Have a look to Alfredo Gomez

Sounds like a case of the commercial position around sponsorship availability being rotten ,rather than the sport itself.

Sounds like a case of the commercial position around sponsorship availability being rotten ,rather than the sport itself.

Rotten refered to high competition trials and the world around it, not to all the sport in general.

Sorry but language translations and differences can play this miss understandings.

Its a shame because the big class could have done with another guy to make up the numbers.

Its a shame because the big class could have done with another guy to make up the numbers.

agreed. The fim need to find out why this is happening and what they can do about it before its too late.

agreed. The fim need to find out why this is happening and what they can do about it before its too late.

Agree.

FIM and WTC need urgent and deep changes. Call it non-stop or how ever you want, but a real and realistic rethink of all this sport in it

Nothing new!!! Taddy Blazusiak Moved to Enduro to earn more and get works machinery. Money is tight so the factories are going to go with known quantities. That means Bou, Raga, Cabastany etc are pretty much shoe ins at the Spanish makers with Fuji covering Honda. That leaves Beta, Ossa and Jotagas. Gomez is behind Jack Challoner etc so was unlikely to break though and make any money in Trials without Sponsorship and given Spain's woes with the Euro that would always be difficult.

There used to be just the world championship, as numbers fell in the 1990's they added the junior class around 2,000 to boost entries, few years down the line they added the youth 125.

Now the youth and junior see the reality of the game before they even try the world championship or blow the bank before they can get there.

I think both Jordi and Doug won their first world championship rounds when they were 17yrs old, compare how many riders were participating in the one class then to how many in the three classes now.

Edited February 8, 201214 yr by ishy

Trials is a bit like Highlander (Sean Connery and the bloke who was in Greaysoke) "there can be only one" and at the moment that one is Bou.

Top level WTC is so far from ordinary off road riding that its going to turn more and more off, its not just the event costs, its the years of unpaid or low paid practice that is needed to get anywhere near the standard required.

The factories are not selling enough bikes to pay works riders.

Perhaps trial is fundamentially an amature sport and always will be.

Cheers

There used to be just the world championship, as numbers fell in the 1990's they added the junior class around 2,000 to boost entries, few years down the line they added the youth 125.

Now the youth and junior see the reality of the game before they even try the world championship or blow the bank before they can get there.

I think both Jordi and Doug won their first world championship rounds when they were 17yrs old, compare how many riders were participating in the one class then to how many in the three classes now.

I really disagree with this analysis.

The lower classes were added when younger riders needed a stepping stone to reach the next level.

The top route has increased in severity which has made the numbers willing/able to attempt it dramatically reduced.

I think doug is riding maybe only 90 % of when he was at his best, but certainly much much better than when he was 19.

The problem here is that too many,and gomez is the latest of a long line,gibert oliveras bethune morris connor and so on, are capable of the top route but have fallen by the wayside. i have no problem with the feeder classes this happens in many sports.

The fim need to find a way to keep those who can, in the sport at the top level.

The numbers are a side issue, 25/30 is plenty for a quality championship, 10 is not.

Nothing new!!! Taddy Blazusiak Moved to Enduro to earn more and get works machinery. Money is tight so the factories are going to go with known quantities. That means Bou, Raga, Cabastany etc are pretty much shoe ins at the Spanish makers with Fuji covering Honda. That leaves Beta, Ossa and Jotagas. Gomez is behind Jack Challoner etc so was unlikely to break though and make any money in Trials without Sponsorship and given Spain's woes with the Euro that would always be difficult.

i personally spoke to taddy in poland in his first year at enduros and it was indeed costs/funding that was his main motivator to turn his hand to enduros.

This played right to him insomuch that as he started the extreme enduros where becoming more prevelent and more importantly paying.

The factories are not selling enough bikes to pay works riders.

Perhaps trial is fundamentially an amature sport and always will be.

Cheers

At the end of the day though is that really a bad thing?

Is it true that the Oh Mighty ones took away his seat after he was promised one.

Come on Dabster enter every round you could be in the top 10 in the World

I really disagree with this analysis.

The lower classes were added when younger riders needed a stepping stone to reach the next level.

The top route has increased in severity which has made the numbers willing/able to attempt it dramatically reduced.

I think doug is riding maybe only 90 % of when he was at his best, but certainly much much better than when he was 19.

The problem here is that too many,and gomez is the latest of a long line,gibert oliveras bethune morris connor and so on, are capable of the top route but have fallen by the wayside. i have no problem with the feeder classes this happens in many sports.

The fim need to find a way to keep those who can, in the sport at the top level.

The numbers are a side issue, 25/30 is plenty for a quality championship, 10 is not.

My point is, by the time they are ready for the world championship many have shown the cost, time and effort needed are not worth it.

Bou will get older and that may inspire more to keep going in a few years. "The numbers are a side issue" Bullshlt.