Manchester 17 MCC Ltd - Dave Rowland National Trial results -Sunday 28th July 2015
Held at Wildboarclough, Macclesfield, Cheshire
One lap, 40 sections in 18 groups was the formula for
Sundays Manchester 17 summer National Rowland trial. Always a popular one for
the clubmen this traditional rock and more rock rivers 'proper' trial always
manages to find something new in that corner of the Peak District that is
shared between Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. This time it was a new
start and completely revised 7+ hour route but still visiting those not to be
missed once a year classic steep rock strewn gullies of Ben's Scaurs and Manor
Rocks.
Richard Timperley repeated his 2008 performance and finished
as he thought on just 7, well clear of effervescent Mancunian builder Andrew
Cripps, enjoying a day out with his mates on 14. Shaun Fox and Mark Reynolds
were the only other national route riders to keep their scores below 30 on a
day that started out looking a little on the miserable side with low cloud and
intermittent light rain but which eventually cleared in the afternoon to strong
sunshine and big fluffy white cloud.
Most of the action took place as the rain was still around
in the middle of the trial in those long long loose rock gullies at Danebower.
It was here that Timperley had his first loss of the day, a big 3 on section 20
only cleaned by Patrick Wardle. This seemed to produce even more determination in
Timps as on the very next series of steps 'Holt Gully' section he produced the
only clean of the day to pull ahead of and then remain a couple marks ahead of fun
loving Crippsy.
Sam Clark brought his immaculate old air cooled 'pinky'
Yamaha and recorded the only 50/50 clean ride up Scaurs an advantage he
maintained to take the win. After an 5 early on in Ben's Scaurs and then another
in Plantation Jon Cowley took the benefit of a brilliant clean on tricky number
12 that Sam 5'd to get back in touch so by Danebower he was on 10 just 2 adrift
of Clark. That's the way they stayed throughout almost matching each other mark
for mark to end up with Clarky on 28 and Cowley on 30. Nick Bull was likewise in
touch all the way round and was the only other 50% runner to stay below 40
ending up with highly respectable 32.
Easily the most popular route, the clubman had well over ½
the near 80 entry and as you'd expect ended with the closest finish. With a
result that you couldn't make up it ended with the top three on 28, 29 and 30. It's
great to see Stefan Walters take the win as a newcomer to this event and
without a single 5 over the 40 section. Ian Watts was second on more cleans
than the winner but his only 5 on the steps at the top of Ben's Scaurs cost him
the win. Watts was followed closely by Rowland regular and the winners Dad,
Mark Timperley in third on just 30.
With over 7 hours of riding and the sections spread well
around the grippy gritstone streams even the deliberately easy last few
sections took the odd mark as the warm sun started to break through adding heat
to tiredness to make this another successful and popular trial of skill and
stamina especially for clubmen.
Report:- Ken Roberts