Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

.OBSERVED·TRIALS;· .'. Round g"" Andorra oe..WiCl TrWs SerIiI :. ~ettMIpiaI. -----------------------------~ ~ c SpenIerd Jordl T _ Inched ~ to. -mh World TrIaIa Champlon8hlp title wtlh hla win • the Andorra World Trial. z Q > '" ~ 0W ~ u: Torres slilnes, Colomer olters By John DIckinson SANT JULIA DE WRIA, ANDORRA, jUlY 1'>-16 ordi Tarres finally broke the deadlock that has so characterized the 1995 World Trials Championship Series, as he has battled mightily with fellow Spaniard Marc Colomer, by winning in the mountains of Andorra and making a clean break from his Montesa-mounted rival. Andorra served as the penultimate round of the series, and with only one event remaining, a seventh World Championship looks certain for the number-one Gas Gas rider. Tarres finally won the battle of nerves that was so evident in Andorra to just take the win from an inspired Doug Lampkin, as Colomer crashed to sixth place and finished in tears, realizing that his and Montesa's big push for the championship was over. For Lampkin, the 20 points were tantalizingly close, as he outscored Tarres on virtually every section apart J IJ') 0\ 0\ ..... N .... - rJ) t 32 from the 13th of the 14 that were tackled three times - once Saturday and twice Sunday. "1 blew it. I can't believe 1 blew it," said a disappointed Lampkin after fiving the section for the second time on the final lap as Tarres cruised through for yet another clean and claimed the win at the last gap. Yet even with yet another victory and a secure grasp on the championship, Tarres wasn't entirely happy. "The bike ran terrible on Saturday and the mechanics worked hard in the evening," said Tarres of his factory Gas Gas. 'lt was better today bl,lt the power was not right and I struggled. 1 was lucky to win here." And in a weekend of drama and surprises, another warning shot came from Japanese teenager Kenichi Kuroyama, who led Saturday night just as he did in Ireland earlier in the year - and held his nerve brilliantly on Sunday to claim fourth place, his best yet in his first World Championship season. The Beta factory certainly has the cream of the crop as far as young talent goes at the moment, with lampkin and Kiu-oyama. The big problem for everyone in Andorra was the altitude. Several of the sections in the tiny principality that nestles in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain were set at over 6000 feet, and most machines were well down on power. Much work was done . in the parc ferme as mechanics searched for the missing horses and amazingly, Tarres seemed to be one of the worst affected. In contrast,. the. bigger Montesa Cota motor seemed to have been tuned better - or maybe it produced more power in the first place - and Colomer looked confident as the trial kicked off, even though both title contenders were obviously feeling the pressure. Backing up this theory was the fact that Joan Pons had a storming ride on his 250cc Gas Gas and said, "My engine was perfect for the mountains and had plenty of power for the big steps. And all of the sections had big steps, they were all exactly the same." Amongst the worst affected in the lack-of-horsepower stakes was Finn Tommi Ahvala, who found his Fantic Section gasping for go. Ahvala let his feelings be known several times as he failed to crest the bigger rock faces. Former World Championship Series contender Andreu Codina, who now serves as Gas Gas' International Export Manager, had set up the sections and he set them very hard, claiming that both Tarres and Colomer had told him that they needed a difficult trial. Many riders were not happy with the many fierce and dangerous-looking rock faces that were set in the forest high above the town of Saint Julia. Amazingly, many of the sections rode fairly well, though they were not for the fainthearted. The first section was relatively gentle with only a loose climb out proving to be difficult. Tarres showed his nerves with a very scrappy two on his first time out. The second hazard, however, stopped everyone with the exception of Pons, Bruno Camozzi and the off-form Takumi Narita. All three riders dragged their bikes through for threes. Lampkin was desperately unlucky after cleaning the difficult step, to the roar of the crowd. His Beta fluffed the following double step which it should have cleared easily. The problem turned out to be the newly fitted Mikuni carburetor, which had replaced the Dell'Ortos on the works machines. A minor modification before Sunday's two laps cured the recurring fault, but a little too late. The third dry hazard was no problem, while the fourth was a 40o-yardlong stream lifted straight from the Scottish Six Days. But it was up on the mountain whene the real horrors lay in wait, and the sixth claimed a maximum 15 from Tarres, who never looked like he was even close to taming it. In contrast, it extracted a mere six points from Kuroyama, and seven from Marcel Justribo. The youthful riders made a concerted effort during the weekend. Sections eight, nine and 10, which all shared the same rocky summits, looked far worse than they actually rode, as the volcanic rock provided ultimate grip. Amos Bilbao, riding well, claimed the only clean on the ninth section, but there were plenty of single (safety) dab rides on all three, which featured frightening vertical climbs and rock faces. Back down near the parc ferme at a relatively low 4500 feet, the final four sections offered little respite with the last two providing a real sting in the tail It was a total surprise when after the opening lap only seven marks covered the first 10 riders, and an even bigger surprise that it was Kuroyama at the top of the tree. But come Sunday morning, Tarres went out and did what he has done so many times - he just blitzed the sections with a lap of 16 to move into the lead, while Justribo also made a move with an excellent lap of 19.. Yet Lampkin had easily outridden them all until two fives on the final two sections dropped him from 11 to 21. In comparison, Tarres needed only a single dab over the last two hazards. Colomer, though;had his worst nightmare come true with a run of four fives from sections 10 to 13 coming on top of fiascos at six and eight. Colomer's chances at winning the trial - and the championship - were over. The main issue had been settled, but there was still the matter of who would win the trial to sort out. Both Lampkin and Kuroyama had the scent of victory, as did Pons, who was his usual content self. In a final show of defiance, Colomer showed what might have been by turning in the lowest score of the final loop. The second-best score came from a surprising source. Graham Jarvis, who had 'suffered during two terrible laps on the factory Scarpa, suddenly came to life and posted a 21, which included to voluntary fives taken in the last two section due to a lack of time. Jarvis had been running extremely late following a lengthy top to repair crash damage. Lampkin's 24 also included a pair of late fives, as he was particularly annoyed at having blown the penultimate section which Tarres cleaned three times. But as he came in to win on 25, Tarres exclaimed, 'That was an awful lap. 1 was riding rubbish. 1 can't believe how bad I rode, but luckily most of the others did also." Kuroyama remained impressive to the end, although he was very fatigued by the finish. He set his Saturday winning total from the obscurity of a midpack starting position, but had to ride Sunday in full public view as the last man out. But whereas this got to him in Irelarid, he was a picture of composure in Andorra. He refused to get involved in- anyone else's trial, and just rode the sections like he was practicing. With the final round in Finland next month not expected to be a real stunner, you would look a long way for someone to bet against Tarres and a seventh title. And he shows no signs of retiring yet! (N Andomm World Round SlInt Julia de Loria, Andorra Resultll: July 15-16, 1995 CHAMPIONSHIP: I. Jordi Tarres (G-G) n; 2. Doug Lampkin (Bet) 75; 3. Joan Pons (G·G) 76; 4. Kenichi Kuroyama (Bet) 19; 5. Amos Bilbao (Bet) 81; 6. Marc Colomer (Mon) 82; 7. Marcel Ju tribo (82); 8. Donato Miglio (G-(;) 91; 9. Tomrni AhvaJa (Fan) 91; 10. Steve Colley (G-G) 99; 11. Bruno Camozzi (Bet) 100; 12. Jose-Antonio Benitez (104); 13. Diego Bosls (Bell 104; 14. Graham Jarvis (500) 105; 15. Takumi Nanta (Bet) 116. WORLD CHAMPJONSIUP TRIALS SERIES POINT . STANDINGS (After 9 of 10 ro....d.): 1. Jordi Tarres 062/5 wins); 2. Marc Colomer 051/3); 3. Tommi Ahvala (117/1); 4:Doug Lampkin (107); 5. Joan Pons (99); 6. Donato Miglio (86); 7. Bruno Camozzi (74); 8. Steve Colley (64); 9. Amos Bilbao (53); 10. Kenichi Kuroyama (SO); 11. Mar

• Cover