On a day when the arrival of rain threatened late in the competition to cause a surprise result, Toni Bou - Repsol Montesa rode a calculated Trial to record his fifth win of the 2011 SPEA FIM Trial Championship to date. The Italian Grand Prix at Montecrestese that marked the fifth round of the curent series was a hot and dry affair for most of the day, but with darkened skies overhead the top riders made a run for home to avoid the rain. Eventual runner-up Adam Raga - Gas Gas led the charge and was followed closely by Bou.
These two riders were finished before the rain arrived and thus both managed to create a clear advantage over third placed runner Takahisa Fujinami - Repsol Montesa whose own result was affected by a bad bout of sickness throughout the day. The Japanese rider's improved second lap score meant he stole the last rostrum place from Jeroni Fajardo - Ossa, who failed the very last section of the day as the rain made the massive stacks of logs simply impossible.
Albert Cabestany - Sherco was Bou's closest challenger on the first lap, trailing the reigning champion by six marks, whilst holding a three mark advantage over Raga at this point. However Cabestany's plight was to suffer during his closing lap as he was left out on the course as the skies opened. Two fives in the final three hazards of the day would see his score escalate and leave him down in fifth place, as he lost out on a tie-break with Fajardo that could only be decided by the Ossa teamster having completed the Trial in a fastest time overall.
James Dabill - Beta and Loris Gubian - Gas Gas placed sixth and seventh respectively, with this young duo being some way off the pace of the top five riders. Italy's Matteo Grattarola - Gas Gas gave the large home crowd something to cheer about as he took eighth spot ahead of Jack Challoner - Beta. Michael Brown - Gas Gas from Britain completed the top ten, as he was then followed in the finishing order by no less than four more Italian riders - those being Daniele Maurino - Beta, Fabio Lenzi - HM, Francesco Iolitta - Beta and Michele Orizio - Gas Gas respectively.
Bou's latest win now takes him eighteen points clear of Raga in the general standings, whilst Cabestany remains in third spot in the champiosnship, but now only two points ahead of Fujinami after the Japanese rider closed the gap on the Sherco teamster thanks to his podium finish today. Fajardo continues to hold fifth place in the series and has increased his advantage over Dabill.
Alexandre Ferrer - Sherco recorded his second win in as many rounds as the young French rider took the victory in the Junior class. Ferrer enjoyed a tense and tight day long battle with Francesc Moret - Montesa who eventually took second place. Benoit Dagnicourt - Beta completed the podium as just six marks separated the top three riders. Series leader Alfredo Gomez - Montesa endured a nightmare GP as he finished down in sixth spot. He does however still hold a seventeen point lead over Moret in the championship table.
Cedric Tempier - Sherco clawed back valuable championship points on the Youth series leader Jack Sheppard - Beta, as the Sherco teamster claimed his second win of the campaign whilst Sheppard could only manage third position on the day. Sweden's Eddie Karlsson - Gas Gas maintained his good run of form when he took the runners-up spot in Italy to follow up on the third place he secured at the last round in Andorra. Sheppard now has a slender eight point gap over Tempier with five counting days to go.
The closing run of three rounds to decide the 2011 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship will begin with the Grand Prix of Great Britain to be held at Fort William, Scotland during the last weekend of the current month.
Results :
World
1: Bou 6
2: Raga 14
3: Fujinami 26
4: Fajardo 27
5: Cabestany 27
Junior
1: Ferrer 8
2: Moret 11
3: Dagnicourt 14
4: Tarres 16
5: Borrellas 18
Youth 125cc
1: Tempier 6
2: Karlsson 11
3: Sheppard 13
4: Saleri 17
5: Coquelin18
Current Standings :
World
1: Bou 115
2: Raga 97
3: Cabestany 86
4: Fujinami 84
5: Fajardo 73
Junior
1: Gomez 107
2: Moret 90
3: Tarres 81
4: Dagnicourt 74
5: Borrellas 67
Youth 125cc
1: Sheppard 112
2: Tempier 104
3: Saleri 84
4: Coquelin 78
5: Karlsson 45
2011 FIM Manufacturers Championship :
1: Montesa 199
2: Gas Gas 151
3: Sherco 110
4: Beta 103
5: Ossa 73