Undisputedly the most successful country to have competed in the FIM Trial des Nations since its inception in 1984, Spain will arrive in Tolmezzo, Italy looking to record their eighth consecutive victory this weekend. Whilst the likes of Great Britain, Italy, France, Japan and Norway will do their utmost to dampen Spain's efforts, the Hispanic squad remain favourites to lift the esteemed World title once again.
Boasting a comprehensive line up of regular top flight World championship contenders, the recently crowned 2011 SPEA FIM Trial World Champion Toni Bou – Repsol Montesa will lead the Spanish team into action. Experienced campaigners Adam Raga – Gas Gas, Albert Cabestany – Sherco and Jeroni Fajardo – Ossa will stand shoulder to shoulder with Bou as the Spanish quartet get set to put their personal and competitive rivalries on one side in order to come together as one united force.
Perhaps Spain's closest challengers will be Great Britain as compatriots Dougie Lampkin – Gas Gas, Michael Brown – Gas Gas, James Dabill – Beta and Jack Challoner – Beta search to recreate the kind of performance that last saw the country top the team podium back in 2003. The Italian team of Matteo Grattarola – Gas Gas, Francesco Iolitta – Beta, Fabio Lenzi – HM Future and Daniele Maurino – Beta will aim to use the added advantage of home support in order to produce a strong performance and better their third place finish from last year.
France will look to resume their lengthy battle with Italy after finishing behind them in fourth place twelve months ago. No doubt this time around Jerome Bethune – Scorpa, Benoit Dagnicourt – Beta, Alexandre Ferrer – Sherco and Loris Gubian – Gas Gas will be determined to produce a more accomplished performance and break inside of the top three. Seasoned World championship campaigner Takahisa Fujinami – Repsol Montesa will proudly front Japan's bid to lift the glorious title at this year's competition after finishing fifth in Poland in 2010. The relatively inexperienced trio of Yoshiaki Nomoto – Beta, Tsuyoshi Ogawa – Beta and Akira Shibata – Honda, will join him.
After claiming victory in the International Trophy category at last year's Trial des Nations, Norway will now advance into the World Championship group for the first time since 2003. Ib Andersen – Gas Gas, Martin Fjermedal – Gas Gas, Hakon Pedersen – Sherco and Mardon Moi – Beta make up the four-man team who will look to re-establish themselves amongst the five other elite squads.
In the highly competitive International Trophy class no less than seventeen nations will go bar to bar in a bid to claim the greatly desired top spot. Norway's departure has cleared a path for the likes of the Czech Republic and Germany who are perhaps favourites to prevail. Both teams have previously recorded success in this category, although they must be wary of Ireland and the USA who have also triumphed in this group.
The longstanding game of cat and mouse between Spain and Great Britain looks set to continue in the Women's class this weekend, as the two nations go head to head in a bid for supremacy. With the men's competition taking place on Sunday the Women will take the spot light during Saturday. Reigning Women's champions Spain will be keen to continue their dominance, but both Great Britain and 2005 champions Germany also pose a real threat to the title, in what looks set to be another action packed team competition.
Previous winners:
World Championship
1998 – Spain
1999 – Great Britain
2000 – Spain
2001 – Spain
2002 – Great Britain
2003 – Great Britain
2004 – Spain
2005 – Spain
2006 – Spain
2007 – Spain
2008 – Spain
2009 – Spain
2010 – Spain
International Trophy
1998 – Germany
1999 – Belgium
2000 – United States
2001 – Germany
2002 – Norway
2003 – Finland
2004 – Ireland
2005 – United States
2006 – Ireland
2007 – Belgium
2008 – Czech Republic
2009 – Germany
2010 – Norway
Women's Cup
2000 – Spain
2001 – Norway
2002 – Spain
2003 – Germany
2004 – France
2005 – Germany
2006 – Great Britain
2007 – Great Britain
2008 – Spain
2009 – Great Britain
2010 - Spain
News
Spanish team: 8 title in a row?
