Sven Verbrugge

Infobox Sidecarcross world championship rider
Name = Sven Verbrugge
Nicknames = "Svenson"
Nationality = flagicon|BEL Belgium
Birthdate = birth date and age|1967|08|21
Birthplace = Schoten, Antwerp Province, Belgium
Website = [http://www.svenverbrugge.be Sven Verbrugges official website]
Current team =
Bike number = 14 & 16
Championships = 2005, 2006
Race Starts = 245
Race Wins = 64
Podiums = 119
Poles =
Fastest laps =
Total points = 3336
Last season = 2008
Last position = 9th & 22nd
Points = 22 & 8

Sven Verbrugge (Schoten, 21 August 1967) is a Belgian sidecarcross passenger and double Sidecarcross world champion, winning the title in 2005 and 2006.

Verbrugge started racing motocross in 1983 in the 125 cc solo class before becoming a sidecarcross passenger in 1986. In his career he has raced for over 20 years in the Belgian, Dutch and the world sidecarcross championships. After his second world championship in 2006, Sven retired from the world championship, but felt, according to himself, "homesick" for the GP circus and plans to return for the 2008 season alongside his countryman Nicky Pulinx [ [http://www.svenverbrugge.be/LOOPBAAN%20ZWART.html Sven Verbrugges loopbaan] (in Dutch)] .

Apart from two world championships, he also won the Belgian title in 1993, 1994, 2004 and 2006 and the Dutch in 2001 and 2006.

idecarcross world championship results

Sven Verbrugge joined the sidecarcross world championship in 1993 as the passenger of his countryman Gunther Gooverts, whom he raced with quite successfully for four seasons. He made his debut at the French GP in Pernes Les Fontaines on 4 April 1993. He won his first race in this season in Roggenburg, Switzerland on 15 August 1993. In 1995, an ankle injury prevented him for three month from taking part in most of the season but the year after the pair returned with a sixth place overall finish. After those four seasons, Verbrugge had two lean ones with only four races in 1997 and none in 1998 after Gooverts choose not to take part in the world championship and only race in domestic events in Belgium. He raced successfully with two different drivers in 1999, Martin Gölz and Gerton Kops, who finished 12th and 9th overall this season. After a short stint with Peter Steegmans he returned to Daniël Willemsen for a second time and the pair finished second overall in the 2000 and 2001 world championship. In 2002, apart from Willemsen, he also raced with Are Kaurit, with both drivers finishing in the top four. Another second place finish, now with Kristers Serģis, in 2003, when his old partner Willemsen won the championship was followed by a seventh place in 2004 due to a three month long injury for Serģis. After this, the two drivers, Willemsen and Serģis, swooped partners, with Verbrugge returning to Willemsen for a third time and Kaspars Stupelis joining Serģis instead. This move proved very successful for Verbrugge as he managed to win two world championships with Willemsen. After the second one, Verbrugge left the world championship in 2006, seemingly for good, at the age of 39. After a year away from the GP circus however, he decided to return, now with his new partner, fellow Belgian Nicky Pulinx.

As Willemsens passenger, Verbrugge has also won two Dutch national titles, in 2001 and 2006.

eason by season

Source:Cite web
url = http://www.thejohndaveypages.org/CV/XXX/CV_XXX_P_Verbrugge_S.htm
title = The John Davey Pages - Sven Verbrugge
accessdate = 2008-04-15
publisher = John Davey
* "Passengers" in italics.

External links

* [http://www.svenverbrugge.be Sven Verbrugges official website (in Dutch)]

ources

* [http://www.sidecarcross.com/ The World Championship on Sidecarcross.com]

References