FRENCH CONNECTION
Despite the low entry in this class, we must all congratulate EM (Electric Motion) for becoming the first French motorcycle manufacturer to win an FIM Trial World Championship title. As the other motorcycle trials manufacturers have found out, it’s not easy to convert the basics of the trials motorcycle from a fuel-aspirated machine to an electrical one, but the French-built EM, with Gael Chatagno at the controls, appears to have found a winning formula.
Riding the machine with a very confident mindset, the slightly built French rider knows how to get the best out of the electric machine. He produced some incredible rides in the rivers in Andorra to the huge steps in France at the final round in Cahors.
Another French rider, Julien Perret, challenged Chatagno in Cahors as he took the lead in the low-scoring event, but the eventual world champion kept his calm to make it four wins from four starts. Where the path of this electric venture in the world championship will go, we do not know. Still, surely there must come a time when the other leading manufacturers have to take up the challenge in pursuit of an ever-evolving, cleaner planet.
ANDORRA, ROUND 2
SANT JULIA, 21ST-22ND AUGUST
DAY ONE RESULTS: 1: Gael Chatagno (EM-FRA) 30; 2: Julien Perret (EMFRA) 49; 3: Martin Riobo (EM-ESP) 81; 5: Marek Wunsch (T-Project-CZE) 134. DAY TWO RESULTS: 1: Gael Chatagno (EM-FRA) 8; 2: Julien Perret (EMFRA) 22; 3: Martin Pochez (EM-FRA) 39; 4: Martin Riobo (EM-ESP) 40; 5: Marek Wunsch (T-Project-CZE) 103.
FRANCE, ROUND 3 CAHORS, 29TH AUGUST
RESULTS: 1: Gael Chatagno (EM-FRA) 1; 2: Julien Perret (EM-FRA) 2; 3: Martin Pochez (EM-FRA) 13; 4: Martin Riobo (EM-ESP) 31; 5: Marek Wunsch (T-Project-CZE) 46.
2021 FIM TRIALE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
POSITIONS: 1: Gael Chatagno (EM-FRA) 80; 2: Julien Perret (EM-FRA) 68; 3: Martin Riobo (EM-ESP) 56; 5: Marek Wunsch (T-Project-CZE) 35; 5: Sam Robinson (EM-FRA) 11.
FIM TRIALE WORLD CHAMPIONS 2017-2021
2017: Marc Colomer (Gas Gas-ESP); 2018: Loris Gubian (Gas Gas-FRA); 2019: Albert Cabestany (Gas Gas-ESP); 2020: Albert Cabestany (GASGAS-ESP); 2021: Gael Chatagno (EM-FRA).