FUJINAMI WINS – TO MAKE IT THREE DIFFERENT WINNERS
Published: 27th April 2008
Author: FIM SPEA Trial World Championship 2008
Takahisa Fujinami – Repsol Montesa HRC today threw the FIM 2008 SPEA Trial world championship wide open by taking victory in the first of two days of competition held in Sequatchie, USA. Reigning World outdoor and indoor champion and Fujinami’s team-mate, Toni Bou – Repsol Montesa HRC finished second with Albert Cabestany - Sherco taking the remaining podium position.
The Trials Training Centre in Tennessee, which last played host to the championship in 2006 is once more the host for the two days of competition here in the USA with the majority of sections split between two riverbeds, which provided a challenging combination of large rock steps and steep twisting hill climbs with no man-made sections.
This was to prove an event which Fujinami dominated from the start, dropping just one single dab for the entire first lap and that was on the seemingly-impossible fourth section, which no rider was to clean all day. The Japanese former World champion finished with a three mark margin ahead of Bou at the end of the first half of competition with Cabestany some way back on fourteen marks.
Boosted by his first lap performance, Fujinami went on to drop just eight marks on the second lap to assure himself of victory by a clear margin over Bou. Adam Raga – Gas Gas launched one of his trademark recoveries on the second lap to equal Fujinami’s score of eight for the lap, but a poor first lap left him an impossible mountain to climb and he had to settle for fourth place. Bou still leads the championship by four points over both Fujinami and Raga, but with tomorrow’s competition being over the same course anything could happen.
In the Junior class, French rider Loris Gubian – Sherco took his first win of the season with a ten mark victory over Ross Danby – Gas Gas. Matteo Grattarola – Sherco completed the Junior podium. Alexz Wigg – Montesa still leads the Junior championship, but saw his lead cut to seven points over Gubian after finishing in a poor fifth position today.
Patrick Smage – Sherco delighted his home crowd in the Youth category with the narrowest of wins over Jack Challoner – Beta. The pair ended the day of competition tied on just six marks apiece forcing a most cleans tie-break in which Smage prevailed with twenty five cleans to Challoner’s twenty four. Alexandre Ferrer – Sherco recorded his best score of the championship to date by finishing third. Challoner maintains his lead in the championship standings over Smage, but today’s result saw this cut to just two points.
The FIM 2008 SPEA Trial world championship continues tomorrow with the second of the two days of competition in the USA.
Day 1 Results: (2 Day event)
World
1: Fujinami 9
2: Bou 16
3: Cabestany 28
Junior
1: Gubian 35
2: Danby 45
3: Grattarola 46
Youth 125cc
1: Smage 6
2: Challoner 6
3: Ferrer 17
2008 FIM Riders Championship Current Standings:
World
1: Bou 54
2: Raga 50
3: Fujinami 50
Junior
1: Wigg 51
2: Gubian 44
3: Gomez 42
Youth 125cc
1: Challoner 54
2: Smage 52
3: Moret 45
2008 FIM Manufacturers Championship Current Standings:
1: Montesa 104
2: Gas Gas 79
3: Beta 63
4: Sherco 58