The past weekend saw both the Men’s and Women’s Trials Des Nations teams represent the ACU at the 2018 FIM Trial des Nations at Sokolov in the Czech Republic. A hugely-impressive twenty-three nations converged on the historic town in the west of the country near the border with Germany for the Olympics of Trial. For the first time in the competition's rich and illustrious history the Women were competing alongside the Men at the same event.
On the Saturday every nation fielded two riders for qualification with the fastest, lowest-scoring run of the pair counting. In the Womens class Team GB opted for Donna Fox – Montesa and Emma Bristow - Sherco to compete the Qualifying session, with Donna going first and achieving a clean, allowing Bristow to attack the course and record a feet-up time of 0:28.80 to push defending champions Spain into second.
In the Mens category James Dabill and Jack Price lined up for the qualifying session and finished 6
th fastest, just 2 seconds off the top qualifiers Japan.
Sunday it was to be the best two scores through each section counting towards a country's result, as riders faced a mixture of man-made hazards featuring huge boulders and more natural terrain in nearby woods where grip was at a minimum. Day-long torrential rain and plunging temperatures added to the drama and forced organisers to modify the sections as the event became a war of attrition.
In the Women’s competition Team GB of Bristow, Fox and Jess Brown – Scorpa faced a tight battle with Spain and at the halfway point held just a 5-point advantage, but the three riders rode extremely well to finish with 12 points ahead of Spain in second and Germany in third. This meant that Team GB reclaimed the Women’s Trials Des Nation crown that they lost last year to the Spanish.
The ACU men’s team also rode very well to take 2nd place. After the opening lap the Team GB squad of Dabill, Price and Toby Martyn -Montesa were sat in third place but on the second lap the Brit’s were reveling in the challenging conditions and picked up the pace to secure the second step of the podium behind Spain and eleven marks ahead of France
For the ACU it was a successful trip with the Teams returning 1
st and 2
nd in their classes and the Women’s team returning home with the Trials Des Nations trophy once again to be proudly displayed in the trophy cabinet at ACU House.