At the EuroNats the new vice-European champion Cédric Gridelet ran the race of his life. Noboby, except himself, could expect that he was able to perform at that level among the best racers of the whole world. Only 21 years old he was living in a dream: at once he felt the possibility to become the new world champion. His friends stimulated him to skip the Mello Yello Junior Worlds and to point directly at the highest award: victory among the seniors. However, the race for the Worlds title ended in a major deception for the young Belgian. Too nervous he deslotted in the early stage of the race and was victim of what former world champion Georges Baikry called "the Italian way of marshalling". At once he lost his second place after the first segment and had to fight back from rank 8. He was too in a hurry to undo his arrears and made up from now mistake after mistake, to finish 8th at his Semi. Several racers were shocked by his behaviour, menacing the Italian marshall with violence. So several racers asked that the hotblooded Cédric should be suspended from racing next year. Organiser JPVR, and coach of the Belgian team, feels that those reactions are too drastic. At the Worlds Cédric received the lesson of his life, and as sanction that suffices. JPVR decided to select Cédric in his team for next year. Since Bob Demeyer will be the new race director, JPVR intends to coach Cédric in such a way that he can beat them in 2003. A new world champion is born.  Pic: Stéphane Bob Demeyer.