10/08/17 – TrialGP Czech.R – As part of our continued build up to the next TrialGP event in the Czech Republic early…
As part of our continued build up to the next TrialGP event in the Czech Republic early next month, we again take the opportunity to look back at one of the previous encounters held in this Eastern European country, this time from 2008.
RAGA KEEPS HIS CHAMPIONSHIP DREAM ALIVE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Adam Raga – Gas Gas kept his championship hopes alive today with his third victory of the season at the Czech Republic Grand Prix, the seventh scoring event in the 2008 FIM SPEA Trial World Championship. Main rival, Toni Bou – Repsol Montesa HRC was second with Takahisa Fujinami – Repsol Montesa HRC finishing third.
It was Bou who looked strongest despite dropping his first mark in the fifth section of the opening lap whilst Raga was still running clean. However, two fives on sections seven and eight for Raga where Bou managed to get through dropping three apiece that gave the reigning champion the advantage.
Both were evenly matched for the remainder of the lap giving Bou a three mark advantage moving into the second half of the competition. It was Albert Cabestany – Sherco rather than Fujinami who occupied third place at the half mid point on fourteen marks to Fujinami’s eighteen. Cabestany would have been tied with Raga at this point had it not been for picking up a time penalty on his first lap.
Many times this season has Raga launched a comeback attempt in the second lap only to fail to match the high standards set by Bou, however his impressive score of just seven marks on lap two to Bou’s eighteen saw him take a convincing win by a clear eight marks.
In the battle between Cabestany and Fujinami, it was the popular Japanese rider who was to prevail, dropping twenty-one on his second lap to Cabestany’s twenty-eight. Bou now leads the championship standings by twelve points over Raga with just three days of competition remaining.
In the Junior championship French rider, Guillaume Laniel – Gas Gas recorded his best result of the season and first podium position with a single penalty victory over championship leader, Loris Gubian – Sherco. Matteo Grattarola – Sherco recorded his second third place in two weeks to take the remaining podium position. Gubian now leads the championship by eleven points over Alexz Wigg – Montesa who is still suffering from a knee injury and finished in sixth place today.
The Youth championship saw Alexandre Ferrer – Sherco also record his best result this year winning by eight marks from Adrian Pastoriza – Gas Gas. Jack Challoner – Beta , after dominating the opening stages of the championship continued his recent poor run, finishing third. However, Challoner still maintains a healthy thirty point lead in the overall standings over second place Francesc Moret – Gas Gas.
The championship now enters its traditional summer break with the next scoring event being in Uddevalla, Sweden on 31st August.
