1981: SETTING) THE RECORD
With Bultaco in such a difficult financial situation, Manuel Soler had moved to their rival manufacturer Montesa. Originally it was rumoured he would move to Italjet with the 1979 FIM World Trials Champion Bernie Schreiber (USA), but this never materialised. An ‘invasion’ of Italian manufacturers, including Fantic and SWM, had begun to make a mark in the world championship as Italjet had proved to be winners in 1980. Schreiber had taken the top step of the podium on four occasions after his mid-season move from Bultaco. Montesa had come fighting back with the new Cota 349 with Finland’s Yrjo Vesterinen winning the 1980 Scottish Six Days Trial, the first for a foreign rider to do so, and Sweden’s Ulf Karlson won the 1980 FIM World Trials Championship. Montesa put a strong four-man team into play in 1981 which included Charles Coutard (FRA), Ulf Karlson (SWE), Malcolm Rathmell (GBR) and Manuel Soler (ESP). At the close of play in Spain, Manuel Soler, ‘El Monstruito’ (which translates to ‘The Little Monster’) who would be the hero. He recorded the first FIM world round win for a Spanish rider on a Spanish machine, and in Spain, as you are about to find out.
It was a dusting of snow that greeted Spain in February for the opening round of the 1981 FIM World Trials Championship. The event was held at Mura, which is a municipality in the province of Barcelona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. The icy conditions created problems for the organising club officials, not to mention the assembled teams and riders. A new younger breed of riders with new skills were coming through the ranks to challenge the ‘Old Guard’ using a new interpretation of the rules. The adoption of the ‘Stop Allowed’ rule was coming into force, leaving many riders confused with the rules; times were changing in the world championship.
STICKY STUFF
Tyre technology and development was coming to the fore, as Michelin had invested heavily in its new rubber technology, wanting to become the number one choice for the rider. A wide choice of various compounds was available to the factory teams and riders; these were exciting times in the trials world.
Along with the tyres, the riders had a new style of riding, which included ‘bunny hops’ where they picked up the machine in a novel use of the body, brakes and clutch. On tight turns, the rider’s bodystrength was applied in the ‘pivot turn’, allowing for a narrower arc to be taken on tight corners. Bernie Schreiber had perfected this new technique, along with Belgium’s Eddy Lejeune on the 360cc fourstroke Honda and another new name from France, Gilles Burgat, on the yellow SWM.
After the success of the 200 Fantic model, Spain’s Jamie Subira had started to develop a new, more powerful, 240 model that was also designed around the new exciting riding technique. The entry of 78 riders included eight manufacturers split between Bultaco, Beamish Suzuki, Fantic, Honda, Italjet, Montesa, Ossa and SWM.
SALT AND SUN
As the 78 riders lined up to start a course of three laps of 15 sections, the organisers were concerned that the hazards would be covered in ice until the continental sunshine would warm up the area. With a wide variety of small streams, rocks and steep climbs in the area, salt was dispensed on the hazards by the club officials to melt the snow. As it happened, the sun would shine through eventually, turning the event into quite a muddy competition.
As the crowds turned out en masse, they wanted to see which new manufacturers would challenge the once-dominant and mighty Spanish.
On the Italjet were Bernie Schreiber and Eddy Lejeune on the ‘clockwork-sounding’ four-stroke Honda; these two riders were the main focus of attention.
Every rider on a Spanish machine got a huge cheer and were warmly applauded by the spectators at every move as they loved this new style of exciting ‘trick’ riding.
The old and well-adhered-to rule of awarding a five-mark penalty if the front wheel ceased forward movement went straight out of the window. Had this been implemented, the top ten finishing positions would have looked totally different. Quite a large contingent of riders from Great Britain had a huge shock at the new style of observing, which played right into the foreign riders’ hands.
QUICK TO ADAPT
The two Spanish riders in the top ten, Manuel Soler and Toni Gorgot, along with many of the other home-nation riders, were quick to adapt to this new ruling, as the results were to prove.
As the riding conditions warmed up, the snow and ice melted, and the event turned into a nail-biting thriller between Manuel Soler and Eddy Lejeune. It was also a fight for the tyre wars’ honour, with Soler using the Michelins and Lejeune using Dunlop rubber.
As the trial concluded, both Soler and Lejeune had parted with 92 marks lost. Soler took the win on the tie-break decider; he was elated!
Schreiber had fought hard for the win, but a poor opening lap cost him dearly, and he would take the final step on the podium for Italjet.
Looking good with a strong showing was Toni Gorgot on the yellow Ossa, a model that all of the company’s hopes of survival rested. With points only awarded to the top ten, John Reynolds was the highest placed rider from Great Britain in tenth for a well-deserved final point.
RESULTS: 1: Manuel Soler (349 Montesa-ESP) 92; 2: Eddy Lejeune (360 Honda-BEL) 92; 3: Bernie Schreiber (350 Italjet-USA) 103; 4: Toni Gorgot (350 Ossa-ESP) 106; 5: Gilles Burgat (280 SWM-FRA) 113; 6: Charles Coutard (349 Montesa-FRA) 113; 7: Ulf Karlsson (349 Montesa-SWE) 115; 8: Yrjo Vesterinen (350 Bultaco-FIN) 116; 9: Christian Desnoyers (280 SWM-FRA) 117; 10: John Reynolds (325 Beamish Suzuki-GBR) 126.
TOP TEN GB RIDERS: 20: Malcolm Rathmell (349 Montesa-GBR)142; 21: Martin Lampkin (280 SWM-GBR)143; 28: Chris Sutton (349 Montesa-GBR) 150; 29: Nigel Birkett (200 Fantic-GBR) 150; 45: Chris Myers (325 BultacoGBR) 167; 47: Colin Boniface (350 Bultaco-GBR) 168; 51: John Lampkin (280 SWM-GBR) 170; 53: Dave Clinkard (280 SWM-GBR) 171; 62: Mike Skinner (350 Ossa-GBR)181; 63: Steve Moore (350 Bultaco-GBR) 181; 70: Paul Leather (200 Montesa-GBR) 199; 71: Shane Edwards (200 Fantic-GBR) 200; 73: Steve Monk (320 Majesty-GBR) 220; 74: Stuart Thompson (350 Bultaco-GBR) 236.