Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Bernie Schreiber continued his winning ways at the ATA's EJ Tri81 de Espana. taking the victory by 19 points. AT A El Trial de Espana Schreiber shows 'em how By Dale Brown ORANGE, CA; DEC. 9 In a battle of World and National Champions, World Trials Champ Bernie Schreiber bested U.S. Trials Champ Marland Whaley, 53-72, in the American Trials Association's 10th an6 nual EI Trial de Espana. Finishing third, and posting the lowest score of the day in the afternoon Expert exhibition sections, was Curt Comer, who recently returned to the u.s. after staying and riding in England for several months. The El Trial de Espana, originated in 1970 by Fred Belair, is a fundraising event. Monies raised from the event and its accompanying raffle are used to send the top two non-factorysupported ATA riders to European competition. This year the top two are '79 ATA Champ Andre Plouffe and Scott Head. The trial began in the morning with a two-loop trial where all classes competed. The loop covered much of Saddleback Park, and there were 25 sections total, though no group rode every section. Bultaco-mounted Schreiber pulled out to an early lead after the first loop, dabbing for a total of eight points while Montesa's Whaley dropped 20. Many of the sections were typical of the Saddleback terrain, utilizing gullies and slippery hillsides, Section five, ridden by all classes except the sidecars. was an example. All classes used the same entrance and rode a sharp off-camber hillside to an uphill left hander. From that point, Beginners rode straight across the hill to the exit, while Novices and Seniors had to make a somewhat tricky Iefthand detour along the way. After the initial left hander, Amateurs and Experts were faced with a right turn and a blast up a steep knoll. Here again, the paths separated. Amateurs went left and down a steep, traction· less downhill to the exit. Expens were faced with a climb to another ridge, a U-turn and a ride straight down the aforementioned tractionless downhill. Usually it was a case of slide down the hill with the wheels locked, hit the lip at the base, straighten up as if being ejected from a toaster, and ride to the exit. Most of the Expens cleaned this section with little trouble. After the first loop it became apparent that things were running late. With the Expert exhibition, the raffle drawing and the trophy presentation left to go, the decision was made to stop the second loop after the 12th section. On the shortened loop, Schreiber dropped just four, and Whaley got tagged for six. Comer, who'd had a sluggish first loop and dropped 55, was not happy that the second loop was closed early. He had five points up to the 12th section, and was hoping to make up a little more on. the leaders. There were five sections in the Expert exhibition, each to be ridden three times. Laid out very close to each other in a deep gully, they were spectacular. Section one had such a steep entrance - preceded by deep sand, no less - that riders were backing up 200 feet and charging into the section as though it were the Widowmaker Hillclimb. After they crested the top, it was to the right, then back down the hill a little ways, then a charge across the sand to an off· camber right with a log in the middle of the tum. A steep, narrow gully followed and proved to be the demise of most efforts. Section two started off by going straight down for nine feet, then making an immediate right hander. A slippery climb followed that, and if the rider survived, he got a chance to attempt an off-camber uphill right tum on a sandstone surface that provided approximately 4% more traction than glare ice. The third section was all uphill. starting with a tum into a tricky hump, then going up a narrow gully, with an uphill hook to the exit. Though 99.99% of the world's motor· cyclists would never attempt to ride up such terrain, it was somehow reassur· ing to know that, occasionally, even World and National Champs have to paddle furiously to keep going. The last two sections of the loop ran nose to tail in another gully, as the markers forced riders up one side and down another. When the totals for the exhibition were added, Comer and his Montesa

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