Defending champion Emma Bristow (Sherco) dominated the TrialGP Women class on day one of the Taisei Rotec TrialGP of Japan – the opening round of the 2024 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship.
The majority of sections at the Mobility Resort Motegi were laid out on a super-steep wooded hillside with a mixture of imported boulders and natural rocky outcrops providing a tough test for the world’s best riders. Warm weather resulted in dry conditions which left grip in short supply as the loose soil was dragged onto the imposing rocks studding the near vertical climbs and descents.
After tasting defeat at the opening round of 2023, Britain’s Bristow – who is bidding to make it ten TrialGP Women titles in eleven years in what she has stated will be her final season of top-level competition – started the day in a determined mood. A pair of early maximums looked to be expensive, but she still caught and passed Berta Abellan (Scorpa) to lead by a single mark at the end of the first lap before taking control.
Adding just five marks on her second lap, Bristow’s final total of nineteen saw her finish sixteen ahead of Andrea Sofia Rabino (Beta) from Italy who took full advantage of a series of maximums by Abellan on lap two to take second from the Spaniard by a single mark.
“It’s been a great start to the season,” said Bristow. “I rode quite well, but I made a couple of mistakes which hopefully I can cut out tomorrow.”
France’s Naomi Monnier (Montesa) ended the day in fourth a further twenty-two marks adrift with British hopeful Alice Minta (Scorpa) claiming fifth on a total of sixty-five.
Trial2 champion in 2022, Norwegian star Haga ensured the new GASGAS TXE made an impressive debut in top-level competition as he led home an electric motorcycle one-two from France’s Gael Chatagno (Electric Motion) with Alex Canales (Sherco) from Spain completing the podium.
“It’s a really amazing feeling,” said Haga. “Everyone in the team has been working really hard so to come here and win at the first attempt is incredible.”
A pair of dabs were Haga’s only loss on the first lap, putting him seven clear of Chatagno and Canales. Losing a single mark on lap two, Haga made sure of victory as Chatagno went clean to break free of Canales who picked up an additional four.
Britain’s Jack Peace (Sherco) also recorded a faultless second lap as he advanced to fourth on a total of fifteen which put him three clear of Arnau Farre (Sherco) from Spain with defending champion Billy Green (Scorpa) from Britain slumping to a disappointing tenth.