It was a tense day of twists, turns and drama – plus the sport’s ultimate achievement of a clean scorecard – as competitors in the 2024 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship fired back into action on day two of the TrialGP of Germany at Neunkirchen
After winning the opening three days of competition in the TrialGP Women class, Bristow went off the boil on day two in Neunkirchen and was third at the end of the day as Spain’s Abellan found her form to take her first win at this level since the opening round of 2023.
Halfway around the second lap Bristow was facing the very real possibility of finishing off the podium for the first time since the final round of 2012 as she trailed Naomi Monnier (Montesa), but as the French rider faltered in the closing stages Bristow kept her cool to move into third on a total of seventeen to maintain a ten-point series lead.
A strong second on Saturday, Monnier’s total of twenty-four gave her fourth, seven clear of fifth-placed Alice Minta (Scorpa) from Britain.
During this year’s early rounds Trial2 had been characterised by inconsistent results that produced four different winners from the first four days, but with his third win in a row Peace has now seized control of the class.
The twenty-four-year-old British national champion’s first lap of six gave him a slim one-mark lead over Spain’s Gerard Trueba (Beta) at the halfway mark with Alex Canales (TRRS) holding third on ten, one ahead of electric-powered Sondre Haga (GASGAS).
With the pressure firmly on, Peace then produced some of the best form of his career to add just two more to his total to comfortably complete his first-ever double win at this level. Defending champion Billy Green (Scorpa) climbed to second on twenty-one – one clear of a tie for third won by Canales from Arnau Farrè (Sherco) – with Trueba slipping to fifth on twenty-three as Haga fell back to tenth on thirty-five.
“It’s been a great weekend and it is so nice to get the double win,” said Peace. “I rode really well again today and felt very relaxed.”
In Trial3 Hemingway claimed his sixth consecutive win with a sensational clean ride to continue the dominant defence of his crown and his fellow British rider Euan Sim (Beta), in his debut season in the class, dropped just five for second as he consolidated his position as Hemingway’s main challenger.
“I’m absolutely buzzing with the result,” said Hemingway. “That’s probably my first clean Trial ever and to do it here at this level feels amazing.”
With less than one week to regroup, the best Trial riders on the planet will be back in action this coming weekend (13-14 July) when all five classes reconvene for one day of points-paying competition at the TrialGP of Belgium at Comblain-au-Pont