Toni takes another Bou
By G2F on 1st Jun 07
TONI Bou's total domination of the 2007 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship continued at the French Grand Prix, staged at Senez, near Nice, when the Repsol Montesa HRC teamster romped to his biggest win of the season to date.
Whilst Adam Raga did his best to stage a late fight back, and Britain's Dougie Lampkin gritted his teeth, to both join Bou on the podium in second and third places respectively, the simple truth was that the young Spanish rider was in a class of his own at the tough French event.
With Lampkin having suffered at the hands of his Japanese team-mate at the previous round, this time around it was Takahisa Fujinami's turn to cruelly miss out on a rostrum position, as he finished one mark behind Dougie and down in fourth spot. Although never really on the pace, Albert Cabestany completed the top five several marks behind his rivals, as once again the two-strokes be-came the minority in the leading pack.
Fresh from his recent Scottish win, James Dabill threatened to produce yet another shock result, in a season when he has already had his fair share, but after having circulated within a few marks of a podium finish on the first lap, a disappointing second lap showing sent him tumbling down the leaderboard. A slack five in the very last section of the day summed up Dabill's afternoon and robbed him of sixth position as he lost out to Jeroni Fajardo by just a single dab, and was quickly demoted to a slightly unjust seventh on the day.
Although Dabill failed to seize his opportunity, his friend and ex team-mate Michael Brown once again made up for a poor showing in the previous day's European round to storm to a clear victory in the Junior class. Laps of 14 and 15 marks respectively put >>>
him well clear of eventual runner-up Nicolas Gontard, who was frustrated at having missed out on making the most of his home advantage. Ace Trials Team runner, Lee Sampson, made it two Brits on the podium as he secured the privately-funded British team's first ever top three placing, after producing two consistent lap scores. Brown now heads the general standing by 11 points over Gontard.
WORLD TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP Rd 3 - Senez, FRANCE
1 Toni Bou (E - Repsol Montesa HRC) 16 +21 + 1 = 38
2 Adam Raga (E - Raga Gas Gas) 35 +19 + 1 = 55
3 Dougie LAMPKIN (GB - Repsol Mon HRC) 36 +27 + 1 = 64
4 Takahisa Fujinami (J - Repsol Mont HRC) 33 +31 + 1 = 65
5 Albert Cabestany (E - Tarrag Sherco) 33 +39 + 4 = 76
6 Jeroni Fajardo (E - Beta) 45 +44 + 4 = 93
SERIES STANDINGS: 1 Bou 80 points, 2 Raga 66, 3 Fujinami 58, 4 LAMPKIN 56, 5 Cabestany 42, 6 Freixa 37
WORLD JUNIOR TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP
1 Michael BROWN (GB - TTT Beta) 14 + 15 + - = 29
2 Nicolas Gontard (F - Nico Gas Gas) 25 + 16 + - = 41
3 Lee SAMPSON (GB - ACE Sherco) 28 + 23 + - = 51
4 Loris Gubian (F - Gas Gas) 21 + 34 + - = 55
5 Matteo Grattarola (I - Sherco) 32 + 27 + - = 59
6 Sam HASLAM (GB - Birkett Sherco) 36 + 34 + - = 70
SERIES STANDINGS: 1 BROWN 75 points, 2 Gontard 64, 3 WIGG 58, 4 Gubian 54, 5 SAMPSON 47, 6 Grattarola 38,
FIM YOUTH TRIALS CHAMPS
1 Alfredo Gomez (E - Gas Gas) 11 + 4 + - = 15
2 Alexis Cervantes (F - Sherco France) 8 + 8 + - = 16
3 Ross DANBY (GB - JST Gas Gas) 11 + 7 + - = 18
4 Laurent Morell (F - Beta France) 10 + 12 + - = 22
5 Antonio Alfonso (E - Gas Gas) 23 + 9 + - = 32
6 Adrian Pastoriza (E - Gas Gas) 13 + 24 + - = 37
11 Robert ANDREWS (IRE - JST Gas Gas) 23 + 28 + - = 51
SERIES STANDINGS: 1 Gomez 80 points, 2 DANBY 64, 3 Cervantes 60, 4 Millan 39, 5 Patrick Smage 30, 6 ANDREWS 29,...
NEXT ROUND: Jun 2/3 - Twin Ring Motegi, JAPAN.
For full report, results and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, June 1, 2007.