Bou is World champ?
By TMX Archives on 22nd Aug 07
IN a short, almost terse, press release this week, the FIM announced that the final round of the 2007 World Trials Championship, due to have been staged at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on Sunday, September 23, has been cancelled (also cancelled is round two of the Womens series on the Saturday) - and that the 2007 FIM SPEA Trial World Championship Presentations (Pro, Juniors and Youth 125) will take place after the Andorra round on Sunday, September 2.
There is no mention in the communication of a replacement event for thecancelled Belgian round, therefore it has to be assumed that Toni Bouis now World Trials Champion! He currently stands exactly 20 pointsahead of 2006 champ Adam Raga but with eight wins compared to Raga'stwo, even if Adam won the final round and Bou failed to score Toniwould still be the champ. T+MX has requested confirmation from the FIMthat Bou is now officially champion but at time of going to press hadnot received a reply.
This is a far from satisfactory ending to the series and effectivelyrobs Bou of what should have been his true moment of glory. It has alsorobbed Repsol-Montesa from the immediate celebration of having won thetitle with the four-stroke 4RT, the first four-stroke WorldChampionship win since Eddy Lejeune won a hat-trick of titles onfactory Hondas back in 1982, '83, '84.
In fact there is hardly anyone liable to be pleased by this latecancellation. Raga might only have had a slim chance of retaining histitle but a none-finish by Bou in either of the last rounds wouldcertainly have put the Gas Gas rider in with a chance.
And both Dougie Lampkin and James Dabill have been robbed of thechance of moving up the table. Doug is currently in fifth place, justthree points behind Albert Cabestany and would have relished a coupleof chances to reverse their positions. Likewise James Dabill has beenengaged in a season-long battle with Beta's Jeroni Fajardo for sixthplace. The Future Montesa ace is just six points adrift of the Spanishrider and currently on top form and was looking to finish his WorldChampionship year strongly.
