MATTEO’S MASTER CLASS

TRIAL2

Introduced in 2017 Trial2 class was given full FIM Trial World Championship status with Iwan Roberts (Beta-GBR) taking the title. After a successful trials career at the top level in the TrialGP class Italy’s Matteo Grattarola, having finished 10th in 2017, moved down to the Trial2 class in its second year in 2018. The fireworks started as soon as he arrived with a battle between himself and Great Britain’s new ‘hot-shot’ Toby Martyn. Both were riding the four-stroke Montesa in separate teams and very evenly matched as the championship went to the final round in Italy. Grattarola took a clear victory as Martyn’s form took a dive and he finished in third position, cruelly denied the title by an observer’s contentious decision at the final section. It was a four-stroke fight again in 2019 between Grattarola and Spain’s Gabriel Marcelli, with the Italian the victor in the championship by a single point! As Marcelli moved up to TrialGP, Matteo Grattarola made a move to the twostroke Beta in 2020 and arrived on a mission in the shortened four-round championship.

In the scorching heat of the opening round in France, it would be a question of who could take the opening advantage. Grattarola was quietly confident on the Beta. But, throw in French rider, Alexandre Ferrer in a home round, a new TRRS team member, Toby Martyn, along with fellow

‘Brit’, Jack Peace and a new breed of young riders wanting a taste of the action, no one could predict where the title would go. As expected, it was Grattarola and Ferrer who battled one another over the two days with a victory and a runner-up position each.

The sunshine carried itself with the riders to Spain, and the action was just as hot. Grattarola scored another important victory in front of Pablo Suarez (Montesa-ESP) on day one. On day two, the Trial2 class celebrated a new round winner with Aniol Gelabert (TRRS-ESP), importantly with Grattarola second. As Ferrer showed a loss of form, scoring only five points, his Italian rival started to open up a crucial points advantage. In truth, with two wins in the rain of Andorra one week later it almost secured the Trial2 title for Matteo and Beta as they headed to Italy.

HOME ADVANTAGE

It would have been a brave man who would bet against an Italian winning in Italy on an Italian machine, and that’s exactly what happened. I am not sure that the huge winning advantage of three marks lost playing 31 is really how it was, but Matteo Grattarola on the Beta looked super confident all day. His championship challenger, Ferrer, should have raised his game to push the title fight to day two but in truth he never looked like even challenging for the title, finishing a lowly fifth on the day. The man on form was Aniol Gelabert (TRRS-ESP) who finished second which, in the process, gave him sight of the bronze medal in the championship. As Toby Martyn started to show his true ability with fourth position a drop in form pushed Great Britain’s Jack Peace away from the fight for the top three positions in the championship.

AT LAST

This world of motorcycle trials is a very strange one as to be competitive you need to be consistent, and it’s that consistency that has kept Toby Martyn away from challenging for the Trial2 title in the past.

On day two in Italy, he became involved in a close fight for supremacy with Gianluca Tournour (TRRS-ITA), Grattarola and Gelabert. On the first lap, both Martyn and Tournour parted with nine marks apiece, with Gelabert on 10 and the new world champion Grattarola on 12. Martyn and Tournour matched each other again on the second lap with 10 marks lost, as Gelabert came storming into the equation on seven marks lost. On the final lap, Grattarola rode at his very best as a worthy champion, losing just one mark. It was not enough for the victory though as Martyn remained calm and consistent to take a very satisfying victory at this final round, parting with four on his last lap.

Once again, an unexplained loss of form and finishing 13th, unfortunately, dropped Jack Peace down to fifth in the championship.

Great Britain’s only other rider in this class, Billy Green (Montesa), showed that his ability is not in question. He held the lead on various laps in Andorra, and the low championship position does not reflect the effort and commitment shown by him. No doubt, with more experience, he can only get better.

2020 TRIAL2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

POSITIONS: 1: Matteo Grattarola (Beta-ITA) 149; 2: Alexandre Ferrer (TRRSFRA) 97; 3: Toby Martyn (TRRS-GBR) 96; 4: Aniol Gelabert (TRRS-ESP) 87; 5: Jack Peace (Sherco-GBR) 86; 6: Sondre Haga (TRRS-NOR) 80; 7: Luca Petrella (Beta-ITA) 65; 8: Arnau Farre (TRRS-ESP) 60; 9: Pablo Suarez (Montesa-ESP) 58; 10: Lorenzo Gondola (Vertigo-ITA) 58; 11: Francesc Moret (Montesa-ESP) 55; 12: Hugo Defrese (Vertigo-FRA) 47; 13: Billy Green (Montesa-GBR) 28; 14: Gianluca Tournour (TRRS-ITA) 23; 15: Andrea Riva (TRRS-ITA) 20.

MACHINES TOP 15: 1: TRRS 7; 2: Montesa 3; 3: Beta 2; 4: Vertigo 2; 5: Sherco 1.

ITALY: LAZZATE, ROUND 7

POSITIONS: 1: Grattarola 4; 2: Gelabert 31; 3: Haga 41; 4: Martyn 47; 5: Farre

47; 6: Petrella 49; 7: Peace 49; 8: Riva 50; 9: Gondola 52; 10: Tournour 55; 11:

Suarez 57; 12: Ferrer 59; 13: Miquel 60; 14: Moret 64; 15: Defrese 71.

ITALY: LAZZATE, ROUND 8

POSITIONS: 1: Martyn 23; 2: Tournour 26; 3: Grattarola 28; 4: Gelabert 28; 5:

Defrese 35; 6: Petrella 40; 7: Gondola 40; 8: Haga 45; 9: Riva 54; 10: Ferrer 54; 11: Moret 56; 12: Farre 56; 13: Peace 57; 14: Green 62; 15: Rabino 67.

Alexandre Ferrer (TRRS-FRA): Very mature in experience and riding ability, expect to see the French rider at the cutting edge of this class for a few years to come. There is a title win in there but it is that old word, consistency, that needs to be applied to get the required result.

Toby Martyn (TRRS-GBR): One of a new breed of younger riders coming through the results, Toby is a genuine worldtitle contender who just needs to believe in the ability that is on tap in abundance. He proved with the win at the final round that he just needs to fine-tune some small areas to become the complete package of a winner.

Aniol Gelabert (TRRS-ESP): Now having made the breakthrough win in Spain on day two, it will raise the all-important confidence levels. Training with his older brother Miquel, who rides in TrialGP, has to help and push the level of riding higher, and he finished the championship with two strong performances in Italy

Jack Peace (ShercoGBR): Well on target for a strong finish to the season and a topthree championship finish, Jack lost the form when he needed it most. Still a young rider in this class, he dropped to fifth overall after two low points-scoring rides in Italy.

Sondre Haga (TRRS-NOR): Flashes of brilliant riding have shone though this year, with two visits to the third-place spot on the podium in Spain and Italy.

Billy Green (Montesa-GBR): Never dropping his head, despite some difficult results, he will be disappointed with his 2020 season. Definitely a talent in the making, when on form he has shown he can compete at the front and just needs the experience to hold this until the close of the final lap.

Pablo Suarez (Montesa-ESP): A member of the Montesa talent school, he will be very happy to have finished third in France on day one and second in Spain, also on day one, on the four-stroke machine.

Lorenzo Gondola (Vertigo-ITA): It’s so good to watch the progress of this young Italian rider, who looks more mature and stronger with the passing of each year.

Luca Petrella (Beta-ITA): Riding on home soil in Italy did not produce the results that he expected and he finished seventh in the championship.

Arnau Farre (TRRS-ESP): You have to admire the sheer determination of this Spanish rider as he continues to recover from a serious knee injury.