gizza5 Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 First of all I applaude Toni Bou for taking trials riding to a level that nobody seems to compete with and we British wern't complaining when Dougie was doing it week in, week out! But is it worth while for anyone out of the top 4/5 turning up? The Brits are really struggling this year Dibs bagging a 6th place but a fair bit mark wise off 5th place and Pune just breaking a Ton with Wiggy (well there is a seperate thread about him?). Jack seems to be putting the hours in and is climbing slowly, but I do wonder if 6th/7th can be done? Guys at Club, National and International(SSDT) level know when they set off in their van to the trial they are not going to win, but they will enjoy it, but this is the WTC and maybe these guys are having a ball bagging top ten finishes and traveling the world, but it does make you wonder if it is ''Worth While''? P.S Doug that Bou fellow does look a bit sharp and might win a few World Championships! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ham2 Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 First of all I applaude Toni Bou for taking trials riding to a level that nobody seems to compete with and we British wern't complaining when Dougie was doing it week in, week out! But is it worth while for anyone out of the top 4/5 turning up? The Brits are really struggling this year Dibs bagging a 6th place but a fair bit mark wise off 5th place and Pune just breaking a Ton with Wiggy (well there is a seperate thread about him?). Jack seems to be putting the hours in and is climbing slowly, but I do wonder if 6th/7th can be done? Guys at Club, National and International(SSDT) level know when they set off in their van to the trial they are not going to win, but they will enjoy it, but this is the WTC and maybe these guys are having a ball bagging top ten finishes and traveling the world, but it does make you wonder if it is ''Worth While''? P.S Doug that Bou fellow does look a bit sharp and might win a few World Championships! Aren't we talking about people who make a living from their chosen sport? 'cos I think that would be a major motivator. Dabster made a post a few months ago posing the hypothetical?/rhetorical? question ...''how much do you think Fuji earns?..'' Will anyone care to speculate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 (edited) First of all I applaude Toni Bou for taking trials riding to a level that nobody seems to compete with and we British wern't complaining when Dougie was doing it week in, week out! But is it worth while for anyone out of the top 4/5 turning up? The Brits are really struggling this year Dibs bagging a 6th place but a fair bit mark wise off 5th place and Pune just breaking a Ton with Wiggy (well there is a seperate thread about him?). Jack seems to be putting the hours in and is climbing slowly, but I do wonder if 6th/7th can be done? Guys at Club, National and International(SSDT) level know when they set off in their van to the trial they are not going to win, but they will enjoy it, but this is the WTC and maybe these guys are having a ball bagging top ten finishes and traveling the world, but it does make you wonder if it is ''Worth While''? P.S Doug that Bou fellow does look a bit sharp and might win a few World Championships! I think in some ways you have answered your own question,I am off in a week or so to the Reeth 3 day and it is without a doubt my favourite trial of the year, but I am not even in the top class so theres no chance of me winning, but I am riding there cos its a great event and its the best level I can ride at. If I was much younger I would love to be a minder or even a rider at european or world events, and I think all the Brits including Brown and Alexz want to ride these events as its the best events and the pinnacle of our sport. The biggest tragedy in my mind is that the ACU seem incapable of bring a trials world championship to England and the masses being able to see the best perform alongside our British lads. Worringly there seems to be a real lack of talent coming through in our A class and when these top wtc 5 start tailing off their wont be many ready to take there places from the uk. Edited July 11, 2011 by Nigel Dabster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizza5 Posted July 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 Worringly there seems to be a real lack of talent coming through in our A class and when these top wtc 5 start tailing off their wont be many ready to take there places from the uk. Yep! but will it matter? I just wonder if it is sustainable to keep running a WTC with the cost involved from running an event and will the factories be prepared to spend all that money sending trucks, mechanics and riders there? But thats a whole different debate? Back on topic apart from the Spaniards that seem to be doing things right with an abundance of quality riders the French seem to be getting a few good riders coming through, but just how many next year will take the leap to the Championship Class and more to the point how many will you loose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chr155_d Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 The answer to your question "is it worth while?" I would say absolutally yes, you have to consider these guys cv's they are the best trials riders in the world based on what they have done, be it junior champions, European champions, British champs, Italian etc etc, Yes Toni bou is ultimatally the best and most dominant rider on the world stage, but there is six or so manufacturers that all want the best rider in the world show casing they're product at the top level of our sport, To say is it worth the others turning up is ludicrous, I want more riders at the top level and more manufacturers making bikes and entering teams that means they are selling bikes and our sport is popular, It's just interesting to me that montesa Honda are reluctant to take out a new machine whilst the others are trying hard developing bikes at a sustainable rate in today's climate, maybe that would be the spanner in the works the wtc is after, yes bou is the best in the world on the best bike in the world but what about a change of bike? I'm not saying the bike is better than bou, would just be interesting to see him on a new machine from a confidence and reliability perspective etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizza5 Posted July 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 but there is six or so manufacturers that all want the best rider in the world show casing they're product at the top level of our sport ..........and I can see the six or so manufacturers maybe, only maybe! sending one rider in future add the Top Trial Team and you have a championship with 7 riders? They are at the top of the sport and that is where they want ride, but I do wonder how much longer Pune and Wiggy will be supported banging in results like this? Just my thought and next year will be interesting? If the WTC sold bikes then we would all be riding Montesa's because it is the bike to beat? or maybe the rider has a little to do with it? I don't think the WTC sells bikes people will choose what they want to ride because they like it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilc0 Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Would be interesting to see which one breaks away first to one of the other motorcycle disciplines. it seems a shame to waste that riding talent on a Trials bike knowing your never going to have the word World Champion attached to your name at the end of your career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chr155_d Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Would be interesting to see which one breaks away first to one of the other motorcycle disciplines. it seems a shame to waste that riding talent on a Trials bike knowing your never going to have the word World Champion attached to your name at the end of your career. Mick Andrews Sammy miller Don smith Malcolm rathmell Graeme Jarvis Steve Saunders Steve colley Have you heard of any of these guys? All historical figures in our sport but none of them can call themselves a world champion, the first four may call themselves a European champion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chr155_d Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 ..........and I can see the six or so manufacturers maybe, only maybe! sending one rider in future add the Top Trial Team and you have a championship with 7 riders? They are at the top of the sport and that is where they want ride, but I do wonder how much longer Pune and Wiggy will be supported banging in results like this? Just my thought and next year will be interesting? If the WTC sold bikes then we would all be riding Montesa's because it is the bike to beat? or maybe the rider has a little to do with it? I don't think the WTC sells bikes people will choose what they want to ride because they like it? I think every year I've followed the world trials championship has been dynamic exciting and interesting, not forgetting this years shake up of rider and team pairing, don't you think? And none of which involved Toni bou! But People still talked about it! That's because it's a championship, do you think all these premiership football clubs spend millions upon millions of pounds on players, and think well lads is it worth it? Maybe we should just not turn up! I would imagine not..... Pune and wiggy will be supported until someone better comes along, not necesserally someone British but maybe.. Sheppard, Richardson so on.... I would not own a montesa for love nor money you are correct I choose to ride what bike I like, but a motorcycles development, reliability etc can only really be culminated by the best engineers and riders working together to create a fantastic product. Which in turn gives the Sunday riders like you and I a great bike to ride! Without this it's nothing! Probably what would be a privateers championship, Is this what you would like to see? Have some positivity about you! I would suggest it's probably this negative attitude that runs throughout the acu and is why there is no young blood supported in our great sport Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilc0 Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 All historical figures in our sport but none of them can call themselves a world champion, the first four may call themselves a European champion As you know the last 3 could'nt even if they wanted to,but im sure the first 4 would/have used that title name if it meant they or those that hired them could make money from there titles name well after there retirement from the European stage. You said in one of your posts our guys are where they are until someone better comes along,your right and it will happen in the next few years so what do our currents do retire or semi fund themselves to be there. There just very unlucky to be in the era of Bou and thos coming up behind them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chr155_d Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 As you know the last 3 could'nt even if they wanted to,but im sure the first 4 would/have used that title name if it meant they or those that hired them could make money from there titles name well after there retirement from the European stage. You said in one of your posts our guys are where they are until someone better comes along,your right and it will happen in the next few years so what do our currents do retire or semi fund themselves to be there. There just very unlucky to be in the era of Bou and thos coming up behind them. Not sure what your point is, these guys choose to compete in a competion, it is exactly that it is first and foremost, if it is then a job you are payed to compete at you are lucky, these guys don't deserve anything they earn it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
for artie Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 If the WTC sold bikes then we would all be riding Montesa's because it is the bike to beat? If Bou's bike were available at a reasonable cost --YES-- everybody would be riding it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizza5 Posted July 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Not WTC but BTC only 6 riders in the Championship class today, I don't have the answers, but a lot of work goes into putting on these trials and the organisers must feel slightly let down? Yes there are other routes and riders but this has got to be a record? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slapshot 3 Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 I think there's little point thinking about WTC when BTC is in a crap state as well. I think we, as in the UK, need to sort BTC first. Six in Championship class is rediculous and you have to ask how long clubs will organise a headline BTC event when only six riders turn up in the top class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted August 2, 2011 Report Share Posted August 2, 2011 ...perhaps more worringly the bottom route youth was as poorly supported as its ever been as far as I can remember, and it was these lads with dads that were keeping it afloat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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