Beam me up Wiggy!
By TMX Archives on 10th Dec 09
WITH a masterful display of trials riding, Alexz Wigg took victory in the 68th annual Southern Experts Trial on Sunday, finishing 22-marks clear of defending champion Ross Danby. Staged on the vast Stourhead Estate in deepest Wiltshire and promoted as usual by the Sunbeam MCC with assistance from both the Frome and Blackmore Vale clubs, already saturated ground conditions then became very treacherous after torrential overnight rain had resulted in localised flooding in some nearby areas.
The 16-sections, which were tackled three times and plotted by Geoff Guy under the watchful eye of clerk of the course Tom Crease featured some tricky, steep, twisting and very slippery climbs which although covered in a blanket of leaves only helped to disguise the added hazard of an abundance of menacing tree roots.
With grip at an absolute minimum, only 13 out of the 62 eventual starters managed to keep their marks loss down to a total of under 100, and nearly half of the entry also exceeded the allocated five-hour time limit.
While Wigg took the Premier award, the well supported Clubman Expert class produced a far closer finish. Incredibly after three laps of great trials action, both Neal Hubbard and Chris Koch were locked together on 83-marks lost.
Guy Chandler, after leading the group for the entire contest, dropped back to third spot after being one of the riders who exceeded that five-hour time limit. Recording the same total of cleans – 11 – Hubbard took the verdict on a count of dabs, ten to Koch's nine.
In Youth A class, Ben Heane proved victorious while Chris Stay was runner-up, just two marks better off than third placed, Chris Short.
68th NATIONAL SOUTHERN EXPERTS TRIAL
Kilminster, Wiltshire (Sunbeam plus Frome & Blackmore Vale MCCs)
EXPERT: Alexz Wigg (290 Beta UK) 19 marks lost, Ross Danby (280 JST Gas Gas UK) 41, Sam Haslam (300 JST Gas Gas) 46, Ricky Wiggins (250 Albion Gas Gas) 59, Ben Wibberley (280 Gas Gas) 87, Ben Morphett (290 Beta UK) 90, Andrew Blackman (300 Gas Gas) 126, Colin Crease (280 Gas Gas) 127, Grant Laming (250 RCM Gas Gas) 141, Rob Warner (250 Montesa) 149.
YOUTH A: Chris Stay (125 JST Gas Gas) 156 marks lost, Chris Short (125 JST Gas Gas) 158, George Gosden (125 JST Gas Gas) 165, Bradley Cox (125 Gas Gas) 174, Ryan Henderson (125 Gas Gas) 202.
CLUBMAN EXPERT: Neal Hubbard (280 Gas Gas) 83 marks lost (11x0,10x1), Chris Koch (250 Beta) 83 (11x0,9x1), Guy Chandler (250 BVM Beta) 85, Jimmy Baker (250 Beta) 91, Ben Skinner (300 Gas Gas) 95, Rod Broom (250 Beta) 99 (7x0), Kevin Hart (175 Gas Gas) 99 (6x0), Rob Smith (Gas Gas) 103, Glen Lewis (250 Gas Gas) 108, Michael James (250 John Lee Beta) 110.
FOR FULL REPORT SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009
Runner-up and defending champion was Ross Danby who just couldn't live with Alexz Wigg on the day.