|
RAGA LEVELS CHAMPIONSHIP IN BANGOR
 Adam Raga – Gas Gas took victory today at the second round of the FIM 2008 SPEA Trial World Championship held at the small coastal town of Bangor in Northern Ireland. Winner of last weekend’s opening round in Luxembourg and reigning World champion, Toni Bou – Repsol Montesa HRC had to settle for second place with Takahisa Fujinami – Repsol Montesa HRC taking the remaining podium position.
Last playing host to the championship in 2004, Bangor offers a course that is mostly comprised of sections set on rocks along the sea front. These already difficult sections were made even more so by gale force winds, snow and high waves, this increased as the day progressed and as the tide rose.
It was Raga who looked in the stronger position after an uncharacteristic five by Bou on the third section gave him the early lead. However, it was not to last as Bou delighted the amassed crowd by getting through the exceptionally tough fourth section for a single dab where all of his main rivals failed. It was to be the eighth section that was to prove decisive however, with Raga riding it clean and Bou failing to ascend what looked like a relatively straightforward hill climb.
With Raga commanding a four mark lead at the halfway stage of the competition, it was Bou’s turn to fight back. Despite dropping the lowest score of the competition on his second lap – a mere nine marks, it was insufficient to overtake a confident Raga who finished the event with a seven mark lead over Bou and a fifteen mark advantage over Fujinami. This result means the competition is wide open with Raga and Bou tied on thirty seven points apiece in the general standings. Fujinami is a short distance behind on thirty points.
In the Junior championship Alexz Wigg – Montesa made it two wins from two starts to maintain his clean sheet in the competition to date. Sam Haslam – Gas Gas was second with Alfredo Gomez – Montesa finishing third. Wigg has an eight point lead in the championship standings over Gomez whilst Haslam, improving on his sixth place at the previous round in Luxembourg has climbed to third place, five points behind Gomez.
Even at this early stage the Youth championship is shaping up to be an interesting battle with several evenly matched riders competing for the 2008 title. Jack Challoner – Beta improved on his second place of last week to take top podium position. Patrick Smage – Sherco also improved on his previous result to take second place, however both of these gains were at the loss of last weekend’s winner, Francesc Moret – Gas Gas who failed to repeat his winning form and finished in third position. Challoner now has a narrow two point lead in the championship over Moret with Smage in third place a further three points behind.
The championship now takes a three week break, returning on the 27th of April for the first of two days of competition in Tennessee, USA.
Day 1 Results: (1 Day event)
World
1: Raga 21
2: Bou 23
3: Fujinami 36
Junior
1: Wigg 27
2: Haslam 45
3: Gomez 56
Youth 125cc
1: Challoner 31
2: Smage 32
3: Moret 36
2008 FIM Riders Championship Current Standings:
World
1: Raga 37
2: Bou 37
3: Fujinami 30
Junior
1: Wigg 40
2: Gomez 32
3: Haslam 27
Youth 125cc
1: Challoner 37
2: Moret 35
3: Smage 32
2008 FIM Manufacturers Championship Current Standings:
1: Montesa 67
2: Gas Gas 55
3: Beta 44
4: Sherco 36
 |
 Dougie Lampkin
Dougie Lampkin could only manage a slightly disappointing sixth position at the second round of the 2008 FIM SPEA Trial World Championship held at Bangor, Ireland. In wet and extremely windy conditions Lampkin failed to find the same form that had seen him challenge for the win just seven days ago.
The coastline course proved to be a real test of nerve as well as resolve, as the predicted wintry weather battered the many sections that were situated only feet away from the rough sea. Lampkin came unstuck as early as section three when he failed to crest the jagged rock face that rose three metres from the concrete jetty.
This was the first of four fives for Dougie on his initial lap that left him with a total of twenty eight marks after his first visit to the fifteen hazards. Lampkin’s struggle was highlighted at the final section where he recorded the last of these maximums within sight of the end cards.
With slightly better weather overhead, but the wind as strong and bitter as ever, Dougie mounted a determined comeback that at least drew him closer to his rivals despite not helping climb the leader board. Lampkin’s latest result leaves him in fifth spot in the overall standings with just two rounds gone.
A slightly deject Dougie spoke about his day. “After Luxembourg I came here full of confidence, and believing that I could at least finish on the podium. But in reality I never felt on it all day. The second lap was a lot better, but still spoiled by a five in the last section.”
“In fact sections eleven and fifteen have cost me twenty marks today, which is totally unacceptable when you are riding at this level. It is still early days, so I am not going to kick myself that much, as I know we are going in the right direction.”
 REPSOL – MONTESA HRC
Toni Bou finishes second after a fight up to the last moment;
Takahisa Fujinami again gets a podium position.
Toni Bou (Montesa-HRC Cota 4RT) finished second in the Ireland Trial Grand Prix which took place this Sunday. The present word champion fought up to the last moment for the victory in a very cold round on a quite difficult ground. After leaving four points to the future winner in the first round, Toni Bou made the best scoring of the day in the second lap, which allowed him to reduce the final difference to only one point.
Takahisa Fujinami (Montesa-HRC Cota 4RT) again came third on the podium after having improved remarkably in the second lap.
Montesa obtained a new victory among the manufactures and improved their advantage at the top of the general classification. Laia Sanz (Montesa-HRC Cota 4RT) finished 14th in the Junior category, where Alexz Wigg (Montesa) added a new victory while the third place went to Alfredo Gómez, riding with the support of Montesa.
Toni Bou: “I made some mistakes that could be considered mild but with such a strong and consistent rival as Adam they become important. In the second lap, I made it better and I have recovered but not enough. There is no doubt that the championship is going to be hard and exciting.”
Takahisa Fujinami: “I don’t feel happy because I left too many points, specially in the first lap. In the second one I improved and I could climb up to be on the podium, which is always something positive.”
The next event of the World Championship will take place in Sequatchie (Tennessee, USA), where the third and fourth scoring rounds will be held next April 26 and 27 respectively.
HONDA RACING INFORMATION
Weather: Very windy
Temperature: 5 degrees C
Attendance: 30,000
Bou takes second at a wind swept Grand Prix of Ireland
Toni Bou Repsol Montesa HRC was narrowly beaten into second place at the Grand Prix of Ireland, which formed round two of the 2008 FIM SPEA Trial World championship. The wind swept coast of Northern Ireland proved a tough test for even the World’s best riders, with Adam Raga Gas Gas taking the victory by just two marks. For the second week running Takahisa Fujinami Repsol Montesa HRC completed the podium, although slightly off the pace of the two front-runners. Bou now shares the championship lead with Raga, with the pair tied on thirty seven points each.
This year’s event followed a similar format to when the series last visited Bangor back in 2003 and 2004. On those two previous occasions Dougie Lampkin recorded wins for Montesa. This time around Lampkin Beta could only manage sixth position, as Albert Cabestany Sherco and Jeroni Fajardo Beta took fourth and fifth positions respectively. The forecast bad weather did not disappoint, with high winds, rain, sleet and even the odd snow shower battering the scenic coastline that was home to many of the fifteen sections.
Bou did not make the best of starts with a bad five as early as section three on the first lap, when his rear wheel caught and broke the boundary tape after he had conquered the most difficult part of the hazard. However this was not the worst of his failures, as this was to be at the eighth section where an easy muddy incline stopped Toni in his tracks. Bou, aboard the Cota 4RT factory four stroke, was back at his best during the rest of the lap to remain in contention with an on form Raga.
Despite Bou producing the best lap of the trial during his second and final tour of the shoreline sections, this was not enough to keep Raga at bay. Toni recorded just one five during his closing performance to end the day two marks behind his main championship rival. The riders will now enjoy a short break before the championship resumes in the USA later this month.
Bou - 2nd : “Adam rode a strong race today, and with the bad mistakes I made at section three and eight on the first lap I could not recover enough to take the victory. I am happy with the way I rode on the second lap, but not with the overall result. It has been a tough competition today, especially with the weather, but at least I am still at the top of the championship, although I am now sharing with Adam.”
Fujinami 3rd : “I am not too sure why, but my first lap was not good at all. Maybe it was the cold weather and wind, but I never felt good on the bike at any point. Four fives really tells you the story. The second lap was much better, except for the five in the very last section. I am on the podium again, but I want to be challenging for the win.”
Laia Sanz Repsol Montesa HRC did not enjoy the best of weekends, with below par performances both in Saturday’s European event and in the World Junior class on Sunday. “ It has been a terrible two days for me. I have struggle both with the slippery terrain, and the sever weather. Neither thing is an excuse, as all the riders have endured the same difficult conditions.”
J ames Dabill
James Dabill once again failed to deliver the result that his ability demands, as for the second week running he finished down in eight place and out of the target top six he has set himself this season. Round two of the 2008 FIM SPEA Trial World Championship took place in severe weather at the Irish coastal town of Bangor. In addition to highly difficult sections, a rising tide, sleet, snow and persistent gale force winds added together to create a tough competition.
Beaten by the forceful waves, Dabill’s day got off to a shaky start as he notched up a soft five where most of his close rivals passed with ease. James was soon to have the opportunity to cancel out this mistake, when he brought the large crowd to its feet at section four. Urged on by the defending roars of the enthusiastic fans, Dabill crested two out of the three fearsome rock faces before coming unstuck at a hazard where only Bou made it to the end cards on the first lap.
However Dabill’s fightback was to be short lived, as three fives in a row during the later part of the lap, plus another maximum in section fifteen were to put him out of touch of the front runners. His tally of thirty-eight marks, being four more than Freixa, who held seventh place at the end of the first lap.
With sunshine now replacing snow, James also showed signs of warming
up with a much stronger start to his second lap. Just two fives, one at the almost impossible fourth hazard and one at the final man made section were low points in an otherwise much improved performance. The scale of Dabill’s fightback reflected in a second lap total that was some fourteen marks better than his morning showing.
James will return to the UK to compete in the opening round of the British domestic series next weekend, before returning to World duties in the USA later in the month.
Dabill was far from happy with his result and stated. “ Like last week my lap scores have been too inconsistent. I really struggled with the cold and wind this morning and never got into any kind of rhythm until it was much too late.”
“My second lap today has shown that I am on the pace for a top six place, if only I can get it together on both laps. Hopefully I can get some confidence from next weekend, before I travel to America, where I need to turn things around for both me and the team.”
|
