Last weekend was the 6th round of the 2019 Trial GP World Championship held at the alpine ski resort of Auron 80 km north of Nice in the south of France. Held in conditions slightly cooler than the previous weekend event in Portugal but still very warm.
First riders away at a later start than normal of 10am were Trial 2 Women. In this class was South Shropshire rider Alice Minta on a Scorpa who was equal first after completing the first lap. But 3 marks lost on section 2 of the second lap put her too far behind eventual winner Vivian Wachs on a TRS. Vivian Wachs finished with 11 marks lost, Alice finished in second position with 15 marks lost, making the first three riders same as previous event in Portugal and also the first 3 positions in World Championship standings after two rounds.
Other UK rider in this class in a creditable 8
th position overall Alicia Robinson on a Beta 41 marks lost.
As in the two rounds in Japan and Portugal our only Woman GP rider Emma Bristow on a Sherco with 20 marks lost showed a clean pair of heels to make 4 wins in a row and leads the overall championship by 16 points going into the final round.
The final round of the 125 Championship was also held in Auron with only one starter from the UK a regular competitor Jake Eley finishing in 11 position claiming 5 points in the championship with 125 marks lost.
A large entry of 25 riders in Trial 2 including 4 riders under the ACU banner, in a close contest with Toby Martyn (Beta) in 4
th position with 22 marks lost, Jack Peace (Sherco) only 2 marks behind Toby with 24 marks lost in 6
th position. Billy Green on a Montesa in a learning year after moving up from being 125cc World Champion in 2018 on 50 marks lost then our only rider from Wales Hugo Jervis TRRS in 24
th position on 86 marks lost.
With three ACU riders in the Trial GP class behind the dominant force of 6 Spanish riders including the winner Toni Bou on a Montesa with 9 marks lost in a creditable 8
th position James Dabill on a Beta with 54 marks lost. The next British rider Jack Price Gas Gas was in 11
th position on the day and also in the Championship overall. In 14
th position with 137 marks lost after a collecting a shoulder trauma during the first
lap which required medical treatment was Dan Peace on a Sherco.
The final World Championship round will be held on 21/22 September in La Nucia, Alicante Spain followed by the Trials des Nations one week later 28/29 September on the island of Ibiza.
Report by Gordon Lawley
Photograph by Scott Lawley - Pixel Point Photography