Dabill’s David’s delight!
By TMX Archives on 20th May 15
THE fifth round of the RT Keedwell British Trials Championship was held last Sunday at Llety Rafel Farm at Aberdulais in South Wales. This made for a busy month for some as many riders had only returned from the Scottish Six Days Trial only a week before.
Unfortunately, several of the main players were missing missing from action including Gas Gas UK #1 Michael Brown and Catalan Beta star Jorge Casales - both injured in the recent World Trial GP in Japan,
Browny with a bust right kneecap and Jorge with a broken left foot. Dan Peace and Ricky Wiggins were also on the missing list so let's hope they are all back again as soon as possible.
The venue was in good condition and there was, as usual, plenty of section variety which many venues cannot offer. Also there were no problems with time which was an issue during last year's event.
As with all BTC events it was a case of three laps of 12 sections but this year the Neath Club ran the circuit anticlockwise, just to ring the changes, with the popular spectator rocky escarpment forming sections eight, nine and 10.
With his main rivals out of action it was expected to be a walkover for James Dabill and the Vertigo and, with team manager and recent SSDT winner Dougie Lampkin in attendance, that is just what it was with a dominant performance.
Two wins and two second places had seen the reigning British Champ top the series leader board following the first four rounds of the 2015 series and with his main rivals absent he was keen to push on pushing on.
Opening up with a lap for just five marks lost, which included a three on the second sub, he took an early lead from Gas Gas man Alexz Wigg who had started well.
James was perhaps a touch fortunate on section 10 when he hit a big step wrong, snapping the bars out of his throttle hand and pointing and the front wheel in the wrong direction.
He remarkably recovered instantly, with superb reactions and got out for a dab. Alexz was running in second place as punch cards were changed with young gun Billy Bolt, back on his big Ossa having had to ride Scotland on a 125.
Billy made one of the day's best rides with a superb single dab effort at section two. No one matched that all day as fives were the general order.
FOR FULL REPORT & PICTURES SEE TMX NEWS, THURSDAY, MAY 21 (ISSUE 1972
