FIM Trial World Championship
When news arrived that the 2021 FIM Trial World Championship was all systems go and under control, it was just what everyone wanted to hear. With the opening two rounds of the 2021 championship in Japan and the Czech Republic cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic, the series would start with the delayed first round as a two-day competition at the Italian TrialGP at Tolmezzo in Italy in brilliant June sunshine. The revised calendar would see round two run as a single day in France in July, in wet conditions as the rain arrived at the Circuit de Charade race track. As the road out of the pandemic continues to open with fewer travel restrictions, the next rounds are proposed to follow, with Andorra — a two-day event — and France again at Cahors in August as a single day. Spain should follow with a two-day event in September, before the conclusion with another two-day event proposed in Great Britain in October. TrialGP and Trial2 will be included in all the rounds. Trial125 will compete in Italy, Andorra, Cahors in France and Great Britain with TrialGP and Trial2 Women in Italy, Charade in France, Spain. TrialE competes in Charade in France, Andorra, and Cahors, France. Run as a separate team event, the Trials Des Nations will be held in Portugal on the 17th–19th September. Although, as in 2020, there was no qualification process held in Italy, riders will use their championship standings from last year to determine their start positions.
As there was no qualification process in 2020, the 2021 season’s new regulations would see riders take in 12 sections on each of the two laps to conform with the new regulations, including a new time-limit instruction. It includes a limit of four and a half hours in total, which would allow two hours and 30 minutes for the first lap, then a 15-minute break with a further one hour 45 minutes to complete the second lap.
ITALY, ROUND 1, 12TH-13TH JUNE 2021
Making everyone aware that the pandemic was still evident, Jorge Casales (GASGAS-ESP) didn’t pass Covid-19 tests on day one. He joined the French riders Benoit Bincaz
(Beta) and Teo Colairo (Beta) on the sidelines, who were both ruled out of the series opener through injury. Before competing, the FIM, in association with the International Red Cross, worked with the local organisers to provide Covid-19 testing for everyone.
Blessed with brilliant sunshine, the two-day event highlights were on day two with a win by Takahisa Fujinami (Respol Honda-JPN); he was the oldest rider in the class. Great Britain’s Harry Turner (Scorpa) took his first FIM World round win. In addition, Kaytlyn Adshead (TRRS-GBR) also made the podium for the first time in the FIM Women’s Trial2 class for the first time in her young career.
FRANCE, ROUND 2, 4TH JULY 2021
With Covid-19 testing continuing, and very few spectators attending the event as the rain came down, but as the sun shone through towards the end of the competition, Toni Bou gave a real high-class performance.
Completing a British 1-2-3, Billy Green (Scorpa) joined the podium for the first time as the fight between Jack Peace (Sherco), and Toby Martyn (TRRS) continued, with the championship lead moving to Peace. TRRS continued at the top of the manufacturers’ table, opening up the advantage over Sherco. In the poorly supported FIM TrialE class, Gael Chatagno was the French-winning combination of man and machine with Electric Motion.
2021 FIM MANUFACTURERS TRIAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER TWO ROUNDS
POSITIONS: 1: TRRS: 101; 2: Sherco: 90; 3: Beta: 86; 4: Montesa: 84; 5: GASGAS: 58; 6: Vertigo: 46; 7: Scorpa: 30.
The 2021 championship now takes a summer break before continuing in Andorra on the 21st/22nd August.