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Lampkin Wins at Home D epsol Montesa HRC's Dougie Lampkin I"<:laimed an emphatic victory on home soil on july 3 I as the World Trials Championship returned to the UK after a four-year absence. Lampkin was joined on the podium by teammate Takahisa Fujinami, who lead the event at the end of the opening lap but was overhauled by Lampkin's second-lap charge. Sherco's Albert Cabestany ended up third. After a two-week layoff following the Italian event in Valbondione, the championship arrived back in the UK before the traditional summer break. SilOated at Hawkstone Park, close to the English/Welsh border, the single-day event venue basked in a heat wave in the run up to the competition. However, the British summer broke, and torrential rain followed by showers in the days prior to the event meant that the expected dusty conditions were replaced by slippery and muddy terrain. The sections making up the course were all based in the wooded area surrounding the famous motocross track, and while many riders would have been familiar with the location, no section was a repeat of any previously run. Designed by Martin Lampkin and laid out by his team, the course featured a series of tight and technical sections, combined with longer but more open tests. A relatively straightforward section headed the day, with most riders cleaning the hazard. However, Lampkin took an early dab, while Marc Freixa and Gas Gas' jeroni Fajardo both took a five. The second section proved more difficult, with Fujinami losing three marks, Lampkin two and Gas Gas' Adam Raga and Cabestany each flVing the section. The third section was the first ofthree manmade hazards and the top riders went through either cleanly or with a single dab, meaning that Fujinami and Lampkin headed for the first of the two main groups of sections jointly leading the field. Both went through the high-level fourth section with a single dab, much to the consternation of their rivals, who all scored at least two and, in some cases, three. However, it was section fIVe that would provide the first taste of the difficult nature of this event. It contained several individual elements which the riders needed to link together for a clean run. Each part of the section was cleaned by at least one of the riders, but none were able to string a complete section together. All three Montesa riders claimed a five on the damp and slippery rocks, while their rivals managed threes, with the exception of Beta's Antonio Bou, who claimed a single point. Coupled with, his clean through the previous section, he crept into the lead, ahead of Fujinami. Section six was a completely new section with steep bankings onto rocky outcrops. Fujinami cleaned the section, as did Cabestany, while Raga dropped a single mark. However, Lampkin left with a fIVe, along with Freixa. Bou earned a two, dropping him back behind Fujinami. The Japanese rider maintained the pressure by exiting the follOWing section with a single point, haVing taken a single dab partway up a very tricky double climb on wet rocks, while Lampkin and Raga both left with three points, earned in the same fashion. Bou again stayed in the second-place finish in the rain-sodden British GP hadn't affected rider choice for 2006. "'t doesn't really change anything in Cerms of where he needs to be though," Denning said. Later, he added, "It's obviously nice to demonstrate that Kenny's got front-running talent. I don't think there's ever really any doubt. The factory has told Kenny this weekend that they're keeping their options completely open at least until the Brno race [at the end of August]. So, things have been put back a month from maybe where we want to be with regards to rider position for next demonstrated his true form, as the only rider to clean the section, to rapturous applause from the British fans. Section 12 proved too tricky and time consuming for the riders, and they bypassed it en masse. The organizers subsequently removed the section from the second lap. The follOWing section saw a series of dabs, with Fujinami and Lampkin both taking fIVes on the tricky climb over tree roots to a rock face. The second lap would see a reversal of fortune, as Lampkin was clearly a man on a mission and set about catching not just Cabestany but also Fujinami. He went through the second round of sections with a points total little more than a third running with two marks on that section to remain second to Fujinami. of his first lap. Fujinami maintained his At the midpoint ofthe first lap, the riders excellent performance but was not able moved farther into the woods for the next to hold off Lampkin, the Brit reveling in the support of his home crowd to win by just two points. The final podium position loop of sections, starting with the tight section nine. Cabestany was the only rider to clean the section, closely followed by Fujinami, who took a single dab. The remainder of the field succumbed to the tricky conditions and left with fIVes. The following section, number 10. seemed more straightforward to the riders than it appeared, with Who Does Suzuki Get? Suzuki's MotoGP team manager Paul Denning said that Kenny Roberts Jr.'s stunning a steep climb up a rock wall with drops on either side. Both Fujinami and Lampkin took a single dab, while Raga, Cabestany and Freixa took a three and twos, respectively. Section II saw a huge climb up an earth bank that had been cut up by previous riders. Lampkin went to Cabestany. "I'm delighted to win here on home ground," Lampkin said. "I know the spectators came here to see me win, and that's what I wanted to do. The first lap this morning, I didn't feel completely on line. I had a good start and end to that lap but made a lot of silly mistakes in the middle section. Then I had a chat with the team between the two laps and got a few words of wisdom and had a much better second lap. A lot of people think that it doesn't do much for your performance competing on home ground, but it had definitely given me a lift here this weekend. It's been hard work, but the sections have held up well and have given us a great trial. This obviously helps with my championship, because it's not over until it's over." After eight rounds, Raga still leads the championship over Fujinami, 19S-182. Cabestany is third with 178 points, five better than Lampkin. offers that I haven't taken, I've been under contract and stuff like that. And we're out of avenues to make the bike any less Suzuki's always said in the past when my competitive than it's been. The stuff they're bringing now is making it a lot better than it's been as far as understanding the torque and stuff like that. If we can make the bike better, then the tearn's ready to become competitive. They've got stuff coming, a new engine at the last race, that helped out in the areas that we needed. It's only 30 percent of what we need, but the basic idea is the right way." Roberts agreed that his second place at contract has been up, they've always been two-year deals. They've always said Donington Park wouldn't affect negotiations. "No, I know I can ride a bike, and there's that we believe if we can give you a bike that's competitive, that you can win." Suzuki race boss Masahico Imada was at Donington Park and Sachsenring to sort out the contracts, among other things. "just a bit of a midterm catch-up" Denning called it. He said that a long-term offer to john Hopkins remains on the table. Team Suzuki manager Paul Denning has some decisions to make. people out there who know I can ride a '" still remain very positive," Denning said. bike," Roberts said. Roberts told Suzuki in 2000 that he'd like "I think Suzuki, if we complete a long-term year." Roberts view was simply put. "I haven't given it one iota of thought," he said at the German Grand Prix. "I have no idea of riders will never have as far as the chance I'm not interested at the moment either in wor- to be World Champion," he said. "The way it rying about it. The thing is that I believe that worked out over the seasons, if I have had to end his career with them. "They gave me the opportunity that a lot 10 AUGUST 10, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS contract with John, there's some risk there because he's not proven. And Suzuki is buying into the potential. And I believe that it's exactly the same the other way around, that John needs to buy into the potential of Suzuki." Hopkins' signing could affect Roberts' position. "The factory could take it as a potential impact regarding him, whether they want rider continuity and stuff like that, yeah," Denning said. "I think all those factors go into the melting pot, which would go up to where we're best placed next year." Henny Roy Abrams