Best of British!
By TMX Archives on 27th Feb 08
IT looks highly likely that, following Great Britain not having a round of either the Indoor or Outdoor World Championship in 2008, we could be back with a bang with a round of both series in 2009!
The provisional fixture lists, issued by the FIM following its Spring Conference in Geneva over the weekend, lists the third round of the Outdoor series for a venue at Carlisle, Cumbria, on Sunday, May 17. And the provisional dates for the Indoor series show Sheffield return to its former position as the opening round on Saturday, January 3.
It had been feared that there would be no British round following the announcement by L&M Promotions – which hosted the British World Round at Hawkstone Park for three years from 2005 to 2007 – that the company would not be staging a round in either 2008 or 2009.
Up steps reigning British Trials Champion, Graham Jarvis, and the DirtBike Traxs organisation with the offer to host the event at the Nord Vue venue, near High Hesket, mid-way between Penrith and Carlisle.
The venue is linked with a horse-riding establishment with lots of the required infrastructure already in place. The owner is keen to develop the site further and Jarvis, who has been provided with a licence by the FIM to stage the event, claims that there is an abundance of natural terrain in the main quarry suitable for world round sections, "...without a great deal of effort.”
Graham added that there was both material and machinery on site to tweak all his planned sections. T+MX understands that while the venue still awaits official FIM approval, respected official Dave Willoughby has already made a site visit – and that the organising team has paid a substantial bond to the ACU to cover the inscription fee.
The May date is significant in that it is the weekend after the Scottish Six Days Trial, which may just encourage a larger number of the world's top riders to have a week's ‘practice' in Scotland, prior to the British round.
Meanwhile, the Sheffield Indoor provision-
ally sits at the head of the proposed 2009 World Indoor Championship. Said promotor, Avondale Management's Neil Crosswaite, last week: "We have a bit of talking to do yet with the FIM regarding the format, observing rules etc., but we would love to help get the Indoor series back on track.”
The FIM's provisional 2009 Indoor Trials Calendar shows an eight-round championship and as the current series has been cut to just five rounds (just two to go) some new confidence is needed.
2009 WORLD TRIALS CHAMP
(Provisional)
April 4/5 – Bangor, IRELAND
April 25/26 – Canon City, USA
May 17 – Nord Vue, nr Carlisle, BRITAIN
June 6/7 – Twin Ring Motegi, JAPAN
June 21 – Barzio Milano, ITALY
June 28 – St Julia, ANDORRA (+ Women)
July 5 – Alicante La Nucia, SPAIN
September – 13 Andon, France (+ Women)
TRIAL DES NATIONS
September 19/20 – Darfo Boario Terme, ITALY (+ Women)
2009 WORLD INDOOR TRIALS CHAMPS (Provisional)
January 3 – Sheffield, GREAT BRITAIN
January 24 – Marseille, FRANCE
February 8 – Barcelona, SPAIN
February 14 – TBA, PORTUGAL
February 22 – Bielefeld, GERMANY
March 1 – Nice, FRANCE
March 7 – Milan, ITALY
March 14 – Madrid, SPAIN