British Emma Bristow (Sherco, photo1) and French Hugo Dufrese (Gas Gas, photo2) are respectively the 2017 European champions in the Women and Youth classes, having both won the final round in the hottest Lazzate, Milan, Italy. With temperatures close to 40 Celsius degrees, the best females and the most promising young riders in the Trial world had their first challenge in trying to remain hydrated enough to have the strength to face sections almost on rocks, which the permanent Trial park area – chosen for this last round – offered. There were twelve sections all grouped together, about 2 km distant from the paddock, and it was very easy to watch all for the public present.
All photos @Phototrial.itThe women, first to start, showed soon they could ride without suffering too much the heat. Emma Bristow made some mistakes, because she started very early and, sometimes without adopting any strategy, she opened the sections. Paying 12 penalties at the turning point, her performance disappointed her, even if it was the best score. Restarting very concentrate in the second loop, she lost only 2 points, which was the very best score between all the riders in the yellow level, that is Women and Youth International.
German Theresa Bauml (Beta) rode at high level, too, but always one step below the winner. In the first lap she was quite close as she delivered her card with 17 points, but her good progression to reduce up to 7 the errors in second part, let her just confirm the runner-up position, both in this round and in the series. The same happened to Norwegian Ingveig Hakonsen (Beta), who was quite distant with 53 marks lost: she gained the third position and kept it in the final standing.
Fourteen year old and very small in stature French rider Hugo Dufrese found in this hot climate his ideal environment. His riding was superlative. Ten points in the first lap and 11 in the second. None was able to worry him. His number one rival, the former leader in the series, Swedish Linus Almthen (Scorpa) suffered a lot for the heat and in the second lap he could not ride because he had cramps in his arms. Anyway he was already very distant from the podium at the turning point, and concluded in eighth position. Despite this bad performance, he slid only in second place in the final standing. Second today, the first winner of this season: British Oliver Smith (Gas Gas), able to make the best score in this class: 8 points in his second lap. Third position for Spanish Pol Medinya (Beta) while third in the championship was Norwegian Mats Nilsen (Sherco), today only in fifth place.
Other two classes were on the scene today, slightly below the level of these champions.
In the Women International, the fight was soon between the first two to start. Dutch Chantal De Raaf (Sherco, photo3) got a consisting advantage in the first lap on French Lenna Volpe (Sherco) (12 points against 20), but she risked to be reached because in her second loop she made a couple of “five”.
At the end she won by just one single point. British Charlotte Kimber (Beta) was third, but quite far.
In the Youth International, German Joschka Kraft (Beta, photo4) won by only 5 points on Italian Luca Poncia (Beta). He scored 33 marks against 38. Behind them, but more distant with 50 mistakes, German Cuba Smith (Beta).
http://www.fim-europe.eu/events/420
