TMX Says - X-Trials scares off fresh talent
By John Dickinson on 13th Jan 16
Holy moly! Toni Bous Sheffield win streak is finally over and, while last week I hinted that we may have been in for a shock or two at the X-Trial season opener, I never expected that it would be that Bou would be beaten.
After all, he's topped the podium in Sheffield since 2006 which by my reckoning means he's won no less than 10 editions on the bounce.
Without knowing any better you might think that Bou's decade of dominance was brought to an end by the next big thing.
But the reality is that there is no next great trials champion waiting in the wings and the man who toppled the current champ is actually the last guy to win it before Bou started his streak.
That guy is Adam Raga who last won the Sheffield Indoor way back in 2005 on his way to that year's world title.
Even more bizarre is the fact that joining Raga and Bou on the podium back then (over the two years at least) were Albert Cabestany, Takahisa Fujinami and Jeroni Fajardo. That basically means that the top five finishers at this year's trial have been dominating the series for over 10 years!
Now correct me if I'm wrong but I can't think of any other sport – especially not one that's so damn physical – where the global elite stay on top for so long. And before you pipe up; darts, chess n' gurning don't really count as sports.
I think one reason is that the X-Trial series is very tough on newcomers and it has to be very demoralising – almost embarrassing considering that there are so many pairs of eyes on you – to rock up and five pretty much every section, every weekend until the season is over.
I don't doubt that any of the new riders have the skills, but throw in first night nerves and a whole heap of pressure, and the job is made even tougher while going up against guys who have done this a hundred times.
The same is almost true of the outdoor World Trial Championship which has been dominated by the same bunch for the same amount of time.
It's also how riders are seeded into the indoor series.
I do wonder if the X-Trial championship is missing out on fresh talent, ones that already possess awesome bike skills and the temperament required to excel indoors.
Without a lower tier of competition to pave the way I guess those potential stars will always remain just that.
And since the X-Trial series is made up of events where professional promoters have to put bums on seats to make a profit we're unlikely to see one run any time soon.
Maybe just maybe the answer is to have open competitions run over the same obstacle behind closed doors in the afternoon before the main events. Y'know a sort of X-Trial X-Factor so to speak...
