Trial des Nations - Full Report

By TMX Archives on 23rd Sep 15

Defending champions Britain recorded a third victory in a row at the FIM Ladies Trial des Nations held in LHospitalet de lInfant, Spain.

Ladies Trial des Nations

The British trio was led by 2015 FIM World Ladies Trials Champion, Emma Bristow, who was joined by Rebekah Cook and Donna Fox as they ran out eventual winners by 20-marks – but only after having been pushed hard by runners-up, Germany.

The German line-up of Theresa Bauml, Mona Pekarek and Ina Wilde trailed Great Britain by just a single mark after the first lap, although their challenge faded during the latter stages.

Perhaps feeling the pressure, the German women faltered on their second visit to the 15-sections and in the end just managed to hold on to second as both Spain and France closed in on them.

The battle for the last remaining podium place was a fierce and tight affair with the Spanish squad of Mireia Conde, Berta Abellan and Elisabet Solera finally snatching third by a single mark from their French rivals, after 30sections in total had been ridden by the nine nations in the team competition.

With the best two scores from the three riders in each hazard being used to calculate the final team totals, the French squad of Marilyne Journet, Sandrine Juffett and Pauline Masanes did little wrong with two consistent laps and can count themselves slightly unlucky not to have made it on to the podium.

The Norwegian line up of Mette Fidje, Ingveig Hakonsen and Julie Sandanger showed moments of great promise but had to settle for rounding out the top five.

Italy's Martina Balducchi, Elisa Peretti and Sara Trentini recorded laps scores of 34 and 37 marks respectively to complete the trial with a total of 71 marks.

This was some way behind Norway, but still gave them sixth place and put them well clear of the USA.

America, who ended the day in seventh, was represented by Caroline Allen, Rachel Hassler and Madeleine Hoover.

Reversing the role as best overseas team, USA this time out got the advantage over the Australian girls who placed eighth.

The squad from Down Under saw their efforts hampered as Ina Halls did her best to deal with the effects of a severe chest infection and she never gave up alongside team-mates Kristie McKinnon and Kaitlyn Cummins. Ireland's brave duo of Kate Callaghan and Michelle Hanlon fought their way round every inch of the rocky course to record a proud finish and round out the classifications in ninth place.

Bristow said: "It feels great to win again, but we gave ourselves an uphill fight after we didn't ride so well on the first lap. We knew that Germany were close but we never panicked or really felt the pressure.

"We simply got on with our riding and produced a much better second lap that gave us a clear win come the end of the Trial.

"We were always confident that we could win again, especially after we have just secured the top three places in the individual FIM World Ladies Trials Championship. All in all it has been a great year for the British Women, so I hope this will help to inspire the girls back in the UK to continue this kind of success in the future.”

Ladies Trial des Nations

Tarragona, SPAIN

1 GREAT BRITAIN – Total 19 marks lost – Emma BRISTOW (Sherco), Becky COOK (Jotagas), Donna FOX (Sherco)

2 GERMANY – Total 39 – Ina Wilde (Gas Gas), Theresa Bauml (Ossa), Sarah Bauer (Sherco)

3 SPAIN – Total 41 – Mireia Conde (Beta), Elizabet Solera (Ossa), Sandra Gomez (Scorpa)

4 FRANCE – Total 42 – Maryline Journet (Gas Gas), Pauline Masanes (Gas Gas), Sandrine Juffet (Jotagas)

5 NORWAY – Total 50 – Ingveig Hakonsen (Beta), Julie Sandanger (Beta), Mette Fidje (Sherco)

6 ITALY – Total 71 – Sara Trentini (Sherco), Martina Balducchi (Scorpa), Elisa Peretti (Gas Gas)

7 USA – Total 104 – Caroline Allen (Scorpa), Rachel Hassler (Scorpa), Madeleine Hoover (Scorpa)

8 AUSTRALIA – Total 116 – Kaitlyn Cummins (Sherco), Ina Halls (Beta), Kristie McKinnon (Gas Gas)

9 IRELAND – Total 195 – Kate CALLAGHAN (Beta), Michelle HANLON (Gas Gas)

Mens Trial des Nations

Riding on their home patch, the Spanish team comprising Toni Bou, Adam Raga, Jeroni Fajardo and Albert Cabestany did exactly what was expected of them as they recorded a commanding 12th straight win in the 2015 FIM Trial des Nations, which this year was hosted in L'Hospitalet de l'Infant.

Boasting a squad that included the current best top four riders in the FIM World Trials Championship, Spain's 22nd victory in total in this prestigious inter country competition was never in question.

With an eventual winning margin of 89 marks over runners-up France, the Spanish quartet again confirmed their outright supremacy.

While well beaten by their Spanish peers, the French team of Alexandre Ferrer, Quentin Carles de Caudemberg Quentin, Loris Gubian and Benoit Dagnicourt achieved their best result since they last finished as runners-up in America in 1992.

A much-improved second lap saw France overtake both Japan and Italy during the latter part of the event, having found themselves down in fourth spot at the halfway stage.

They closed the trial some 19-marks ahead of their Japanese rivals.

It was a day when the normal podium order was rearranged as the Japanese line-up of Takahisa Fujinami, Tomoyuki Ogawa, Tsuyoshi Ogawa and Akira Shibata not only returned to the competition for the first time since 2011, but also recorded their first podium placing since 2008 as they secured third spot by the narrowest of margins.

Japan's gain was Great Britain's loss as they failed to finish in the top three for the first time since 1992 – ironically the same year that France last took the runners-up position.

The British foursome of James Dabill, Jack Sheppard, Alexz Wigg and Sam Haslam never looked comfortable on the dry and dusty terrain that was made more intense by the searing heat from the Spanish sun.

Although team GB did produce a better closing lap, they then cruelly missed out on a spot on the rostrum as Japan beat them on a tie-decider.

Both teams ended the day on 128 marks, but it was the Japanese protagonists who had recorded two more cleans than their European counterparts to snatch third place.

After a promising opening lap when they occupied an interim third position, Italy's hopes of a famous podium result faded as the second lap wore on.

Finally, Luca Cotone, Matteo Grattarola, Daniele Maurin and Gianluca Tournour had to be content with rounding out the top five in the World Trophy class.

Norway's squad comprising Ib Andersen, Ivar Norum, Hakon Pedersen and Kristian Ole Sorensen battled throughout the day to take sixth spot, although somewhat off the pace of other teams.

Returning to the top step for the first time since 2012, the Czech Republic were the worthy winners in the International Trophy Group, for their third victory in this class.

The quartet of Martin Kroustek, Martin Matejicek, Jiri Svoboda and Marek Wunsch rode an almost perfect trial with lap scores of just two and then one to end the day with a team total of three.

Last year's victors, Germany – represented by Jan Junklewitz, Franz Kadlec, Micro Kammel and Jan Peters – matched the Czech Republic's tally on the opening lap but were unable to do the same on their second visit to the sections.

Germany's total of ten marks was still enough to give them the runner-up spot and put them seven clear of a jubilant Australia, who recorded their first podium finish since 2008.

Chris Bayles, Timothy Coleman, Kyle Middleton and Colin Zarczynki made their long trip from Down Under very worthwhile as they took third spot by three marks from the much-fancied Swedish team which included Eddie Karlsson, Marcus Eliasson,

Emil Gyllenhammar and Marcus Igelstrom.

With Sweden down in a slightly disappointing fourth position, the top five was rounded out by the USA whose

line-up featured Bryan Roper, Andrew Putt, Logan Bolopue and Daniel Blanc-Gonnet.

Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and Latvia occu pied places six to ten respectively in a class that was contested by fifteen nations.

Trial des Nations (Champs Class)

Hospitalet de l'Infant, Tarragona, SPAIN

1 SPAIN – Total 20 – Toni Bou, Albert Cabestany, Adam Raga, Jeroni Fajardo

2 FRANCE – Total 109 – Quentin Carles de Caudemberg, Benoit Dagnicourt, Alexandre Ferrer, Loris Gubian

3 JAPAN – Total 128 – Takahisa Fujinami, Tomoyuki Ogawa, Tsuyoshi Ogawa, Skira Shibata

4 GREAT BRITAIN – Total 128 – James Dabill, Jack Sheppard, Sam Haslam, Alexz Wigg

5 ITALY – Total 132 – Matteo Grattarola, Gianluca Tournour, Daniele Maurino, Luca Cotone

6 NORWAY – Total 224 – Hakon Pedersen, Ole Kristian Sorensen, Ivar Norum, Ib Vegard Andersen

Trial des Nations (International Trophy)

1 CZECH REPUBLIC – Total 3 – Martin Kroustek, Jiri Svoboda, Martin Matejicek, Marrek Wunsch

2 GERMANY – Total 10 – Jan Junklewitz, Franz Kadlec, Mirco Kammel, Jan Peters

3 AUSTRALIA – Total 17 – Pere Torres Masbernat, Joaquim Arimany Puig, Albert Palau Mas, Sergi Palau Mas

4 SWEDEN – Total 20 – Eddie Karlsson, Emil Gyllenhammar, Marcus Igelstrom, Marcus Eliasson

5 USA – Total 24 – Daniel Blanc-Gonnet, Logan Bolopue, Andrew Putt, Bryan Roper

6 IRELAND – Total 38 – Michael Burton, Chris Brown, Sean Doyle, Jonathon Lunney

7 AUSTRIA – Total 74 – Philipp Bertl, Christoph Roseneder, Manuel Vollgger, Bernhard Walker

8 BELGIUM – Total 79 – Julien Rousselle, Jordan Vandekasteele, Daniel Crosset, Nicolas Defourny

9 SWITZERLAND – Total 124 – Noe Pretalli, Julien Minerba, Brian Allaman, Valentin Leiser

10 LATVIA – Total 174 – Andris Ginfelds, Kaspars Vernieks, Kristers Einass, Niks Alksnis

11 DENMARK – Total 189 – Morten Andersen, Mikkel Brade, Thomas Pedersen, Jan Jorgesen

12 PORTUGAL – Total 238 – Diogo Vieira, Filipe Paiva, Miguel Rodrigues, Ricardo Damil

13 ANDORRA – Total 243 – Pere Torres Masbernat, Joaquim Arimany Puig, Albert Palau Mas, Sergi Palau Mas

14 LUXEMBOURG – Total 289 – Christina Daleiden, Sven Mousel, Ken Mousty, Ben Stoffel

Ladies World Trials Championship - Rd 3

Britain's Emma Bristow closed out an almost perfect campaign as she took the final victory of the FIM Women's Trial World Championship at L'Hospitalet de l'Infant, Spain.

It confirmed her as a more than worthy winner of the series for the second year in a row after having already clinched the title at the previous round.

Bristow was joined on the podium by her two compatriots as Donna Fox and Rebekah Cook finished second and third respectively in what was an all-British top three.

The runners-up spot for Fox marked her best-ever result in the series and followed on from her third position at the prior event in Teo, Spain, to give her third overall in the final standings.

In turn Cook's rostrum placing was sufficient for her to secure second spot in the overall rankings for the second year in succession.

By the end of the first lap of 15-sections, which were tackled twice on the day, Bristow had already ridden herself clear of the chasing pack.

Losing single marks in hazards eight and 13, Emma posted an opening score of just two marks.

Spain's Mireia Conde, who eventually ended the day in fourth, was the newly crowned champion's closest threat at that stage as she parted with five marks on her first tour.

Cook and Fox remained in contention with lap scores of six and seven respectively.

Clear blue skies and high temperatures added to the occasion, with the initial two sections located on the nearby beach.

Local sunbathers swelled the crowd before the girls then headed inland to the nearby hills for the remaining sections, all of which were positioned in a dry local riverbed.

The latter group of sections proved the most challenging and caused the majority of the problems, where most of the marks were lost.

It was among these natural hazards where Bristow made her only real mistake of the day as she fived section seven on her second visit.

Despite this slight blot on an otherwise solid day for the 2015 FIM Women's Trial World Champion, Emma still ran out a winner by six clear marks.

Fox produced an inspired closing performance to match her early lap score and snatch second on the day from Cook.

In contrast, Cook doubled her tally on her final lap, compared to her first lap total and as a result of which found herself demoted to the lowest tier of the podium this time out.

These two British riders both did enough to occupy the reverse positions respectively in the final championship standings as Great Britain confirmed their dominance of the FIM World Ladies Trials Championship.

For the second event in a row Norway's Mette Fidje recorded an equal career best result as she placed fifth on 25 marks to announce herself as a potential front-runner in the future.

Germany's Theresa Bauml took sixth, two marks further back, while home rider Berta Abellan ended the day in seventh.

Ingveig Hakonsen, Elisabet Solera and Ina Wide rounded out the top ten for the last time this season.

Wilde's worst result in the campaign saw her lose out on a top three place overall, but her fourth spot in the series was still her best to date.

1 Emma BRISTOW (GB - Sherco) 2 + 6 = 8

2 Donna FOX (GB - Sherco) 7 + 7 = 14

3 Becky COOK (GB - Jotagas) 6 + 12 = 18

4 Mireia Conde (E - Beta) 5 + 14 = 19

5 Mette Fidje (N - Sherco) 13 + 12 = 25

6 Theresa Bauml (D - Ossa) (20x0,3x1) 13 + 14 = 27

7 Berta Abellan (E - Sherco) (20x0,2x1) 13 + 14 = 27

8 Ingveig Hakonsen (N - Beta) 11 + 19 = 30

9 Elizabet Solera (E - Ossa) T: 4:12:56 21 + 10 = 31

10 Ina Wilde (D - Gas Gas) T: 4:17:08 18 + 13 = 31

11 Sandrine Juffet (F - Jotagas) (15x0,8x1) 15 + 19 = 34

12 Jess BOWN (GB - Scorpa) (15x0,6x1) 17 + 17 = 34

13 Sara Trentini (I - Sherco) (14x0) 22 + 12 = 34

14 Maryline Journet (F - Gas Gas) (18x0) 19 + 17 = 36

15 Pauline Masanes (F - Gas Gas) (17x0) 20 + 16 = 36

FINAL SERIES STANDINGS after 3 rounds (best 3 day-scores count): 1 Emma BRISTOW 60 (97) points (CHAMPION), 2 Becky COOK 54 (84), 3 Donna FOX 45 (69), 4 Ina Wilde 41 (56), 5 Mireia Conde 35 (51), 6 Theresa Bauml 33 (53), 7 Berta Abellan 29 (43), 8 Sandra Gomez 28, 9 Mette Fidje 26, 10 Elizabet Solera 24 (32), 11 Sara Trentini 18 (25), 12 Maria Giro 18 (22), 13 Jess BOWN 15 (20), 14 Sarah Bauer 13 (16), 15 Ingveig Hakonsen 10, 16 Kristie McKinnon 6, 17 Sandrine Juffet 5, 18 Martina Balducchi 3, 19 Maryline Journet 2, 20 Krity Meier 2, 21 Kathrin Dohla 2, 22 Pauline Masanes 1, 23 Julie Sandanger 1, 24 Neus Murcia 1.

n Mens Trial des Nations

n Report: Les Foden

n Pictures: FIM/ g2f Media