Wallace Cup gets S3 Parts Championship off the mark
By John Dickinson on 20th Feb 19
The eight-round 2019 S3 Parts National Trials Championship gets under way this Sunday, February 24, with the Wallace Cup, courtesy of the hard-working and ambitious North Berks MCC.
And what a start with a full-house 135 entries split between the classes which are all sure to be hard fought over the season. The only certainty is that there will be a new S3 Parts Champ as reigning king Richard Sadler is riding in the non-championship Elite class (riding for the Wallace Cup) alongside the likes of James Fry, Ross Danby, Tom Minta, Alex Wigg, Andy Chilton and Michael Brown.
Last years runner-up was Guy Kendrew and Guy has switched from Beta to Gas Gas this year to do battle against former champs Luke Walker and Dan Thorpe although there is plenty of opposition including John Crinson, Chris Stay, Sam Yeadon, Thomas Housecroft, Tom Moss and a further cast of eager challengers.
There are no fewer than eight girls in the entry this year including World and British champ Emma Bristow and local girl Alicia Robinson, riding her first ever S3 National on the road. They are joined by Jess Bown, Katie Sunter, Victoria Payne, Louise Alford, Katie Nash and Meg Savage.
Theres even eight riders from across the water: Sean Doyle, Billy OToole, Johny Carroll and Brian McLoughlin from Ireland, Chris Stay from the Isle of Wight and Robin Arnold, Damian Owen and Joe Yeardsley from the Isle of Man.
The Clubman class and Over 40 is anyones guess although Sheffields Darren Wasley will surely be in there swinging. And it is good to see an entry of competitive 125s with Brett Harbud, Gus Oblein, Oli Smith and Adam Juffs getting out on the road.
The Wallace starts as usual from the Horse and Harrow Pub, West Hagbourne, near Didcot, Oxon. First rider is away at 9:31am, to face a single lap of 38 sections, set out by clerk of the course Stuart Robinson and his loyal gang of section plotters.
The first group are on the old Railway Bank, followed by six at the Moores and then onto the famous Seymours Arena where there will be eight demanding sections with ample parking, a catering van and toilet. From there riders will head onto a relatively new group of sections, The Lynch, then across the road to Lolingdon Hill, Aston Pitt and Air Raid Shelter, then back to Bucknells for the sting in thetail of three tricky sections.
Spectators take note no parking on the busy A417 verges, use the extra parking field by the Horse and Harrow.The trial finishes at Stranges Gate. Food and drinks available from the Horse and Harrow, please support the puband enjoy a chat about your day.This promises to be a great start to the S3 Parts series and there will be a full report and pics in next weeks TMX.
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