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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126401
nllyn when Rob pulled in the clutch
and momentarily ceased forward
motion, but Rathmell parted with a
couple as did Lampkin and Vesterinen
who began to control the trial with a
dab apiece.
Martin , sensing his opportunity,
moved ahead of the field at Ashfield
where , watched by a large crowd it ching to see the action , he took the
powerful Bulraco up eight slippery ,
rocky-hazards without loss in a display
that had his rivals reel ing.
Rob Shepherd lost an other five as
his rear wheel found no grip on sheet
ice in section two . He then stopped to
ch arge the ignition timing of the Honda before continuing. Whaley and
Chris Griffin (325 Suzuki) also crashed
to a ha lt. Charles Coutard looked in
big trouble before com ing back from
the dead to escape for two. Dave
Thorpe's attempt on the CCM drew
great applause as the throaty fourstroked plonked round for one. _
Vesty, Rathmell and Manuel Soler
were near faultless but all three were
beaten by the penultimate two subs
where Charles Coutard equalled La m p'
kin's" earlier brilliance. Shep's Honda
found it better as he went through for
a da b but the final climb ou t -oi the
stream cost Malcolm two well spent
dabs - a score repeated by Vesterinen
although he was concerned that his
third dab right on the ends ca rds
should not be recorded.
Fellow Scandinavian , Ulf Karlsson ,
ach ieved the day 's second clean. Nigel
Brikett got it all wrong before spending another two dabs on three continuous slippery subs at Hillgate where
Vesty made a mess of sub two, tipping
the Bultaco over backwards.
Encouragep by what they saw Rathmel l fled up without loss, whilst
Lampkin had a gigantic prod to leave
th e group for a total of four compated
to Malcolm's seven , Coutard's ten and
Birkett's and Vesterinen's 12 apiece.
Vesterinen dropped farther behind
after Wernewidd and Allr -y-Bont
where his II total compared badly to
Lampkin's three - and Rathrnell's two ,
but he put in the day's 'best ride at
Doliago where only three peop le
cleaned an awkward rocky stream-bed
clim b of the pen ultima te sub which
caught Vesty, Malc olm a nd Martin for
a da b apiece.
Lampkin led by two marks from
Rathmell on nine and II , respectively
before Cwm, Vesty was way down
behind Birkett and Coutard with 24
marks aga inst him. But kno wing the
score he pu t in some unbelievab le rides
to only lose five marks for the group .
Martin's lead vanished as the genial
Yorkshireman lost a mammoth 23.
It just went all wrong for Martin ,
who could not believe his change of
fortune. Rathmell grabbed his 0ppol. tunity and went through for eight with
a sequence which virtually sealed the
issue in his favor .
With time now ticking away, Rath mell hurried on to Cabam Dam and
played it 'safety first ' to go through for
eight. Lampkin hit back to lose but
five, while Vesty lost seven which was
just good enough to snatch him second
place,
It was a jubilamRathmell who had
emerged from two years in the ch ampions hip wilderness.
•
Results
1. M. _ l iMon) 27.1; 2. Y. Veot.inen IBul1
38.2; 3. M. lMnpkin (Bull 37; 4. N. Birken IMan) 38; 5.
C. Couwd ISWM) 38.1; 6. J . W. llmon (Bull 45; 7. E.
Lajeune IHan) SO.2; 8. J . Sufrla (Manl SO.6; 9. J .M.
lAjoune IMan) 51; 10. A Go