The Crème dela Crème of the Trials World will be in Yorkshire on the 16th - 17
th July to contest the British rounds of the FIM World Outdoor Men’s and Ladies Trials Championship.
There’s going to be hundreds of the best trials riding guys and gals in the world, descending on West Yorkshire in July, a trials gathering of this magnitude for the double World Championship will never have been seen before on our shores. If you are in any doubt as to Yorkshires credentials to hold such an event cast your mind back to last year’s ‘Tour de France’. Yorkshire laid claim to the very best stages, the largest crowds and with everyone enjoying the renowned Yorkshire hospitality. With Leeds on the doorstep with its huge range of accommodation from 5 star hotels to good value pubs etc, there are bars galore and many top class restaurants. Bradford famed for its World Class curry houses also as a huge range of accommodation available and is only a few miles away. You definitely won’t be short of somewhere to sleep, eat and drink when you finally manage to tear yourself away from the World Class Trials Action.
Trials god Toni Bou will be on our shores again, he’ll be looking to put things right after his shock defeat at Sheffield at round one of the World Indoor X-Trial Championship back in January, Adam Raga looks to have taken to the TRS like a duck to water and looks good each way bet for The Championship, as does Jeroni Fajardo on the Vertigo, the old warhorse Sherco mounted Albert Cabestany will no doubt be right up there with the leaders yet again, Albert completes the quartet of Spaniards that have dominated World Trials for the last few years.
Then we have the chasing pack, not quite snapping at the heels of the top dogs! Local lad and reigning British Champion, Leeds born James Dabill will be expected to pull out the stops at this round of the championship; he will never have more support, this event is literally in his back yard. The young up and coming Spaniards in the shape of Jamie Busto and Jorge Casales are pushing their way up the championship table, as is Frenchman Alexandre Ferrer another up and coming rider who’s making his mark on the world scene. My favorite Mr Personality - Takahisa Fujinami will hopefully be with us again, an inform Fuji can still teach these youngsters a thing or too.
Twice women’s World Champion and top Brit Sherco mounted Emma Bristow will be looking to complete the treble in this year’s championship, Emma cruised to victory in last year’s FIM Women’s Trial World Championship, winning the series with a round to spare, that really is the mark of a true World Champion. Emma will be leading out the ladies in Yorkshire in July, joining her to make up the World’s top three will be fellow Brits Rebekah Cook and Donna Fox (are you taking note here lads, we have the top three lady riders in the world). The three musketeers of ladies trials kept their powder dry and went on to win the Trials des Nations by 20 clear marks, that’s three years on the bounce that our ladies have won Trials Des Nations. Ina Wild and Theresa Baeuml from Germany and Mireia Conde from Spain make up the top six ladies.
This is going to be a great opportunity to showcase our sport to the masses, the venue is surrounded by big towns with millions of residents; and the transport links are superb with the M62 junction 27 and M1 junction 42 being literally a few minutes away. It’s all very well holding events in the middle of nowhere for non spectator type trials, but for a double World Championship event with a potentially large spectator presence the transport links, parking, accommodation, quality places to eat and drink are critical. Organisers John Kerwin and Ex British Trials Champion turned Extreme Enduro Champion Graham Jarvis have successfully run 100s of different off-road events over the last ten years, including six World Trials Championship rounds at Penrith, they aim to do Yorkshire and the UK proud and look forward to seeing you all at Tong Valley, Leeds/Bradford, BD4 0RR, 16
th 17
th July.
Tickets are now on sale at www.worldtrialuk.co.uk
Words Mick Tonks
Pics Nige Pearson - TrialsUKMedia