After months of planning, in just a few weeks’ time now the top five riders in the World plus three young British challengers will arrive at the Utilita Arena Sheffield for the second edition of the DL12 Indoor Trial on Saturday 13th January 2024. Course designer and Britain’s former multi–World Champion Dougie Lampkin has been working away in the background to serve up a new test for the eight elite invited riders.
The course at the inaugural event proved a tough ask, even for the best on the day, and tested the skills of all the riders to the absolute limit. Lampkin aims to deliver another series of challenging sections this time around with a mix of some re-jigged favourites alongside some brand-new hazards and races.
Natural materials will again be the theme of the opening section, but out go the logs and in comes some brand-new packs of wood. Previously seen at events in Europe this will be the first time this type of hazard has been built and used in the UK. The opener will feature a combination of awkward angles and steps that will test the initial nerves of the assembled field.
One of the most talked about sections last time around, the oversized and beautifully crafted Hope components will be back again. However, the series of brightly coloured cycle hubs and crank arms will be reconfigured to create a different layout, though an equally huge and difficult encounter.
Still in the making at the time of writing, section three is a brand-new offering. A mixture of metal shapes is currently being carefully fabricated closed to Dougie’s Yorkshire base, which will need a large helping of grit and determination to conquer such will be the question they will ask of all the riders irrespective of their ranking.
With the last set of rocks now crushed for another use, Dougie has been back to the local Sheffield quarry to hand pick another gaggle of jagged sandstone so he can build another form of a section that caused so much trouble and drama almost twelve months ago and was to side-line Toni Bou from the final after his uncharacteristic failure in this zone.
Now buried deep in a Yorkshire hillside for drainage, Lampkin has been able to select another series of concrete pipes to produce what will be section five on the day. The smooth and curved surfaces, not to mention the sheer size of the steps and gaps played havoc at the initial event and equally saw some of the riders deliver the best rides of the night.
Back by popular feedback, Honda Hill as it was aptly christened by the fans, will again be the steep location for the sixth and final hazards, with Dougie planning to revise what was literally a showstopper as it brought both Bou and Jaime Busto to untimely halts, the latter of which cost the GASGAS rider a debut victory.
The 2024 course will be topped off with two new head-to head races. The first of which will feature a dual lane sprint over the huge Michelin tyres down the centre of the arena, whilst the finale will again be on the elevated angle platform this time it will incorporate some new metal tubes designed to create a faster paced dash to glory for the eventual winner.
Overall Dougie is ready to deliver a new and improved course for DL12 Indoor Trial V2.0
With over 78% of tickets already sold for the 2024 DL12 Indoor Trial on 13th January, book now for your only chance in 2024 to see the world’s top five riders in action in the UK alongside their British challengers – Click here today!