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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128375
Lampkin Makes History D epsol Montesa HRC's Dougie Lampkin I'rode to a historic victory at the Grand Prix of Portugal, giving the new Montesa four-stroke trials bike its first-ever World Championship victory in its maiden outing in the World Trials Championship, April 17. Lampkin's victory was the first for a four-stroke in the World Trials Championship since Brit Steve Saunders won on a Honda RTL in 1986. Gas Gas' Adam Raga and Sherco's Albert Cabestany finished second and third, respectively, in the opening round of the 200S series. While Lampkin rode with confidence, reigning World Champion Takahisa Fujinami experienced the pressures of carrying the number-one plate as well as adapting to the new four-stroke. By the end of the trial, fifth place was the best that the Japanese could muster in defense of his title. He led the third member of the Repsol Montesa HRC team, Marc Freixa, the Spaniard finishing sixth. The small Portuguese village of Pampilhosa da Serra played host to the series opener and the action started in the river near the paddock, with two easy opening sections before the first real test at section three. Fujinami was the first to fail there as he completely lost his front wheel on the difficult descent - taking the first of four fives that would help destroy his day. The leading trio of Lampkin, Cabestany and Raga all showed the local crowd how it should be done with their three different versions of a clean ride. However, Raga allowed his other [wo rivals to ride clear when he made an error in section seven that gave him five marks. As the course made its way around the hillside surrounding the village, the descent in section I I was enough for Lampkin to take his first five of the day without even making a real attempt as he battled to recover vital minutes. Raga conquered the first undercut step but pulled back from the vertical drop in the name of safety. Looking to close the gap on his rivals, Fujinami nearly paid the price as he managed to stop himself going over the handlebars and somehow made it to the end cards for three marks. Incredibly, only Fujinami collected penalty marks for failing to meet the intermediate 3 1/2-hour time limit, however these two marks only added to what had been a poor lap. Lampkin headed the standings at the midway point, but only by a single point from Cabestany. The shock at this stage came from Antonio Bou, the Beta rider hanging on to third place, ahead of Raga, Jarvis and Fujinami. The battle at the front of the field remained tense and hotly contested as Raga embarked on an incredible lap during which he only dropped five marks in total. In contrast, Cabestany's attack for victory was beginning to fall apart as he fived both section five and the now famous section I I. Typically, Lampkin was undeterred by what was happening around him and just played his own game. He was actually outshining Raga until he failed to find drive in the ninth hazard, a mistake that left him on the ground in one of the easiest sections of the trial. It was nothing more than a blip, however, as Lampkin immediately resumed control of the trial and closed with a series of pressure rides including two cleans in the last two sections to take the win with a reiative margin of comfort. Yamaha Takes Le Mans 24 Hour World Endurance Champions Yamaha GMT94 won one of the world's most prestigious road races - the Le Mans 24 hour - April 16-1 7 in France with David Checa, William Costes and Sebastien Gimbert, winning by just over 20 seconds after 24 hours or racing. The Yamaha RI-mounted trio topped the Castrol Suzuki team by the closest of margins after turning a record 830 laps of the famous French circuit. Starting from pole position, the GMT tearn led the early stages until Checa was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop to repair his gear lever after four hours, but by midnight, the Yamaha team had regained the lead. A cautionary pit stop in the final hour allowed the Castrol Suzuki tearn to close the gap, but Checa Vfa5 able to hold a fast pace to the finish to fend off the late Suzuki challenge. "There has never been any doubt in my mind that we could win Le Mans this year," Checa said in a team release. "We have tested for this, we knew we had the machine that would win, we knew we had the tires and I knew that my friends William [Costes] and Sebastien [Gimbert] were just as happy as me with the whole package. When we came to Le Mans, I knew that, as a team, we were faster than Suzuki, and there was just no doubt in my mind that we would win... no doubt at all." Third place in the Le Mans 24 Hour went to Suzuki Castrol 2. Honda-mounted National Moto 5 finished fourth, with Team Acropolis EMS 99 finishing fifth on its Yamaha RI. 10 APRIL27,2005 • CYCLE NEWS Raga eventually was awarded with second place, after an official confinned an error with his score, knocking Cabestany down to third position. Bou managed to hold off FUjinami, the young Beta rider pushing the Japanese champion back into fifth spot. Freixa enjoyed a similar day to Raga by being poor in the morning and excellent during the closing lap, the late charge giving him sixth place. "I had almost forgot how good it feels to win, and although it has been a little while, it still feels as good as it ever did," Lampkin said. "In fact, it even feels better than that today, especially when you take everything into account. All the hard work now seems worthwhile. We have worked every day since the start of the year to be ready for today, and winning is the ultimate reward nOl just for my efforts, but the whole team. This is an incredibly important victory for Montesa and also for me, Ben and my dad, as they have all played a massive part in achieving what we have done today. Winning the first round has now sent a message to my rivals - that I am serious about getting my title back. "I am sure at the start of the year and with the indoor results we have had to endure, that there have been people laughing at what we are doing, but today has shown that the four-stroke can be competi- Another WOReS Win for Woods Defending WORCS champ Montclair Yamaha's Nathan Woods notched win number three, and his second victory in a row, at round five of the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC World Off-Road Championship Series, presented by Rekluse, in Payette, Idaho, April 16. The Yamaha YZ450F racer took command early in the fast two-hour race that was held in neariy perfect conditions. He ended up with a comfortable margin over runner-up Kurt Caselli on a KTM 450 MXC. Two-time series champ Mike Kiedrowski claimed third on his Suzuki RM-Z450. "It was an awesome day," Woods said. "Everything went my way today. My bike worked out great. ObViously, it was a big four-stroke track. Luckily, the rain this morning made the track really good, because it would've been a different race if it was dusty like it was the day before." Fourth went to Honda rider Bobby Garrison, while Russell Pearson charged past Montclair Yamaha teammate Ty Davis within sight of the finish to steal fifth. Mark Kariya Nathan Woods picked up his third WORes win of the year in Payette, Idaho. tive, and even more, it is capable of winning," Lampkin continued. "Each week we have made some progress, and our aim has always been to be ready for this trial. Although the timing has been tight, we arrived here in good shape. It is going to be a tough season, but we have made the best possible start." The second round of the World Trials Championship will be held in Tarragona, Spain, on April 24.