Friday August 29, 2014 at 1:53pm
Twelve times FIM Trial World Champion Dougie Lampkin will face his strongest line up to date at the third edition of the Red Bull City Trial in Manchester on Saturday 4th October 2014. Lampkin will be joined by Spain's reigning FIM Trial World Champion Toni Bou - Repsol Honda, who already has fifteen FIM World individual titles to his name and six times FIM Trial World Champion Adam Raga - Gas Gas at this year's event, which will take place on the city's most famous shopping street - Deansgate.
However these three decorated riders are sure not to have it all their own way with the return of last year's Red Bull City Trail winner Jeroni Fajardo - Beta from Spain confirming the event's best ever entry list. Fajardo will be accompanied by his British team mate and four times national champion James Dabill - Beta, which means that Manchester will play host to four out of the World's current top six riders.
The home nation will be well represented with reigning British Champion Michael Brown - Gas Gas and ex FIM Youth Trial World Champion Jack Sheppard - Beta lining up alongside Dabill. The full international entry will be rounded out by 2013 UEM Trial European Champion Eddie Karlsson - Montesa from Sweden who made his debut at Red Bull City Trial last year as a stand in for the injured Japanese rider Takahisa Fujinami - Repsol Honda. Fujinami is also unavailable this time around as he is due to undergo surgery to the knee that he damaged just before the 2013 event.
The eight invited riders will once again do battle in the same head to head format that was so successfully introduced and received twelve months ago. With the riders facing an unseeded ballot and the possibility of finding themselves in the evil eliminator for each round, not even the World's best are guaranteed a safe passage to the four finals that will play out from noon onwards and that will ultimately determine the winner of this year's Red Bull City Trial.
Speaking about the prospect of facing Bou and the other World class riders Lampkin said. "It is great for the event to have Toni (Bou) join Adam (Raga), Jeroni (Fajardo), James (Dabill) and the other top riders for what is shaping up to be the best Red Bull City Trial yet."
"There is no doubt Toni is currently the best rider in the World and on his day in normal circumstances he is unstoppable. However Red Bull City Trial with its unique head to head, knock out format is a very different proposition even for Toni. As we saw last year with Adam, who was then the top seeded rider, nothing is guaranteed as he even failed to make it on to the podium."
Dougie finished off by saying. "Throughout my long career I have always relished the chance to ride against the World's best riders and to have the chance to do that again right in the heart of Manchester city centre in an event where no one rider has any real advantage, I am ready to do battle once again."
Red Bull City Trial will once again bring this specialised sport to a new and mainstream audience with it being a free admission event suitable for all age groups. The simple and dynamic format means that no prior knowledge of the sport is required to enjoy what is sure to be another highly entertaining intake of must see two-wheel action.
For more event information go to www.redbull.co.uk/citytrial