Roberts nails first victory at British Championship finale
By John Dickinson on 2nd Sep 15
IWAN Roberts enjoyed a red letter day last Sunday when the young Welsh Champion hes just turned 19 claimed his first adult British Trials Championship victory in the ninth and final round of the RT Keedwell sponsored 2015 series.
The event was staged by Guisborough &DMC via their John Hardaker trial, on the North Yorks moors in Glaisdale, near Whitby.
On-form Roberts took the scalps of newly-crowned British Champ James Dabill and Spanish ace Jorge Casales over the 12-section, three-mile course which was lapped three times.
It was the first time a British Championship had been held at the venue which offered a variety of terrain.
As well as an abundance of large boulders on the moors there was the contrast of sections in a deep river gully, under cover of trees, which was utilised for sections three to five after a couple of opening hazards on stony bankings.
A muggy morning brought out midges in their millions but it stayed fine and the day freshened up as it went on.
The opening lap saw a taste of what was to come as Iwan posted the best score of just 14 marks. The event got off to a slow start as the tricky fourth section in the depth of the valley brought the Championship class to a halt.
George Morton and Jack Spencer broke the deadlock, picking-up fives in the slippery rocky depths and the Championship chasers went back to sitting on the bank. Eventually only Dabill and Dec Bullock escaped a maximum with single dab efforts as Iwan picked up his first five.
Iwan collected another maximum on the moor at the ninth, up on the steep hillside, as did Dabill and Casales but he still ended the lap in the lead on 14 marks – and he wouldn't lose another five for the rest of the trial.
FOR FULL REPORT AND PICTURES SEE TMX SEPTEMBER 2
Rt Keedwell British Solo Trials Championship
Rd 9 – John Hardaker Trial (Guisborough & DMCC)
CHAMPIONSHIP CLASS
1 Iwan Roberts (Trialsworld Beta) 14 + 11 + 4 = 29
2 James Dabill (Vertigo Factory) 17 + 10 + 3 = 30
3 Jorge Casales (E - 300 Beta) 17 + 7 + 21 = 45
4 Alexz Wigg (Gas Gas UK) 17 + 16 + 16 = 49
5 Ross Danby (SXS Jotagas UK) 23 + 12 + 16 = 51
6 Sam Haslam (Gas Gas UK) 27 + 13 + 17 = 57
7 Dec Bullock (Beta UK) 21 + 22 + 19 = 62
8 Billy Bolt (Ossa UK) 25 + 26 + 13 = 64
9 Jack Price (Jitse R&T Gas Gas) 20 + 16 + 30 = 66
10 Jack Spencer (Sandiford OR Beta) 17 + 29 + 32 = 78
11 James Fry (MRS Sherco) 26 + 27 + 26 = 79
12 Andrew Chilton (Beta UK) 23 + 27 + 30 = 80
13 Richard Sadler (Acklam Beta UK) 35 + 20 + 30 = 85
14 George Morton (Beta) 33 + 45 + 24 = 102
15 Luke Walker (MRS Sherco) 36 + 34 + 33 = 103
FINAL SERIES STANDINGS after 9 rounds: 1 James Dabill 168 points (CHAMPION), 2 Jorge Casales 103, 3 Sam Haslam 97, 4 Danby 94, 5 Bolt 87, 6 Wigg 87, 7 Price 77, 8 Roberts 74, 9 Brown 69, 10 Connor 64, 11 Spencer 53, 12 Fry 44, 13 Chilton 37, 14 Bullock 32, 15 Peace 29, 16 Walker 19, 17 Morton 16, 18 Baker 10, 19 Waite 8, 20 Sadler 6.
EXPERT CLASS
1 Dan Thorpe (JST Gas Gas UK) 9 + 9 + 10 = 28
2 Tom Hooper (MRS Sherco) 10 + 9 + 16 = 35
3 James Stones (MRS Sherco) 20 + 11 + 17 = 48
4 Tom Affleck (AM MRS Sherco) 24 + 18 + 16 = 58
5 Joel Edwards (AB M/cs Beta) 23 + 14 + 23 = 60
6 Jack Howell (Beta) 29 + 18 + 16 = 63
7 Tom Minta (MRS Sherco) 16 + 20 + 30 = 66
8 Guy Kendrew (Beta UK) 19 + 24 + 24 = 67
9 Bradley Bullock (Beta UK) 22 + 22 + 31 = 75
10 John Crinson (MRS Sherco) 30 + 17 + 29 = 76
11 Connor Atkinson (Gas Gas) 37 + 24 + 18 = 79
12 Jack Stones (Acklams Beta UK) 27 + 27 + 28 = 82
13 Emma Bristow (MRS Sherco) 28 + 23 + 32 = 83
14 Andrew Anderson (Scorpa) 35 + 24 + 25 = 84
15 Hugo Jervis (Beta) 34 + 28 + 23 = 85
FINAL SERIES STANDINGS: 1 Dan Thorpe 152 points (EXPERT CHAMPION), 2 Tom Hooper 137, 3 James Stones 101, 4 Starmer 100, 5 Minta 99, 6 Affleck 73, 7 Crinson 72, 8 Edwards 69, 9 Bullock 52, 10 Yeadon 36, 11 Howell 30, 12 Yeomans 28, 13 Baker 27, 14 Jack Stones 26, 15 Pearson 21.
