After five seasons of hard work, the British rider achieved his great goal: to be proclaimed Trial2 World Champion at the controls of a 2021 TRRS One RR.
Martyn, born and raised in Cornwall in England’s far south-west corner, came very close to clinching the title in 2018 – only losing in a season-ending play-off against Matteo Grattarola – before a dip in form knocked him out of contention for the next two years.
However, the 21-year-old bounced back in 2021 and, more experienced and motivated, used his experience in the category to reach the top of the podium at the end of the season.
"The truth is that it took me a bit to assimilate the title. I am very happy. I had a bad day that caused me to fall in the championship and since then I stayed on the podium and that's what made the difference."
REGULARITY. A KEY FACTOR FOR THE TITLE
In previous seasons past, Martyn might have struggled with self-confidence over the course of the season to stay at the front, but he showed new maturity and scored four more podiums – including a flawless zero at the second French TrialGP in Cahors – to put the championship out of doubt.
"Now that I have a few years of riding in Trial2, I've figured out how to win the championship. In Trial2 it's always been about staying on the podium. When Iwan Roberts was champion in 2017 he only won once, but he was on the podium in every race. I knew consistency was going to be a key factor, and it's something I might not have achieved in the past because of my youth and lack of experience."
THE DUEL WITH JACK PEACE
Martyn has replicated his international form at the national level and has taken the British title with one round to go, after another intense battle with Peace.
"Jack and I have been fighting for years, from the youth ranks, so it's been really nice. It's also been tense, so I'm happy to have come out on top and to have won the British title. It's another big achievement for me – doing the double has been my dream for years. I couldn't be happier."
PLANS FOR 2022
And what’s next for Martyn? Although he is still considering a number of team offers for 2022, one thing that is certain is that he intends to move up to the premier class of TrialGP.
"Now that I've won the Trial2 title, I can move up to the top category. That's definitely the plan for next year. I can't stop trying. I know that the bigger sections will suit my riding better because I practice all the time in TrialGP-sized sections. I'm very excited."
"The level of the guys in the premier class is very high, but Matteo's performances this year give me a huge confidence boost. I know I can move up and fight for the best results. My goal is to finish in the top five, so I'm going to fight for real."
