Report: Yeadon & Guiseley Supertrial
By John Dickinson on 31st Aug 16
THE sun was out at Addingham Moorside, west Yorkshire, on Bank Holiday Monday for the Yeadon Guiseley clubs Supertrial.
But Jack Price shone even brighter with a brilliant ride that took the hard-working Gas Gas mounted teenager to a popular win – and a welcome £850 cash prize boost!
Pricey, with trials ace turned enduro star Billy Bolt as his enthusiastic minder, pipped pre-trial favourite, reigning British Champ James Dabill on the factory Vertigo, in the penultimate hazard, escaping with a single-dab ride as Dibs stalled his engine while holding a two-mark advantage.
Dabill did have chance to hit back on the final man-made log section but failed to make the monster tree-trunk step and the win was Jack's regardless of the outcome of his ride.
Determined to finish in style, though, Jack proved that the step was possible as he blasted up showing excellent technique but unfortunately had broken a section tape so it was still a five-mark penalty.
Not that he let that worry him as he acknowledged the raucous applause!
The Supertrial, followed eagerly by several hundred keen spectators who all stayed until the end trekked across the escarpment section by section, was contested by just a dozen chosen riders.
First of all, in the morning they faced two laps of 10 sections that were the brainchild of enthusiastic Y&G club members Danny Cockshott and Ben Hemingway.
And it was clear that a lot of thought and hard work had gone into creating the hazards on the exposed, steep, rocky hillside towering over the town of Silsden.
These were trimmed to just eight contenders who, after an hour's break for lunch, first of all tackled four altered sections in a semi-final.
Then four more riders were shed leaving a final four to tackle four more extra-tough hazards in a seamless move into the final.
The riders who made the semi but didn't quite make the final were Dan Peace, Michael Brown, Toby Martyn and Dec Bullock.
That semi was very hard fought with all eight riders tackling each section together, with a single set of observers led by tough but scrupulously fair Brian Ayrton.
It was a good format that gave all competitors an equal chance.
The semi got under way with all eight contenders cleaning the altered opening section, a series of natural rock steps on flat terrain at the base of the slope. This settled any possible nerves.
Things toughened up though once onto the imposing hillside when the second section took Jack Sheppard, Iwan Roberts, Dan Peace, Michael Brown and Dec Bullock for maximums.
Jack Price indulged in a couple of prods leaving Dabill and rapidly rising Cornish teenager Toby Martyn to star over the imposing rockery needing just a dab apiece.
Price, Dabill, Shep and Roberts then all cleaned the next two subs on the imposing hillside rockery as Peace, Browny, Dec and Toby all failed to make the final.
It was particularly hard for Toby who only dropped one five and a dab but he took it very well.
He said: "I was happy to make it through to the semis and really enjoyed the day. It has been a great weekend for me really after getting third in the British Championship on Sunday.
"That was a totally different trial in the wet, I seem to be going well in the mud, and I really enjoyed both events.”
So having shed the unlucky semi-finalists it was straight on with the remaining four riders who again took each of the four remaining sections of the final in turn.
Dibs seemed to be inevitably working his way to victory having only parted with that single dab in the second section.
But that changed on the penultimate hazard when, after conquering the rock step he stalled the Vertigo virtually on flat ground but couldn't hold his balance and had to put his foot down with a dead engine. Five marks. Pricey then eased through for a dab and suddenly it was game on and all to ride for.
The tree trunks, stiffened up after the Qualifying laps, like all the hazards, proved a tough finale and after Jack Shep and Iwan racked-up maximums all eyes were on Dabill.
Trailing Price by two marks, if he could clean it there would be real pressure on his young rival – but as it happened Dibs failed to make the biggest step and it was all over.
Jack, who was disappointed not to make the podium in the previous day's British Championship round, bounced back in the best possible way with a very confident and skilful performance.
Dibs finished runner-up for the second day running, while Shep followed-up his maiden British Championship win on Sunday with a podium on Monday, showing that his switch to riding exclusively in Britain this year is paying off.
Iwan was unlucky to lose-out on a tie-break but had ridden well all day and his brilliant form of late last year, that saw him nail an inaugural British Championship win in the Guisborough club's event, is starting to return.
Big thanks to the club, officials and riders for making a spectacular Supertrial that filled a pretty big trials-shaped hole on a Bank Holiday Monday and especially gave our more ambitious up and coming riders something to really have a go at.
