World Trials Champs head down under
By John Dickinson on 9th Apr 14
THE World Trials Championship kicks-off this weekend with the two opening days of the eight round series a total of 13 days competition to count taking place in Australia.
The venue is the spectacular Mt Tarrengoweer, Maldon, in Victoria, some 140k from Melbourne.
The area is the former site of an Australian goldrush and features some spectacular rock and boulder sections.
As you can guess, there isn't a massive entry – 41 in total comprising 15 in the Championship class, 15 in World Cup (including six Aussies) and ten 125cc riders.
Toni Bou gets his campaign underway to bag his eighth World outdoor title to go with his eight Indoor crowns and the Repsol Montesa rider starts the season as hot favourite.
Behind Bou it is very much as-you-were with Adam raga (Gas Gas), Jeroni Fajardo (Beta), Albert Cabestany (Sherco) and Takahisa Fujinami (Repsol Montesa) still the top five.
James Dabill leads the Brits into battle and ‘DIbs' is in with a real chance of making podiums and making top three this year having enjoyed a solid Indoor series. James will be joined in Oz by British champion Michael Brown (Gas Gas), Beta's Jack Sheppard and a rejuvenated Alexz Wigg, who is giving the World Champs 100% this year.
Ossa's Jack Challoner will not make the flyaway trips to Australia and Japan, still recuperating after his injuries sustained at the Sheffield Indoor Trial back in January.
Jack is now concentrating his efforts on a major attempt at the Scottish Six days Trial.
Frenchman Loris Gubian will wave the flag for Ossa.
Fresh blood is injected into the Championship with World Junior champ, Jorge Casales, and talented young Swede, Eddie Karlsson.
In the World Cup class, which sports no fewer than six home riders, Britain will be represented by Dec Bullock, but the win will very likely be decided between the two French challengers, Carles de Caudemburg and Steven Coquelin plus Italian Matteo Poli.
Here's hoping Dec has a cracking ride.
There are no Brits entered in the 125cc class, so no interest there for us.
The series will continue with another two days action in Japan on the weekend April 26/27 before heading back to Europe.
Britain's big weekend is July 19/20 where the quarry venue at Nord Vue, Penrith, Cumbria, again gives us the chance to witness the World's best riders in action.
We'll keep you right up to date on the British round.
This year represents the 40th year of the World Championship series, yes it really is that long since Martin Lampkin claimed the very first World crown back in 1975.
