Trials Torque: All set for the Italian job
By John Dickinson on 31st Aug 16
THE FIM Trial World Championship comes to a climax this weekend when Italy hosts the eighth and final TrialGP of the season at a new venue, San Pietro Mussolino, in the north east of the country in the province of Vicenza.
With the Trial2 and Trial125 Champions having already been crowned – British riders Jack Price and Jack Peace taking the titles for Gas Gas – Italy will host the Blue Riband TrialGP finale.
And Repsol Honda's reigning nine times consecutive Champion Toni Bou is hot favourite to make it ten in a row, an unprecedented and almost unbelievable feat.
Toni goes into the two-day event 31 points clear of nearest rival, TRS factory rider Adam Raga and nothing short of some unforeseen disaster or DNF will stop the Barcelona star from extending his record breaking Championship run.
Raga is assured of finishing the year as vice champion as he is already more than 40 points clear of current third placeman, Japanese veteran Takahisa Fujinami.
And Repsol Honda teamster Fujigas will have to ride at his best to hold off fellow vet, Spain's Albert Cabestany on the factory Sherco.
Cabes in turn is being pressed hard by the third Repsol Honda teamster, teenager Jaime Busto and the factory Vertigo duo of Jeroni Fajardo and James Dabill.
The Championship minor placings will be fought over by this elite group of riders who are well clear of the remaining contenders and their fate probably won't be decided until the final section on Sunday.
Jack Price rides the final Trial2 round as Champion while second placed Welsh rider Iwan Roberts, TTT Beta, has still to fend off Spain's Arnau Farre on his Gas Gas, Brit Dan Peace (Gas Gas) and Frenchman Gael Chatagno (Sherco).
With the best 13 scores from 15 days' individual competition, it is impossible to forecast the final positions.
Recently-crowned World Youth Champ Jack Peace is due to open his account in Trial2 on a 250 Gas Gas ready for next season and could even throw a spanner into the works.
Running alongside the men's final round will be the second round of the FIM Women's Trial World Championship and the two days of competition follow on from the opening two-day event in Britain.
Reigning champ Emma Bristow set about nailing a hat-trick of titles with a superb winning double at Tong in Yorkshire and the Sherco rider will be looking to do the same in Italy.
An excellent sixth place in the Experts class at the tough British Champs trial in Glaisdale,
north Yorks, last Sunday was excellent practise for the Sherco star.
An impressive entry of 41 girls is sure to keep Emma on her toes and heading the list is her vastly experienced countrywoman Becky Cook.
A veteran of 42 World trials and vice champion five-times, Becky is enthused by her switch to TRS in 2016 and is pushing hard for what would be a popular first World title.
Third-ranked Donna Fox (Sherco) was disappointed with her performance in her home round at Tong and is looking to bounce back in Italy as Donna has said this will be her final Trial World Championship season.
Donna is just returned from the Olympics in Brazil where she performed as outrider in the MTB races on a trials motorcycle.
This year's surprise has been 16-year-old Barcelona girl Berta Abellan who made her podium debut with a third place on Sunday in Britain after threatening with fourth on the opening day.
Berta currently holds third in the series on the same points as her more experienced fellow Spaniard, Sandra Gomez –Gas Gas from Madrid.
There will be no fewer than 10 British girls competing in Italy with Emma, Becky and Donna being joined by Katy Sunter, Jess Bown, Louise and Catherine Alford, Jennifer Stephen, Victoria Payne and Chloe Richardson.
Katy took two excellent sixth places in her home round and the Gas Gas girl is looking to keep that great form going in Italy.
With the Women dropping their worst score from the five days' competition – the last round is in Isola, France, next weekend before the Trial des Nations, it is vital to accumulate big points.
