Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

OBSERVED TRIALS World ChampioQS/lip Observed Trials Series Round 7: Italy Marc Colomer continued his march toward the World Trials Championship with another win. The Spaniard now leads series rival Doug Lampkin by 14 points, 129-115. ODler jmps ahead By John Dickinson BAROONECCHlA, ITALY, JUNE 22-23 ith a brilliant win under pressure in the Italian round, Spanish World Trials Championelect Marc Colomer extended his i996 series lead to a gaping 14 points over his season-long archrival Doug Lampkin. Considering that just three rounds ago Colomer actually trailed his British rival following the American event at Rhode Island - albeit by only a single point - this is a huge margin, especially at this point in the season. Lampkin was actually back on form in Italy, following his disastrous slump to fifth at the French round the previous week, and only a horrendous crash down a rock face at the 11th section on the final loop of the event stopped him from taking his third victory of the series. As it was, not even posting the best singleloop score of the trial on the final circuit, just four marks lost through the 14 sections, could regain that five-mark lapse and he finished an agonizing single point behind Colomer. Despite the area having been subjected to several tremendous storms throughout the weekend and previous week, with rains so heavy that the parc ferme was completely flooded, the Italian trial was praised by many as the best event this year as it contained a good variety of sections. Located in Bardonecchia, a ski resort some 4500 feet up in the mountains, the trial featured several sections set at over 5000 feet. The opener was a man-made hazard, over large rocks in the parc ferme, while sections two through seven were very natural sections set on the hillside with steep climbs and descents that appeared daunting but actually proved quite grippy. Number eight was different, comprised of a broken-up concrete wall, while nine through 11 consisted of climbs on loose gravel and rocks. Section 12 was a very steep incline with climbs and a drop on rock slabs, while 13 and 14 were natural-looking but man-made by the side of a river. Colomer started the trial on Saturday in total confidence - through the first five sections he only dropped five marks. Lampkin, in contrast, cast 11 marks away through the same sections, being wellbeaten at this stage by his Beta teammate Kenichi Kuroyama. The Japanese teenager made it through with only six marks. "It was an awful start, but 1 know exactly where 1 was going wrong," Lampkin said. '1 was trying to ride safely, avoiding having 5s, and it just doesn't work at this level. 1fell into the same trap last week in France and it was a disaster. I had to make a decision to just go for it. So that is what we did from then ou." . Lampkin's change of tactic paid dividends almost immediately. On the tough seven th sec;tion - one tha t fea tured a mighty blast up a nearly vertical rock face - Lampkin was the only rider to scale this near-wall, and his one-dab effort amid a plethora of others' fiascoes brought a tremendous cheer from the large turnout of Italian fans. Not to be outdone, Colomer got his advantage back shortly after with a brilliant clean on the 10th section. This ride was only matched by quiet Japanese Beta rider Tomoyuki Ogawa, who was in the process of causing quite a stir with his very strong performance. It was here that W 22 three points on the 10th section to keep his score down to five, and even Lampkin's four points didn't quite prove good enough. Kuroyama finished a strong third, well ahead of the surprise fourth-place finish of his countryman Ogawa, enjoying his highest World Championship placing by some way. Tarres forced his way back to fifth, but is now 14 points behind Lampkin in the season standings and the top three places in the championship now appear set, barring disaster. Although with three rounds still to go Germany, Czech Republic and Belgium no one is throwing the towel in. just yet. Further down the field, Graham Jarvis weighed in with an excellent sixth place on the Scorpa, with three very steady laps, while European Champion Marcel Justribo scored well, to finish just ahead of Joan Pons. Completing the top 10 were French ace Bruno Camozzi, who improved dramatically after a terrible opening loop, and the inconsistent-perfoIning Tommi 0 Ahvala. italian World Round Bardonecchla, Italy Resulta: June 23-24, 1996 (Round 7 of 10) Lampkin lost the ground he had gained at the seventh section, scoring his only maximum of the loop. Lampkin then finished the strongest, losing just one mark through the last four sections as Colomer dabbed in three of them. But the Spaniard still held a healthy four-mark lead over the Brit at the end of the opening day, which saw yet another rainstorm break toward the end of the loop. With Colomer on 14, Lampkin 18 and Kuroyama sitting in third on 20, where was seven-lime World Champion Jordi Tarres? Down in 10th place is where - on a 28-mark total that included three maximum five-mark losses - and, not for the first time this season, with a lot to do on Sunday. Heavy overnight rain left the course very slippery, but by now the riders had the measure of the sections. Lampkin had gotten out of bed in a very positive mood and went out to blitz the course. He almost succeeded as well, having lost only four marks up to the 10th section including another single-dab ride on the seventh - while Colomer suffered a 5, as he had on Saturday. . But Lampkin's big challenge to the series points leader came desperately unstuck at the 11th section when his footpeg dug in at the top of the vertical climb and he was pitched off the Beta and crashed ("1 don't know how far, but a long way," he said about his fall later), removing skin from his arms, legs and ribs and feeling relieved that he was even able to carry on. He still completed the loop for 10, equal with Kuroyama and a fired-up Tanes, but behind Spaniards Marcel Justribo with seven, Joan Pons on an amazing five points and the up-anddown Finn Tommi Ahvala who followed up a disastrous Saturday score of 35 with nine on his second loop. Colomer started the final loop just two marks ahead of Lampkin but remained supremely cool under pressure. The Spaniard scored a fortunate O/A: 1. Marc Colomer (Man) 31; 2. Doug Lampkin (Bet) 32; 3. Kenichi Kuroyama (Bet) 39; 4. TOOlOyuki Og.wa (Bel) 48; S. )ordi Torres (G-G) 49; 6, Graham Jarvis (Sco) SO; 7. Marcel )ustribo (Bet) SO; 8.)oan Pons (G-G) S2; 9. Bnmo Camow (G-G) 55; 10. Tomrni Ahv.l. (Fan) 59; 11. Takahisa Fujinami (Han) 60; 12. Gareil Reyes (Man) 62; 13. Steve Colley (G-G) 64; 14. Joachim Hindren (G-G) 65; 15. Amos Bilbao (G-G) 71. WORLD C'SHIP sERIES POINT STANDtNGS (After 7 of 10 rounds): 1. Marc Colomer (129); 2. Doug Lampkin (US); 3. Jordi Torres (101); 4. Enicru Kuroyam. (79); 5. Bruno Camozzi (75); 6. Amos Bilbao (63); 7. Takahisa Fujinami (49); 8. Graham Jarvis (46); 9. Marcel Justribo (45); 10. Tommi Ahval. (37); 11. Steve Colley (3S~ 12. Tomoyuld Og.w. (28); 13. Donato Miglio (26); 14_ Joan Pons (20); 15. D.vid Cobos (17); 16. Tokumi Nant. (17); 17. Joachim Hindren (15); 18. [};08o Basis (13); 19. Gabriel Rey.. (6); 20.)050 Benitez(l~ Upcoming Rounds: Round B- Grossheubach, Germany, July 6-7 Round 9 - Nepomuk, Czech Repubfic, July 13·14 Brieflv.... as Doug l,ampkin can tell you. you just can't ride -. sale' in 'Wond Rounds, you can only try to clean every section. The stonns that lashed the Italian world trjal had serious consequences in the region. with widespread damage from Hooding in the valleys. Doug Lamp,,"n reported seeing farm animals taking refuge on the roofs of their bams because the flood waters had gotten so high. A...... 'Bilbao remains as unpredictable as ever. Some days he threatens a win, other days, as in Italy, he can barely make the points. . • Not a single Italian rider made innto the points In the trial. Beta development rider Donato M'igllo was hignest, in 18th. with tias Gasmounted Diego Bo.l. next. in .19th. Graham Jarvis continues to impress and actually' logged the. thirtj-best

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