Japan World Trial is a Twin thing...
By TMX Archives on 4th Jun 09
THIS weekend sees the 2009 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship reach its mid point, with the Grand Prix of Japan marking round four in the eight event series. Twin Ring Motegi, the Honda motorsport complex, will host the third and final two-day competition in this year's series, with the remaining four rounds comprising just a single day.
The Japanese Grand Prix was introduced as part of the SPEA FIM Trial World Championship back in 2000, and has become an important stop on the tour every year since without fail and this year sees the tenth edition of the event.
Dougie Lampkin, having been recruited by the Montesa HRC squad, was the initial victor back in 2000 and went on to win in 2001 ans 2002.
Lampkin will be back once again, this time with his two-stroke Beta EVO but the event favourite is Repsol Montesa's reigning world champion Toni Bou who was successful at the venue last year. Gas Gas pilot Adam raga will be out to spoil Bou's party though while Sherco's Albert Cabestany always goes well in Japan having won in 2005/2006.
The rider who would obviously most like to win in front of his home crowd is Takahisa Fujinami and surprisingly Fujigas has only won overall in Japan once, back in 2004.
The amazing thing this year is that no fewer than a dozen Japanese ‘wild cards' have signed-up for the Championship class, doubling the usual number in Europe! Most will be totally out of their depth but Kenishi Kuroyama and Fumitaka Ozaki on Yamaha (Scorpa) and Tomoyuki Ogawa (Honda) are capable of top ten finishes.
James Dabill and Michael Brown join Lampkin for a long plane ride east.
In the Juniors Alexz Wigg, Jack Challoner and Ross Danby make-up a really strong British trio with Alexz certainly looking to nail another win on the Beta while World Junior Championship leader Jonathan Richardson also jets off to the land of the Rising Sun to add to his experience of life at International level. The Juniors hasn't attracted many Japanese riders but there's a handful in the Youths so it will be interesting to see what level they are riding at.
With rain always a strong possibility during this time of year, the mixture of steep muddy climbs and vertical ascents over the loose and often slippery rock faces means that the visit to Japan is always a spectacular event.
Look out for our report and pics in next week's issue of T+MX...