Trials Torque: Northern Experts Preview
By John Dickinson on 9th Nov 16
ITS Remembrance Sunday this weekend which of course means a drastically curtailed competition calendar but theres one standout traditional event that will take place on Saturday and thats the prestigious Northern Experts Trial.
Once again the Manchester 17 club will host the event in the Wildboarclough area near Macclesfield and as ever there's a three figure entry guaranteed.
The event comprises two laps of a cracking five/six mile course which will comprise tarmac roads, tracks and open moorland with a good variety of sections, 20 in total, spread over multiple groups.
From the start the course will head for the stream at Clough House and then make its way up the deep gorge taking in Clough Gully, Plantation and Ben's Ditch before heading out to Correction Brook and Norman's for single subs and trekking back for Cumberland Corner and Cumberland Rivers.
The loop back takes in a single sub at Holt Gully, a couple more at Cut-Thorn and a final three in the wood at Eardley's Burden. Riders will have six hours to complete their two laps.
There will be both Expert and Clubman routes plus a popular 50/50 option.
With entries not due to close until Wednesday this week we obviously didn't have a full list of riders at time of going to press but still have the pick of over 100...
Starting with the Clubman class it is surely anyone's guess but Scott Rowland knows his way round the area as does Toby Eyre while Tony Cowley and Clive Charlton bring their Midland skills to the party.
Welsh vet Mike Leddy can still ride a bit and Catherine Alford will show more than a few of the guys how to ride.
On the 50/50 route how about a punt on Katy Sunter for top spot if her dodgy knee is up to the job or will Sheffield's Darren Wasley nail another victory.
There's plenty of opposition though including John Cowley, Kiaran Hankin and Richard Allen having a rare outing on a modern bike instead of his twin-shocker.
It's a small but select group aiming for the Northern Experts trophy with Michael Brown probably just odds-on from fellow Gas Gas rider and last year's winner Dan Torpe.
Richard Sadler heads the Beta challenge, Chris Pearson goes into battle for Sherco and Lancashire's Andy Cripps is on the TRS.
The action starts at 9am from Wildboarclough which will be flagged from both the A54 and A537 with the nearest postcode being SK11 OBD.
