SPEA TRIALS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
La Antigua, Guatemala day 2
 BOU
TAKES SECOND WIN IN GUATEMALA TO MAKE THREE-IN-A-ROW
Young Spaniard Antonio Bou – Repsol Montesa HRC today
further demonstrated his ability as he took the win at Sunday’s
event, his second of the weekend. This brings his winning
tally to three from the first three rounds of the FIM Spea
Trial World Championship, giving him an impressive lead early
on in the season. Bou was joined on the podium as he was on
Saturday, by Adam Raga – Gas Gas and Takahisa Fujinami
– Repsol Montesa HRC, but in contrast to yesterday,
Raga was second and Fujinami third.
The weather for the second day was, if anything, even hotter
than Saturday, with clearer skies resulting in baking sunshine
as the riders set off for the first lap. However, the familiar
haze soon returned and the humidity set in for the riders
and the thousands of local trials fans alike.
It was Bou and Raga who made the running on the first lap,
two of only three rider who did not five the treacherous earth-bank
climb in section six. The other rider who cleaned that section
was Dougie Lampkin – Repsol Montesa HRC, who clearly
back on form after yesterday. Fujinami made several mistakes
on the first lap, including a dab on section four and what
seemed to be the customary three at the eleventh hazard, a
climb up a rocky river.
By the end of the first lap, Bou, Raga and Lampkin were extremely
close, with just four marks covering them, and Fujinami only
three marks further back.
The second lap was another very close affair, but Bou again
demonstrated his prowess, cleaning all but one of the fifteen
sections to emerge the winner, with a three mark advantage
over Raga. Fujinami and Lampkin ended the day on equal points
– fourteen apiece, but the final podium position went
to Fujinami, who had recorded one more clean than his team
mate throughout the day.
In the World Junior championship, season-opener winner Michael
Brown – Beta added another victory to his championship
tally, finishing the second of the two days with an emphatic
win over Frenchman Loris Gubian – Sherco. The Junior
category also saw a significant reduction in scores, with
Brown losing just fourteen marks, against Gubian’s eighteen.
Third place went to yesterday’s winner Alexz Wigg –
Gas Gas, just two points behind Gubian.
Through in the Youth championship, competition was again
tight, with first round winner Alfredo Gomez – Gas Gas
taking the victory from the UK’s Ross Danby –
Gas Gas and Patrick Smage – Sherco from the USA again
taking third, with just nine marks separating the top three.
The riders now have a well-earned rest, as the championship
takes a five week break before returning to Europe for the
third round, which will take place at Senez in France on 27th
May.
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