Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

for the 'OS title, struggled in the conditions and followed with 43 points. By the second lap, the weather had begun to take a turn for the worse, with heavy rain further raising water levels and fog seriously reducing the visibility. Sections three through I I were all set in the stream, which by now was running at full tilt. Cabestany saw his chances of retaining a top position end after a crash in section nine on the second lap, in which he injured his shoulder, left him unable to put up an effective fight. Fujinami remained consistent over his second lap, dropping another 38 points, while Lampkin surpassed his first-lap score by 13 marks. But Lampkin's 72-point total was four less than Fujinami's 76, and he took the win in what would turn out to be the highest-scoring event so far this year. It was also Lampkin's first outdoor World Trials win in over a year. Achieving his first-ever World rostrum position was the Spaniard Bou, who took the remaining podium place. Raga ended up a disappointing fourth, after arriving at the finish tied in points with Bou; Bou held the advantage by virtue of having more clean rides. Meanwhile, Cabestany recovered from his second-lap crash enough to finish in sixth, just behind Great Briton's Jarvis. "It certainly hasn't been an easy day, and in the end it came down to the last few sections after what can only be described as a marathon," Lampkin said. "The rain this afternoon really changed things; the river must have rose several inches in a very short time. It then became a bit of a lottery and a case of survival of the fittest, with many of the riders just going for threes. I thought my day was over when both me and the bike ended up totally under the water in section 10, but somehow it kept running. So I am obViously delighted to have won." The sun came out on Sunday morning, giving the organizers hope that the day would see lower scores. However, mud from the previous day would soon be dragged onto the rocks, and without the rain to wash it away, the sections would be just as tough. Lampkin got off to a terrible start, having crashed twice by section four, while Fujinami remained steadfast and led from the start, with Raga and Bou just behind. At section 13, Lampkin again crashed, this time injuring his wrist and requiring medical attention. Fujinami led at the halfway mark but was feeling intense pressure from Cabestany, who was now fully recovered from his crash on Saturday and intent on making up for the poor performance. Raga held the third spot, one point ahead of Lampkin. During the final lap, Cabestany capitalized on a pair of mistakes by Fujinami and took over the lead from the Japanese rider, but with half of the lap still to go, the skies opened up and changed the complexion of the event dramatically. With the stream now overflOWing, the organizers had no choice but to cancel sections nine, 10 and I I, while the remaining sections became even more of a challenge. It was Fujinami who coped the best with the elements, and he overtook Cabestany at the finish. Lampkin nursed a sore wrist home for third, while Raga once again finished fourth. ''I'm over the moon with this victory, which means that I move to the top of the championship standings," Fujinami said. "It was a very difficult trial on both days, but I've ended up with an excellent result, and my confidence for the upcoming events couldn't be higher. I couldn't avoid some mistakes, but my result was good in highly adverse conditions. This trial was the toughest we have had up to now, and the rain made it even more difficult." "I must of fallen five or six meters," Lampkin said of his crash. "I tried to cling to a nearby tree, but it was too slippery. I was sure that I had broken my wrist when I landed hands first. Considering everything that has happened, I suppose I have got to be happy with third spot. It has been a strange day for me, as I started terribly by fiving both section one and three. I was close to cleaning section one, but I just failed to make the last step. It was a big advantage to give away so early, so I was happy to be back in contention later in the lap." eN GRAND PRIX OF USA DULUTH, MINNESOTA RuuLTS: JUNE 4-5, 2005 (ROUND 4 Of 10) Saturd~y PRO: I. Dougie Lampkin (Mon) 72; 2. Takahisa Fuii"""; (Moo) 76; 3. Anton., Bou (Bet) 88; 4. Adam R.ga (GG) 88; 5. Graham Jams (She) 93; 6. Albert Cabestany (She) 97; 7. Marc Frein (Mon) 103; 8. Kenic.hi Kuroyama (Bet) 112; 9. Tadeu,", Bla=iak(GG) 117; 10.Jonl; Pascuet (GG) Ill. Sunday PRO: I. Takahisa Fujinami (Mon) «; 2. Albert Cabe.any (She) 49; 3. Doogie l4mplcin (Moote..) 53; 4. Adam Raga (GG) 53: S. G",ham Jams (She) 60; 6. Mac< Freixa (Mon) 71; 7. Kenichi Kuroyama (Bet) 71: 8. Antonio Bou (Bet) 75; 9. Tadeusz Blazusiak (GG) 95; 10. Jordi Pascuet (GG) 98. FIM WORLD TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 4 of 10 rounds): I. Takahisa Fujimmi (96); 2. Dougie Lampkin (9-4); 3. Albert Cabe.any (94): 4. Adam R.ga (89): S. HMe F,_ (70). Briefly... Heavy overnight rain forced Sunday's trial to be postponed for an hour while several sections were modified to allow for the rising water levels. Finally, the trial began in dry weather, but this only lasted to the end of the first lap. The scale of the storm that hit later in the day resulted in three sections being scrapped as the river overflowed, taking much of the course markings with it. Dougie Lampkin flew home to Great Britain on Monday to undergo tests on his wrist, which he injured in Sunday's crash at section 13. In 2004, Lampkin suffered a horrendous crash in Duluth that snapped the front fork stem on his bike. The Brit laid on the ground dazed for several minutes before he was able to collect himself enough to continue. American youngsters Cody Webb and Stevie Darrow, both of Colorado, competed in the 12Scc class in Duluth. This class is for 16-year-old and younger riders. Of the two, Webb had the best finishes, with a third and a fourth, while Darrow took home a pair of sixth-place finishes. Competing in the top class were Floridian Chris Florin (pictured) and South African Bruce Ie Riche, who is riding this year with an AHA license. Both Flo,;n and Ie Riche scored World Championship points, with the two riders swapping 14th and 15th places over the two-day even!. CYCLE NEWS • JUNE 22, 2005 37

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