Bou edges ever closer...
By G2F on 29th Jul 07
Toni Bou Repsol Montesa HRC took another step closer to his first outdoor World title today with a win at the Grand Prix of Great Britain over Adam Raga Gas Gas who finished second and Takahisa Fujinami Repsol Montesa HRC who took third place.
Held at the famous Hawkstone Park Motocross circuit, the Britishround consists of largely twisting sections set on steep banks and withrain as recently as the night before the event the sections were bothmuddy and very slippery, however this was not to prove much of achallenge to either Bou or Raga. Two scores of two on the fourth andfifth sections of the first lap and a single dab in the twelfth sectionput Bou in the lead over countryman Raga by a single point at the endof the first lap.
The extremely slippery section five could have proved disastrous forBou after he dropped five on it, but with Raga also failing to completethe section his single mark lead remained intact. The young Spaniardthen went on to complete the remaining ten sections without beingfurther penalised whilst Raga, unable to maintain that level ofperformance dropped a further six marks to unusually return a higherscore for his second lap than his first to finish the event on a scoreof seventeen, six behind Bou's score of eleven.
Bou now leads the championship by twenty marks over Raga meaningvictory at the next round in Andorra at the end of September willassure him the 2007 World outdoor title.
In the Junior championship, Michael Brown Beta, knew that a finish ineighth place or better today would guarantee him the 2007 JuniorWorld title, but seemingly unaffected by pressure or nerves, he turnedin a convincing win, beating second place Sam Haslam Gas Gas withNicolas Gontard Gas Gas taking the remaining podium position. Withtwo days of competition remaining, Brown has a forty point lead in thechampionship standings, however as the Junior championship riders candrop their two worst scores this means Brown cannot be beaten and is2007 World Junior Trial champion.
In the Youth catergory Alfred Gomez Gas Gas found himself in asimilar position to Brown in that he could win the Youth championshiptoday. Again, seemingly unaffected by the pressure, Gomez tookhis eighth victory of the season over Ross Danby Gas Gas with AlexisCervantes Sherco finishing third.
Gomez has a thirty two point lead in the Youth championship, but withthe Youth riders operating the same system as the Junior championshipcontenders where they can drop their two worst scores, he cannot now bebeaten.
The 2007 FIM SPEA Trial World Championship now takes its traditionalsummer break. Competition will return with the penultimate round of theseason in Sant Julia De Loria, Andorra on the second of September.
Day 1 Results: (1 Day event)
World
1: Bou 11
2: Raga 17
3: Fujinami 23
Junior
1: Brown 6
2: Haslam 21
3: Gontard 33
125cc
1: Gomez 19
2: Danby 21
3: Cervantes 45
2007 Riders Championship Current Standings:
World
1: Bou 194
2: Raga 174
3: Fujinami 144
Junior
1: Brown 189
2: Wigg 149
3: Gontard 127
125cc
1: Gomez 190
2: Danby 158
3: Cervantes 144
2007 Manufacturers Championship Current Standings:
1: Montesa 342
2: Gas Gas 193
3: Sherco 179
4: Beta 143
5: Scorpa 91
This round: 29th July Hawkstone Park, Great Britain
Next round: 2nd September Sant Julia De Loria, Andorra