Kylmakorpi triumphs in the Land of the Windmills

Joonas Kylmakorpi emerged the winner of the 2nd Round of the Long Track World Championship after an enthralling meeting in Eenrum, The Netherlands on Sunday. The Swede took a major step towards winning his fifth title by beating current champion Erik Riss into second place giving him a healthy 9 point advantage at the half way stage of this year’s competition.
 
Scorers:

After 15 qualifying heats veteran Dutchman Theo Pijper led the field jointly with Kylmakorpi and Josef Franc from Czech Republic. Pijper had been impressive in the heats claiming four wins in his five rides and all three moved smoothly into the last race along with Riss and local favourite Jannick De Jong. However, Kylmakorpi made no mistake in the Final, leading from the first lap with Riss and De Jong sweeping outside Franc to capture the remaining rostrum places and leaving Pijper in their wake.

Of the rest, Britain’s Richard Hall missed the final by two points and the French pair of Stephane Tresarrieu and Dimitri Berge scored well enough to reach the semi-final stage. Dirk Fabriek still suffering some effects of his accident in Scheesel in May also reached the semi finals but was not able to progress. Apart from Riss, the Germans disappointed and even recent Long Track Challenge winner Kai Huckenbeck could muster only four points.
 
Some 3000 spectators attended despite rain which fell throughout the afternoon and it is a credit to the organising club that the meeting of 27 races including all supporting events was completed in around three hours.

Although Kylmakorpi leaves Holland with a comfortable lead, the competition for the medals is far from over and some tough racing can be expected when the remaining rounds are held in Vechta, Germany and Morizes France in September.

Leading scores after two rounds:
Joonas Kylmakorpi 46 points, Erik Riss 37, Jannick De Jong 36, Theo Pijper 33, Dimitri Berge 30, Joseph Franc 27, Richard Hall 20.

Graham Brodie / pictures C. Sievers