On The Pegs July 2019 - Volume 4 - Issue 7

On The Pegs CRAZY QUALIFYING Vol. 4 Issue 7 - July 2019 99 Heavy rain and incredibly slippery conditions resulted in the toughest timed Qualification session ever seen since the for- mat was first introduced two years ago with every rider in the premier TrialGP class scoring maximum points at TrialGP Italy, round one of the 2019 FIM Trial World Championship. The section, on a steep bank studded with carefully-placed rocks, would have been hard enough in the dry during the day but under floodlights and with torrential rain sweeping the Met- zler Offroad Park at Arco di Trento it proved to be too challeng- ing for even the best riders in the world. In particular the steep exit over a succession of polished logs proved to be a gripless nightmare that stopped every TrialGP rider who made it that far. All rounds this year will feature two Qualification sessions. The name of the game is first and foremost to stay feet-up and then to complete the section in the fastest time possible. Riders are balloted for starting positions for Q1 and their results in this then determines the running order for Q2 with their best result from both sessions deciding where they begin Sunday’s main points-paying competition with the highest-placed finishers earning a valuable position at the back of the field. After everyone in TrialGP struck-out in Q1, more rain just be- fore the premier class riders began Q2 forced organisers to ease the section and cut out the fearsome log exit but even then, with mud being dragged onto the already treacherous rocks, it proved to be impossible. As a result the starting order was determined by the initial bal- lot with France’s Benoit Bincaz (Beta) last away tomorrow morn- ing, just behind the Spanish pairing of Jaime Busto (Vertigo) and Miquel Gelabert (Sherco). Defending champion Toni Bou (Rep- sol Honda) will start fifth in the field of 15 with Jeroni Fajardo (Gas Gas) and Adam Raga (TRRS) – last year’s second and third- ranked riders – leading the field away. - Courtesy TrialGP

On The Pegs July 2019 - Volume 4 - Issue 7 | Page 99