Cab Signs for Sheffield
By John Dickinson on 23rd Nov 06
ALBERT Cabestany has finally been able to confirm that he will be in the starting line-up for the Sheffield Arena Trial which you should all know now will be staged on Friday, December 29, at the Sheffield Arena.
The current World number three and former World Indoor Champ, has always wanted to appear on the Sheffield stage but Avondale was afraid contractual difficulties were going to stymie his participating this year. However, we are pleased to say that this has all been sorted out now and Albert will be waving the Sherco flag at Sheffield.
The full line-up is now confirmed and joining Albert will be reigning Indoor and Outdoor champ Adam Raga on the factory Gas Gas, former multi World Indoor and Outdoor champ and firm crowd-favourite Dougie Lampkin and his Repsol-Montesa team-mate Takahisa Fujinami.
Toni Bou created a sensation when he won the Sheffield Indoor in January this year and he will be looking for a unique double on December 29. Not only could Bou be the only rider ever to win two Sheffield Indoor events in one year, he could also be the winner of the first and last Indoor events of 2006 in what will be his
last ride on the two-stroke Beta REV3 before joining Lampkin, Fujinami and Ladies champ Laia Sanz in the Repsol Beta squad.
The final rider to take the Sheffield start line will be Leeds boy James Dabill and the TTT Beta team-mate is sure to have plenty of home-county support. James is ultra-keen to make his mark on the Indoor scene and Sheffield could just be his launch pad.
That is the six-man line-up in full and promoters Avondale Management is currently looking at several promising formats to make the occasion as competitive and exciting as possible. With no set format to have to run to the Sheffield trial is looking to set new standards. The head to head races could well play a leading role with races possibly getting the evening's event underway. In the World Championships the races are usually staged at the end and there have been many boring, tacticly ridden races that is totally at odds with the entertainment expected from an Indoor. Sheffield will give the races a whole new meaning!
Half time entertainment is courtesy of Mountain Bike trials ace Marc Vinco. The Italian-born star has picked up no fewer than eight world Trial titles and 13 French crowns and can all but make his bike talk.
There's a new Sheffield website to log onto this year which you can reach via a link on the T+MX site or direct on www.indoortrials.com