That's fine and Danby
By TMX Archives on 18th Dec 08
FOR the 67th staging of the Southern Experts Trial, annual organisers Sunbeam MCC Ltd joined forces with Stroud Valley MC. The venue selected for the 2008 event was Nympsfield on land, which in years gone by had been better known for staging the National Cotswold Scramble. But with the scramblers now long gone though, on Sunday it was brought back to life as legendary trials champion, Steve Saunders, plotted a testing 15-sections which the 60-plus entry had to tackle three times in their allotted five-hour time limit.
After a week of sharp overnight frosts followed by heavy rain, the ground conditions were very heavy and waterlogged, turning an already difficult event into a slippery, severe battle of attrition in which finding any grip was a major achievement in itself. This was reflected in final marks totalled by most riders. Taking the eventual win and his maiden Southern Experts title was Ross Danby, five marks better than Sam Haslam with Alexz Wigg in third. In the Clubman Experts class and riding a slightly less demanding route (!), Ben Bramwell finished top of the pile ahead of David Clinkard and Chas Lee.
So, with defending champion Graham Jarvis not competing this time round, there was always going to be a new winner of the Southern Experts, and at just after 9.30am the action began with the first riders leaving the start to tackle a truly, traditional Cotswold Trial, featuring an abundance of mud and steep climbs littered with tree roots.
Well renowned for his desire to tackle the challenge head on and get the business done as soon as possible, Colin Crease got the ball rolling at section one with a clean, feet-up ride, an achievement which only fellow rider Lennie Tidd achieved in the Expert class on lap one.
While Crease and Tidd got off to a flyer, expected favourite Alexz Wigg started with a surprise five against his name. Although Tidd remained clean until section four, he finished his opening lap with a loss of 37. Ross Danby led the way on 18, just one mark less than Wigg, who, following his early deficit, had stormed back to produce a superb first circuit. Also mastering the mud to put themselves in the frame for the eventual win were Sam Haslam on 23, the impressive Simon Welch, on 24, and the trio of Crease, Sam Connor and Ben Wibberley, all on 27.
Scott Thompson urges his Gas Gas mount up a muddy embankment.
67th SOUTHERN EXPERTS TRIAL
Nympsfield, Glos
(Sunbeam MCC Ltd & Stroud Valley MC)
EXPERT: Ross Danby (250 JST Gas Gas) 44 marks lost, Sam Haslam (300 JST Gas Gas) 49, Alexz Wigg (300 Sandiford Montesa) 53, Sam Connor (270 Beta) 67.
CLUBMAN EXPERT: Ben Bramwell (250 Birkett Scorpa) 41, David Clinkard (250 Beta) 48, Chas Lee (320 John Lee Sherco) 52.
FOR FULL REPORT AND PICTURES SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008