Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ ~ >W ..J Q. « c:: w "" ~ >CD (J) 0 t- o :I: ll") Q. 00 O"l ....... World Cha m pionship Observed Trials Series: Round 11 Michaud crowned the Champion By M ike Rapley ~ (,,0 ...... .... GRIMMIALP , SWITZE R LA N D, SE PT: 8 Thierry Michaud and Fantic are the n ew O bserved Trials World Ch am pions, The Frenchman riding the Ita l ia n machi ne clinched the title when he won the Swiss ~ .D 0 ..... u 0 round, hi s nimh win of th e II tri a ls, to break Eddy Lejeune's record of eight wins in a season . And of course it was Belgi a n (Above) Th ierry Michaud 's ninth win in Switzerland gave him the t itle. (Below) Eddy Lejeune's hopes of a fourth t itle ended in round 11 . Lejeune that he beat. Th e ex- Wo rl d Ch ampi on h as fin all y been for ced to re linq u ish th e title h e h as held for three yea rs, but he d idn 't let go witho ut a fig h t. Lejeun e has been runn erup to Mich aud six tim es th is year, a n d ca me close to bea ting h im in witzer land . In fact . it was a t th e very last o f 42 sections th at Michaud cracked th e Sw iss even t. After three la p s of 14 sec tions. Mich a ud tac kle d the last with the result o f th e tr ial dependin g o n his performanc e. Th e two aces were neck and neck. bu t it was Mich aud w ho proved h im self m aster of th e situa tion wh en he ca me back fro m the dead. As th e Fre nc h sta r tackled th e u ltra tough win ding pa th o ver stee p rocks, he beca m e wed ged feet u p in a n arro w slo t; undaunted , Michaud backed th e Fa nt ic down h ill a lmost five ya rds, still feet up, before tack lin g th e gull y agai n , a nd reached th e en d, cards clean. to a tr em endous burst of a p precia tio n fro m th e cro wd . Bas ed a t G rimmialp, th e even t proved to be a tough nut to crack. In fact, severa l sections were eased o n Sa tu rda y wh en th e FIM co m m ittee World Championship Obser ved Trials Series: Final round Saunders t ops Michaud By Mike Rapley \ MILT ENB URG , WEST G ERMANY, SE PT. 15 Britain 's Sieve Saunders took hi s H onda 250 10 its fir st World Championship win wh en he clea ned up in WeSI Germany. 26 In th e fin al ro u nd o f th e series. Sa u n de rs had a tr em endous o pe ni ng lap through th e 17sectio ns and mainta ine d hi s su pe rb form through th e next two la p s to clin ch victory o ver n ew W orld Ch amp ion Th ierr y Michaud by seven marks. All yea r Sa un de rs h as been wantin g to add Mi ch aud' s sca lp to hi s coll ection. Mi ch au d rem ain ed th e o n lv rider o f th e world Saunders hadn '"t beat en , but h e fina lly did it 10 go into th e o ff-seas o n kn owing h e is in with a real cha nce o f top honors in 1986. Fren chman Phil ippe Berl ati er finishe d a fin e third on th e new mono- decided th ey wer e too tough even for a World round . And difficu lt th ey a ll were, for wi thout an easy sectio n in th e tri a l th e sco res soared. P redo m ina tel y big rocks , some in riv ers , so me dry outcrop with Sla cks of big steps, slo ts and rig h t tu rns, th e trial was a good one to wat ch. Mi ch aud led th e fir st lap by two marks o ver Lejeune, with Philippe Berlari er, wh o finall y finished third, a no the r seven ma rk s back. Lejeune faltered o n th e seco nd lap. but ca me ba ck with a blinder th ird time round to harass Mi ch aud to th e en d. St eve Saund er s, h aving sec u red third p lace overa ll in the Series last week , had th e o p port u n ity to relax a li ttl e, but sti ll too k fourth pl ace behind Ber la tier. T he April ia rider, in beatin g To ny Scarlett by n ine places, relegat ed the Yama ha man to six th ove ra ll i n p oints, a position w h ich is still in jeopa rdy. The new Spani sh Champion, Luis Gallach , co u ld sti ll move up a p lace in th e • fin al round. Results 1. Thierry M ichaud (Fa n); 2. Eddy Leje un e (Han); 3 . Philippe Ber lat ier (Apr); 4 . Steve Saunders (Hon); 5 . Jordi l arres (Bet); 6 . Renata Chiaberto (Fa n); 7. Lu is Gallach (Mer); 8 . Gilles Burgat (Yam); 9. Diego Bosis (Man); 10 . Lars Karlsson (Yam); 11. Pete r Jahn (Ho n); 12 . Tony Scarlen (Yam ); 13. Pascal Couturier (Bet) ; 14 . John Lampkin (Ar m); 15. Jonny Andersson (Yam) . POINT STANOINGS: 1. Michaud(214); 2. Lejeune (t S3); 3. Saunders (165); 4 . Burga, ( t 16); 5. Be-tat ; ier (92) ; 6. Scar lett (B41 7. Gallach (B21 B. Basis ; (6S); 9. Chi abert o (661; 10. Coutu rier (641. shock April ia while Belgian Edd y Lejeune was fourth - hi s lo west result of th e year - rid ing a Honda 250 a rid not h is specia l factor y 360. And with Lejeune for esak ing h is bi g bike. a ll so rts o f possibi lities are o pe ned up for next year. Will th e Honda gia nts stick with Lejeune and Sa u n d ers or will th ey go a fte r Mi chaud? Onl y time will tell as they a i m to ge t back o n the to p o f th e trials tree. The well- o rgan ized ro u nd su ffered a sto rm to ward th e en d o f the fir st lap , whi ch mad e a ll th e sections more difficult for laps two a nd three. Once he h ad th e ad va ntage, Saunders wa s in cha rge a ll th e slippery roc ks an d with th e best sco re o n hi s next two la p s, h e edged a head o f Mich aud wh o mat ch ed hi s first-l ap sco re. The rumors circu lati ng in Germ an y th at Am eri can Berni e Sch reiber will be back next year - po ssibl y on a Yamah a - makes it interestin g to spec u la te 011 what will happen in '86. Results • 'l . Steve Sa under s (Ha n); 2 . Th ierr y M ichau d (Fan); 3 . Phi lipp e Berl at ier (Apr); 4 . Eddy Leje une (Han); 5 . Gi lles Burgat (Yam); 6 . Pascal Couturier (Be, ); 7. Do ego Sosis (M on); 8. Lui s Gall ach (Merl; 9. Tony Scarlett (Yaml; 10 . Eric Lejeune (Han ); 11. Jordi Tarres (Bet); 12 . Pete Jahn (Han); 13 . M art in Kar lsson (BeU; 14 . Lar s Karlsson IFan); 15. Andr eu Codino (Mon). FINAL POINT STANDINGS: t . M ichaud (2311; 2. Lejeune (1961; 3 . Saunders (l B5); 4. Surga, (1261; ; 5. Berfetier (1201; 6. Scarlett (90); 7. Gallach (B91 8. ; Basis (7 6); 9 . Couturier 1731 10 . Renata Ch iaberto (65 ).

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