TRIAL DES NATIONS
The Trial Des Nations is an annual team event, the Olympics of motorcycle trials if you like; a team event where the countries compete against one another to make a stake to claim to be the greatest trials-riding nation in the world. It dates back to 1984 when the idea from the FIM was tested at Myslenice in Poland. The French team consisting of Philippe Berlatier (Italjet), Gilles Burgat (Fantic) the Michaud brothers Thierry and Fred, both riding Fantics, won. Since that first event, it has been a permanent fixture in the trials calendar. In 1995 an International Class was added to the main competition, followed by the Women’s Class in 2000. In the Trial Des Nations category, Spain has 28 wins, France 4, UK 4, with Italy winning just once. In the Women’s category, Spain has 10 wins, UK 8, Germany 2 with France and Norway one each.
In 2022 the action would take place at the Monza race circuit in Italy. In the now-titled World Championship class, five teams would be entered, and in the Women’s World Championship class, 11 teams entered. A strong 18 teams would contest the International Class, and the addition of a TDN Challenge category would attract seven teams. The action would take place over mainly man-made sections plotted out around the famous Italian Race Circuit venue.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CLASS
Overnight rain had left the 15 sections, which would be ridden twice, in a very slippery state. Still, for the Spanish team of Jaime Busto (Vertigo), Adam Raga (TRRS) and Toni Bou (Montesa), it was a relatively straightforward day. They worked well together and never looked like being challenged, finishing on a total of nine.
Italy improved a place on last year to finish second on 31, which was 21 clear of third-placed Great Britain with the team made up of Toby Martyn (TRRS), Billy Green (Scorpa) and Jack Peace (Sherco) before a big gap to the French and Norwegian teams.
WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CLASS
It would always be a difficult call between Great Britain, who last won in 2018, and the current title holders ever since, Spain.
Team GB was headed by the newly crowned TrialGP Women champion Emma Bristow (Sherco) with support from Alicia Robinson (Beta) and the new rising star of women’s trials Kaytlyn Adshead (TRRS). They led after the opening lap on a total of three, putting them two ahead of Spain, with Italy third on 12.
Team Spain, with Berta Abellan (Scorpa), Sandra Gomez (TRRS) and Alba Villegas (Beta), had to work hard on the second lap to bridge the marks deficit if they were to close the gap. As it happened, they forced it to the tie-break decider, eventually taking the win.
With Spain first and Great Britain second, the Italian home nation team took the final step on the podium.
INTERNATIONAL CLASS
As winners in 2021, the Norwegian men were promoted to the World Championship Class, meaning we would have a new team winner in this thirdtier category. The Czech Republic’s team made up of Martin Kroustek (TRRS), Martin Matejicek (GASGAS), and David Fabian (Beta), stepped up to the task and finished in front of the German trio of Franz Kadlec (TRRS), Joschka Kraft (TRRS) and Paul Reumschussel (TRRS). On the final step of the podium was the Austrian team, including Marco Mempor (GASGAS), Fabio Schollar (GASGAS) and Philipp Wimmer (TRRS).
TDN CHALLENGE CLASS
Introduced for 2022 by the FIM in an ever-changing world, this class consisted of mixed-gender teams of two riders, one male and one female. Italy’s team, made up of Mirko Pedretti (Beta) and Alessia Bacchetta (GASGAS), rose to the occasion and received huge applause winning on home territory. Their total of 16 marks lost gave them a clear-cut victory over Norway’s Andreas Jorgensen (Beta) and Seline Meling (Beta), who ended the day on 34. Joining the other two teams on the podium just five marks behind the Norwegians was the German pairing of Johannes Heidel (TRRS) and Pia Emonts (Beta).