Raga wins Barcelona Indoor (WTC Round 2)
By TMX Archives on 7th Feb 08
Barcelona, 4 February 2008. GAS GAS rider Adam Raga won yesterday at the Barcelona Indoor Trial, climbing to the second place in the World Championship standings only two points behind the leader Toni Bou. The key was a great second lap where he finished ahead of the current championship leader by just three points and that after falling on the first lap and resenting his right hand's muscular problems: This is a very important win both for me, after how the championship started, and for my aspirations to the world title. Raga arrived in Barcelona shortly after his victory, on Friday, at the International Nice Indoor Trial, by winning both laps and finishing 10 points ahead of the second-place man Jeroni Fajardo.
The Tarragona rider was ecstatic after the win at the Palau Sant Jordi, his favourite event: "This was the second round of the World Championship, and you can't expect a better result, we got the win and I am not fully fit after my injury yet! I must be happy as this is my fifth win at the Barcelona Indoor Trial, a result only beaten by Jordi Tarrés.” After this win the Catalan rider is only two points behind championship leader Toni Bou.
Adam Raga is feeling strong and confident to fight for the title, which would be the seventh in his account: "It is very important to ride confidently. I know that we have done a great job with our preparation, only hindered by my injury, but we must be strong to tackle the World Championship.”
His untimely injury came during the pre-season, hurting the first phalanx of his right hand's middle finger. However, in spite of being almost fully recovered, this was another handicap to overcome in the competition: "My lesion hardly hurt at all. Only when I fell on the first lap I resented it a bit, but it didn't hurt too much and I was able to continue in the competition both on the first and in the final lap.”
Despite being in the second place in the championship standings and winning yesterday at the Barcelona Indoor Trial, Raga is not overconfident: "I think we have competed at a great level, we are working hard, although we know that it won't be easy, because the others are also very strong.”
Yesterday's was the GAS GAS rider's fifth win in Barcelona, where he had not been able to win for three years. The first lap, where Raga finished second in spite of his fall, consisted on eight sections with a final speed test. In the final heat, the number of sections increased up to thirteen. Bou started in the lead after Raga's five in the first lap, but the GAS GAS rider kept putting pressure on Bou and forced the current championship leader to make some mistakes and fall back to the second place, leaving the way clear for Raga to get the win.
The next World Championship round will take place in Granada next Sunday.
Final standings Barcelona Indoor Trial
1 - Adam Raga (Sp/GAS GAS) 15 points
2 - Toni Bou (Sp/Montesa) 18 points
3 - Albert Cabestany (Sp/Sherco) 32 points
1st lap
4 - Takahisa Fujinami (Jap/Montesa); 16 points; 5 - Jeroni Fajardo (Sp/Beta), 18 points; 6 - James Dabill (GB/Montesa), 22 points; 7 - Doug Lampkin (GB/Beta), 25 points
Provisional Indoor World Trial Championship after Barcelona
1 - Toni Bou (Sp/Montesa) 18 points
2 - Adam Raga (Sp/GAS GAS) 16 points
3 - Albert Cabestany (Sp/Sherco) 14 points
4 - Takahisa Fujinami (J/Montesa) 10 points
5 - Jeroni Fajardo (GB/Montesa) 8 points