Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Cycle News 1997 07 09

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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OBSERVED TRIALS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OBSERVED TRIALS SERIES ยท Round 6: France two- minute allowance was rig ht on th e limit. Section eig ht was very similar and again tight on time, but Colo me r was on a roll wi th yet another clean as Lampkin resorted to leg power to keep on the move. mix to bring out the best in a rider's ability. The opening hazard, which featured a big step at the end, didn' t trouble the aces too much, but the seco nd section with its muddy slots and rock slabs and steps - did. Lampkin and the rejuvenated Tommi Ahvala re vel ed here wit h two-dab attempts, whi le Co lorner took a maximum, as di d eventual su rp rise thi rd -p lace finishe r G ra ha m Jarvis and prom ising Spa niar d David Cobos. Lampki n was su preme in the thi rd section, which too k in a muddy descent in to a ho le fo llo we d by a fu ll- power burn-out o nto a do ub le st e p. H is tw o clea n rides there were a lot bette r than the rest. Co lomer wa s next-best, and '"e need ed a pai r of fighting threes to keep the Monl esa on the move. The fourth and fifth subs - most of the sections featu red the mud-and-rock mix - proved no big problem for the top men, but the sixth brought ou t some good riding, with a technical jump required up a mega-double-step set in a natural quarry bowl. Lampkin go t this one wrong as Colomer hit back with an excellent clean, a ride matched only by [arvis. And Lampkin was again on a maximum th rough the seventh section, which Colomer an d Kenichi Kuroyarna both cleaned. This steep hillside section saw a loose-rock climb lead onto a granite slab which was ru nning wi th water. Again, it was very tec hnica l, and the The ninth section was a major spectator section, but proved a little too hard on the opening day, with climbs, drops and steps set on a very steep muddy banking. SIeve Colley (who was to finish the weekend as top Gas Gas rider for the third trial running, yet amazing ly rece ives no factory minders at wo rld rou nds) posted the best score here over the two laps with a three and an excellent single-dab ride. Colomer was still the man as they approached the 12 th sect io n - loose rocks on the steep hillsid e - as he sco red a positive d ouble clean. Lamp kin w as getting ove r a rough mid dl e part of his opening lap wi th a on e-dab ride, an d his teammate Kurovam a did the same. Th e fina l sec tion - ma n-made ou t of rocks and tree trunks, and in the town of La Bresse itself - was qu ite spectacular 1 watch, but the stars managed to make 0 it look easy . As th e fir st lap ca me to a n en d, Co lorner was looking good on 20, with La mpki n ac tually behind fellow Brit Jarvis on 28. But while Lampkin had bee n struggling a bit, he had learned a lot. What happened next left his rivals slack-jawed. He just wenl ou t on Ihe seclind circu it and took the hazards a part. His loss of eight marks was tremendous. Eve n more amazing was the fact that many of the eight we re on easyish hazards - he was just blitzing the difficult ones. Those eight marks took Lampkin's tota l to 36. Archrival Colomer dropped a tota l of 30, almost four times as ":lany, (Left) Doug lampki n, shown here In France, continues his assa uh on the World Tri als Championship . After wi nnin g both days In France and taking the one-day wi n in Italy, the Br it is h ri der now holds a 3G-point lead over Marc Co lomer. . (Below) Takahlsa Fujlnaml (Iell) stole third place In the season points from his countryman Kenlchl Kurayarna (right) aller riding mon, con s istently In France. By John Dickinson LA BRESSE, FRANCE, JUNE 22 o ug La mpkin wa s in absolutely aweso me form in the sixth round of th e Wo rl d Trials C h a m piJ J ons hip, staged in the mo un tains at La Bresse in the north eas t of Fran ce. In yet another two- leg win - his third of th e series - La m pki n dest roye d th e opposition, giving him a handsome 30poin t le a d over Ma rc Colo m e r . Alt hough the Mo ntesa -mounted Spaniard is riding well and finis hed secon d on bo th days, he currently has no answer to his British rival. In a very well-organized trial, Lampkin stunned everyone on his o pening lap; he lost just three marks. The effort was summed up best by his father /minder, Martin Lampkin. "It was unbelievable riding - 1 didn't believe it, and I was there," the proud father said. Heavy, incessant rain both before and du ring the event made for a " ery wet and muddy trial. In conditions like these, Lampkin likes to take the initiative and get on with the trial. As he said 40 in Belgium, "It's no use stan ding around and moaning; yo u just have to get out there an d ride." . A ma jor effo rt by the French kept th e sectio ns bot h trick and rid able, wi th the mud and rocks providing a perfect

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