After more than a two month retreat the 2013 FIM Women’s Trial World Championship will burst back into action this coming weekend with the news that reigning FIM Women’s Trial World Champion Laia Sanz will rejoin the series in an attempt to defend her crown despite having missed the opening event. The French ski resort of Isola 2000 will host this weekend’s round.
This will be the second two-day competition of the season, the first being in Andorra back in June and will only be followed by the closing one day event in La Chatre, France the following Friday. The 2013 FIM Women’s Trial World Champion will be determined by the rider who has the best three results from the five counting days, so Sanz remains a real contender despite having been absent in Andorra.
Britain’s Rebekah Cook – Beta currently heads the general standings by two points from her compatriot and preseason favourite Emma Bristow – Sherco following the initial encounter in Andorra. Cook claimed a surprise victory on the first day in Andorra, after Bristow made a mistake regarding her overall time that saw her drop to third spot despite having been leading on the opening lap. Spain’s Sandra Gomez – Ossa was the grateful recipient of the runners-up spot on this occasion.
Bristow made amends on day two by absolutely dominating proceedings, her winning margin of twenty-one marks over Cook showed Emma’s real class and at least went some way to cancelling out the mistake she had made twenty-four hours earlier. Gomez once again completed the podium to cement herself amongst the front-runners this season and to give herself every chance of matching if not beating the top three ranking she secured at the end of 2012.
France’s Marilyne Journet – Beta will be hoping that home support in Isola will spur her on and could just make it on to the podium at the French Grand Prix given the career best fourth place she achieved on day one in Andorra. Twenty-seven year old Journet is an experienced member of the FIM Women’s Trial World Championship and currently holds joint fourth in the overall standings tied on twenty-two points with Spain’s Mireia Conde – Beta. By recording tow fifth places at round one, Conde also claimed her best ever result since first joining the series back in 2008.
Twenty-eight year old British rider Katy Sunter – Gas Gas is another lady who excelled in the Andorran mountains. Her fourth spot on the second day of the opening round was yet another career best ride that was recorded over the initial weekend of action to confirm the progress the women riders have made over the closed season. Katy’s 8 – 4 showing leaves her in sixth position in the championship table, but only one point behind fourth placed rider Journet, with much still to ride for.
Germany’s Theresa Bauml – Ossa, Sara Trentini – Beta, Martina Balducchi – Scorpa both from Italy and Spain’s Elisabet Solera – Gas Gas are the ladies that currently occupy seventh to tenth places respectively in the general standings. Bauml’s best placing in Andorra was seventh on day one, whilst Trentini went one better by taking sixth spot on the same occasion, which was her best ever result in the series. One other rider to watch out for this weekend is Britain’s fifteen year old Nikita Smith – Gas Gas who scored an amazing sixth position last time out, and looks to be a real star of the future in the making even at this young age.
Trials Central Update - Laia will be entered this weekend on a Montesa, but as a private, not factory rider. It is her intention to ride both days of competition this weekend and then decide whether to ride the last day of the Ladies World Championship in La Chatre, France next Friday. Doing the sums, if she wins both days this weekend and also the single day next week she can still win the Championship, despite having missed the opening two days of competition in Andorra which were won by Emma Bristow and Becky Cooke respectively. It has also been confirmed that Laia will not ride for the Spanish Ladies Trial des Nations team next weekend due to Enduro commitments.