TRIAL 2 ‘GRATTA’ TAKES A GRIP
Showing fantastic consistent form, Italy’s Matteo Grattarola has put one hand on the trophy for the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Beta in 2020. The challengers have come and gone, but in truth he has shown the mature head that is needed to win championships, and this has put him in such a strong position for the ‘Crown’ this year. Alexandre Ferrer (TRRS-FRA) looks to have done enough to secure second position, but no doubt at the final round in Italy the young British rider Jack Peace (Sherco-GBR) will try all he knows to take the fight to the Frenchman.
2020 TRIAL2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 3 OF 4 ROUNDS COMPLETED
POSITIONS: 1: Matteo Grattarola (Beta-ITA) 114; 2: Alexandre Ferrer (TRRS-FRA) 87; 3: Jack Peace (Sherco-GBR) 74; 4: Toby Martyn (TRRS-GBR) 63; 5: Aniol Gelabert (TRRS-ESP) 57;
6: Sondre Haga (TRRS-NOR) 57; 7: Pablo Suarez (MontesaESP) 53; 8: Francesc Moret (Montesa-ESP) 48; 9: Arnau Farre (TRRS-ESP) 45; 10: Luca Petrella (Beta-ITA) 45; 11: Lorenzo Gondola (Vertigo-ITA) 42; 12: Hugo Defrese (Vertigo-FRA) 35; 13: Billy Green (Montesa-GBR) 26; 14: Eric Miquel (TRRS-ESP) 17; 15: Sergio Ribo (Scorpa-ESP) 9.
FRANCE: ISOLA 2000, 5TH AND 6TH SEPTEMBER
An Italian rider winning on an Italian machine is always good to see, and on day one in France no one had an answer to the awesome display from Matteo Grattarola on the Beta. A clean score parting with no marks on the opening lap was very impressive. His nearest challenger, Pablo Suarez, had parted with three marks putting him in front of Alexandre Ferrer by a single mark who was on four. Ferrer overtook Suarez on the final lap, but he was still too far behind Grattarola, who only lost one more mark, to challenge him.
With a full ten hazards and three laps to ride on the second day the battle was between Ferrer and Grattarola who battled all the way and had to be separated by the tie break giving the advantage to Ferrer. Finishing third and recovering from a very poor first day was Great Britain’s Toby Martyn who looked much more confident than on the opening day as he fought off his fellow countryman Jack Peace by a single mark to claim the last spot on the podium. In this closely contested class who would be able to challenge Ferrer and Grattarola in Spain? DAY 1: 1: Grattarola 1; 2: Ferrer 7; 3: Suarez 10; 4: Haga 10; 5: Gondola 12; 6: Defrese 16; 7: Moret 16; 8: Farre 17; 9: Petrella 19; 10: Peace 19; 11: Martyn 19; 12: Ribo 22; 13: Rabino 22; 14: Green 23; 15: Gelabert 26.
DAY 2: 1: Ferrer 11; 2: Grattarola 11; 3: Martyn 22; 4: Peace 23; 5: Moret 28; 6: Gelabert 31; 7: Haga 37; 8: Suarez 39; 9: Petrella 40; 10: Defrese 40; 11: Farre 45; 12: Gondola 46; 13: Green 51; 14: Miquel 56; 15: Mempor 57.
SPAIN: POBLADURA DE LES REGUERAS 12TH AND 13TH SEPTEMBER
Making a very clear statement that he wants the Trial2 title back was Italy’s Matteo Grattarola (Beta) who took a very convincing win in front of a real fight for the other two podium positions. Great Britain’s Jack Peace was the front runner showing his potential before dropping to fourth at the close of the day. Showing his day one podium result in France was no fluke, Pablo Suarez (Montesa-ESP) put the four stroke onto the podium in Spain one step up in second.
Day two winner in France Alexandre Ferrer (TRRS) carried on with his championship fight with third. After finishing seventh on day one, a very tense finish on day two would see Aniol Gelabert (TRRS-ESP) win a tie break decider with the series leader Matteo Grattarola taking his first win in Trial2, much to his delight. The biggest set back to his championship aspirations came to Alexandre Ferrer who found himself down in eleventh position. With such a close competitive group of riders, all capable of winning, it allowed the series leader Grattarola to open up a seventeen-point advantage at the top of the points table at the halfway point of the 2020 series.
DAY 1: 1: Grattarola 13; 2: Suarez 20; 3: Ferrer 21; 4: Peace 25; 5: Martyn 26; 6: Petrella 32; 7: Gelabert 35; 8: Haga 40; 9: Miquel 42; 10: Gondola 42; 11: Ribau 51; 12: Farre 52; 13: Riva 62; 14: Green 64; 15: Moret 64. DAY 2: 1: Gelabert 17; 2: Grattarola 17; 3: Haga 29; 4: Farre 46; 5: Moret 37; 6: Peace 40; 7: Gondola 45; 8: Petrella 46; 9: Martyn 47; 10: Defrese 50; 11: Ferrer 53; 12: Suarez 57; 13: Miquel 57; 14: Riva 64; 15: Mempor 70.
ANDORRA: SANT JULIA 19TH AND 20TH SEPTEMBER
Having missed last year’s Trial2 world championship title by eight points, Matteo Grattarola (Beta-ITA) wants the title back that he last won in 2018. He gave out a clear message in Andorra with two wins to hold a strong twenty seven point championship advantage. After a short break, the championship will resume in Italy, the home of Beta and an Italian rider, no pressure! It’s only the inconsistency that has kept Alexandre Ferrer (TRRS-FRA) away from Grattarola in the championship, but he knows as we approach the end of the series he will have to be on guard from a ‘Brit’ attack. Both Jack Peace (Sherco-GBR) and Toby Martyn (TRRS-GBR) are winners as we have seen before and both them wanted more from the 2020 championship. In Andorra they both looked more comfortable with their riding, and on day two both took to the podium.
The fight in Italy will be interesting and don’t be surprised to see them fighting for the wins. Don’t forget Billy Green (Montesa-GBR) after he took the lead on both days in Andorra. He dropped to eighth on day one, but learning all the time, took fifth on day two showing that once the confidence is there you can let your ability do the talking. New winners in this class include Aniol Gelabert (TRRS-ESP) who won for the first time on day two in Spain on the tie break decider.
DAY 1: 1: Grattarola 40; 2: Ferrer 51; 3: Peace 53; 4: Gelabert 55; 5: Moret 56; 6: Martyn 59; 7: Suarez 59; 8: Green 59; 9: Farre 64; 10: Gondola 64; 11: Haga 67; 12: Defrese 69; 13: Petrella 70; 14: Miquel 81; 15: Rabino 84.
DAY 2: 1: Grattarola 29; 2: Peace 46; 3: Martyn 48; 4: Ferrer 49; 5: Green 49; 6: Petrella 50; 7: Defrese 57; 8: Farre 61; 9: Haga 62; 10: Gondola 65; 11: Moret 69; 12: Gelabert 70; 13: Miquel 73; 14: Trueba 79; 15: Medinya 86.
The 2020 FIM Trial2 World Championship now takes a short break before the final round in Italy on the 10th and 11th October.