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SHEPPARD
FINISHES AS VICE EUROPEAN CHAMPION
Round
6 - 2010 UEM Trial European Championship
Tanvald - Czech Republic - 29/08/10
Jack Sheppard - Beta put in a solid closing performance at
the final round of the 2010 UEM Trial European Championship
held at Tanvald in the Czech Republic, however this proved not
to be quite enough for him to stop his arch rival Pol Tarres
lifting the title. Seventeen year old Sheppard finished second
to Tarres on the day and just behind the young Spanish rider
in the final standings to become vice champion in the European
series during his first full international season.
It was a case of deja vu for the youngster from Suffolk with
Jack having also lost out to the more experienced Tarres at
World level too just a few weeks earlier. Whilst Sheppard was
unable to prevent Pol from clinching both titles, the Beta
teamster did a great job of pushing him all the way in both
championships, including setting up a tense finale in the
Czech Republic in order to decide who would become Euro
champion.
The trial at Tanvald provided a suitable challenge over
which to decide the outcome between these two up and coming
riders, with both showing some signs of nerves as the battle
unfolded throughout the day. Persistent rain in the week
before the trial had left conditions in the wooded area wet
and slippery, with the rocks offering some grip unlike the
muddy bankings.
Sheppard and Tarres were locked together from the start
with both cleaning the opening five sections of the day,
before Jack then parted with his first dab in the sixth
hazard. Whilst Pol remained feet up until section eight,
Sheppard needed two further dabs in the following two subs
immediately after his initial loss. Another single mark in the
final hazard on the first lap put Jack on four just two marks
behind Tarres, with this pairing having already moved well
clear of the field.
Tarres would further stretch his advantage early on the second
lap as Sheppard faltered in sections two and three where he
quickly added five marks to his tally as his rival remained
clean. Desperate to make amends for these mistakes Jack was
faultless through the next four sections including the seventh
hazard where Tarres picked up his only five of the day.
However the gap was only to close momentarily with Sheppard
collecting his only maximum of the trial at the very next
section as he failed to negotiate a tricky step.
The trial was now back in Tarres' hands, and he was not
about to surrender his lead as he ran out the winner by just
four marks over Jack after a tense day of riding. After a five
month long campaign and visting six different European
countries, Sheppard would lose out on the title by a mere four
points after a fierce yet friendly season long battle with
Tarres.
Obviously disappointed, Jack had this to say immediately
after the event. "The trial was there for the taking
today, but to be fair we have both made mistakes that perhaps
we would not normally have done. Again I must congratulate Pol
as he has been very strong during the second half of the
season."
"I feel quite empty at the moment as I came so close
to winning the championship, but in the end I have had to
settle for second once again. I have learnt a lot this year,
with it being my first full season at both World and European
level and I am sure that I can come back a stronger rider next
year." Sheppard ended.
Jack will remain in the Czech Republic this week and will make
the relatively short journey to Kramolin for the final round
of the 2010 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship next Sunday,
where he will look to secure the runners up spot in this
series too.
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