Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

OBSERVED TRIALS· AMAmATC National-Championship Trials series Rounds 6&7: Donner Ski Ranch left with a comfortable 16-point lead, 189173. Though Young mimicked Aaron's every move on Saturday and ended up a painfully close second, he failed to get into the groove on Sunday and finished a distant fourth. This was exactly what Young didn't need, and entering the final two rounds of the series, he will need to pull a rabbit out of his helmet if he hopes to earn his seventh National Championship. '1 was happy with my ride on Saturday, but 1 just couldn't get motivated on Sunday," admitted the Gas Gas rider. "I was in 'fun mode' aU day long. I just couldn't find my race face. Now I have to win the last two rounds and Geoff has to get two thirds if I am to win the title. It ain't over till it's over." Rounding out the top three on both days was a surprise rider, of sorts. After earning third at the Lucerne Valley series opener in May, former Belgian National Champion Olivier Clamagirand disappeared into thin air. The flashy European import failed to show at the second through fifth rounds, and was even nowhere to be found at his local Southern California regional events. "I have been very busy with work," said Oamagirand. "I have not even had any time to practice or train. I /tad to compete here because it was in California, but I did not know what to expect. I am out of shape and out of practice, but I am very pleased with my results. ow I will need two weeks to get over being sore!" Fourth on day one and a popular second on day two was the ever flamboyant Jess Kempkes. Muscle cramps held him back on Saturday, but he rebounded with a spectacular showing on Sunday that saw him turn in what was by far the standout loop score of the weekend. Saturday Temperatures that hovered in the mid-90s throughout the day took their toll on riders, and the high level of both section and loop difficulty didn't make matters any better. "The sections are big, just like I like them" said Aaron, following his first loop. "This has to be the hardest National of the year so far. Endurance will be a factor." By Peter Sengal NORDEN, CA, AUG. 11-12 nly four weeks before the AMA/NATC National Championship Trials series paid a visit to the scenic Donner Ski Ranch in orthern California for the sixth and seventh rounds, two-time and defending National Champion Geoff Aaron suffered multiple head injuries in a spectacular practice crash. Though he declared soon after his accident that he would be on hand to compete at the High Sierra facility, few believed that be would be a serious threat. "To tell you the truth - now that the event is over - I probably had my doubts about how 1 would do," said Aaron. "It's only been four weeks since I got off, and I actually returned two weeks before the doctors would have liked me to. I wasn't able to practice and I wasn't sure if the crash would affect my confidence." Apparently, the two titanium plates and nearly 50 stitches that it took to patch his face back together again slipped Aaron's mind the moment he threw a leg over his factory Beta. The taIl ew Englander excelled in the big, very physical Donner sections and pulled off a clean sweep that left his rivals dumbfounded. Aaron entered the weekend trailing six-time National Champion Ryan Young by only a single point, but (Above) Defending National Champion Geoff Aaron swept both days of competition at the scenic Donner Sid Ranch, squelching rumors that his confidence was shaken by his horrendous July practice crash. The New Englander has a comfortable 16point lead going into the final two rounds. (Right) Former Belgian National Champion Olivier Clamaglrand carne out of the woodwork to earn a pair of third-place finishes. It was Clamaglrand's first appearance since the May series opener. From the get-go, it was apparent that Aaron and Young were in a class of their own - their 16- and 19-point first-loop tallies standing head and shoulders above the rest. Kempkes was the best of the rest at the start with a 27, but he was already well off the leaders' pace. Scorpa rider Raymond Peters was close behind Kempkes with a 31, while Oamagirand fought off the cobwebs and turned in a 34-point loop card. ·Aaron's nine-point second-loop score would be the best of the day, as he was well acquainted with the sections and still free of fatigue. Young also improved, but not as much as his arch rival. A 13 kept him in contention, but it would all come down to the last lap. Clamagirand came to life on lap two and his 2a-point loop tally moved him into top-three contention. Aaron had a shaky last loop and dropped 22 for a total of 47, but his previous two laps had given him enough breathing room. Not even a 17-point finaJ loop from Young could wrest away Aaron's fourth win of the year. "I was pretty tired at the end," said Aaron. "I had a real bad last loop with some bad mistakes. It was wicked today." • Young was happy with second. "I rode well today," he said. "We've made a ton of modifications to my bike, and they gave me a lot of power to get up these big rocks. Endurance wasn't a problem for me. I've had plenty of energy all day long." While Young may have been okay at the end of the day, third-placed Oamagirand was a different story. The Belgian barely had enough energy to celebrate his successful return to competition. "I could not breathe," Clamagirand said. "My body is cramping up and it is very hard to keep my breath." Kempkes and Peters rounded out the top five. Sunday To the delight of the riders, Sunday was not nearly as hot and the sections were not as demanding. A cloudburst late in the day made things interesting, as the top five Champions.hip class riders were still wrapping up their third and final loops, The surprise of the weekend unfolded on the first loop, as nothing could faze Kempkes. The long-haired rider could not be shaken as he attacked each of the new sections. ''Man. I don't know what was up," he said. "I was like sticking everything. I was totally confident and the sections seemed real easy." Kempkes ended the first lap with an amazing three-point score. Aaron was the only rider to stay within striking distance with five, as the third-best score was 20, turned in by Young. Clamagirand appeared to be a no-show when his start time rolled around. 0 one had seen him in the pits yet, and some doubted that he could have recovered from his Saturday bonk. But Clamagirand did show up, and though he was 30 minutes late, he did his best to catch the rest of the Champ class. His 22-point loop was impressive because he was obviously fatigued from the previous day's riding. When asked if he was okay, he replied, '1 am not so sure yet. I could not sleep at all last night. I had asthma and cramps. I will take it easy today." Sadly, Kempkes could not duplicate his masterful first-loop performance, and he lost the lead to Aaron for good on the second lap. Kempkes returned to the pits with 24, while Aaron had 12. Clamagirand (17) and Young (another 20) also were able to top Kempkes' second-lap

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