The FIM SPEA Trial World Championship Bangor
 Adam
Raga – Gas Gas took victory today at the second round
of the FIM 2008 SPEA Trial World Championship held at the
small coastal town of Bangor in Northern Ireland. Winner of
last weekend’s opening round in Luxembourg and reigning
World champion, Toni Bou – Repsol Montesa HRC had to
settle for second place with Takahisa Fujinami – Repsol
Montesa HRC taking the remaining podium position.
Last playing host to the championship in 2004, Bangor offers
a course that is mostly comprised of sections set on rocks
along the sea front. These already difficult sections were
made even more so by gale force winds, snow and high waves,
this increased as the day progressed and as the tide rose.
It was Raga who looked in the stronger position after an
uncharacteristic five by Bou on the third section gave him
the early lead. However, it was not to last as Bou delighted
the amassed crowd by getting through the exceptionally tough
fourth section for a single dab where all of his main rivals
failed. It was to be the eighth section that was to prove
decisive however, with Raga riding it clean and Bou failing
to ascend what looked like a relatively straightforward hill
climb.
With Raga commanding a four mark lead at the halfway stage
of the competition, it was Bou’s turn to fight back.
Despite dropping the lowest score of the competition on his
second lap – a mere nine marks, it was insufficient
to overtake a confident Raga who finished the event with a
seven mark lead over Bou and a fifteen mark advantage over
Fujinami. This result means the competition is wide open with
Raga and Bou tied on thirty seven points apiece in the general
standings. Fujinami is a short distance behind on thirty points.
In the Junior championship Alexz Wigg – Montesa made
it two wins from two starts to maintain his clean sheet in
the competition to date. Sam Haslam – Gas Gas was second
with Alfredo Gomez – Montesa finishing third. Wigg has
an eight point lead in the championship standings over Gomez
whilst Haslam, improving on his sixth place at the previous
round in Luxembourg has climbed to third place, five points
behind Gomez.
Even at this early stage the Youth championship is shaping
up to be an interesting battle with several evenly matched
riders competing for the 2008 title. Jack Challoner –
Beta improved on his second place of last week to take top
podium position. Patrick Smage – Sherco also improved
on his previous result to take second place, however both
of these gains were at the loss of last weekend’s winner,
Francesc Moret – Gas Gas who failed to repeat his winning
form and finished in third position. Challoner now has a narrow
two point lead in the championship over Moret with Smage in
third place a further three points behind.
The championship now takes a three week break, returning
on the 27th of April for the first of two days of competition
in Tennessee, USA. Day 1 Results: (1 Day event)
World
1: Raga 21
2: Bou 23
3: Fujinami 36
Junior
1: Wigg 27
2: Haslam 45
3: Gomez 56
Youth 125cc
1: Challoner 31
2: Smage 32
3: Moret 36
2008 FIM Riders Championship
Current Standings:
World
1: Raga 37
2: Bou 37
3: Fujinami 30
Junior
1: Wigg 40
2: Gomez 32
3: Haslam 27
Youth 125cc
1: Challoner 37
2: Moret 35
3: Smage 32
2008 FIM Manufacturers Championship
Current Standings:
1: Montesa 67
2: Gas Gas 55
3: Beta 44
4: Sherco 36
This round: 6th April
Bangor, Ireland
Next round: 26/27th April
Sequatchie, USA
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