Becky CookThe 2015 FIM Women’s Trial World Championship will get underway this coming weekend with Sokolov, Czech Republic hosting the opening round of the new campaign. This initial two day competition will mark the beginning of a three round series that will include five counting days in total time the final two events are played out at two different venues in Spain come September. Five of the strongest nations in this female discipline will be represented at the first round, with riders from Great Britain, Spain, Germany, Italy and Norway combining to produce a pre-entry list packed with twenty-one protagonists who will all be hungry for some early season success come this weekend.
Heading the ranking as defending and reigning FIM Women’s Trial World Champion Britain’s Emma Bristow – Sherco starts the campaign as the favourite to lift the title once again, although this time around she will have to cope with the added pressure of being the queen rather than the princess as she has done in previous seasons. Based on 2014 results Emma’s biggest threat will come from home shores with 2014 series runner-up Rebekah Cook – Jgas again looking to realise her own dream of taking the title after having been the bridesmaid on four separate occasions in the past. Other than Bristow, Cook was the only other rider to record a day win last year, her single victory coming on the second day of the Spanish GP.
Spain’s twenty-two-year-old Sandra Gomez – Ossa placed third in the championship table come the close of the 2014 campaign having not perhaps yet shown her full potential over the course of a full season. Three podium positions consisting of two second spots and a third place confirmed her growing consistency, but her fifth place finish on the last day of her home GP during last year’s series served as an equal reminder that Sandra still has some work to do if she is to seriously challenge her peers for the female crown this time around.
Sandra GomezGomez’s compatriot Mireia Conde – Beta is a lady who likes to go quietly about her business, and whilst she failed to grab any major headlines during 2014 through some solid riding the Spanish contender still managed to claim fourth spot in the final points tally. Her 3 – 4 showing over the two days of her home round was the highlight on route to her highest ever finish in the series since she first joined the Women’s tour back in 2008. Mireia will have to be at her absolute best in 2015 if she is to continue her year on year improvement that she has enjoyed over the last four successive seasons.
Ranked fifth overall in 2014, Germany’s seventeen year old Theresa Bauml – Ossa was one of the sensations of last year and is one of the brightest young prospects the FIM Women’s Trial World Championship has seen for some time. Her jump from tenth in 2013 to a place inside the top five during the most recent campaign confirmed that Theresa is now coming of age after having been a part of the series since 2011. Her first ever podium finish in Spain last season will have now given her the belief that she can challenge for a top three placing overall this year.
Bauml’s German compatriot Ina Wilde – Gas Gas, Spain’s Elisabet Solera – Gas Gas and Maria Giro – Beta along with Italian rider Sara Trentini – Sherco are amongst the other Women who should feature amongst the higher order this weekend. Unfortunately Britain’s Katy Sunter – Gas Gas is in a race to be fit for the opening round in the Czech Republic having injured her knee last month.