Sport in Short: Motorcycling

A BROKEN gear lever cost Steve Webster and Gavin Simmons the World Sidecar Championship. The British pair led the championship by nine points before yesterday's final round at Assen in the Netherlands, but they broke down seven laps from the finish, enabling Rolf Biland, of Switzerland, to clinch his fifth title.

WORLD SIDECAR CHAMPIONSHIP Final round: (Assen, Neth): 1 E Streuer (Neth) and P Brown (GB) LCR 37min 41.18sec; 2 R Biland and K Waltisperg (Swit) LCR 37:41.64; 3 D Dixon and A Hetherington (GB) LCR 38:06.04. Final standings: 1 Biland and Waltisperg 98pts; 2 S Webster and G Simmons (GB) 92; 3 K Klaffenboeck and C Parzer (Aut) LCR 66.

WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Ninth round (Assen): First race: 1 D Polen (US) Ducati 33min 51.05sec; 2 S Mertens (Bel) Ducati 33:51.27; 3 R Roche (Fr) Ducati 33:51.99; 4 C Fogarty (GB) Ducati 33:52.85; 5 R Phillis (Aus) Kawasaki 33:56.00; 6 P Bontempi (Italy) Kawasaki 33:58.34. Second race: 1 Falappa 34:03.35; 2 Fogarty 34:09.01; 3 Roche 34:10.30; 4 A Slight (NZ) 34:13.18; 5 D Amatriain (Sp) Ducati 34:13.88; 6 F Furlan (It) Ducati 34:26.31. Overall: 1 Polen 287pts; 2 Roche 271; 3= Phillis, Falappa 234; 5 Pirovano 202; 6 Slight 189.