World in action
By TMX Archives on 25th Jun 09
Trials Snippets A big hand for Dougie
JUST a week after spending the night in an Austrian hospital, and despite still suffering with a nasty hand injury following his exploits at the Erzberg Red Bull Hare Scramble, Dougie Lampkin incredibly took fourth place at the Italian round. The 33 year-old sat out most of Friday and Saturday's practice sessions to preserve his injured hand, before bravely battling through Sunday's trial and finishing just four marks behind Bou to miss out on the last podium place.
"Considering I was not sure if I was going to be able to ride this weekend, fourth place is far more than I could have ever expected. Maybe I should be disappointed at just missing out on being on the podium again for the third trial in a row, but in all honestly I am really happy with today's result. My hand was both sore and weak on the second lap, twice I simply could not hang on and both times it ended with a five. It was OK when I had time to adjust my grip to compensate for the injury, but when things happened too quickly I had no chance of hanging on.”
Sanz back in business
REPSOL Montesa HRC's Laia Sanz made a welcome return to the 2009 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship at the Italian GP, after having been absent from the series since the opening round in Ireland back in April. Sanz suffered a nasty accident that left her with an injured right leg, but this is not the only reason she has not participated.
"I was out of action for about two weeks after Ireland, the problem was with the muscle at the top of my right leg. I just had to rest,” Laia explained. "After Ireland I talked with the team, and we decided maybe it was best for me to miss some of the men's competitions so I could concentrate more on the Women's European and World championships.”
Laia begins the defence of her World's Women's title in Andorra this weekend.
World champions in waiting
BRITISH teenagers Alexz Wigg and Jonathan Richardson can both wrap up their respective World titles this coming weekend in Andorra. The Junior and Youth classes are decided over the best nine out of eleven counting days from the eight rounds. Alexz and Jonathan both only need top ten finishes this Sunday to secure their individual crowns, which would leave the pair free to move up a class for the final two events in Spain and France ready for a full assault in the World Pro and Junior classes respectively in 2010.