BOU EXTENDS HIS LEAD WITH VICTORY IN SAN MARINO

Toni Bou - Repsol Montesa took another step towards securing his fourth successive SPEA FIM Trial World Championship with another convincing victory, this time in San Marino. Round six of this year's series proved to be an easy affair, with Bou taking the win by ten marks from Adam Raga - Gas Gas as he and Albert Cabestany - Sherco both returned to the podium after having been absent from the top three at the French Grand Prix.

For the second week in a row, heavy rain threatened to play havoc with the organisers plans, but unlike in France where the rain did arrive, it never actually happened in San Marino despite it being forecast. As a result the course proved to be perhaps a little too easy, despite the dry river bed where the majority of sections were located, being slippery wherever there was a small amount of water.

Even Bou was caught out by these strange conditions, as he dropped a nervous dab as early as the second section. Riding at the front of the pack Toni was quick to recover losing only two more marks over the remainder of the lap. Normally this would have been enough to have given Bou the initial lead, but on this ocassion it proved not to be the case. Jeroni Fajardo - Beta was following up his podium place in France with an incredible first lap performance, losing a mere two marks to head the field at the mid point.

The second lap was played out at speed, with the riders perhaps concerned that the predicted rain may still arrive, which would have made conditions far more difficult. Despite the pressure Bou picked up the pace on his last tour of the fifteen dry and dusty sections, adding only one to his total. Only Raga and Cabestany could remain in touch with Bou, as they both rode their way on to the podium respectively thanks to much improved afternoon performances.

A bad five in the very last section of the trial would cruelly demote Fajardo from second to fourth after an otherwise faultless day. The Beta rider was furious with himself, and rightly so, as he allowed Cabestany to gain valuable points in the fight for fourth place in the general standings. With Takahisa Fujinami - Repsol Montesa only managing fifth spot this time out, Raga has now drawn level with him in the title race, whilst Bou heads the series by a clear thirty points with just two rounds to go.

In the Junior class, series leader Alfredo Gomez - Montesa saw his advantage at the top of the championship cut to just five points as he finished down in third place at the San Marino GP. Jack Challoner - Beta bounced back brilliantly after his poor showing in France, to win by a huge margin. Francesc Moret - Honda split the two title rivals, as he made a welcomed return to the podium for the first time since Japan.

Pol Tarres - Gas Gas produced one of the best performances of the Trial, only dropping a single mark to dominate the Youth category. Tarres' victory now puts him fourteen points clear of Jack Sheppard - Beta, as the British rider finished off the podium after winning the last two rounds. Tarres was joined on the podium by Carles Traviesa - Gas Gas and Italian rider Ismael Catalin - Gas Gas respectively.

The championship moves swiftly on, with the Italian Grand Prix taking place in Foppolo next weekend.

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2010 SPEA FIM TRIAL
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Round 4
Baldasserona – San Marino
18 July - 1 Day Event (Day1)

Results:

World
1: Bou 4
2: Raga 14
3: Cabestany 17
4: Fajardo 17
5: Fujinami 25

Junior
1: Challoner 6
2: Moret 19
3: Gomez 25
4: Gylenhammar 25
5: Ferrer 26

Youth 125cc
1: Tarres 1
2: Traviesa 11
3: Catalin 15
4: Sheppard 18
5: Saleri 22

2010 FIM Riders Championship
Current Standings:
World
1: Bou 165
2: Fujinami 135
3: Raga 135
4: Cabestany 120
5: Fajardo 113

Junior
1: Gomez 145
2: Challoner 140
3: Ferrer 130
4: Moret 114
5: Dagnicourt 90

Youth 125cc
1: Tarres 164
2: Sheppard 150
3: Traviesa 138
4: Saleri 104
5: Catalin 94

2010 FIM Manufacturers Championship
Current Standings:
1: Montesa 300
2: Gas Gas 223
3: Beta 203
4: Sherco 185 9

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