Where is the WTC going?
By John Dickinson on 5th Aug 11
Having studied all aspects of last weekend's World Trials round, editor JD wonders where exactly the WTC is going...?
AS we only get one World Championship Trial per year (if we are lucky) in Britain it seems only fair to give it a good crack of the whip while we can. Like running any kind of World Championship Trial these days it is, unfortunately, not just a case of picking your favourite trials venue, sticking in some flags on Saturday and running a trial on Sunday as per normal.
There are enough rules, regulations and ‘things that you must comply with' to render virtually every trials venue known to man as 'Not Sutable for Purpose'.
Which is effectively why L and M Events, aka Martin Lampkin and Jake Miller, ended up in Fort William and not, say, anywhere in Yorkshire, for the last two-years.
Now, this is not saying anything against the Nevis Range venue. It is absolutely made for purpose ticking all the many and varied official boxes without complaint – and that's before it plays the trump card of actually providing terrain for the finest sections anywhere in the world. Add in an official body in Events Scotland that actually encourages events of this nature and goes out of its way to make everyone welcome and how could you turn it down?
The one disadvantage, obvious to all, is of course the very fact that it is Fort William, which is a long way for the English to travel to even if you live close to the Scottish border. For people used to travelling for their sport this isn't a problem, as witnessed by the many familiar faces present at the trial this year – familiar as many of them were there last year!
Ideally, if we could transport Nevis Range (and Events Scotland) down to somewhere between the Manchester/ Leeds conurbation and Birmingham you'd be looking at a potentially huge attendance because it would be within a two-hour drive of millions.
But it isn't, so stop dreaming.
As it was, Martin and Jake put on an event, which was simply the envy of the trials world and riders and officials alike were quick to pronounce it the best event of its type that they visit. I certainly wouldn't argue, Jake misses nothing on the organisational front and Martin is, in my humble opinion, supreme at section plotting whether for indoors or outdoors. The amount of planning and work on every single one of the 15-sectiions is immense.
I spent a lot of time studying this on Saturday when the riders were doing their section inspection and you can see exactly what Martin was trying to do in each one, juggling the section time limit against the severity of the section with the aim of making the riders keep on the move and making the absolute most of the time limit.
The result was a fascinating trial to watch with a cliff-hanger ending – Adam Raga beating Toni Bou by a single mark.
The downside is, I still can't see where World Championship Trials is going. I don't understand where the factories are coming from.
In Scotland, for the one night I was there, I stayed in the same hotel as the Gas Gas factory team. I counted the personnel at breakfast on Sunday morning and got to a dozen, there could have been more – and that was without the riders. All the factories claim to be struggling in the current economic climate so what on earth are they doing sending such massive squads, with who knows what costs involved?
I raised this point with British Gas Gas importer, John Shirt, and he was in full agreement. Said John: "One rider, one mechanic, the trial needs to be no-stop and that means no need for minders, that's what I'd do!”
Sherco importer Malcolm Rathmell was in full agreement. Said Malc, while minding for Jonathan Richardson: "We do what we do because we have to do it at the moment. But its just crazy, to me there's only one way forward and that is no-stop. World and British championship have both gone the same way, there are no riders in the Championship class anymore and you can't continue like that.”
No surprise that the top three or four riders disagree. Of course they do! If you have a huge advantage over your potential opposition then you are not going to voluntarily give it up. Do turkeys vote for Christmas?
But you can't run trials for half a dozen selfish riders. My biggest disappointment was seeing exactly how much effort is being put into trying to 'cheat' the system by the riders and teams. Minders everywhere attempting to alter sections, distract observers, putting pressure on officials, arguing at every opportunity.
Quite honestly, I was shocked. The more rules the FIM apply into – quite rightly – trying to correct the situation the more confrontational the riders and teams seem to become.
I do believe that a tipping point is approaching and the whole WTC system needs dismantling and starting afresh – with the accent on getting back to World Championship Trials as a sport between a man and his bike and a section – just as works superbly at all other levels through the club, centre and traditional Nationals.
Given things as they stand, last Sunday's event was brilliant and I take my hat off to the organisers and officials – but it deserves to be so much better...
