Fuji stops Bou's clean run...
By TMX Archives on 28th Apr 10
JUST as the opening round of the 2010 SPEA FIM World Trials Championship round in Spain last week was overly difficult, resulting in some horrendously high scores, so the season's second and third rounds in Portugal last weekend were over-easy and consequently threw-up some strange, some unexpected and even some topsy-turvy results.
The big news was that despite winning the opening day on an incredible zero marks lost, Toni Bou slipped to an almost unheard-of fourth place on day two - and the reigning World Champ only got the better of Britain's Dougie Lampkin on the most cleans tie-break (27 to 24). After almost beating Bou Doug joked, "Fifth doesn't sound like a good result - but it feels like it right now!”
In what looks to have been a knee-jerk reaction to the riders' hostility following the over tough Spanish opener the organisers of the Portuguese round, staged at Pacos de Ferreira, an out-of-the-way venue that offers lots of potential with big inclines and rocks, but little else, erred on the side of caution and turned the event into an effective battle of nerves as scores in all three classes, World, Junior and Youth, were incredibly low.
With the starting order sticking with the winning rider from the previous round having to tackle the sections first, Bou was that man again and this just seemed to have the effect of steeling his determination as the factory Repsol Montesa rider managed the ‘impossible' 30 cleans from his two laps of 15 sections, without having had the benefit of watching a single rider through a section. Incredible.
Behind Bou, the super-steady Albert Cabestany finished second, thanks to a superb second lap when he dropped just a dab, the same as final podium man Adam Raga. Both dropped a five on the opening lap but both bounced back equally well. Takahisa Fujinami remained steady with laps of five and six while battling Brits Lampkin and James Dabill finished fifth and sixth. Dibs on the Gas Gas made an excellent start, losing a mere six marks on the opening circuit (a five and a one) but lost his chance of a podium with a five and a three second time round. He enjoyed some great rides and deserved a higher position. Meanwhile Doug suffered a bad start with two fives on his opening lap and a total of 12 but came back strong with just a two and a pair of dabs to nail sixth - ahead of his Beta team-mate Jeroni Fajardo.
Sherco's Michael Brown and Beta's Alex Wigg both had days they would probably rather forget finishing 11th and 13th but at least both lads were able to get some cleans on the board and enjoy some good rides this week in order to get the confidence back.
Said winner Bou, "I think I rode well but it's a pity that the zones weren't, in my opinion, worthy of a World Championship event. Anyway, the most important thing is the result and I couldn't ask for more.
On the second day, several of the sections had been stiffened-up by the organisers, especially the ninth and while this wasn't really a major problem for most it did cost Bou dearly, very likely because again, having to go first through the sections, he hadn't really been able to fully understand the ninth. As a result Bou fived the section on both laps and these lapses were enough to drop him to fourth overall.
The surprise winner though was his Repsol Montesa team-mate Takahisa Fujinami who fully deserved his success and was absolutely delighted. "I finally won, I needed this! The trial was a little more difficult but there was only one really complicated zone. There were two possibilities, take a risk and go for a clean or play safe and take a one. Two of my total of four were here but my finishing position was perfect!”
Cabestany and Raga maintained their cool to again bag second and third while Dougie just lost out on fourth to Bou with Dabill two places back in seventh behind Fajardo, Dibs ruing an expensive first lap.
WORLD TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP Rd 2 – Pacos de Ferreira, PORTUGAL
DAY ONE
1 Toni Bou (E - Montesa) 0 + 0 = 0
2 Albert Cabestany (E - Sherco 7 + 1 = 8
3 Adam Raga (E - Gas Gas) 9 + 1 = 10
4 Takahisa Fujinami (J - Montesa) 5 + 6 = 11
5 James DABILL (GB - Gas Gas) 6 + 8 = 14
6 Dougie LAMPKIN (GB - Beta) (Time) 12 + 4 = 16
7 Jeroni Fajardo (E - Beta) 5 + 11 = 16
8 Loris Gubian (F - Gas Gas) 13 + 10 = 23
9 Daniele Maurino (I - Gas Gas) 12 + 20 = 32
10 Matteo Grattarola (I - Sherco) 23 + 17 = 40
11 Michael BROWN (GB - Sherco) 20 + 22 = 42
12 Daniel Oliveras (E - Gas Gas) 30 + 29 = 59
13 Alexz WIGG (GB - Beta) 39 + 23 = 62
DAY TWO
1 Takahisa Fujinami (J - Montesa) 3 + 1 = 4
2 Albert Cabestany (E - Sherco 2 + 3 = 5
3 Adam Raga (E - Gas Gas) 6 + 2 = 8
4 Toni Bou (E - Montesa) (27x0) 6 + 5 = 11
5 Dougie LAMPKIN (GB - Beta) (24x0) 9 + 2 = 11
6 Jeroni Fajardo (E - Beta) 8 + 6 = 14
7 James DABILL (GB - Gas Gas) 14 + 5 = 19
8 Loris Gubian (F - Gas Gas) 14 + 11 = 25
9 Daniele Maurino (I - Gas Gas) 22 + 20 = 42
10 Michael BROWN (GB - Sherco) 28 + 18 = 46
11 Matteo Grattarola (I - Sherco) 28 + 28 = 56
12 Alexz WIGG (GB - Beta) 33 + 24 = 57
13 Daniel Oliveras (E - Gas Gas) 39 + 22 = 61
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 rounds: 1 Bou 53 points, 2 Raga 47, 3 Fujinami 46, 4 Cabestany 45, 5 Fajardo 34, 6 LAMPKIN 30, 7 DABILL 30, 8 Gubian 23, 9 Maurino 19, 10 Grattarola 17, 11 Oliveras 15, 12 BROWN 14, 13 WIGG 11.
NEXT ROUND: June 5/6 – Motegi, JAPAN.
WORLD JUNIOR TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP Rd 2 – Pacos de Ferreira, PORTUGAL
DAY ONE
1 Alfredo Gomez (E - Montesa) (Time) 0 + 0 = 0
2 Patrick Smage (US - Sherco) 0 + 0 = 0
3 Francesc Moret (E - Gas Gas) 2 + 0 = 2
4 Alexandre Ferrer (F - Sherco) (29x0) 0 + 5 = 5
5 Ivan Peydro (E - Beta) (26x0,T) 1 + 4 = 5
6 Pere Borrellas (E - Gas Gas) (26x0) 3 + 2 = 5
7 Guillaume Laniel (F - Gas Gas) (25x0) 2 + 3 = 5
8 Jack CHALLONER (GB - Beta) 2 + 5 = 7
9 Jonathan RICHARDSON (GB - Sher) (26x0) 7 + 3 = 10
10 Benoit Dagnicourt (F - Beta) (24x0) 8 + 2 = 10
11 Jan Peters (D - Beta) 3 + 8 = 11
12 Maxime Warenghien (B - Sherco) (25x0) 6 + 7 = 13
13 Gianluca Tournour (I - Gas Gas) (23x0) 6 + 7 = 13
14 Matteo Cominoli (I - Beta) 6 + 8 = 14
15 Matteo Poli (I - Beta) 12 + 4 = 16
23 Ben WIBBERLEY (GB - Gas Gas) 17 + 23 = 40
DAY TWO
1 Patrick Smage (US - Sherco) 0 + 0 = 0
2 Guillaume Laniel (F - Gas Gas) 1 + 5 = 6
3 Emil Gyllenhammar (S - Gas Gas) 4 + 2 = 6
4 Benoit Dagnicourt (F - Beta) (27x0) 2 + 5 = 7
5 Luca Cotone (I - Beta) (25x0) 4 + 3 = 7
6 Jack CHALLONER (GB - Beta) 6 + 3 = 9
7 Alfredo Gomez (E - Montesa) (28x0) 0 + 10 = 10
8 Francesc Moret (E - Gas Gas) (26x0) 8 + 2 = 10
9 Maxime Warenghien (B - Sherco) (24x0) 7 + 3 = 10
10 Alexandre Ferrer (F - Sherco) 6 + 6 = 12
11 Pere Borrellas (E - Gas Gas) 6 + 8 = 14
12 Matteo Cominoli (I - Beta) 10 + 5 = 15
13 Jan Peters (D - Beta) 6 + 10 = 16
14 Jonathan RICHARDSON (GB - Sherco) 11 + 6 = 17
15 Tanguy Mottin (F - Gas Gas) 12 + 6 = 18
21 Ben WIBBERLEY (GB - Gas Gas) 22 + 21 = 43
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 rounds: 1 Smage 47 points, 2 Gomez 46, 3 Ferrer 39, 4 Moret 36, 5 CHALLONER 33, 6 Dagnicourt 30, 7 Laniel 26, 8 Borrellas 23, 9 Gyllenhammar 17, 10 Warenghien 17, 11 RICHARDSON 16, 12 Peydro 16, 13 Cotone 15, 14 Mottin 10, 15 Peters 9,...
NEXT ROUND: June 5/6 – Motegi, JAPAN.
FIM YOUTH TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP Rd 2 – Pacos de Ferreira, PORTUGAL
DAY ONE
1 Pol Tarres (E - Gas Gas) (Time) 0 + 3 = 3
2 Carlos Traviesa (E - Gas Gas) 0 + 3 = 3
3 Jack SHEPPARD (GB - Beta) 2 + 2 = 4
4 Cedric Tempier (F - Sherco 4 + 2 = 6
5 Jesus Martin (E - Gas Gas) (25x0) 6 + 3 = 9
6 Kristoffer Leirvaag (N - Sherco) (23x0) 6 + 3 = 9
7 Romain Rigaud (F - Gas Gas) 7 + 4 = 11
8 Giacomo Saleri (I - Beta) (25x0) 12 + 1 = 13
9 Ismael Catalin (I - Gas Gas) (24x0) 4 + 9 = 13
10 Arro Castells (E - Gas Gas) 11 + 4 = 15
11 Diogo Vieira (P - Gas Gas) 23 + 17 = 40
12 Jose Miguel Nogueira (P - Gas Gas) 63 + 69 = 132
DAY TWO
1 Carlos Traviesa (E - Gas Gas) 1 + 0 = 1
2 Ismael Catalin (I - Gas Gas) (27x0) 3 + 3 = 6
3 Romain Rigaud (F - Gas Gas) (26x0) 1 + 5 = 6
4 Pol Tarres (E - Gas Gas) 5 + 2 = 7
5 Jack SHEPPARD (GB - Beta) 6 + 2 = 8
6 Giacomo Saleri (I - Beta) 8 + 5 = 13
7 Jesus Martin (E - Gas Gas) 4 + 11 = 15
8 Kristoffer Leirvaag (N - Sherco) 6 + 10 = 16
9 Cedric Tempier (F - Sherco 6 + 15 = 21
10 Arro Castells (E - Gas Gas) 17 + 8 = 25
11 Diogo Vieira (P - Gas Gas) 32 + 13 = 45
12 Jose Miguel Nogueira (P - Gas Gas) 70 + 64 = 134
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 rounds: 1 Tarres 53 points, 2 Traviesa 52, 3 SHEPPARD 43, 4 Catalin 30, 5 Tempier 30, 6 Saleri 29, 7 Rigaud 28, 8 Leirvaag 27, 9 Martin 25, 10 Castells 19, 11 Casales 13, 12 Vieira 10, 13 Locca 8, 14 Nogueira 8, 15 Wagner 3,...
NEXT ROUND: June 5/6 – Motegi, JAPAN.
For full report and pictures see T+MX Friday April 30