Today is a special day for trials. It is exactly 30 years since the first world trial title won by a Spanish rider, Jordi Tarrés. It was the 1987 season and Jordi, at the controls of a
Beta TR34
, made history in our sport after winning the outdoor title in the Swiss city of Grimmialp. This milestone marked the beginning of a legend that won seven titles and that today continues to be linked to trial through TRS
Motorcycles
, with two trial models on the market: the TRS
One 2018
and the
TRS Raga Racing
.
Jordi Tarrés
I didn’t even remember, but a couple of days ago Bianchi, from Beta, reminded me of those great moments and today Pere Ollé, who was very involved at that time, also called me congratulating me. After remembering it on my networks I have seen that it has had a great impact and people remember it fondly. I’m happy to think that on a day like today, 30 years ago, I won my first title and continued during all these years working in this world achieving other successes that were also important to me.
THE HISTORY OF THE KING OF TRIAL
Jordi Tarrés came from a middle-class family and dropped out of school at the end of primary school to work for a year as a bricklayer’s labourer. Jordi became fond of the world of trials thanks to his older brother, Francesc, who practiced trials and who would go on to participate in the Spanish Championship. Jordi started on a bike, with which he would become European Trialsin champion. After this success, his brother got the sponsorship of Antoni Trueba’s motorcycle trade so that Jordi could compete officially. In 1983 he competed in a couple of junior events and in 1984 he participated in the absolute national championship and won one of the events.
Shortly after, a rider from Trueba’s workshop, Pere Ollé, who was a test driver for the Italian brand Beta, took him as an apprentice in the world championship. Tarrés made his debut in 1985 in the Trial World Championship and the following year he took his first Grand Prix victory and finished fourth in the general classification.
It was in 1987 when Tarrés’ name entered the history of trial, when he won his first world title and became the first Spaniard to reach the world crown in this sport. From then on, Jordi almost completely dominated the Trial World Championship while making the world of trial known. In 1990 he was again proclaimed world champion. At the end of the season, Tarrés broke off his relationship with the man everyone considers his “sporting father”, Pere Ollé, also from Catalonia, the first rider of the Italian firm Beta and its discoverer.
In 1991 he won, at the age of 25, his fourth world trial title as an official rider for the Italian brand Beta. At the end of 1992 he signed for Gas-Gas and won the world titles in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
Tarrés retired from active trial practice at the end of the 1997 season, becoming sports director of Gas Gas. Later he was linked to Jotagas and is currently one of the heads of the TRS Motorcycles brand and also works as Competition Director, with
Adam Raga
as the star rider.
