Emma Bristow (Sherco) was back on top in TrialGP Women as the 2024 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship travelled to Belgium, while Euan Sim (Sherco) upset the formbook with victory in Trial3.
Returning to the fantastic facility at Comblain-au-Pont for the TrialGP of Belgium for the first time since 2022, the world’s leading Trial riders knew Sunday’s single day of competition would provide a suitably tough challenge, but torrential rain on Friday resulted in extremely testing conditions – especially on the second half of the course that was under tree cover and never really dried out.
In her retirement season, British lioness Bristow recovered from the disappointment of finishing third on day two at the TrialGP of Germany with a commanding performance to make it four wins from five starts as she bids to sign off with her tenth title in eleven years.
Parting with just nine on her opening lap, Bristow led her Spanish rival Berta Abellan (Scorpa) and compatriot Alice Minta (Scorpa) by seven before her second lap total of ten plus one time penalty put the result beyond doubt.
“I’m super-happy with the way I rode today,” said Bristow. “I didn’t make too many silly mistakes and felt like I was in control for most of the day.”
Abellan – who won on day two in Germany – could not find an answer to Bristow’s brilliance, although her lap-two score of fourteen allowed her to break free of Minta who ended the day on thirty-five to equal her career-best finish at this level after taking third on a tie-break with Italy’s Andrea Sofia Rabino (Beta). Great Britain’s Kaytlyn Adshead (TRRS) recorded her best finish of the season in fifth another five marks behind.
Heading into Comblain-au-Pont with the Trial2 series lead on the back of three consecutive wins, Britain’s Jack Peace (Sherco) produced another consistent performance, although he – along with the rest of the field – could not find an answer to Farré who was in fantastic form.
It was British rider Harry Hemingway (Beta) who held a narrow lead following the opening lap with his score of eleven giving him a two-mark advantage over his fellow countryman and defending champion Billy Green (Scorpa). However, while his rivals tried – and failed – to keep their second lap totals in single figures, Farré reeled off a score of just six that when added to his first-lap total of twelve plus three on time gave him a three-mark winning advantage.
Hemingway’s hopes of a first Trial2 win ended with a maximum on his second attempt at section ten, where Farré went clean on lap two, but he still finished three clear of Peace who now heads into the six-week summer break with an extended nineteen-point championship lead from Farré after Alex Canales (Sherco), who was second at the start of the day, struggled to eighth.
Following the first three rounds and six days of competition, defending Trial3 champion George Hemingway (Beta) was unbeaten, but his compatriot Sim – in just his first year of FIM World Championship competition – produced an incredible opening lap of seven to take an eight-mark lead at the halfway point from Norway’s Jonas Jorgensen (Beta) as Hemingway sat outside the top ten on twenty-two.
Adding another eleven to his score on lap two, Sim booked his place on the top step of the podium as Hemingway – who was riding with a suspected broken finger following a training crash on Saturday – staged an incredible comeback with his final total of twenty-nine giving him second on a tie-break from rising French star Romeo Piquet (Beta). The runners up spot was enough for Hemingway to clinch the Trial3 title for the second year in a row with one counting day still remaining in France.
The best riders on the planet now have six weeks to regroup before the 2024 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship resumes with the TrialGP of France at Cahors on 24-25 August. The event will be streamed LIVE on FIM-MOTO-TV with a season pass – covering all seven rounds and the FIM Trial des Nations – priced at €34.90.
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