Dibs pasta blaster
By TMX Archives on 5th Mar 08
JAMES Dabill made a positive start to his 2008 outdoor campaign with a stunning, almost mistake-free, victory in the opening round of the Italian Trials Championship last Sunday.
In the 10-section, three-lap event, staged in Salerno, near Naples, Dibs dropped just six marks to finish well clear of surprise second placeman, his young Future TRW Montesa team-mate Andrea Vaccaretti with veteran Fabio Lenzi way back in third making it an all Future TRW Montesa podium. Fourth was evergreen 40-year-old Diego Bosis who was making his outdoor debut on four-stroke Sherco after switching mounts in the off-season.
James has been, by all reports, taking his pre-season training really seriously this year, working on his skills, fitness and concentration levels and this was the first chance he has had to put it all together. The result speaks for itself. Just a single mark was dragged out of him on the opening lap. He then suffered a five when he caught a marker on the second lap which only urged him to go out and clean the entire final circuit to really show everyone that he means business this year.
TTT Beta teamster Michael Brown was left trailing in his former team-mate's dust as Browny could only manage seventh, a full 30 marks behind Dabill. Alexz Wigg, in his first season on the four-stroke Future TRW Mont, was also a long way off the pace, over 50 marks adrift of rampant Dabill in 11th.
Meanwhile, on the Blue route, Britain's Jack Challoner on the 125 TTT Beta was having a real dust-up with Italian rival Andrea Fistolera mounted on a Future Montesa. Jack led the opening lap by a single mark, then dropped a slack five on the second lap which dropped him three marks behind his rival. Jack responded with an excellent final effort of just two marks but Andrea matched this to hang on for the win.
RESULTS
1 James Dabill (Future TRW Montesa) 6, 2 Andrea Vaccaretti (Future TRW Montesa) 19, 3 Fabio Lenzi (Future TRW Montesa) 27... 7 Michael Brown (TTT Beta) 36... 11 Alexz Wigg (Future TRW Montesa) 59.
Blue route: 1 Andrea Fistolera (Future TRW Montesa) 16, 2 Jack Challoner (TTT Beta) 19.