BRISTOW’S BEST CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS AFTER SIX ROUNDS
As we leave round six of this year’s championship, we have the huge talent of Emma Bristow sitting in second position in this Trial Expert championship, the highest place achieved by a lady rider in an ACU male-dominated sport. Tom Affleck sits comfortably at the top of the championship with a clear advantage over Bristow, who took her second championship win at round six and the tough Brimham Rocks venue. In third place in the championship is the much-travelled George Gosden (BVM Beta-UK) from the Isle of Wight, as Brad Bullock (Beta-UK) is in fourth position despite missing a round. ROUND 5: HARWOOD DALE, SCARBOROUGH, 25TH JULY
After the win in the Lake District at round four,
Tom Affleck (Sherco) had newfound confidence at Harwood Dale. However, a stop in section 11 on the final lap nearly unseated him as he took the win on the tie-break decider from George Gosden (BVM Beta-UK).
Back in the groove of competing in the ACU
British Championship after a long break from his youth career, a consistent Gosden is improving all the time, and a win is surely just around the corner.
After the elation of the win at round four, Emma Bristow found herself down in a disappointing eighth position at the finish. The event was threatened with rain that never came, turning the trial into a very low-scoring one for the leading contenders.
This class just grows in numbers. However, its competitive nature shows how close the marks are lost as you look further down the results.
RESULTS: 1: Tom Affleck (Sherco) 8; 2: George Gosden (BVM Beta-UK) 8; 3: Chris Alford (BVM Scorpa) 12; 4: Brad Bullock (Beta-UK) 13; 5: Danny Gamble (Acklams Beta) 15; 6: Joel Edwards (Non Stop Scorpa) 18; 7: Tyler Rendall (BVM Vertigo UK) 20; 8: Emma Bristow (Sherco) 21; 9: John Crinson (Camio Moto Vertigo) 21; 10: Dan Hemingway (Beta-UK) 22; 11: Corey Dubik (Camio Moto Vertigo) 26; 12: Thomas Rushton (Vertigo) 27; 13: Andrew (Cripps (Beta) 27; 14: Callum Williamson (Montesa) 29; 15: Joseph Collins (John Lee Mc’s Beta) 30.
ROUND 6: BRIMHAM ROCKS, HARROGATE, 15TH AUGUST
You can never keep a good rider down, and Emma Bristow came back with a huge bang to take the win at round six. Parting with just six marks on her opening lap, she let the opposition know she meant business with some very confident riding. The second lap was not so good, with a lap score of 16, but she came fighting back to part with just four marks on the final lap to take the extra championship point for the best single lap of the trial. It was a huge achievement for our decorated FIM Women’s World Champion.
For the current championship leader, Tom Affleck, he started badly but recovered on the third and final lap to miss second position by just a few marks.
If you look down the order, you will see Dan Thorpe (John Shirt Mc’s GASGAS) back in the results after a lengthy layoff through injury coming home in an encouraging sixth place.
RESULTS: 1: Emma Bristow (Sherco) 26; 2: Brad Bullock (Beta-UK) 32; 3: Danny Gamble (Acklams Beta) 32; 4: George Gosden (BVM Beta-UK) 33;
5: Tom Affleck (Sherco) 35; 6: Dan Thorpe (John Shirt Mc’s GASGAS) 39; 7: Joel Edwards (Non-Stop Scorpa) 40; 8: Samuel Beecroft-Penny (TRRS) 48; 9: Lloyd Price (John Shirt Mc’s GASGAS) 53; 10: Dan Hemingway (Beta-UK) 64; 11: Joseph Collins (John Lee Mc’s Beta) 67; 12: Chris Alford (BVM Scorpa) 67; 13: Oliva Kendra (Acklam’s Beta) 72; 14: Tyler Rendall (BVM Vertigo UK) 74; 15: John Crinson (Camio Moto Vertigo) 75.
POSITIONS: 1: Tom Affleck 104; 2: Emma Bristow 78; 3: George Gosden 73; 4: Brad Bullock 67; 5: Chris Alford 64; 6: Joel Edwards 62; 7: Lloyd Price 55;
8: Tyler Rendall 45; 9: Dan Hemingway 37; 10: Danny Gamble 32; 11: Oliva Kendra 24; 12: Tom Culliford 23; 13: Joseph Collins 22; 14: Jonny Starmer 17; 15: Thomas Swindlehurst 13.