On The Pegs November 2018 - Volume 3 - Issue 11 | Page 120

On The Pegs
P 122
On The Pegs
SAM FASTLE SPLASHES HIS WAY
THOUGH A SECTION IN THE
CZECH REPUBLIC
Vol. 3 Issue 11 - November 2018
P 123
counting towards a country’s result, riders from
twenty-three nations faced a mixture of man-
made hazards featuring huge boulders and more
natural terrain in nearby woods where grip was
at a minimum. Daylong torrential rain and plung-
ing temperatures added to the drama and forced
organizers to modify the sections as the event
became a war of attrition.
The Spanish men initially got off to a slow start
and actually trailed the French trio of Benoit Bin-
caz - Scorpa, Alexandre Ferrer - Sherco and Loris
Gubian - Gas Gas after the first four sections, but
when the going got tough then Bou and company
got going.
While the Spanish demonstrated their clear su-
periority to lead the field, Great Britain, France and
Japan went toe-to-toe for the remaining podium
positions with the balance swinging in each na-
tion’s favor as the Trial progressed.
Following the opening lap Spain’s total of just
twenty gave them a clear advantage, even after
nineteen time penalties were added to their total.
France were second with fifty-one on observation
and five on time followed by Great Britain’s James
Dabill - Beta, Jack Price - Gas Gas and Toby Martyn
- Montesa who had parted with fifty-six marks in
the sections and collected eight time penalties.
The Japanese trio of Takahisa Fujinami - Repsol
Honda, Kenichi Kuroyama - Yamaha and Tomoyuki
Ogawa - Montesa had dropped fifty-three, but
picked up twenty time penalties, which put them
fourth.
On the second lap Spain extended their advan-
tage as Great Britain, reveling in the UK-style con-
ditions, picked up the pace to secure the second
step of the podium by eleven marks from France