Bristow makes amends on day two

Emma Bristow – Sherco made amends for her timing mistake yesterday by dominating the second and final day of the opening round of the 2013 FIM Women’s Trial World Championship held in Sant Julia de Loria, Andorra. Bristow’s total score of thirteen marks for her two laps of eighteen sections was less than any single lap score of any of her rivals. Yesterday’s winner Rebekah Cook – Beta simply had no answer to her fellow British rider’s performance today and had to settle for a distant runners-up spot this time out. The battle between Cook and Spain’s Sandra Gomez – Ossa, who had followed Cook home twenty-four hours earlier was much closer, with only four marks separating these two female protagonists after another tough day of competition in the mountains of Andorra. The British contingent had even more to celebrate, asides taking two out of the three podium places, when Katy Sunter – Gas Gas achieved her best ever result in some very un-English like conditions. Sunter, whose previous highest placing was seventh in Switzerland last year, grabbed fourth position after beating Mireia Conde – Beta on a tight and tense tie-break. Both riders finished on fifty-one marks apiece and could not be split on most cleans with each having notched up nineteen, so it would come down to most ones, which went in the favour of Katy with her having recorded six compared to Mireia’s three. Thanks to Nikita Smith – Gas Gas the British riders out numbered the Spanish four to two in the top six, as the fifteen year old excelled in the heat to score her highest ever placing in sixth. Smith’s previous best result – eighth - also came in Switzerland last year like Sunter. Today Nikita had to fight off France’s far more experienced Marilyne Journet – Beta who finished just a single mark behind the young British challenger to add a seventh place to the fourth spot she took yesterday. Spain’s Elisabet Solera – Gas Gas, Martina Balducchi – Scorpa from Italy and Germany’s Theresa Bauml – Ossa completed today’s top ten taking eighth, ninth and tenth places respectively. For the second day in a row all twenty-three female starters made it to the finish, which was an achievement in itself given the length and severity of the course let alone the eighteen sections that were ridden twice again today. Andorra’s Sandra Bonet – Beta competing in her first ever FIM Women’s Trial World Championship event was the last classified finisher, but can be proud of this having only ridden her first ever competition just three months ago. Bristow’s route to victory was relatively uncomplicated and went someway to offsetting her third place yesterday, caused as she rushed to finish on time after having realised that she had set her watch incorrectly. Today Emma lost three marks in section one on her first visit, which proved to be one of the toughest tests of the Trial, before then only parting with two more single dabs to complete her initial tour for just five marks. Her nearest challenger, Cook dropped seventeen marks over the same period. Emma almost matched her opening performance on lap two, and having added just eight marks to her tally her victory was never in doubt when she knew that her total for the Trial was still less than Cook’s lap one score. Cook heads the general standings before the long break ahead of round two in late August / early September. Bristow trails Cook by two points with three counting days remaining. Gomez holds third spot in the series three points back from Emma with still much to play for when the 2013 FIM Women’s Trial World Championship resumes in France in just over two months time.