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World Championship Observed Tria's Series: Round 8 Lejeune supreme in Italy ~ 00 0') By Mike Rapley CASTIONE, ITALY, JUNE 26 Eddy Lejeune appears set to become the first trials rider to win two successive World Championships since the legendary (Above) Bernie Schreiber (left) end !oni .Gorgot comper~ note~ before the atIIrt of the Swiss round. Gorgot finished I8COnd•. ~chrelber third. (Selow) Phillipe Bertetier. one of the ~n'~moat ~roml~lng newcomers. works out on the Swiss rocks. Sertlltier finished eighth In the event. end holds sixth in the points. Yrjo Veslerinen's lhree in a row su~ cess in the lale '70s. Lejeune look hIS fifth victory in eight events in the Italian round. The Belgian Honda rider demonstrated his total supremacy in world trials competition over a very difficult and dangerous course around the mountainous village of Castione. Lejeune beat Thierry Michaud, the young French SWM rider who now looks to be the greate t threat to the Belgian in future year. Michaud is one of the younger rider on lhe World Championship scene. and, along with Britain's john Lamp~in, is raled very highly. Althe begmnmg of lhi season il wa interesting to compare the lwO youngsler's performances, wilh Lampkin looking lhe more promi ing in the early rounds. BUl Michaud ha progres ed fasler lhan the Yorkshireman and now slands head and houlders above John, who finished a dismal 14lh in lhe lrial. Three laps of the IS-section cour e faced the riders on the day before lhe Italian general election and. right away Lejeune set the pace. wllh an opening lap score of 25, wllh eventualthird placed Gilles Burgat on 34 and Bernie Schreiber, currently second in the tille race, on 36. That lap of Lejeune's was sheer magic for he dropped 13 more on his second circuit. Along with Danilo Galeazzi, who also dropped 38, it was lhe best second lap of the trial as lhe seclions became more difficult. Only one other rider man,!ged to post an under 30 lap ~nd .lhat was Michaud on hIS (mal CJTCUlt. Those gelling imo the swing o( things to go round for 30 included Schreiber, Galeazzi and Lejeune. Schreiber is the only rider with a chance of challenging Lejeune in lhe final four rounds, bUl despite much determination, he doesn't seem to ha've quite the sparkle lO match the Honda man, Certainly, at this stage of the series, Lejeune's form is at its highest and it' would need a disaster to shift him from his charge (or the championship. Regular poims scorers Toni Gorgot and Philippe Berlatierwere ~lh non-finishers in Italy. Gorgol reured with an injured (oot first damaged in the Austrian round, while Berlatier was unable to cominue due to a shoulder injury sustained in an indoor arena trial. For the firsl lime lhis year, lime proved a problem an.d ~lthough ~any riders were able to fJmsh well wllhm lheir allowance, olhers including Manuel Soler, jaime Subira and Renato Chiabeno were excluded for failing 10 finish wilhin lheir lime schedule. Results 1. Eddy Lejeune (Han) 93; 2. Thierry Miche'!" ISWMI 107; 3. Gill" Burgel (Fenll0B; 4. Bern,e ~tve.iber.~) 1Q9, 5. Denilo Gel. .ui (SWMI ........ I • .. e. 115; Lui. G811ac:" (Monlll&; 7. _ Coutourier IF.nI130; S. FuMo AdlImoIllMon/l33; Fr_ M_ue1 ISWMI 134; 10. llernerd Cordon_ ~~~i::HAMPlONSHtPPOINT e. STANDINGS; Lejeune l"~ 2. Schre_ (B3); 3. Burget 4. T. Miche'!" IB51; 5. Toni Gorgol (501; e. 1IerleIier 13D~ 7. John Lampkin (29); 8. Cordonnier (26); 9. Lui. Gellech I' 11; 10. F. Miche'!" (10). '6n ""ilo_ Wor'd Championship Observed Tria's Series: Round 9 Swiss victory to Lejeune By Mike Rapley F LLY, SWITZERLAND, JULY 3 Eddy Lejeune continued his relentless drive to his second World Championship crown when he won in Switzerland. Lejeune scored a 10-.mark ~iclory, bUl his win was not wllhoUlllS worrying moments for al the end of lhe second loop the leader was Scollish Six Days Trial winner Toni Gorgol. . A non-scorer in the last two round due to a fOOL injury incurred in Au tria, Gorgot started off brilliantly by compleling the firsllap with 16marks losl, a heallh.y five in front of Gille Burgat and lX ahead ?f Lejeune. Bernie chreiber £1m hed third. but can just aboul discount any hopes he might have of dinchinganolherchampionsh ip to add lO the crown he won in 1979 on a Bullaco. Wilh jusl three round remaining, Lejeune has a 22 point lead, and consislently through the year, Lejeune has proved lO be the beller rider. For Schreiber to sland any chance of success, Lejeune would have to drop complelely off form and the Amencan win all three rounds outflghl. NOl even the most optimislic supporter of Schreiber can see Lejeune losing his form. At the complelion of the opening two laps of the lr.ial. Gorgot had fO';1r in hand over Lejeune, bUl the Slram on his injured lefl foot proved too much for the Momesa·moumed Spaniard. He dropped orr form on his final circuit, handing victory to Lejeune, who put in three laps all within one mark of each other. Schreiber was equally consistent, yel his scores were jusl a few marks more than Lejeune's, Had it nOI bee.n for Gorgol's two good laps, Bernie would have been safe in second place. However, Schreiber is sti,lthe best of the SWM-mounted riders, though his three leammales, Thierry Michaud, Bernard Cordonnier and Danilo Galeazzi all scored points, making it a most success(ul day for the Italian marque. Bernie's success should stanel him in good stead, for his name has been linked in Europe wilh Yamaha who are just about to launch a new trials bike. Nigel Birkell will be riding the bike in Britain, bUl it is no secret thal Yamaha wams a lOp man in the World Champi?n. ship Series. The chances of get.lIng Lejeune seem remOle, so Schreiber, second in the tille chase, is a slrong bet. • Results 1. Eddy Lejeune IHon) 65; 2. Toni Gorgol IMonl 75; 3. Bernie Schreiber (SWMI77; 4. Gilles Burgel (Fen) 80; 5. Bernerd Cordonnier (SWM) 96; 6. Thierry M,cheud ISWM) 100; 7. Luis Gellech (Mon) 103; B. Phili_ Bet-Ielier (lIe) "3; 9. Peace' Cou· tourier (Fenl 115; 10. Denilo Geleeni ISWM) , 15. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS; 1. Lejeune (1141; 2. Schreiber (92); 3. Burge' (75); 4. T. Miche'!" (701; 5. GorgOl 1621; 6. Ber'elier (331; 7. Cordonnier (32); B. John Lampkin (29); 9. Gellec" (15~ 10. Ge_1121,