders would do this jump in a certain way - and they were proved wrong quickly. It was amazing.
The 125cc Practise from Marge Clarke.
I think this was the Australian rider crashing.
After the 125cc qualifying we moved on to find another viewing point. We found another point of similar magnitude . We took up position and watched another example of great riding.
The 2nd BIG Jump from Marge Clarke.
We then went of to find a place to watch the Open practise. We went round through the wood were the hill started getting steeper. The hill got so steep we we al holding on to small tree and using them as hand rails. I was doing all right until I slipped, I regained my balance in time and didn't spill any beer but I did knock Phil over -sorry once again Phill. We got to the top of the third jump and like the previous jumps you couldn't see how steep it was till you got to the edge. At the edge it was a collective oh S***. If the previous jumps had been amazing this was something else. It was really, really steep, almost vertical and at the bottom was a cobbled road with dirt on top, behind this was more hay than there is in a barn. All the riders just rolled off this jump and I wouldn't go off without a parachute or absailing gear. This cobbled road lead to the most famous part of Namur - the Monument.
From Marge Clarke.
Jamie and Matt climbing down bloody steep hill.
A group shot of us in front of the cafe.
A Swede ?
An Irishman ?
Brits No 12 Kurt Nicoll & German No 30 Eckenbach
The digger came in to cover up the cobbels.
This is a very small and basic bar which is totally not what you expect. It is in a normal street, with normal house and the longest straight of the track. Outside this bar there were Brits everywhere. Here we met Peter Burton and found the Browns (they came separately). Later we met the Harmens, Sam Slyth, etc, etc. The view here was brilliant and the waiter just came out with tray, upon tray of jupiler beer and you just brought it - obliviously the prices were inflated but it was cheaper than the UK. Encase you hadn't guessed by now this was sort of an alcoholic's convention.
We moved on up the hill, as the nations that already had qualified practised it rained. And we soon got disheartened and as the practice finished we went back to the hotel.
That evening all 16 of us went out to try to find somewhere to eat. Phil's drunken state meant that we split up and most of us went to Henri's Restaurant. It was very full and I was falling asleep! (it had been a long day). After our meal us younger ones went off to have more fun, Phil and co came back around 2:00 am I'm told. The more sensible ones returned to the hotel and got some sleep. Us younger ones found more Brits and even Sidcup members (a Richard from Southend), we also met a drunk John Chambers and many more. We feeling tired went back around 12:00am.
Jamie Clarke (me - the webmaster), Alistair Brown (a real junior ace), and Matt Sheppard (the trial ace of the future) outside the restuarent. At the time I was zombie, sleeping against the wall almost, but i recovered. Photo by Sarah Brown.
Le Grand Jour
We woke up around 9:00am, myself lucky not feeling too bad but I'm told Phil wasn't so good. We went off this time taking the shortest route to where we left off on the previous day.
From Marge Clarke.
This is one of the bridges over the river in Namur, the track is on top of that hill behind us.
We arrived at this fairly straight uphill straight that chiccaned off the road onto the grass and then upwards (on a Namur scale up not very much) to where in he glinting early morning sunshine a voice calls "Good Morning Sidcup". Its Peter Burton and co at the foot of what I would call the steps. Its vastly different from Sidcup's steps as these are much higher, and are very different. It looked like it is the ruins of some sort of Napolonic fortification you were going up and it involved at least 4 jumps.
At the top of this huge hill the track went down a little bit and up again to a table top where it came out on to the plateau (a sort of formal square). We watched the chance for the top 3 teams which got the slowest times on the Saturday re qualify at the foot of the hill. Then we got lunch and made our way around to the foot of the first big drop off for race 1. We met Sam Slythe and many other all around the place.
We got more beer and food and got out the air horn to watch the first race. An interesting race of 125s against 500s with everyone there regardless of nationality having a great time. Kurt Nicoll came 8th and Stephen Sword was 18th. I was almost suffering from frostbite my air horn had got so cold by the time the race finished. Between race was an hour long break were we found one of the many mobile bars and got beer. Then we sat down on at the side of a road like loads of others. All sorts of bikes that couldn't have been road legal (and no helmets) whizzed passed. The discussion got onto weird thing which you wouldn't talk about unless you had been drinking since Friday.
The associated pictures for the road side chat by Marge Clarke.
Race 2 was the 125s Vs the 250s, and it was another great race. Carl Nunn came 6th and Stephen Sword was 18th.
For race 3 we once again made our way down to the massive hill to the Monument cafe. Both sides of the track were heaving with people who seamed top be either British or Belgium. We worked our way right to the front of the track in front of the cafe. With at least 1/2 an hour to go we just got merry (i.e. more beer). The Belgians had several people waving flags and one was on top of a fishing rod. Phil couldn't take this so went off to the woods and got a stick of equal length and tied his union jack to it. A "flag battle" ensued which had this whole road cheering, they eventually moved into the track and everyone was in a party atmosphere.
Phil had a long running flag battle with the Belgians between race 2 and 3 and during race 3 ( I have a feeling this was taken during the race). This is in the middle of the track outside the monument cafe, by Mark Caines.
The following ones are by Marge Clarke of the outside of the cafe.
Outside the cafe.
Ali Brown with Matt's webbing.
Notice the confused look of the Belgians.
BEER!
More Brtis (Scott Eastwood, Ben Taylor and David Williams) and Beer stalls. Notice the two beer stalls in the background, and bear in mind there is this cafe (really a pub) and another beer stall on the right.
This was the second most "open" part of the track. The rest of the track is sheltered under loads of trees so you can't see so much.
Phil and his flag battle.
Moonie!
Another view showing just how many people were there.
Eventually the race started which was the 250s Vs the 500s. This was going to be great. To the delight of some and not others Smets, who had already had bike problems (it blew up on the last lap), had a crash with other riders on this tight chicane before the cafe. He the raced like a demon to finish 17th but the Belgians weren't happy. During the race a fight broke out rights in front of the bar and through the middle of the racing about 6 or more riot police and dog dived across the track and broke it up - interesting. Carl Nunn finished 9th and Kurt Nicoll 15th, after this and Smets problem we weren't sure where Britain finished. It turned out we came 4th just beating Germany by one point.
From Marge Clarke.
Ali Brown hears over the PA that we've come 4th.
Ahh - its Phil, and its all over, nooooo.
We made our way back to the Hotel and got our bags and piled into the minibus. The weather had been lovely all weekend except the Saturday afternoon rain. Anyway we go off as fast as a diesel automatic goes towards Calais. Now roger brown and Peter Burton had both promised to be home early and were going to be leaving very quickly. The rain started near the French border and got worse as we neared Calais. A big fill up on cheap Diesel and we got to the terminal. We drive up to the last row where we then go straight on to the ferry. Looking out of the window we see none other than Eddie Herd (who was at the Sidecar GP in Holland) and Roger Brown (he later said he broke down). Once aboard you saw a ferry load of motorcyclists. We then met Peter Burton who had missed the 7:30 ferry, by about 3 minutes, then had the next ferry cancelled so was on this late ferry. The ferry wasn't as rough as it could have been but still a lot of people didn't look so well. We arrived home at some unearthly hour and unlike some I had to go to school the next day.
Overall it was a great weekend and I'm looking forward to next years event.