Adam Raga - Gas Gas will be more eager than most to be back in action this Sunday, as the second round of the 2013 FIM X-Trial World Championship heads to the sea fronted city of Barcelona. The thirty-year old will have suffered a difficult few weeks since he bombed out of contention at the opening round of the series held in Sheffield a month ago. An embarrassing seventh spot meant that Raga never even emerged from the qualification stage of the competition, as one mistake and a single mark demoted him from the all-important top six during the initial part of the Trial.
Along with his equally experienced Spanish counterpart Albert Cabestany - Sherco, Raga again was tipped as one of the riders most likely to give reigning champion Toni Bou - Repsol Montesa a run for his money in 2013, or at least provide a serious challenge to his younger rival. Hence no one more than Adam himself was as disappointed with his performance in Great Britain back in early January as he explained with hurt still fresh and raw in his mind.
“It’s a disaster, simply that. With only five sections in qualification things start to happen very quickly and you really don't have time to recover if you make a mistake. I made a big mistake in the second section, a section that many of the other riders cleaned, so from that moment I knew I was in trouble. Then I put a lot of pressure on myself, and this did not help me, as again I made a mistake in the final section although this was a difficult section to pass.”
“I am even more disappointed as Sheffield is a very important event to me, maybe only Barcelona is more important to me, and also it is a competition I like very much and where I have enjoyed good support from the public and also some good results over the years. Not to make the final here really hurts.”
Raga, who won the then FIM Indoor Trial World Championship four times on the trot from 2003 to 2006 inclusive, has suffered from inconsistent form in more later seasons and has had be content to sit behind both Bou and Cabestany in the final rankings over the last four years. Adam’s fifth place at the closing round of the 2012 FIM X-Trial World Championship was to gift Cabestany second position in the final standings and reinforce his up and down form. A point he is obviously aware of.
“I can’t afford to make any more results like this now for the rest of the year. I was perhaps too nervous for the first round, but now I need to recover. I am training well, riding well and I am very happy with my level. My aim is to be back at my best in Barcelona, as like I said already this is the most important round for the Spanish riders. Barcelona is always a difficult test, but I am prepared for it and I am hungry to make a good result in front of my many fans.”
Adam will be joined by the other seven permanent riders of the series, as he goes all out for revenge in his home city.