Jack's above 'Par!
By TMX Archives on 27th May 11
The 2012 SPEA FIM World Trials Championship last weekend with a double-header in Breal sous Monfort, France and Jack Sheppard waved the Union Jack to excellent effect as the factory Beta rider took a superb double victory.
In the World Championship, Toni Bou suffered a rare defeat on the opening day when he was relegated to third place behind Gas Gas pilot Adam Raga and Ossa's Jeroni Fajardo, before returning to winning ways on Sunday while in the Junior category Spain ruled supreme with Montesa's Alfredo Gomez leading a podium packed with his countrymen on both days. Britain's Dougie Lampkin was a notable non-starter in the Championship class as the decision was made to rest his ankle which was injured in the recent Scottish Six Days, causing his retirement from that event when in a clear lead after four days.
The trial in north west France, near Rennes, was staged in dry, dusty conditions with many sheer steps in the trail park which hosted the event. Toni Bou once again had to lead the 12 rider Championship field through the sections and cites this as his main disadvantage. Nevertheless he was still joint leader at the end of the first lap of 15 sections having lost just 15 marks in the zones although matched by Gas Gas number one Adam Raga.
On the second circuit Bou had a bad start with a five in the second section and Raga sniffed victory. And although Raga then took a maximum, a rather soft one in the seventh section, Bou made another mistake and Adam was on top of the podium.
But in a surprise second place, Jeroni Fajardo gave Ossa their best result to date, just two marks behind Raga and Jeroni posted joint best lap score with Raga, seven marks against 12 for Bou and 13 for a distant Albert Cabestany on the Sherco.
James Dabill was best of the Brits, again in sixth, just ahead of Michael Brown with Jack Challoner also in the top 10. Alexz Wigg finished 12th and last with a soul-destroying 23 fives from the 30 sections.
The following day saw Bou back to his brilliant best and although he trailed Sherco's Cabestany on the opening lap, 12 marks to 11, Bou did what only he can by cleaning the entire 15 sections second time through for a convincing victory.
Cabestany was super-consistent to nail the runner-up berth while first day winner Raga had an expensive opening lap of 20 but fought back well for a nine mark second circuit which was enough to dump Takahisa Fujinami off the podium and keep him in touch with Championship leader Bou.
Jack Challoner had an excellent result to lead home a trio of Brits followed by Michael Brown and a disappointed James Dabill while Alexz Wigg improved to 11th.
Alfredo Gomez is certainly the pick of the Juniors at the moment winning both Junior contests as Spanish riders packed the podiums on both days. Pol Tarres, fresh-up from the Youths, was a fine second on Saturday with the consistent Francesc Moret runner-up on day two. Sherco's Jonathan Richardson was the sole British representative and the tall Yorkshireman posted a close eighth on both days and stands seventh in the series overall.
As stated Jack Sheppard is now looking good for the Youth World Championship with another convincing weekend in France. The East Anglian continues to ride to the occasion and won on Saturday thanks mainly to a superb single mark second lap while on Sunday he matched Bou's achievement with a totally clean circuit. Yes, the sections are much easier for the 125 but the pressure is every bit as great and Jack has come through with flying colours so far.
Bradley Cox finished a fine 10th for Britain on Saturday with Chris Stay in the points in 13th and George Gosden just outside in 16th. On the second day Cox jumped up to a fine fifth place and a really competitive second lap of just 15. Stay was again 13th with Gosden right behind this time to nail two points for his efforts.
WORLD TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP
Rd 2 – Breal sur Montfort, FRANCE
DAY ONE
1 Adam Raga (E - Gas Gas) 15 + 7 = 22
2 Jeroni Fajardo (E - Ossa) 17 + 7 = 24
3 Toni Bou (E - Montesa) 15 + 12 = 27
4 Albert Cabestany (E - Sherco) 25 + 13 = 38
5 Takahisa Fujinami (J - Montesa) 23 + 18 = 41
6 James DABILL (GB - Beta) 35 + 23 = 58
7 Michael BROWN (GB - Gas Gas) 39 + 25 = 64
8 Loris Gubian (F - Gas Gas) 35 + 31 = 66
9 Jack CHALLONER (GB - Beta) 42 + 31 = 73
10 Matteo Grattarola (I - Gas Gas) 50 + 54 = 104
11 Francesco Iolitta (I - Beta) 59 + 59 = 118
12 Alexz WIGG (GB - Sherco) 64 + 60 = 124
DAY TWO
1 Toni Bou (E - Montesa) 12 + 0 = 12
2 Albert Cabestany (E - Sherco) 11 + 12 = 23
3 Adam Raga (E - Gas Gas) 20 + 9 = 29
4 Takahisa Fujinami (J - Montesa) 17 + 15 = 32
5 Jeroni Fajardo (E - Ossa) 17 + 29 = 46
6 Loris Gubian (F - Gas Gas) 28 + 24 = 52
7 Jack CHALLONER (GB - Beta) 37 + 35 = 72
8 Michael BROWN (GB - Gas Gas) 29 + 45 = 74
9 James DABILL (GB - Beta) 38 + 37 = 75
10 Matteo Grattarola (I - Gas Gas) 51 + 42 = 93
11 Alexz WIGG (GB - Sherco) 53 + 50 = 103
12 Francesco Iolitta (I - Beta) 68 + 53 = 121
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 8) rounds: 1 Bou 55 points, 2 Raga 48, 3 Cabestany 47, 4 Fujinami 39, 5 Fajardo 39, 6 DABILL 27, 7 BROWN 25, 8 Gubian 24, 9 Grattarola 21, 10 CHALLONER 21, 11 WIGG 12, 12 Iolitta 11, 13 LAMPKIN 7, 14 Carsten Stranghoner 4.
WORLD JUNIOR TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP
DAY ONE
1 Alfredo Gomez (E - Montesa) 16 + 9 = 25
2 Pol Tarres (E - Gas Gas) 21 + 11 = 32
3 Francesc Moret (E - Montesa) 23 + 19 = 42
4 Benoit Dagnicourt (F - Beta) 20 + 25 = 45
5 Pere Borrellas (E - Gas Gas) 25 + 26 = 51
6 Gianluca Tournour (I - Gas Gas) (16x0) 24 + 27 = 51
7 Jake Whittaker (NZ - Beta) (15x0) 27 + 25 = 52
8 Jonathan RICHARDSON (GB - Sherco) 27 + 26 = 53
9 Maxime Warenghien (B - Ossa) 27 + 27 = 54
10 Ivan Peydro (E - Gas Gas) 29 + 27 = 56
11 Carles Traviesa (E - Gas Gas) 29 + 33 = 62
12 Tanguy Mottin (F - Montesa) 44 + 26 = 70
13 Loic Spencley (F - Gas Gas) 26 + 47 = 73
14 Hakon Pedersen (N - Sherco) 33 + 41 = 74
15 Laia Sanz (E - Montesa) 36 + 40 = 76
DAY TWO
1 Alfredo Gomez (E - Montesa) 11 + 4 = 15
2 Francesc Moret (E - Montesa) 12 + 5 = 17
3 Pere Borrellas (E - Gas Gas) 17 + 4 = 21
4 Pol Tarres (E - Gas Gas) 10 + 12 = 22
5 Maxime Warenghien (B - Ossa) 12 + 18 = 30
6 Benoit Dagnicourt (F - Beta) 12 + 19 = 31
7 Carles Traviesa (E - Gas Gas) 35 + 15 = 50
8 Jonathan RICHARDSON (GB - Sherco) 28 + 23 = 51
9 Luca Cotone (I - Gas Gas) (8x1) 34 + 26 = 60
10 Tanguy Mottin (F - Montesa) (7x1) 37 + 23 = 60
11 Gianluca Tournour (I - Gas Gas) 35 + 30 = 65
12 Ivan Peydro (E - Gas Gas) 43 + 27 = 70
13 Matteo Poli (I - Ossa) 35 + 38 = 73
14 Jake Whittaker (NZ - Beta) (5x1) 37 + 37 = 74
15 Christian Kregeloh (D - Ossa) (4x1) 36 + 38 = 74
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 8) rounds: 1 Gomez 60 points, 2 Moret 49, 3 Tarres 43, 4 Borrellas 41, 5 Dagnicourt 34, 6 Warenghien 28, 7 RICHARDSON 25, 8 Traviesa 19, 9 Mottin 18, 10 Tournour 15, 11 Whittaker 13, 12 Peydro 13, 13 Poli 10, 14 Cotone 7, 15 Gyllenhammar 6,...
FIM YOUTH TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP
Rd 2 – Breal sur Montfort, FRANCE
DAY ONE
1 Jack SHEPPARD (GB - Beta) 9 + 1 = 10
2 Cedric Tempier (F - Sherco) 10 + 5 = 15
3 Steven Coquelin (F - Gas Gas) 7 + 9 = 16
4 Giacomo Saleri (I - Beta) 15 + 10 = 25
5 Romain Rigaud (F - Gas Gas) 13 + 14 = 27
6 Francesco Cabrini (I - Beta) 11 + 21 = 32
7 Fabien Menard (F - Gas Gas) 13 + 21 = 34
8 Mats Petit (F - Gas Gas) 17 + 28 = 45
9 Jesus Martin (E - Gas Gas) 21 + 25 = 46
10 Bradley COX (GB - Beta) (12x0) 21 + 27 = 48
11 Kenny Thomas (F - Beta) (6x0) 23 + 25 = 48
12 Martin Pochez (F - Gas Gas) 30 + 20 = 50
13 Chris STAY (GB - Gas Gas) 32 + 27 = 59
14 Paul Bury (F - Gas Gas) 25 + 42 = 67
15 Martin Ignacio (E - Gas Gas) 31 + 45 = 76
DAY TWO
1 Jack SHEPPARD (GB - Beta) 6 + 0 = 6
2 Giacomo Saleri (I - Beta) 13 + 2 = 15
3 Steven Coquelin (F - Gas Gas) 11 + 8 = 19
4 Cedric Tempier (F - Sherco) 14 + 11 = 25
5 Bradley COX (GB - Beta) 23 + 15 = 38
6 Jesus Martin (E - Gas Gas) 15 + 27 = 42
7 Fabien Menard (F - Gas Gas) 24 + 19 = 43
8 Kenny Thomas (F - Beta) 15 + 33 = 48
9 Francesco Cabrini (I - Beta) 32 + 18 = 50
10 Martin Pochez (F - Gas Gas) 20 + 32 = 52
11 Romain Rigaud (F - Gas Gas) 26 + 27 = 53
12 Paul Bury (F - Gas Gas) 34 + 20 = 54
13 Chris STAY (GB - Gas Gas) 30 + 36 = 66
14 Georgr GOSDEN (GB - Gas Gas) 32 + 44 = 76
15 Martin Ignacio (E - Gas Gas) 48 + 32 = 80
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 8) rounds: 1 SHEPPARD 60 points, 2 Tempier 47, 3 Saleri 45, 4 Coquelin 41, 5 Rigaud 26, 6 Martin 23, 7 Cabrini 22, 8 Thomas 20, 9 Menard 18, 10 COX 17, 11 Bury 14, 12 Pochez 14, 13 Karlsson 13, 14 Petit 10, 15 Widschwendter 9, 16 STAY 6,...18 GOSDEN 2,...
NEXT ROUND: June 19 – Pobladura de las Regueras, SPAIN.
