round of the 2011 European Championships After a long break since the final round of the 2010 European Championships concluded last September, the opening of the 2011 season got underway in Rome, Italy today. Following the trend of a couple of weeks ago, in the first round of the Italian Championship, Jack Challoner (GBR – Beta) once again stood on the top of the podium, defeating Europe’s best rivals, Matteo Grattarola (ITA – GAS GAS) and Francesc Moret (SPA – Montesa), who finished the event in second and third place respectively, with his favorite Gomez teammate Alfredo (SPA – Montesa) finishing off the podium, in fourth.
Despite not performing well in the second round of the British Championships in Scotland the week leading up to this event, Jack was not tarnished by his previous performance and started the day well. The race stage, which was located on the outskirts of Rome, was made up of sections of rock mostly on large grass banks with difficult sections. Challoner who rides for the Italian team , Miton Top Trial Team. He has travelled in the Italian Championship for the last twelve months and was keen to show that he had learned to dominate the home terrain, that he started well, although not totally comfortable on his Beta, fighting hard to secure the good record set on the first lap of 17 points.
The other two big favourites, Spain’s Alfredo Gomez and Italy’s Matteo Grattarola were close behind on the 18th and 19th, respectively, so Jack had no margin for error on the second lap.
In later remarks Jack commented: “I was a bit nervous going into today, I hadn’t ridden well the weekend before and I knew that getting an early lead in the championship was important. The first lap went well, but not brilliant, and I that lap to settle down and take control comfortably and again.” “I fought really the first lap, and I was anxious not to give a mark unless absolutely necessary. I only had a very narrow lead over Gomez and Grattarola, so I knew the second lap was important.”
Jack continued to improve throughout the day, with a final lap score of just seven points. The Halifax rider was the only rider to finish a lap in single digits: “I rode really well on the last lap, I felt really strong on the bike and confident in every section. ”
Jack’s low score gave him a comfortable lead over second-placed Matteo Grattarola after both he and third-placed Francesc Moret finished with the same number of points, 35 in total. Alfredo Gomez finished with two more points, for a total of 37.
Jack concluded: “It’s a great feeling to have won this European Championship, I’m leaving here today really happy. I know I have to continue with this form if I want to win any of the Italian and European championships, the competition is very tough and I will have to put on my best effort in the next 12 months. A huge thank you to Michele, who has prepared my bike brilliantly, as well as Jack Sheppard (GBR – Beta) who won the 125 class.”
Jack now drives back to Florence, where he trains with the Miton Top Trial Team tomorrow before returning to the UK on Wednesday to prepare for the centenary of the long-awaited SSDT.
Final Results
1) Jack Challoner – 24
2) Matteo Grattarola – 35
3) Francesc Moret – 35
4) Alfredo Gomez – 37
5) Garcia Pere Borrellas – 53
6) Benoit Dagnicourt – 60
Laia Sanz wins in the women’s category
Laia Sanz (Montesa Cota 4RT) has won the race that this Saturday started in Rome a new edition of the European Women’s Trial Championship, a contest in which the rider from Montesa has been unbeaten since August 2002, when he celebrated the first of his nine continental titles so far. With this, there are 32 European Championship events in which Laia Sanz has competed since 2000. The multi-time champion has 29 wins and three second places.
An impressive list of achievements that Laia Sanz is willing to continue to increase, as she demonstrated today by closing this first round of the continental championship without penalising a single point and having already acquired a notable advantage over her closest rivals on the first lap of the course.
Laia Sanz: “When I saw the zones yesterday I thought that in very few of them there would be differences and I thought that the results would be closer. I have concentrated on my race, without being aware of the others and making an effort not to make mistakes that in these conditions can always end up complicating things. I think the final result and the double zero show that we have done a good job. I felt good and, obviously, I couldn’t have started better off the defence of a title that, together with the World Championship, are my priority objectives for this season”.
The Women’s European Trial Championship will consist of two more rounds, to be held on August 20 and 27 in Grosshaubach (Germany) and Tanvald (Czech Republic), respectively.
1. Laia Sanz (Montesa) 0 (0+0)
2. Emma Bristow (Ossa) 16 (8+8)
3. Rebekah Cook (Sherco) 21 (8+13)
4. Sandrine Juffet (Gas Gas) 23 (14+9)
5. Sandra Gomez (Gas Gas) 35 (16+19)
