TMX Says: We’ve got the world in motion
By John Dickinson on 24th Jun 16
WELL start off with a simple fact. Trials is a competitors sport it is not first and definitely not foremost a spectator sport.
Fans of the feet-up game may well – and do – appreciate the subtle arts of throttle control, wonder at fine nuances of balance and marvel at the dark art of seeking grip where none appears to exist.
But this is countered by those, usually of a hardcore motocross persuasion, who not to put too fine a point on it tell me it is "just a few old blokes wobbling round a field”.
I take exception to the latter, it is actually about a LOT of old blokes wobbling around a field, although you get the idea...
But in just three weeks time we will be treated to an event that turns all this on its head.
Yes, it is the British round of the FIM Trial World Championship and if you care to make the effort to see at least one day of this two-day event you will see silky skills that you never ever dreamed about.
The British world round has been moved away from the northern boundary of Cumbria – Nord Vue, near Penrith, to be precise – where it has actually been a pretty good event over the past few years but unfortunately played out in front of too few fans.
So for this year the trial has been switched lock, stock and barrel to Tong, Bradford – right smack, bang in the heart of the self-styled ‘home of trials' and where there is huge crowd potential with cities like Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester all within a dab or three.
And, just as much to the point, Britain's largest draw of feet-up participants and followers who wherever they live in the county still have the event on their doorstep.
In effect, the trials mountain has come to Mohammed.
There have been some fabulous world rounds staged in Yorkshire before of course including epic events at Pateley Bridge and also at remote Raydale near Bainbridge. Yes, there are a lot of bridges in the White Rose county...
In recent years world championship interest in Britain in general and Yorkshire in particular waned drastically with the retirement of seven times world champ (no, I haven't forgotten his five indoor crowns!) Dougie Lampkin and that is said with all respect to James Dabill and Michael Brown who carried the battle to foreign fields in Doug's wake.
Michael has, following that awful crash in Japan that wrecked his knee, withdrawn from the TWC but James is currently riding better than ever on the Vertigo – the team managed by one Dougie Lampkin – and the chance to cheer DIbs on to the TWC podium is surely worth making the effort for.
But more than that, Britain has some fantastic young riders currently on the up and up.
Home Yorkshire boy Jack Price is riding a wave at the moment, leading the Trial2 support class having taken a series of impressive victories.
Backed-up by fellow Yorky Dan Peace and Welsh champ Iwan Roberts, the British young guns have dominated the podiums which for so long have been the domain of well-supported Spanish kids.
And backing them up is Dan's younger brother Jack who has made the Trial125 class virtually his own so far in 2016.
Jack's potential is clear to anyone who sees him ride – so why not do just that in just three weeks.
Britain has some fantastic young trials talent currently pulling out all the stops on the World championship stage. Go give them your support.
