Toni Bou se impone con autoridad e inicia con energía la defensa del título. Takahisa Fujinami pierde el podio en el último momento.

Baiona (Pontevedra). 18.04.2010.- Toni Bou (Montesa Cota 4RT) ha sido el vencedor de la prueba que este domingo ha iniciado en la localidad gallega de Baiona una nueva edición del Campeonato del Mundo de Trial al aire libre, certamen que el piloto de Montesa ha ganado los tres últimos años. Toni Bou ha resuelto con absoluta solvencia los cambios que impone el vigente reglamento, que ahora limita a un minuto el tiempo límite por cada zona (30 segundos menos que antes) y establece el orden de afrontarlas según la clasificación del mundial, en este caso los resultados finales del 2009.

El vigente campeón ha logrado unas diferencias notables en cada vuelta, finalizando la primera con 15 puntos, la mitad que Takahisa Fujinami (Montesa Cota 4RT), en aquel momento su rival más próximo. En el segundo giro, Bou ha seguido ampliando diferencias al firmar de nuevo la mejor puntuación. Fujinami, por su parte, ha luchado por mantener su segunda posición pero en los compases finales, bajo una ligera lluvia, ha cometido algún error que le ha costado unos puntos muy valiosos y le ha dejado fuera del podio.

Alfredo Gómez (Montesa) ha finalizado segundo, a un solo punto del vencedor, en la categoría Júnior, en la cual Francesc Moret (Montesa) ha sido cuarto y Laia Sanz, también con Montesa Cota 4RT, decimoctava.

Toni Bou: "Las zonas han sido de las que me gustan, difíciles y selectivas. En mi caso ha sido aún más complicado, ya que he sido el primero en pasar por ellas y no poseía ninguna referencia. Esto, añadido a la reducción de tiempo, ha elevado notablemente la exigencia. Considero que he hecho un pilotaje bastante bueno y además hemos acertado el planteamiento de la prueba. En definitiva, un buen inicio de campeonato".

Takahisa Fujinami: "No puedo sentirme satisfecho. He estado en condiciones de finalizar segundo y por culpa de unos errores he bajado a la cuarta posición. He perdido yo y también el equipo, que hubiera podido iniciar el campeonato con un doblete".

La segunda y tercera prueba del Campeonato del Mundo de Trial se disputarán el próximo sábado y domingo, 24 y 25 de abril, respectivamente, en Paços de Ferreira (Portugal).

Información de: Oficina de prensa y comunicación: infomotor

Dougie Lampkin

SPEA FIM Trial World Championship (Outdoor) Baiona, Spain. Round 1 Day 1 Sunday (1 day event) 18/04/10

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Dougie Lampkin endured a torrid day at the opening Spanish Grand Prix, which marked the start to the 2010 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship. The thirty-four year old veteran campaigner finished in a disappointing seventh place and well off the pace of a top five result, which was his aim this weekend, in what was an ultra tough competition under the new FIM rules. Confirming the severity of the trial, only the leading five riders finished with scores of less than one hundred marks.

Lampkin's preparations for this opening showdown were far from ideal, with the Beta factory rider being forced to make the long non-stop drive from the UK through the night on Thursday to arrive at Baiona on Friday afternoon as a result of the ongoing air travel ban that is now Europe wide. Dougie's rushed inspection of the fifteen hazards situated within easy viewing of the wide path that wound its way around the small peninsula that over looked the town, revealed that he was in for a tough start to his 2010 World Trial campaign. Heavy rain in the region on Friday and Saturday only added to the severity of the sections, especially now that time has been reduced to just one minute per section in the recent FIM rule shake up. With this being Lampkin's eighteenth consecutive season at the World Championship, the Yorkshireman has seen many changes to the sport over the last two decades.

Dougie made a strong opening, riding behind the likes of Bou, Raga, Cabestany and co, as a result of the new starting system, which put the current best riders first. A clean in section one and a single dab ride in the following hazard was just the confidence boosting start Lampkin was looking for, but the 'feel good' factor was short lived.

One section later and Dougie was involved in a massive crash that saw his factory two stroke Beta smashed to bits, but thankfully left him relatively unscathed. The mechanics worked hard to get the bike back in shape, but in reality Lampkin never recovered from this point forward. A string of nine fives on the trot from section five onwards and eleven maximums in total for the lap pretty much told the tale of Dougie's morning session.

It was a similar story for Lampkin on the second lap, with only the opening few sections offering him any kind of respite from a lap that this time included no less than ten fives as his tally for the day rose to well over one hundred marks. Eventually despite such a bad day, Dougie would only lose out on sixth spot by just four marks, as he and fellow British rider James Dabill finished well behind fifth placed rider Albert Cabestany.

Dougie was far from amused with the events of the day. "It's been pretty much a disaster from start to finish today and pretty much sums up the kind of week it has been. The trial was simply too hard, with many of the sections being too long for the new minute time limit. My crash in section three was as a result of me rushing, in each section you only had a few seconds to spare even if everything went OK."

"Starting the championship with this type of event is not exactly going to encourage riders to support the rest of the series. Hopefully everyone will learn from what has happened today so that we can all enjoy a far better and more suitable event in Portugal next weekend." Lampkin continued.

Dougie ended by saying. "Me and a lot of the other riders have put a lot of effort to be here this weekend when our flights were cancelled, and right at this moment I am not sure if all the effort has been worthwhile."

Información de: G2F Media Ltd

James Dabill

Trial World Championship, Baiona, Spain

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JAMES DABILL No.1 JSTGG Rider has just finished 6th at R1 of the 2010 Outdoor World Trials Championship.

This was not the best start to the Championship where James knows he must break into the Top 5 and possible podium which I know he can achieve. Speaking to Both Dibs and Jack last night they were disappointed in both his riding and also the length / severity of the sections in the new 1 minute per section rule.

Im certainly NOT going to use the rules as an excuse for Dibs 6th place because it’s the same for everyone but when you see you fantastic riders like Michael Brown and Alexz Wigg hardly getting through ‘any’ sections, this is NOT the way forward. If things don’t change SOON there will be only 5 riders in the Top class!

I could not get to the event because of cancelled flights so it’s hard to comment when you’re not there but it’s not difficult to see things are going in the wrong direction.

Anyway as I said im not using the rules as an excuse, Dibs had a bad day and will recover at this weekend’s R2 in Portugal. Dibs needs the full Team around him and im sure if im there it will add to his confidence so fingers crossed I can fly on Friday.

Congratulations to Adam Raga (GAS GAS) who was second.

Congratulations to Pol Tarres (GAS GAS) who won the Youth Class.

Jack Sheppard

Round 1 - 2010 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship. Baiona - Spain - 18/04/10

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SHEPPARD HAS TO SETTLE FOR SECOND IN SPAIN

Fresh from his European victory just twenty-four hours earlier Jack Sheppard had to settle for second place today at the opening round of the 2010 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship held in Baiona, Spain, after over coming an early mechanical problem. The sixteen year old from deepest Suffolk had hoped to repeat the success he had enjoyed over his arch rival Pol Tarres during Saturday's event, but in the end had no answer to the young Spanish rider who posted the two best lap scores of the trial.

The trial once again centred on a small rocky lined peninsula close to the seaside town, with the sections being a mixture of rounded boulders, steep faces and some muddy ruts that caused dirt to be dragged onto the harder surfaces. Whilst the sun did its best to shine throughout Sunday, heavy rain on Saturday night had left conditions wet on the ground.

With a tough week perhaps finally taking its toll on Britain's leading Youth rider, after his epic trip over land to even be at the event as a result of the ongoing air travel crisis, Jack battled hard over the first lap of fifteen sections to remain in contention with a very on form Tarres. The new rules meant that Sheppard was the second rider to start this morning, with the best riders in each class now put at the front of their respective pack, and with the daunting task of trail blazing ahead of his main rivals.

Despite this difficult task falling on such young shoulders, Jack did a great job to keep himself in the hunt, and within two marks of Tarres come the end of an interesting first lap. Although Sheppard parted with three marks in sections three, four and twelve on his first visit, he avoided any maximums unlike Tarres who came unstuck as early as the fourth hazard.

The second lap was a case of reverse tales, as this time around it was Jack who was to lose valuable ground to Tarres in the early part of the lap, with Sheppard failing at section three which proved to be his bogey hazard of the trial. The teenager instantly regained his composure to put together a string of three cleans in a row, and a further four faultless rides before the end of the trial.

A final five in section twelve for Jack, confirmed Pol as the winner, but the Beta rider kept his cool to complete the closing three hazards to ensure that second place and seventeen valuable championship points were his at the end of a tough two days of competition.

Jack explained. "Yesterday I was really pleased with my results, winning was really good especially after the hassle getting here. Today I have had some problems, but I managed to keep riding and finished second, so I am quite pleased with that. The sections were really good, however I think that maybe a minute and a half is better especially in the longer sections, but it’s the same for everyone."

Continuing, Sheppard said. "Second place is not perfect, but it’s good for the championship and the overall points. I’m going to aim to be one place higher next time. We’re going to stay here in Spain for some days because we can’t fly home and then we will drive to Portugal. "

"I’m quite happy with the bike, it took me a while to adjust, but now I’m really happy with it." Ended Jack.

Sheppard will remain in Europe this coming week with his minder James Williams and the rest of the Top Trial Team in order to be fully prepared for the second round of the 2010 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship in Portugal next weekend, which this time will be contested over two counting days.

Información de: G2F Media Ltd