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OBSERVED TRIALS WORLD CUP INDOOR TRIALS SERIES By John Dickinson KOBLE Z, GERMANY, JAN. 11 oug Lampkin and Marc Colomer continued their titanic battle for the 1996-97 World Indoor Trials Championship as the circus moved to Germany for the third round with another sellout show. And just as he had done in the previous round in She.ffield, England, Lampkin carne out the victor over his Spanish archrival after a super-close battle which was as much about nerves as riding ability. The eight-man field was comprised of automatic choices LampKin, Colomer, Amos Bilbao, Tommi Ahvala, Bruno Camozzi and Graham Jarvis, plus the organizer's choice of two wild cards which this week were indoor ace Steve Colley and token German rider Andreas Lettenbich1er, who got his shot at the big time just as 17-year-old Martin Crosswaite did in England. In the past the Germans have played a conservative hand when it comes to section setu p and the types of hazards employed. This year, however, they tried several variations on the indoortrial theme. While not all the moves were popular with the riders, most agreed it had been a well-organized event. Unlike the big sections at Sheffield, the German hazards were in general smaller and more technical, much more like those normally found in France Bercy excepted. This meant that is was possible to ride through some of the sections for one- or two-mark losses rath.er than all-or-nothing cleans or fives. Just five sections constituted the German trial, plus the head-to-head races over a series of cable drums. Even here the Germans went against convention and actually started thek trial with the races. Wild cards Lettenbich1er and Colley were first into the arena and the race was used to decide who would ride the sections first: Colley revels in conditions like this, and it was no surprise to see Lettenbichler lose the race and have to ride the sections first. Andreas fived the opening two hazards, the first constructed of logs, the second over wooden railroad ties. Bu t to the approval of his home-country fans, Lettenbichler then completed the third section with only a single dab. A novel hazard this, one in which the rider must hop over a series of large rocks before riding on to a rail-mounted trolley. The trolley, however, can only be made to move forward by bouncing the bike's front wheel on a switch, at which point the rider rolls toward more rocks, where he then leaps off the still-moving trolley. There was another "J;noving section" immediately after that, where a swing bridge crossing was included in the section which was constructed of wood. Lettenbichler again took a nicely judged one before cleaning the final section, a high, scaffolded structure, to finish with a respectable score of 13. It was then up to Colley to show the regular performers what the rest of the sections were like. The sections were not really big enough for him to put on a 1D real show for the crowd, but he hopped and jumped the Gas Gas through the two openers for a one and a two before cleaning the moving-trolley hazard. But there was a shock in store for Colley when he crashed off the swing bridge for a surprise five before he cleaned the final section to post an eight-mark target for his rivals. Camozzi, who missed Sheffield, and Jarvis were next out. Although the Frenchman won the race, it was the Scorpa-riding English rider who starred on the sections as Camozzi lost 12. Jarvis started badly with a five, but picked up well to post a score of nine (including a clean on the swing bridge), a ride only later matched by Colomer. ext on were Tommi Ahvala and Amos Bilbao and neither of these two seasoned performers were to set the stadium alight. In fact, Bilbao and Ahvala had carbon-copy scores, posting 5-5-15-0 in the sections. Ahvala lost the race, so he had an extra one to add, making the totals Bilbao 16, Ahvala 17. '50, what would the big two come up with? Lampkin drew first blood with a determined win in the opening race. But Colomer, concentrating superbly in the sections, kept his section losses down to a one in the opener, followed by a three in the second (plus one for losing the race) for a miserly five. Lampkin, knowing what he had to do to qualify, was steady through the openers, posting a 21-0, but wasn't happy at losing three on the swing bridge to qualify second. Colomer, Lampkin and Colley, just as in Sheffield, were through to the final, but here again the Germans went against the traditional straight qualifytng and staged a last-chance qualifier. The loser here turned out to be Jarvis who, as fourth man, in aU other trials would automatically have gone straight through to the final. So a far-fromhappy Jarvis had to join Lettenbichler, Camozzi, Ahvala and Bilbao in a threesection shootout for the last place in the final. Ace showman Bilbao emerged with an inspired victory and leapfrogged from seventh and into the final to give us Sheffield all over again. Jarvis and his manager Malcolm Rathmell went searching for the rule book. Also as in Sheffield, having reached the final, Bilbao seemed to lose interest an.d a lackluster ride saw him drop a huge 18, plus one mark for losing the race with Colley. But, amazingly, worse was to come as Colley - who sacrificed accuracy for all-out speed in the race and dropped two marks - totally went to pieces in the sections. A total of four fives saw him finish in fourth place. It was again down to Colomer and Lampkin to really show how they handle indoor sections, and the world's hottest two riders did just that. With the pressure really on, both made nervous starts with the Spaniard fiving the open- Beta rider Doug lampkin rode to a narrow win over Marc Colomer In the Gerrnanround of the World Cup Indoor Trials series. er and Lampkin settling for three. The English rider then stretched his advantage with an excellent single-mark ride in the second as Colomer again struggled with a three. But the reigning World Champion never gives up and he finished with three brilliant cleans. Lampkin came through with a one and a two to make it Lampkin seven and Colomer eight going to the race. The honors were even here as Lampkin proved faster bu t dropped a dab in the section while beating Colomer. The result was that Lampkin won by a smgle mark over Colomer, but it was enough to stretch his World Championship lead to five points as they move off to Toulouse, France, for round four. eN • T ommi Ahvala finally appeared on the new aluminum-framed .Fantic. Unfortunateiy. during the parade lap the pike failed and Ahvala had to use 'a spare, Ahvala said the rear suspension unit broke, but was actually unclear on. exactly what happened. . has agreed to defend his French championship on a Gas Gas again. His minder In the World Championship will again be his brother. Christophe. Bruno Camozzi Meanwhile, Christophe Camozzi has been named the second wild card rider (the fil"l't is Koblenz Arena Koblenz, Germany Results: January 11, 1997 (Round 3 of 10) HEATS, 1. Marie Colomer (Moo); 2. Doug Lampkin (Bet~ 3. Steve CoDey (G-G~ 4. Gr.ham Jarvis (Sco); S. Bruno Camozzi (G-C); 6. Andreas LettenbichJer (Bet); 7. Amos Bilbao (G-G~ 8. Tommi Ahvala (Fan). LC<2' l. Amos BUboo (G-G); 2. Bruno Camozzi (GG); 3. Tommi Ahvala (Fan); 4. Graham Jarvis (Sco); S. Anemas Lettenbichler (Bet). FINAl" 1 Doug Lampkin (Bet) 8; 2. Marc Colomer ~oo) 9; 3. Amos Bilbao (G-G) 19; 4. Steve Colley (G-G); WORLD CUP INDOOR TRIALS SERIES POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 10 round ), I. Doug Lampkin (57/2 wins); 2. Marc Colomer (52/1); 3. Amos Bilbao (43); 4. Tommi Ahvala (30); S. Steve Colley (30); 6. Graham Jarvis (28); 7. Bruno Camozzi (24). Upcoming Rounds: Round 4 - Toulouse, France, January 17 Round 5 - Barcelona, Spain, February B Steve Colley, a real crowd puller in France) for the Toulouse World 1npoor Championship round where. he will ride against his brother Bruno. . Michel Renard, the man who acted as mechanic .and minder for Marc Colomer during his World Cha"1pionship-wlnn.ing year, has been booted out of the Spanish team. Belgian Rl!nard had hoped to move from Colomer to Japanese ace Takahisa Fujinaml (who rides for Honda Racing Corporation) but factory sources say that Renard Is completeiy out of the Honda-Montesa structure. It is understood that Tommi Ahvala has made Renard an offerAhvala' previously wanted English minder Woody Hole to return to his leam. but Hole is considering teaming up once again with Steve Colley.for the World Championship.