Report: White Rose National
By John Dickinson on 16th Sep 16
THE West Leeds clubs White Rose National trial one of the remaining great single-lap Nationals in the calendar more than lived up to its reputation last Sunday when it was staged over a re-vamped moorland course.
The start of the event, sponsored by Trials UK, was high on the moors at Cam Head, high above the market town of Hawes.
And while the opening loop and the first half of the event were familiar to regulars – using groups like Gritstones, Rene's Gorge and Widdale – there was a whole new loop with several new groups later on in the day that allowed the club course plotters, led by Nigel Crowther and Howard Gulley, to rest some of the old favourites.
Whatever, there was no shortage of takers and more than 130 riders lined-up for a great ride round Yorkshire on what was a cracking day for trials, not too hot and not wet – although some of the going was a bit soggy after recent heavy rain.
The battle for the Premier was a beauty with Beta-mounted sparring partners Guy Kendrew and Richard Sadler bantering away and being joined at the sharp end by Sherco's Jimmy Stones.
After 40 testing, mainly rocky sections, there was just a single mark in it when all was counted and it was Kendrew who came away with the Premier from surprise package Stones, eight marks to nine.
Guy's eight marks were all lost in single dabs while James managed more cleans but three-mark ,losses in sections 11 and 15 cost the Sherco rider the Premier.
Sadler had a five, dropped in the 23rd sub out on Dodd Fell, to thank for dropping him out of contention on a section only cleaned by winner Kendrew and fellow Beta man Thomas Housecroft.
Sam Yeadon eased through this for a dab while Stones took two.
The first real testers of the day, after the field had chance to stretch their legs over the moors, were the two subs 10 and 11 up Rene's Gorge where Paul Sullivan joined Kendrew and Sadler as the only cleans.
Stones cast a stray dab early in the section before the tricky step.
The climb up the slippery green gully under trees that followed remained unconquered, with Kendrew and Liam Walker best with single dabs.
The new groups, later in the lap, were enjoyable to ride but didn't cause too much trouble to the leaderboard men and it was all pretty close at the end of the day.
Jonny Richardson was left to curse three fives in the middle of the event that ruined his challenge as he, along with more than a few others, were using the event as a spot of Scott practise as the time and observation epic is rapidly approaching.
With over 50 entrants the 50/50 course was a popular attraction and contained a large bunch of more than useful riders, so for Richmond club veteran Phil Alderson to take the win with a nine-mark advantage was some ride over challenging sections.
Gas Gas rider Philip dropped a mere eight over the 40 subs while class runner-up, Montesa-mounted Boyd Webster was also clear in second on 17. But half a dozen marks later and it was hand-to-hand fighting for the lower order placings with Northants visitor Steve Swanny Swanson enjoying a great day on the pegs to just pip experienced Yorkshire regular Graham Tales – out on his lovely Montesa 2RT special – after both managed to lose 23 marks.
Jamie Stephenson then squeezed in fourth just one mark further back, before old smoothies Roger Williams and James Bobble Noble battled it out to the finish on 25 apiece, one ahead of Russell Cannell.
Tough
And showing just how right the sections were set the Clubman results followed a very similar format.
Roman Kyrnyckyj nailed the win on 17 marks and then it was as close as you like behind with Andrew Harker jamming his Beta into second between a hoarde of Montesas courtesy of Rob Metcalfe, Trevor Willans, Lewis Black and Ian Haigh, before Lancashire lad Oliver Ingham got his two-stroke Sherco in amongst them.
All in all it was a near perfect day's trials riding and the new land, with more promised, has kept the White Rose fresh and an excellent event for any rider to aspire to.
