Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

OBSERVED TRIALS WORLD CUP INDOOR TRIALS SERIES , By John Dickinson MONACO, MAR. 21 ritain's Doug Lampkin was crowned the first-ever World Cup Indoor Trials Champion after a tremendous final-round battle which went to the wire - and beyond with arch-rival MarC Colomer, in the 10th and final round. Inseparable at the end of the Grand Final, which included a rare dead heat in the race, Lampkin and Colomer took the decision to two sudden-death tiebreakers before a winner could be determined. When Lampkin cleaned the waterfall and Colomer was forced to dab it, it was suddenly all over and Lampkin had clinched his first World title. The trial in Monaco, the tiny tax haven principality between Italy and France, most famous for hosting the Formula One Grand Prix around its streets, was held as usual in a small 2500-seat marquee. And the event was unique in having royal patronage as both Prince Rainer and Prince Albert were in attendance. Just six riders were invited, the minimum allowed for a World Championship event, and to give the final round some added flavor a three-lap format was followed with the last two riders in each round fail ing to go forward to the next. So there was a six-man heat, four-man semi and a two-man head-to-head final. It was hoped that Colomer and Lampkin would ride through to the final and that was exactly how it worked out. In the small arena, just five sections were arranged, plus the race which was very technical, comprise.! of a series of 5-inch-wide concrete beams which had to be ridden along, hopped across and straddled with perfect skill and balance - all against the clock. French rider Bruno Cammozzi and Britain's Graham Jarvis were the first two riders into the arena and both started with a five on the opening section, comprised of a large pyramid of empty wooden cable drums which were set at awkward angles to each other and were even more awkward than normal. Jarvis, on the Scorpa, was to finish last yet again, but this has been his first season of riding indoors. He cleaned only the third section which was mastered by everyone despite the fact that it looked quite spectacular, a variety of wine barrels ranging &om about 30 gallons to a wheeled tanker. Joining Graham as a first-round loser was Spaniard Amos Bilbao, a real surprise as he has made all the finals in the series. After taking just a dab on the opener and cleaning the next two '( the second a large pile of ammunition boxes), Bilbao surprisingly slumped to three quick maximums, including a five on the race section and suddenly the little man was out of contention. The surprise performance on the night came from Finn Tommi Ahvala on the Fantic.Ahvala, desperately out of both form and confidence all winter. ~ Ahvala, though, suddenly put it together on his Fantic "special" - with an under-the-seat fuel tank - and his ninemark opening lap put him second behind Colomer and ahead of Lampkin. Ahvala lost five on the waterfall - as did everyone in the first lap - a two on the opener plus two more dabs. Reigning outdoor World 01ampion Colomer and Lampkin were the last two riders into the ring and once again the two were a class above the rest of the field. Both took the only cleans on the opening Cable Reels and both took the only cleans on the fourth section which saw the controversial "dishes" that were used at Bercy being inverted so that the second was like riding across giant mushrooms. Jarvis had managed this for two, and Ahvala just one - but Bilbao and Camozzi both took maximums. Both title chasers remained unpenalized after the first four sections and then both took five on the waterfall just like everyone else. Colomer qualified first by winning the race, also without penalty, while Lampkin lost balance and collected the five-mark penalty that put him behind Ahvala. Into the semi and, as per the rules, all the sections (bar the waterfall) hade to be ridden in the reverse direction. Camozzi and Lampkin took the lead initially over the cable-drums as Ahvala and Colomer parted with two each. Lampkin then lost two on the ammunitions boxes which Colomer did for one on the waterfall. At this stage, with just the race to go, the scores were Colomer 3, Lampkin 3, Ahvala 4 and Camozzi 9. Camozzi then won his race with Ahvala as the Spaniard blew his chance of making the final by making a hash of the concrete beams. So it was down to the big two and Colomer gained the psychological advantage for the super final by wirming the race as Lampkin lost two marks in the section while trailing Colomer home. But in the grand final, both riders rode to an unbelievably high level. After both dropped one mark at exactly the same place in the opener, they then traded clean for· clean through the remaining four sections. Even more amazingly, they even managed to give the race judges a headache, cro sing the line absolutely together after faultless performances over the concrete beams. So the tie-breaker came in to force and it was a return to the "mushrooms" of section four. By now, it was probably more a battle of nerves than of pure skill - and when it comes down to sheer grit and will to win, there is no greater force than the Lampkin variety,. Both riders proved absolutely equal to the task and nerves all around the arena were jangling as they approached the waterfall for the second tie-breaker. Lampkin was first and he was absolutely perfect as he forced the Beta up the three-stage watery climb before racing out of the arena to try to dry his tires off - if CoJomer cleaned the waterfall the final tie breaker was another race. But while Lampkin was outside, Colomer made the mistake that cost him (Right) Bercy winner Doug lampkin gets out of shape on a round-nine Paris waterfall. lampkin saved It and finished the section with a single dab. (Left) After a seesaw bailie wltl1 his series rival, Marc Colomer, lampkin went on to take the first official World Cup Indoor Trials Series Championship. World Cup Indoor Trials Series Round 9: Palais Omnisport By John Dickinson PARIS, FRANCE, MAR. 16 s the first-ever World Cup Indoor Trials Series reached round nine, a tense evening's sport was forecast as potential champs Marc Colomer and Doug Lampkin were separated by just a single point following the previous evening's eighth-round battle in Madrid, where Colomer triumphed. The Trial Master de Bercy, at the superb Palals Omnispbrt in Bercy, Paris, has long been tile premier indoor trial and this year was the eighth staging of the event. But where superb howmanship, from the likes of Jordi Tarres, Amops Bilbao and Steve Colley has been the main consideration in the past, it was the knife-edge, gritty battle between Colomer and Lampkin that was to have the crowd of 8000 enthralled all evening. Just five sections and the race - no high jump even - would decide who the four-man final lineup would be while only four sections plus the race would decide the ultimate winner. On this minimal format, every mistake would be heavily punished with not much of a chance to get any lost mark back. It would be a format that would spark a Colomer protest a t the end of the evening, but to no avail. Just a seven-man field would make tile start due to the non-appearance of French wild card Jean Luc lctou, but the remaining wild-card entry, Steve Colley, was worth two riders any day at an indoor. Colley's record at Bercy is amazing. Second to Colomer in '94, second to Tarres in '95, the Isle of Man rider finally won the big one last year after a highly charged runoff with Lamp\cin. First into the arena to tackle the five ;4 the win and the championship. It went wrong as he unleashed the factory Montesa at the second ~tage of the waterfall, a foot went down and the title was Lampkin's. Just as in Bercy, the waterfall cost the Spaniard the trial. Martin Lampkin, Doug's father, rushed outside to inform him that it was all over and that he was the new World Cup Indoor Trials Champion. "This means everything to me," Lampkin said. "Winning is what counts. I.don't set out to be second - ever. It has been a nail-biting series and I don't think there is anything much between me and Marc in ability now. But I've won the championship and I intend to do the same in the outdoor series which starts right on Marc's doorstep, in Barcelona." rN Monaco Results: March 21, 1997 (Round 10 of 10) HEAT: 1. MaT<: Colomer (Man); 2. Tommi Ahvala (Fan); 3. Doug Lampkin (Bet); 4. Bruno Camozzi (G-C); S. Amos BHb.o (G-G); 6. G,ah.mJilTVis (500). SEMI: 1. Marc Colomer (Mon); 2. Doug Lampkin (Bet); 3. Tommi Mv.l. (F.n); 4. Bruno Camozzi (G-G). FINAL: 1. Doug Lampkin (Bet); 2. Marc Colomer (Man) WORLD CUP INDOOR TRIALS SERiES POINT STANDINGS (Aft~r 10 of 10 rounds): 1. Doug Lampkin (165); 2. Marc Colome' (IS9) 3. Amos BHbao (118); 4. Tommi Ahvala (9 ); 5. Graham Jarvis (91); 6. Bruno Camozzi (90); 7. Steve Colley (58); 8. Jordi Tarres (28); 9. Carie! Reyes (20); 10. Joa Hindren (11)

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