Raga finally takes a Bou
By TMX Archives on 8th Jun 07
REIGNING World Trials Champion Adam Raga finally managed to beat his nemesis, Repsol-Montesa's Toni Bou, at the second day of the Japanese round of the World Trials Championship at Motegi on Sunday.
It came as a huge relief to the Gas Gas rider after Bou won the previous five rounds, including the opening day in Japan. And Raga achieved his goal with a truly brilliant clean final lap of the 15 Motegi sections to take a morale-boosting victory - and in Honda's (Repsol Montesa) back-yard!
So at the end of the weekend honours were even between the two rivals for the 2007 World crown as Raga finally stopped the march of his young, fellow Catalan.
WORLD TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP Rd 4 - Twin Ring Motegi, JAPAN
DAY ONE
1 Toni Bou (E - Repsol Montesa HRC) 1 + 5 + - = 6
2 Adam Raga (E - Raga Gas Gas) 4 + 7 + - = 11
3 Takahisa Fujinami (J - Repsol Montesa HRC) 22 + 20 + - = 42
4 Albert Cabestany (E - Tarragona Sherco) 26 + 17 + 7 = 50
5 Jeroni Fajardo (E - Beta) 24 + 30 + - = 54
6 Dougie LAMPKIN (GB - Repsol Montesa HRC) 23 + 33 + 7 = 63
DAY TWO
1 Adam Raga (E - Raga Gas Gas) 9 + 0 + - = 9
2 Toni Bou (E - Repsol Montesa HRC) 9 + 2 + - = 11
3 Takahisa Fujinami (J - Repsol Montesa HRC) 12 + 6 + - = 18
4 Albert Cabestany (E - Tarragona Sherco) 10 + 12 + - = 22
5 Jeroni Fajardo (E - Beta) 28 + 24 + - = 52
6 Kenichi Kuroyama (J - Yamaha) 27 + 26 + - = 53
SERIES STANDINGS: 1 Bou 117 points, 2 Raga 103, 3 Fujinami 88, 4 LAMPKIN 75, 5 Cabestany 68, 6 Fajardo 58
Brown doubles-up in Japan
IN the separate battles for the World Junior and Youth Cups there was plenty of involvement for the far-travelled Brits. Michael Brown, although struggling with the European series, is romping away with the Junior Cup series and his Japanese double-win took his total to five victories from the six rounds to date.
On the opening day, Alexz Wigg made it a fantastic British one-two as he was able to wriggle his 125 Gasser through the Japanese sections which were more technical and less brutal than the French sections the previous week.
Browny reckoned that the sections were a lot easier than normal, but there was still a huge gap of 20 points between runner-up Wigg and third placed Sherco-rider, Italian Matteo Grattarola. French rider and series runner-up Nicolas Gontard had a nightmare, down in fifth place and nowhere near the pace losing 42 marks and finishing behind countryman Loris Gubian.
WORLD JUNIOR TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP Rd 4 - Twin Ring Motegi, JAPAN
DAY ONE
1 Michael BROWN (GB - TTT Beta) 9 + 1 + - = 10
2 Alexz WIGG (GB - JST Gas Gas) 11 + 2 + - = 13
3 Matteo Grattarola (I - Sherco) 15 + 18 + - = 33
4 Loris Gubian (F - Gas Gas) 26 + 13 + - = 39
5 Nicolas Gontard (F - Nico Gas Gas) 22 + 20 + - = 42
6 Sam HASLAM (GB - Birkett Scorpa) 24 + 18 + - = 42
DAY TWO
1 Michael BROWN (GB - TTT Beta) 0 + 2 + - = 2
2 Nicolas Gontard (F - Nico Gas Gas) 1 + 2 + - = 3
3 Alexz WIGG (GB - JST Gas Gas) 9 + 2 + - = 11
4 Matteo Grattarola (I - Sherco) 18 + 11 + - = 29
5 Laia Sanz (E - Repsol Montesa HRC) 11 + 18 + - = 29
6 Loris Gubian (F - Gas Gas) 16 + 14 + - = 30
SERIES STANDINGS: 1 BROWN 115 points, 2 Gontard 92, 3 WIGG 90, 4 Gubian 77, 5 Grattarola 66, 6 SAMPSON 47, 7 Sanz 42, 8 HASLAM 41, 9 Guillaume Laniel 18, 10 Shibata 17,...
FIM YOUTH TRIALS CHAMPS
DAY ONE
1 Alfredo Gomez (E - Gas Gas) 3 + 8 + - = 11
2 Ross DANBY (GB - JST Gas Gas) 15 + 6 + - = 21
3 Alexis Cervantes (F - Sherco France) 25 + 22 + - = 47
4 Marijan Griebel (D - Future Beta) 46 + 39 + - = 85
DAY TWO
1 Alfredo Gomez (E - Gas Gas) 4 + 3 + - = 7
2 Ross DANBY (GB - JST Gas Gas) 16 + 6 + - = 22
3 Alexis Cervantes (F - Sherco France) 13 + 16 + - = 29
4 Antonio Alfonso (E - Gas Gas) 26 + 6 + - = 32
5 Marijan Griebel (D - Future Beta) 31 + 37 + - = 68
SERIES STANDINGS: 1 Gomez 120 points, 2 DANBY 98, 3 Cervantes 90, 4 David Millan 39, 5 Alfonso 35, 6 Patrick Smage 30, 7 Robert ANDREWS 29, 8 Griebel 27, 9 Laurent Morell 23, 10 Adrian Pastoriza 23,...
NEXT ROUND: Jul 1 Erba, ITALY.
For full report, results and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, June 8, 2007.