Eighteen-year-old French rider Gael Chatagno – Sherco scored his first podium finish of the 2016 FIM Trial World Championship when he claimed the runners up spot in the Trial2 class on the opening day of the Andorran GP. Prior to yesterday, Chatagno has failed to find the same form this season that netted him second place in Sant Julia de Loria midway through last year, which remains his highest placing to date in this class.
Gael made his debut in the now Trial2 class at the final round in 2014 after moving up a class having already become the outright winner of the FIM 125 Trial World Cup in the same year. 2015 saw the Sherco mounted rider make a full assault on the intermediate class during which he recorded a string of consistent results on route to securing eighth position overall in the final standings, his second place in Andorra being his stand out performance in 2015.
Coming into yesterday’s Trial Chatagno’s three sixth place finishes – those coming in Spain, Japan and Germany – were his best results so far in 2016. The seventeen championship points he claimed yesterday means that Gael now sits seventh overall in the title race and in touching distance of several riders that currently head him in the series. With that very much in mind the young French rider will be hoping he can repeat the showing he gave produced just twenty-four hours earlier.
FIM / G2F - Jake Miller