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The small town of Chaves one hundred and fifty kilometres north of the city of Porto, and close to the Spanish border is the home to the second round of the 2009 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship. The local aero club has kindly provided the facilities for this weekend’s event, their runway being used an excellent setting for the paddock. The course is set in the hills that over look the historic spa town that is a popular attraction with the passing tourists.
Whilst the weather in more recent days has allowed the riders and the mechanics the opportunity to enjoy some fantastic early season sunshine, conflicting reports suggest that rain and perhaps even snow might arrive before Sunday’s World competition. The inspection of the sections by the riders yesterday afternoon revealed hazards of a lower level, however these might be totally transformed if the ground becomes wet.
The weekend’s action begins today with the opening round of the UEM Trial European Championship. This will give the Youth and Junior riders a taste of what they can expect tomorrow, whilst the World Pro riders have a more relaxed schedule with just a two hour final practice session.
Women’s World champion Laia Sanz is an absentee, with the Repsol Montesa team having decided to reduce her number of appearances in the men’s series to allow her to concentrate more on the female championships in which she competes. Laia has fully recovered from the accident that caused her to retire from the second day of the trial in Ireland.
Jake Miller
G2F Media
