24/04/11 - UEM Championship: Civita Castellana, VT

Beta’s Jack Challoner and Beta’s Jack Sheppard clinched the first wins in the 2011 European Trials Championship held at Civita Castellana, center of Italy, not far from Rome.
As we predicted in the previous press release, the incoming championship is going to be a strict fight between British Challoner and Gas Gas’ Italian Matteo Grattarola, including as outsider Montesa SpanishAlfredo Gomez. Indeed after the first lap of this first round, Challoner led, having scoring 17 points, one more for Gomez and still one more for Grattarola.
The 14 section featured in the wonderful area, very convenient for spectators, consisted mainly of big rocks, that astonished the public present. Only the last one was put into the town and was indoor style. After a cloudy Saturday, where it was disputed other two competitions, at last the sun shone and made the terrain more and more dry. This was good for the show, because top riders made big jumps facing the high stones, arousing enthusiasm between the spectators. Unfortunately the three blazoned riders started in different moments due to a starting order decided by ballot, that is for sure an equal system for any kind of rider skill, but on the other side it does not create any expectation of waiting for somebody able to do better into the sections as happened when the starting order took count of the ranking.
Gomez was one of the first to start, then Grattarola and finally Challoner. The great second lap of the British one made the difference. He dropped just 7 marks, assuring him this first top step of the podium. Grattarola fived three times, throwing away any chance of victory. Same did Gomez. On the contrary Montesa’ Spanish Francesc Moret, who was in fourth with 24 points at half competition, scored a brilliant “11” in second lap, overtaking country-mate Gomez and reaching Grattarola, yielding him the second position just for the time. Indeed, Grattarola and Moret were tied in everything, but the Italian finished 3 minutes earlier!
Odds respected for the Junior class, too. We said Saleri-Sheppard and the twos finished tied making both 22 mistakes. Giacomo Saleri chased his rival who gained 6 points of advantage in the first loop (10 to 16). In the second lap, Jack Sheppard worsened his score by1 point, while Saleri recovered very well scoring only 5 points! At the end 2 cleans more for the British one, decided the winner. In third French Cedric Tempier, but his score was double than the first twos.
In the “over 40” class, big fight between Italian Andrea Buschi and Finnish Staffan Floessel. They finished in this order separated by 5 points. Third French Philippe Bontemps.
In the International class, Italian duel between Michele Pradelli, who beat Davide Zaccagnini by 1 single point. Third English girl Becky Cook.
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