Seven up for Spain
By TMX Archives on 4th Dec 08
THE 2008 Indoor Trial des Nations was, like its predecessors, one of the best kept secrets in trials when it was held on Saturday, November 29. The 2008 event, held in Spain since its inception in 2002, was won by the host nation, giving them a 100% record of seven wins from seven starts. This year's event was staged in front of a claimed 3000 spectators in Badajoz when the three countries contesting the event were Spain, Britain and Japan. The three Japanese riders, Takahisa Fujinami, Tomoyuki Ogawa and Tsuyoshi Ogawa were all mounted on Honda-Montesa
For the Brits, it was probably the last time that any of the three would ride their current ma-chines. James Dabill is swapping his Future Montesa for a Gas Gas, Michael Brown switching from Beta to Sherco while Dougie Lampkin is very likely trading-in his Beta REV3 for a shiny new factory tweaked EVO. And maybe our lads were distracted by these facts as, after finishing as runner-up to Spain in this event for the previous six years, Britain slumped to third behind the smiling trio of Japanese – two of which, the Ogawas, had made a long journey to compete. Fuji, of course, lives full-time in Spain.
But it was the local trio of World champ Toni Bou (Montesa), twice champ Adam Raga (Gas Gas) an Sherco's Albert Cabestany who ran away with the win. Nine sections were each tackled twice in the two-lap event and the sections were very much do or die. They were either cleaned or fived with not a lot in between. Michael Brown got the event under way in the opening section followed by Cabestany and Tomoyuki Ogawa – and all three failed. Toni Bou bagged the first clean of the night in the second zone where he was matched by Fuji while James Dabill's five put us at the bottom of the pile and this was compounded when Browny failed the third.
The scoring system is complex, and is not just each team's scores totalled but each ride in each section scores points. Not that this mattered to the home nation, pulling steadily ahead over the two circuits to claim their glory.
Dougie and Michael will, when (hopefully) kitted-out with their new bikes, be looking for revenge at Sheffield come January 3!
FIM INDOOR TRIAL des NATIONS
Badajoz, SPAIN (Nov 29)
Overall: 1 SPAIN 30 lap one + 26 lap two = 56 total points (Toni Bou (Repsol Montesa), Adan Raga (Gas Gas) and Albert Cabestany (Sherco)), 2 JAPAN 24 + 24 = 48 (Takahisa Fujinami (Repsol Honda), Tomoyeki Ogawa (Honda) and Tsuyoshi Ogawa (Honda)), 3 GREAT BRITAIN 19 + 21 = 40 (Dougie Lampkin (Beta), James Dabill (Future Montesa) and Michael Brown (TTT Beta)).
The British squad, Dougie Lampkin, James Dabill and Michael Brown.