World’s best trials riders on their way to Oz

Entries for the Australian round of the FIM Trail World Championship, held at Mt Tarrengower Vic on May 26 and 27, are all locked in, with the Pro class headed by current five-time outdoor Champion, Toni Bou, from Spain. But Bou won’t have it easy and will be made to work for the win by two-times outdoor Champion and compatriot, Adam Raga, on his Gas Gas. Raga beat Bou into first place in the first round of the 2012 Championship but failed to finish on the podium in the second.

Six Australians have entered and will compete in the Junior, Open International and Youth World Championship classes. Victorian rider, Tim Coleman (Gas Gas), NSW rider, Kyle Middleton (Gas Gas), Tasmanian Chris Bayles (Gas Gas) and Queenslander Boyd Willcocks (Gas Gas) will fight against the World’s best Junior riders. New Zealand rider Jake Whitaker (Beta) has won the Australian Championship in 2010 and 2011 and is expected to do well in this class.

Heading the Australian contingent in the Youth class aboard their 125cc machines will be NSW rider Jonathan Chellas (Gas Gas) and Victorian Sam King (Beta). New Zealand rider Blake Fox (Gas Gas) will also be representing Oceania in this class. While in the newly-introduced Open International Class it will be experienced Western Australia rider Neil Price and multiple Australian Champion Kevin Zarczinski.

Also fighting for the top podium position will be the experienced Spaniard, Albert Cabestany, and Japanese rider, Takahisa Fujinami. Sherco-mounted Cabestany has finished both 2012 rounds in third whilst two-time World Outdoor Champion, Fujinami, can never be discounted in the huge granite rock terrain that the Australian-based Mt Tarrengower event will present to the competitors.

The English pair, and regular visitors to Australia, Michael Brown (Gas Gas) and James Dabill (Beta) are both former World Junior Champions and will be looking to push the more experienced riders off the podium.