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World trial: Bou and Fujinami take a win and second place apiece in the USA
28 aprile 2008
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The first of the two days saw a demonstrative ride by Fujinami. The Japanese rider lost just a single mark on his first lap of the course, which wound its way up two riverbeds at the TTC. His second was just as impressive, with eight marks bringing his total to nine for the first of the two days of competition. His only realistic challenger was team-mate Bou, the two four-stroke Cota 4RTs making short work of the combination of soft, earthy banks and rocky climbs in and out of the streams. Bou dropped four marks on the first lap and added another twelve on the second, recording a final score of sixteen to claim second place. Third place on Saturday went to Spaniard Albert Cabestany – Sherco, who managed to keep Adam Raga – Gas Gas off the final podium step by just two marks. The second day of competition dawned wet, with persistent rain falling all morning, until part-way into the first lap. While not particularly heavy, it was enough to make the rocks, which were dry on Saturday and offered good grip, particularly treacherous. So much so that many riders opted to miss-out of several sections to avoid potential errors or falls. However, Bou and Fujinami once again demonstrated their determination and were the only two riders to attempt section two on the first lap. Bou cleaned the section and Fujinami took a dab, to the rapturous applause of the gathered crowds. In a reversal of the first day, by the end of the first lap, Fujinami held the advantage by a single mark over Bou. However, the Japanese rider admitted to two mistakes on the second lap that cost him ten marks and ultimately, his second win of the weekend. By the time the riders completed the second lap, Bou had stretched a five-mark advantage over his team-mate to claim his second win of the season, with Fujinami taking second. Third place on Sunday went to Adam Raga, another rider to find the going extremely tricky in the slippery and damp conditions. He trailed Fujinami by sixteen marks by the end of the event. There was also an extra honour for Fujinami; as he recorded the lowest score over the two days of competition, he was awarded the Wagner Cup, presented to the lowest-scoring rider of the weekend. This was the fourth time Fujinami had been presented with the cup and previous winners include former HRC rider Dougie Lampkin, who won the award three times. Bou - 2nd /1st : “This was a very good weekend. Fuji was very strong on Saturday and although I felt I had a good round, I couldn’t get near him. Sunday was very different – the rain made the conditions very slippery, particularly on the rocks. I made some small mistakes to begin with, but it felt very good to clean section two on the first lap. However, then I picked up two fives and that was very bad for me. But then Fuji did the same later and that put me ahead. This has been an excellent weekend; for me and of course, for the team and HRC. We have been working very hard and the four-stroke Cota 4RT performed very well – it was perfect for the conditions.” |
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