Sep
03
Challoner closes in on Top 5 in Isola 2000
This weekend marks the final two point scoring days of what has been a thrilling 2011 SPEA FIM World Trials Championships. The two-day event, held at the Isola 2000 ski resort in the southern French mountains and close to the Italian boarder will decide the winner of the World Championships. Day one has proven that the final championship result could go down to the wire throughout the leaderboard as Adam Raga (SPA - Gas Gas) took his fourth victory of the season in spectacular style dropping just 11 marks, closing in on second place finisher Toni Bou (SPA - Montesa) who finished the day on 26. Just 10 championship points separate this spanish pair going into the final point scoring day tomorrow. Albert Cabestany (SPA - Sherco) who was tied 3rd in the championships before missing the duel round in Japan two weeks earlier concluded the all Spanish podium today.
Although it is unlikely Adam Raga will be able to make a serious impact on Bou's 10 point championship advantage, further down the leader-board the batter for 6th and 7th is picking up as Jack Challoner (GBR - Miton Top Trial Team) records his best result of his outdoor campaign finishing in 6th place, beating fellow british riders Michael Brown (Gas Gas) and James Dabill (Beta) who finished 7th and 10th respectively.
The trial was close from the outset, but it was Michael Brown who took first blood on the opening lap, returning to the paddock on 29, comparable to Jack's 37. As the rain fell, the big sections became incredibly slippery making Jack's final ride of the opening lap even more impressive as he committed to the big jump all the riders were looking at. The rain made the big championship sections incredibly difficult and the relatively low first lap scores soon diminished. Most of the steep bankings became almost unridable and Jack, like many of the other riders, took maximum marks on sections 6 through to 12.
Although the high marking second lap was tough, Jack's 50 marks stood out against Brown's 58 and Dabill's 63. Just one week on from winning the 2011 European Championships Jack secures his best result of the outdoor world championships finishing in 6th. Speaking about the day's riding, "I'm really happy with how I have ridden today, it's always a great feeling to get a result which is the best of your career, and to do this today in the final round of the series is even more rewarding."
"I took a few gamble's today, it was very slippery and I could see some of the riders playing really safe, but when you're 9th in the championships there's no need to play safe, so I really went for it and it's paid off now."
Despite scoring 10 championship points today, Jack's absence from the two-day Japan leg of the series has meant that the likes of Loris Gubian (FRA - Gas Gas) and Micheal Brown (GBR - Gas Gas) have been able to make the most of the points collected there and Jack is unlikely to move too much higher up the championships standings.
Concluding, "I knew this year was going to be difficult, everything is bigger at this level, whether it's riding the sections or the investment required, so to finish in the top ten in the first year would be a really great achievement that I would be chuffed with. I'm not too worried about been higher up the championship at this stage, although it would be nice of course, because I'm riding the best I have ever ridden which is just as important. Hopefully I can continue this form through to tomorrow and finish the championships on a real high"
Although it is unlikely Adam Raga will be able to make a serious impact on Bou's 10 point championship advantage, further down the leader-board the batter for 6th and 7th is picking up as Jack Challoner (GBR - Miton Top Trial Team) records his best result of his outdoor campaign finishing in 6th place, beating fellow british riders Michael Brown (Gas Gas) and James Dabill (Beta) who finished 7th and 10th respectively.
The trial was close from the outset, but it was Michael Brown who took first blood on the opening lap, returning to the paddock on 29, comparable to Jack's 37. As the rain fell, the big sections became incredibly slippery making Jack's final ride of the opening lap even more impressive as he committed to the big jump all the riders were looking at. The rain made the big championship sections incredibly difficult and the relatively low first lap scores soon diminished. Most of the steep bankings became almost unridable and Jack, like many of the other riders, took maximum marks on sections 6 through to 12.
Although the high marking second lap was tough, Jack's 50 marks stood out against Brown's 58 and Dabill's 63. Just one week on from winning the 2011 European Championships Jack secures his best result of the outdoor world championships finishing in 6th. Speaking about the day's riding, "I'm really happy with how I have ridden today, it's always a great feeling to get a result which is the best of your career, and to do this today in the final round of the series is even more rewarding."
"I took a few gamble's today, it was very slippery and I could see some of the riders playing really safe, but when you're 9th in the championships there's no need to play safe, so I really went for it and it's paid off now."
Despite scoring 10 championship points today, Jack's absence from the two-day Japan leg of the series has meant that the likes of Loris Gubian (FRA - Gas Gas) and Micheal Brown (GBR - Gas Gas) have been able to make the most of the points collected there and Jack is unlikely to move too much higher up the championships standings.
Concluding, "I knew this year was going to be difficult, everything is bigger at this level, whether it's riding the sections or the investment required, so to finish in the top ten in the first year would be a really great achievement that I would be chuffed with. I'm not too worried about been higher up the championship at this stage, although it would be nice of course, because I'm riding the best I have ever ridden which is just as important. Hopefully I can continue this form through to tomorrow and finish the championships on a real high"
