Preview: FIM Trial World Championship - Great Britain
By John Dickinson on 13th Jul 16
THIS is the biggest weekend of the year in British trials as we host the British round of the 2016 FIM Trial World Championship, the Wulfsport Oset British TrialGP.
And it really is an event to shout about because, as well as representing the seventh and penultimate round of the current series, with only Italy left in the calendar, the event also plays host to the opening round of the 2016 FIM Women's Championship, the first time ever that Britain has run a round for the women.
And as Britain boasts the top three lady trials riders with Emma Bristow the reigning and two-time World Champion and Becky Cook and Donna Fox second and third this is a fantastic occasion as they kick-off the 2016 season in front of a home crowd!
The trial is also special as it sees the British round return to Yorkshire for the first time since Pateley Bridge played host in 1993, when it takes place at Parkwood Off Road Centre, Tong, Bradford. This is seen very much as a ‘Trials is Coming Home' moment and a boost to home riders like James Dabill, Jack Price and Dan and Jack Peace.
The last four British rounds have been staged at Nord Vue, Penrith, Cumbria and this quarry venue provided mainly man-made sections from the quarried rockery.
Tong will be in complete contrast to this with a majority of mainly natural bankings and gullies complimented by a group of tricky man-made hazards to test the world's best.
THIS weekend is the only chance we get in Britain to see the top International stars in action outdoors with the entry headed by nine times and reigning champion Toni Bou. The Repsol Honda star has his sights firmly set on an unbelieveable tenth consecutive crown...
Once again Bou has been embroiled all year in a battle with his arch rival Adam Raga.
Raga has been campaigning the all-new two-stroke TRS for seven-time champ Jordi Tarres and has been riding really well, putting Bou under real pressure.
As we approach the British round, Adam is still only 23 points adrift of his adversary and two good results in Britain could put him right back into the race for the title, especially should Bou have any dip in form or indeed any problem.
The problem for Raga is that the omens don't look good! Bou has been unbeaten in the British round since 2012 having taken eight consecutive victories, an amazing run by any standards.
For the record the longest winning run is by our own Dougie Lampkin who took 10 consecutive victories from 1996 to 2005 at Hawkstone Park and Douglas in the Isle of Man.
In contrast, Raga has notched just a single maximum points scoring ride having had to content himself with no fewer than 13 podium finishes. However, Tong is a totally new venue and it is a completely blank sheet of paper for every rider so the history can be virtually discounted.
The weekend won't be just about the two title protagansts though. Veterans Albert Cabestany (Sherco) and Takahisa Fujinami (Repsol Honda) have both shown that there is no dropping off in ability for riders in their
mid- 30s and both have scored wins this year.
Teenage Spaniard, Jaime Busto, is an exciting talent and in the powerful Repsol Honda team, able to learn from the experienced Bou and Fujinami.
Great Britain has just a single challenger in the premier TrialGP class but James Dabill, on the factory Vertigo, under team manager Dougie Lampkin, has already been on the podium twice this season and will be keen to do just that again in Tong which is effectively on the doorstep of the Leeds born rider.
One of James's main adversaries is his Vertigo team mate Jeroni Fajardo and there has been little between the two stars in 2016.
Other riders to watch out for are new-for-2016 Gas Gas signing, German Frans Kadlec and Spain's Beta factory man Jorge Casales. Casales' form has been disappointing so far this year but Jorge contested the British Champs last year and could easily come good at this very British venue.
Trial2 is all about Jack Price as the Yorkshire youngster is right on course to win and celebrate the class World Championship on the opening day! If he pulls this off it will be a fantastic weekend for Jack and Gas Gas.
The class boasts a healthy 29 entries with the regular Brits of Price, Iwan Roberts (TTT Beta), Dan Peace (JST Cloburn Gas Gas) and Dec Bullock (Beta) being joined by Tom Minta, Jack Spencer, Toby Martyn, Luke Walker and Hugo Jervis.
Welsh champ Iwan has been Jack's main Championship rival and is well capable of a win.
The expected Continental challenge will come from Spanish ace Arnau Farre and French stars Gael Chatagno and Pierre Sauvage plus Italians Luca Petrella and Filippo Locca.
In Trial125, Jack Peace on the JST Cloburn Gas Gas has the luxury of riding his home round as the newly-crowned World Cup winner having tied up the title in Belgium last Sunday.
No fewer than 10 Brits will join Jack at Tong boosting the normally single figure entry to a mighty 18.
History
AS you would expect Great Britain has a fantastic history in staging FIM World Championship trials having been in right at the beginning with the first round taking place in the first year of the series, 1975, when the event was staged at Congresbury, near Bristol, Somerset, with the winner being Dave Thorpe.
Since then there has been no fewer than 36 British World Rounds with venues as far afield as Devon in the south west and Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, several visits to Douglas in the Isle of Man and Merthyr Tydfil in Wales.
Yorkshire has hosted the trial a total of six times with remote Raydale, near the village of Bainbridge, deep in the dales running in 1981. '82, '83 and '89 while the market town of Pateley Bridge hosted in 1986 and 1993.
Hawkstone Park was the scene of the trial for a total of seven years and was a popular venue but everyone is happy to see the 2016 event return to Yorkshire after a long, long
23 year wait...
Electric Dreams
HISTORY will be made at the British round of the 2016 FIM Trial World Championship as three electrically- powered Electric Motion machines will take part in the International class as a precursor to what is expected to be a future World Championship or World Cup class.
French rider Bastien Heyte will be challenged by Brits Chris Pearson and Matthew Alpe.
Chris has been a pioneer of electric trials bikes in Britain having contested the Experts class of the British Championship on an Electric Motion machine for several years and has regularly scored points.
Matthew is a talented trials rider who runs a trials shop in north Lancashire and is an Electric Motion dealer so really knows these machines.
The electric bikes will certainly add spice to the trial and their performance will be closely watched by the industry as well as the spectators.
What to do now!
THE good news is that even if you haven't planned your weekend or booked your tickets for this fantastic event you can STILL be a part of this great occasion.
Admission and camping is available on the gate each day.
The gates open at 7.30am with the first riders departing at 9.15am Saturday and Sunday with the presentation of awards taking place at around 3.45pm each day.
There will be refreshments, toilets and a large trade village with traders having been really enthusiastic about the Yorkshire venue.
There's only one thing to do – get along and and enjoy the show and lend your support for the British men and women who will revel in and respond to your enthusiasm!
Parkwood Off Road centre can be found just off the A650 at Home Farm, Tong village, Bradford, West Yorks (BD4 0RR).
