Third Beaucaire win for Smets.

With very nice sunny weather and a very important crowd - 15,000 spectators - the 2002 Motocross in Beaucaire was a great success, Joel Smets winning for the third time this prestigious pre-season race.

Smets did the holeshot in the first heat and won easily, followed by Bartolini back to racing on his 450 Honda.

It was more difficult for Smets in the second heat, as Bartolini did the holeshot and led the race during six laps. Smets passed him and won this second heat, but during the last four laps both Bartolini and Beirer put pressure on him.

In the last race Bolley did the holeshot, followed by Smets and Demaria. Smets was really close but he broke his rear brake and crashed in the fourth lap. Demaria came second, but he did a mistake in the seventh lap and finished fourth.

Smets won the event overall, followed by Bartolini and Beirer.

Yves Demaria broke his rear brake in the first heat. Frdric Bolley crashed at the beginning of the second moto when Dobb pushed him out, and then came back from thirty third to thirteen. In the last race Bervoets crashed in the first lap (he was third) and retired; Dobb also retired at mid race.

Pichon was not in Beaucaire, due to a finger injury contracted one week earlier in England.

Results:

First heat:
1.Smets (Bel, KTM) ; 2.Bartolini (Ita, Honda); 3.Bolley (Fra, Yamaha); 4.Dobb (GBR, KTM); 5.Coppins (NZL, Honda); 6.McFarlane (Aus, Kawasaki); 7.Beirer (Ger, Honda); 8.Everts (Bel, Yamaha); 9.Aubert (Fra, Yamaha); 10.Ramon (Bel, KTM 125); 11.Bervoets (Bel, Yamaha); 12.Van Drunen (Ned, Yamaha); 13.Sorby (Fra, Honda 125); 14.Letellier (Fra, KTM 125); 15.Maschio (Fra, Kawasaki 125)

Second heat:
1.Smets; 2.Bartolini; 3.Beirer; 4.Demaria (Fra, KTM); 5.Bervoets; 6.Coppins; 7.Everts; 8.McFarlane; 9.Aubert; 10.Ramon; 11.Maschio; 12.Letellier; 13.Bolley; 14.Delepierre (Fra, Kawasaki 125); 15.Dobb

Third heat:
1.Bolley; 2.Beirer; 3.Smets; 4.Demaria; 5.Coppins; 6.Bartolini; 7.McFarlane; 8.Everts; 9.Gundersen; 10.Ramon; 11.Van Drunen; 12.Sorby; 13.Freibergs (Lat, Honda); 14.Iven (Bel, KTM); 15.Delepierre

Overall (same points system as GP):
1. Smets, 66 pts; 2. Bartolini, 50; 3. Beirer, 45; 4. Bolley, 44; 5. Coppins, 32; 6. McFarlane, 27; 7. Demaria, 26; 8. Everts, 25; 9. Ramon, 18; 10. Bervoets, 16; 11. Aubert, 14; 12. Dobb, 14; 13. Van Drunen, 9; 14. Sorby, 7; 15. Gundersen, 7;