A battered Ian Austermuhle won the sixty fifth Allan Jefferies Trophy Trial on Sunday from a troubled Rob Waite and an attacking Ross Crosby. It was a repeat of last year where the Beta UK teamster cleaned the famed Halton Gill Waterfall section while Dan Thorpe watched, and waited. That Austy clean was repeated late on Sunday afternoon but no Thorpe was spectating. For Ian it was a return to trialling after a belated honeymoon with his wife Beth.
After the leg breaking activities of the new Mrs Austermuhle four weeks before her wedding there was no way that Ian was going to touch his Beta UK machine until the Thailand honeymoon was achieved. His first ride on his Beta was last Thursday evening and he promptly dived over the handlebars.
The Rob Waite story started with a late start. The Hurworth contender damaged the Beta brakes but managed to get the problem sorted and finished well in time. The time penalties maybe blamed on haymaking activities in the Kilnsey and Arncliffe areas. From virtually Kilnsey it is a single track road with passing places. Rossa Crosby ran well until the last ten sections then had fives in Wilks and Robbos A which stacked a total of seventeen on his score. He lost out to Rob Waite on a dab but third place was good considering that many sections were green. The new look Jefferies went off well. Flamethrower's three subs started the ball rolling then the climb up Fountains Fell where Ron Eddings claims! that Blackpool Tower can be seen on a clear day. (with what?).
The Clubman battle was a classic, Ilkley decorator Graham Tales just managed to 'whitewash Falcon hot runner Andrew Jackson and Midlands visitor Paul Bennett. A five in Hags Gill and a then a three in Newshott Gill one minute late penalty by Jacko gave Tales the break he required. Graham was also watching out for little brother Andy who finished fourteenth !. With the sun blazing down the temperature was knocking 24c as the final sections were ridden by some wilting competitors but the Halton Gill Ladies had a feast ready and waiting, as they have for the last twenty years.
Results:
Allan Jefferies class.
Experts: Ian Austermuhle (Beta UK) 13, Rob Waite (Beta) 33, Ross Crosby (Appleyard Beta) 34, Danny Gamble (Beta) 35, Nathan Wrigglesworth (Sherco) 38, Will Reynolds (Beta) 44.
Inters: Gavin Black (Montesa) 58, Thomas Rushton (Beta) 65, Adam Frith (Gas Gas) 113.
Novices: Tom Middleton (Beta) 53, Lewis Black (Gas Gas) 66, Sam Cahill (Sherco) 131.
Clubman A course.
Experts: Paul Bennett (Sherco) 23, Jonathan Lee (Sherco) 33.
Inters: Graham Tales (Sherco) 16, Sam Clarke (Beta) 30, Roman Kyrnycryj (Sherco) 32, Rob McElnea (Beta) 52, Tom Smith (Montesa) 56, Paul Marwood (Sherco) 60.
Novices: Andrew Jackson (Gas Gas) 19, Darren Holmes (Beta) 30, Julian Ingham (Beta) 30, Simon Hartley (Sherco) 32, Mark Hartley (Gas Gas) 34, Richard Hawes (Beta) 38.