Puzar third with Huskie in Sweden.

The Swedish Grand Prix produced a third consecutive 125cc World Championship podium for Alex Puzar and Husqvarna, as the Italian closed in on the series lead.

In the eighth round of the championship, at the beautiful track of Uddevalla, north of Gothenberg, two-times world champion Puzar scored an important third place finish that lifted him into second place in the provisional classification, only three points behind leader Mickael Maschio.

"This third place has arrived after a difficult weekend where I have never succeeded in riding as I would have liked," Puzar declared at the end of the race.

"During free practice, I always raced tensed up and never with the correct rhythm while, during the race, things changed, even if I have never ridden as in Bulgaria. I was too tense and also the track was not suitable to my style of riding. A good start and a perfect bike, from the beginning until the end, have helped me to have confidence in myself. Now I need a week's break to be able to face the last four rounds with the correct concentration."

The 125 race was won by the young rider Ben Townley from New Zealand, who won his first ever GP, in front of Stave Ramon and Puzar. Christian Stevanini, after a good start in fifth position, suffered arm-pump in his forearms and eventually finished the race in sixteenth position.

The good result of the Husqvarna Team was completed in the 500 class by the good job done by Brian Jorgensen and Jonny Lindhe who were fifth and seventh respectively in the half-litre class race which was won by Stefan Everts.

Danish rider Jorgensen of the Husqvarna Edo Racing Team, on his brand new TC 450 2003, put on his best performance of the season which has placed him in tenth position in the provisional championship classification. There was a clear improvement also for Lindhe who, on a familiar track, threw the 15.000 spectators into rapture, resulting with seventh place, the best Swedish rider of the three classes.

"I am still not at 100 per cent," Lindhe commented, "But now I know how I have to work. Unfortunately the accident at the beginning of the racing season has slowed down my preparation and only now I am returning to the level that I've was before the season started. My team has worked well the whole year and I really want to repay them with some good results."

The 250 class was won for the seventh time this season by Mickael Pichon. Carl Nunn on the Husqvarna of the Multitek Team finished in seventeenth place because of a fall that slowed down the English rider when he was in eighth position.