Lancs County Normandale Trial

Dsc 0102Dave ThorpeTwo months of superb weather in the north west left the ground at Brookhouse Brickworks in perfect condition for Lancs County’s fifth round of the Normandale sponsored ACU Traditional Trials Championship – until Thursday evening!

 

On Friday it emptied it down, then again on Friday night, then again on Saturday morning until lunch, which turned the dusty tracks and paths and the dried up river into a gloopy, sloppy, slippery mess with a reasonable flow of water over the rocks.

 

As a result the trial, despite being eased in the morning, proved to be a touch more difficult than originally planned, yet because the sections were generally straightforward for a trial of this nature, the bulk rode well. In fact the winning score was just as recommended by the ACU with two riders, Gavin Cooper and Ashley Hall, both finishing on ten, separated by Cooper managing one more clean than Hall.

 

The hillclimb in the opening group at Anna’s Ghyll proved particularly difficult as the cambered turn on the hillside became notoriously slippery on the first lap with only four cleans from Darren Mitchell, Andy Foot, Kevin Stannard and Stephen Farrall, and none on the second lap.

 

Then it was rocky streams and gullies, where at section eight, observed by landowner and real enthusiast Dave Taylor, last finisher Ann Titley pulled off a great clean to applause from the assembled gallery.

 

Along with the second section, the 13th was also very difficult where the twisting S bend over some tree roots proved very difficult with four cleans on lap one and none on the second lap of the 20 section, three mile course. Those aces were Dave Fowler, Andrew Kenyon, Graham Haslam and Andrew Curwen. Then life for the 70 starters became easier as most of the sections were in streams.

 

Praises were sung to the Lancs County organisers for another good Normandale round, but that’s down to sensible sections from a knowledgeable and capable team.

 

Photo Coverage

 

Trials Central made a weekend of it, picking up this Trial en route to a windy Addingham for the British Championship. Photos from this event will be available on trialsphotos.com in due course.

 

Click for photos