RAGA Levels Championship in Bangor
By TMX Archives on 6th Apr 08
Adam Raga Gas Gas took victory today at the second round of the FIM 2008 SPEA Trial World Championship held at the small coastal town of Bangor in Northern Ireland. Winner of last weekend's opening round in Luxembourg and reigning World champion, Toni Bou Repsol Montesa HRC had to settle for second place with Takahisa Fujinami Repsol Montesa HRC taking the remaining podium position.
Last playing host to the championship in 2004, Bangor offers a course that ismostly comprised of sections set on rocks along the sea front. These alreadydifficult sections were made even more so by gale force winds, snow and highwaves, this increased as the day progressed and as the tide rose.
It wasRaga who looked in the stronger position after an uncharacteristic five by Bouon the third section gave him the early lead. However, it was not to last as Boudelighted the amassed crowd by getting through the exceptionally tough fourthsection for a single dab where all of his main rivals failed. It was to be theeighth section that was to prove decisive however, with Raga riding it clean andBou failing to ascend what looked like a relatively straightforward hill climb.
With Raga commanding a four mark lead at the halfway stage of thecompetition, it was Bou's turn to fight back. Despite dropping the lowest scoreof the competition on his second lap a mere nine marks, it was insufficient toovertake a confident Raga who finished the event with a seven mark lead over Bouand a fifteen mark advantage over Fujinami. This result means the competition iswide open with Raga and Bou tied on thirty seven points apiece in the generalstandings. Fujinami is a short distance behind on thirty points.
In theJunior championship Alexz Wigg Montesa made it two wins from two starts tomaintain his clean sheet in the competition to date. Sam Haslam Gas Gas wassecond with Alfredo Gomez Montesa finishing third. Wigg has an eight pointlead in the championship standings over Gomez whilst Haslam, improving on hissixth place at the previous round in Luxembourg has climbed to third place, fivepoints behind Gomez.
Even at this early stage the Youth championship isshaping up to be an interesting battle with several evenly matched riderscompeting for the 2008 title. Jack Challoner Beta improved on his second placeof last week to take top podium position. Patrick Smage Sherco also improvedon his previous result to take second place, however both of these gains were atthe loss of last weekend's winner, Francesc Moret Gas Gas who failed to repeathis winning form and finished in third position. Challoner now has a narrow twopoint lead in the championship over Moret with Smage in third place a furtherthree points behind.
The championship now takes a three week break,returning on the 27th of April for the first of two days of competition inTennessee, USA.
Day 1 Results: (1 Day event)
World
1: Raga21
2: Bou 23
3: Fujinami 36
Junior
1: Wigg 27
2: Haslam 45
3:Gomez 56
Youth 125cc
1: Challoner 31
2: Smage 32
3: Moret36
2008 FIM Riders Championship Current Standings:
World
1:Raga 37
2: Bou 37
3: Fujinami 30
Junior
1: Wigg 40
2: Gomez32
3: Haslam 27
Youth 125cc
1: Challoner 37
2: Moret 35
3: Smage32
2008 FIM Manufacturers Championship Current Standings:
1:Montesa 67
2: Gas Gas 55
3: Beta 44
4: Sherco 36
This round:6th April, Bangor, Ireland
Next round: 26/27th April,Sequatchie, USA