Happy Birthday Bercy! But party's for 125s only...

Twenty! That's a nice birthday for the main European Supercross event held at Bercy, Paris, every autumn.

For this, the oldest SX event organised in Europe, nothing has really changed there is always a lot of exited riders, thousands of enthusiastic fans and all the ingredients - music, lasers and pom-pom girls - for a great show.

And for this, it's 20th birthday they've introduced a new schedule for November 8th, 9th and 10th, namely spectacular freestyle exhibitions and 125 races.

Only 125..?

Yeah! David Vuillemin won the last three 250 events, and the promoters claim it was time for a change. There was less and less action and battles in the 250 races, they say, and as was it more and more difficult to attract the top 250 riders, 'Bercy' decided to have only 125 races.

This class has always been very exiting since it first appear in 1990 - Jeff Emig then the winner - and with 36 selected riders for each night it will be a great show.

'Bercy' is also offering the highest prize money ever seen for a 125 race - 20,000 euros per night for the winner, and a bonus of 10,000 euros for the Prince of Bercy, overall winner - and with a great free style show the fans will spend three exciting nights in Bercy.

Three teams will race - USA, France and the Rest of the World.

Managers of those teams - David Bailey, Jean Michel Bayle and Kurt Nicoll respectively, have convinced many famous riders to come to Bercy including; Travis Preston (2002 West Coast US SX Champion), Mickael Maschio (2002 MX 125 World Champion) and Grant Langston (South Africa, 2000 MX 125 World Champion).

Five of the previous 'Princes of Bercy' will also be there - Brock Sellards, Justin Buckelew, Rodrig Thain, Nick Wey, David Pingree - and there will also be lots of new talented youngsters - Matt Walker, Ivan Tedesco, Chris Gosselaar, Billy Laninovich, Josh Hansen, Tyla Rattray, Steve Boniface, Michael Byrne, Tanel Leok, Johnny Aubert, Eric Sorby, Rui Gonalves, Marc Ristori, Pascal Leuret.

For the free style show Edgar Torronteras will be there of course; ET is a real star in Bercy, and has thousands of fans in Paris. He will do both the 125 races and the FMX contest, against American Mad Mike Jones, Frenchmen Manu Troux, Jeremy Lamblin and Fred Besancenot and a young Swiss rider, Matt Rebeau.

The event will start at 8.00 pm Friday and Saturday, and at 3.00 pm Sunday.