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Round 3: San Marino By John Dickinson File Photos by Dickinson SAN MARINO, APR. 25-26 he observing rules may have - changed drastically for the 1998 World Trials Championship, but it has made no difference whatsoever to the result. Doug Lampkin was virtually unbeatable last year as he stormed to his first world title and so far this year he is even further ahead of tile field. This week, the setting for Doug's Double was San Marino. This is another of Europe's several tiny principalities political tax havens - similar to Monaco and Andorra. San Marino is a postagestamp-sized area nestled in northern rtaly. The weekend of the trial it was particularly crowded because just down the road was the San Marino Formula One car Grand Prix and close to 200,000 Ferrari-mad Italians had poured in to flood the surrounding area - and snap up all tile. accommodations. For Lampkin, there was the satisfaction of a full-house six wins froin six starts in the championship this year. The big surprise was tha t second overall for the weekend went to fellow Brit Graham Jarvis. His factory Scorpa certainly seems much more fit in the engine room this year and Jarvis has also worked hard on his technique. The San Marino trial consisted of the standard IS-section, two-loop format for each day's competition, and most felt that the level of section difficulty was .just about perfect. Only Lampkin managed to post single-figure scores for each loop. Jarvis managed the feat twice on Sunday, as did Spaniard David Cobo during an epic opening-day ride. Takahisa Fujinami b.ad an excellent second loop on Saturday, while a de-tuned Marc Colomer finally got his act together on the final lap of the weekend with the pressure off after a lackluster opening loop. On Saturday, the action began with a couple of sections set on a steep hillside, with the first featuring a dramatic dropoff. This caught Jarvis out for a five on his second circuit as he high-sided the Scorpa on landing from the drop. Another victim here was slightly built . Japanese ace Kenichi Kuroyama. The second was a climb ending in an offcamber turn that caught out Gas Gas riders Steve Colley and Bruno Camozzi as they failed to carry enough speed onto. the turn. Sections three and four were set in an old quarry and Jarvis was unlucky here, collecting a maximum at his first attempt, while Colomer dropped off the pace with a five on the second loop. The next five sections were all set in a wide riverbed which was super-slippery, thanks to its claylike composition. The sections swooped up and around the bankings and over large rocks. There was nothing even remotely dangerous in here but absolutely no one escaped penalties. Lampkin needed two prods. Cobos was excellent with a dab. Camozzi was actually progressing, but then fived in tile final section here. The remaining big group of sections saw a ride to another quarry for five technical sections on the varied rockery which quietly extracted one- and twomark penalties rather than crashing maximums. rt was still easy to take a five if concentration wandered, as Colley found ou t to his cost. At the end of the opening lap, Lampkin was in front on four, but Spanish teenager Cobos was right behind him on five. There was then a big gap to Colomer and Amos Bilbao, who were both on 14. F ,. . (Right) Doug . Lampkin proved unbeatable once again, as he stormed to his third double win of the season. (Below right) Spaniard Davic;l Cobos was impressive on Saturday, placing second to Lampkin. He failed to back it up, however, finishing 10th on Sunday. On the next lap, Lampkin really had the measure of the sections and he eased around for an incredible two. Cobos couldn't stand the pace and a pair of fives helped take him to 14 for the lap, while Fujinami charged on the Honda for a loop of eight. Lampkin was home and dry while Cobos did enough early on to hold an excellent second as Jarvis held off Fujinarni for third on the most: cleans rule, which he took by a massive margin of 20-14. On Sunday it was business as usual for I.,pmpkin, who was operating on autopilot, knocking off 2S cleans from the 30 sections. Only once was the field reminded that he was human, when he collected a rare five on the second loop. And ifwas countryman Jarvis who was closest to derailing the well-oiled Lampkin locomotive. Following an opening lap of three, the five rocketed Lampkin's score to a disastrous eight (I) and Jarvis' confidence was boosted as he actually beat the world number one on the loop. The easier sections, compared to those seen in Britain at the previous round, made it very m.!:lch closer down field as "Fujigas" motored in to a fine third behind the victorious Brits. The big disappointment was Cobos, who crashed to 10th after two disastrous loops. Colomer isn't showing the form he has in the past - he was World Champion in '96, after all - and with a confident Jarvis on the upswing, his second-place bib seems to be under attack. His fourth on Sunday didn't help his cause. Oi San Marino World Trial San Marino Results: April 25-26, 1998 (Round 3 of 10) Saturday 01 A, 1. Doug Lampkin (Bet) 6; 2. David Cobos (GG) 19; 3. Graham Jarvis (Sco) 26; 4. Takahisa Fujinami (Hon) 26; 5. Marc Colomer (Mon) 29; 6. Steve CoUey (GG) 30; 7. Kenichi Kuroyama (Bet) 34; 8. Bruno Camozzi (G-G) 36; 9. Amos Bilbao (G-G) 40; 10. Ma"",1 j05tribo (G-G) 40; 11. Diego Basis (Mon) 41; 12. jordi Pascuet (Man) 45; 13. Stefano Dellio (G-G) 50; 14. Marc Freixa (Bet) 62; 15. Man: Calli. (G-G) 64. Sunday . O/A: I. Doug Lampkin (Bet) 11; 2. Graham Jarvis (Seo) 16; 3. Takahisa Fujinami (Han) 22; 4.. Marc Colomer (Mon) 27: 5. Kenichi Kuroyama (Bet) 32; 6. Marcel Justribo (G~G) 39; 7. Steve Colley (G·G) 39; 8. Diego Bosis (Mon) 42; 9. Amos Bilbao (G-G) 43; 10. David Cobos (C-G) 45; 11. Bruno Camozzi (e-G) 47; 12. Albert Cabestany (Bet) 54; 13. Marc Freixa (Bet) 55; 14. Joa Hindren (C-G) 55; 15. Jose Alcaraz (Man) 55. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OBSERVED TRIALS SERIES POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 10 rounds): 1. Doug Lampkin 020/6 wins); 2. Marc Colomer (83); 3. Graham Jarvis (81); 4. Kenichi Kuroya.ma (69); 5. David Cobos (69); 6. Takahisa Fujinami (66); 7. Steve Colley (54); 8. Amos Bilbao (52); 9. Bruno Camozzi (42); 10. Mareel justribo (39); 11. Diego Basis (34); 12. Joachim Hindren (16); 13. Albert Cabestany (13); 14. Jordi Pascuet (12); 15. Marc Freixa (12). OBSERVED TRIALS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OBSERVED TRIALS SERrES