Living legends head for Barcelona
By Team TMX on 14th Nov 18
Sammy Miller will be Guest of Honour at a unique Legends of Trial evening that takes place in Barcelona on Friday organised by Oriol Bulto.
The Irishman will be joined by riders including fellow Bultaco factory aces Yrjo Vesterinen, Bernie Schreiber, Malcolm Rathmell and Charles Coutard at a gathering that is expected to attract up to 500 riders who competed at national and world championship level between the years 1964 and 1986.
Miller was, of course, the man who instigated the Spanish Armada of trials machines when he joined Bultaco for the 1965 season after testing the Spanish two-stroke back-to-back with his famous self-developed Ariel 500HT.
This move led to domination in trials by Bultaco who were joined by Montesa and Ossa. Between them they tolled the death knell for the previously dominant British trials industry. This landmark moment also created the Pre-65 movement as everything pre-Bultaco was instantly designated as redundant in a competitive world.
The meeting in Barcelona, in the form of a hotel lunch, is to recognise this sea-change in the sport. During the event Miller will be joined on stage by Spanish legends Jordi Tarres and the currently invincible 24-time world champ Toni Bou, representing the giants of three generations of trials.
