Trials Torque: Vertigo swoop to sign Martyn
By John Dickinson on 4th Jan 17
VERTIGO Motors has announced the signing of British teen sensation and former European Youth Champion Toby Martyn for the 2017 season.
Toby – who is just 16 and will ride a 250cc Combat – made an immediate impact on the World scene when he placed seventh on his debut at the Belgium GP last July.
Despite only contesting the closing three World events of last year due to his age, Cornish ace Toby still managed to secure a top-15 placing overall in the Trial2 categegory, with a string of points-scoring performances that confirmed both his ability and maturity.
Martyn's 2016 ranking means that he has automatically qualified as a pre-selected rider for the 2017 FIM Trial2 World Championship, with this being the first season that this now-250cc class has had full World Championship status.
Adding further importance to Toby's new role within the Vertigo ranks alongside existing factory rider Jeroni Fajardo, is the fact that the FIM Trial Manufacturers' World Championship will now be determined by the results of one designated rider in the TrialGP class and one designated rider in Trial2.
Their combined results will be used to decide the eventual winner of this prestigious award.
Collectively, Fajardo and Martyn will be looking to go one better than the impressive runners-up placing that the Vertigo team secured in 2016.
In addition to contesting the Trial2 World series, Martyn will also compete in the European Championship and the British domestic series, the latter with the support of Vertigo UK.
Toby again showed his potential on home soil last season, with five top-five finishes during his maiden British adult campaign, including a podium placing during the latter part of the year.
Martyn's arrival will be under the watchful eye of Vertigo ambassador Dougie Lampkin, with the former multi FIM Trial World champion looking to offer his wealth of experience in terms of guiding the youngster during this important season.
Dougie said: "We have been following Toby's progress closely since he joined the adult ranks last year.
"I think his results both in the UK and the few World events he rode during 2016 confirm he has great potential and he has already shown he has a good head on young shoulders.”
"Toby can be a serious challenger both in terms of the Trial2 title and at British level, especially given the performance of the fuel-injected 250cc Combat.
"Our job is to give him the right tools and support so that he can continue his development and so that he can hopefully play an important role in terms of Vertigo challenging for the manufacturers' title under the new rules.”
