BTC Preview Round 3 The Macdonald Trial
Preview and Photo By Colin Bullock
With two rounds of the 2011 ACU Events sponsored trials series now gone things are shaping up nicely. Now it is time to head over the border this coming weekend to Kinlochleven for The Macdonald Trial some 12 miles south of Fort William which is Round 3
OK James Dabill has taken both of the contests in the Championship so far but down at the Anthony Rew it was far from an easy victory and Michael Brown was with him all of the way. Both riders seem happy with their new machines as does Alexz Wigg on the Sherco although Wiggy will be looking to get in early at Kinlochleven as two third places will not satisfy his ambitions. Despite these three riders taking the podium places in the two openers Ross Danby is riding very well as his team mate Sam Haslam and Jack Challoner, if riding is another one who can be right up the sharp end.
In the A Championship things are nicely on the boil. Ricky Wiggins won at the opening round and James Fry took the Anthony Rew but they both have young Jack Sheppard to look out for. Jack missed the season opener and then came second in Devon. He is expected however to contest the remaining six rounds can he afford to drop one event. Time will tell but there is nothing like seeing someone trying to make up ground and it should be a fascinating contest for the rest of the year. At the moment it stands at Fry and Wiggins 35 points each with Sheppard on 17 currently in 5th place.
As usual the B Group will have the largest entry and again two riders are making an early statement of intent. Both Guy Kendrew on the Ossa and Richard Timperley on the Sherco have one win and a second place to their names. That gives them 37 points each with Buster Regan in third on 25. One thing is however certain and that is a new name will appear on the trophy at the end of the series so there is all to play for.
The Macdonald constitutes a fair old drive up to the Highlands but this has always been a superb event at The Mount literally ½ mile outside of Kinlochleven. Coming up from the south it is up to Glasgow and then you have a choice of going via Stirling or Loch Lomond to meet up at Crainlarich on the A82. Then you just keep going until you pass through Glencoe and then look for the signs. There are two road to Kinlochleven and either is just a scenic.
Practice is on Saturday between 3- 5 pm with the event proper starting at 10am on Sunday. It is absolutely nothing like the Six Days which will take place some 2 weeks later. No streams or loose rocks but there is plenty of big grippy boulders and rock faces.
One thing the organisers have mentioned is that they are going to be canvassing opinion on a possible change of venue for 2011 if the club are awarded Championship round. New clerk of the course Ally Morrice has let us know that there could be a chance of going over to Glen Nevis. That could be a mouth watering prospect and of course a World Round was run there in the early 1990’s. Ally would welcome all opinions as he looks to 2012.