Rob Warner	Steve Bird
Tom O'Sullivan	Tony Sullivan
Rob Walker	Stefan Walters

2011 James Cup Trial

Report Ken O'Brien

Pics Gary Dowzall Event Gallery =====

Sturt Wood Lower Riding was the venue for a round of the South Midland Centre Expert Championship.

Three laps of twelve were contested at this steep wooded ancient forest land.

Rob Warner rolled back the years to take the premier Expert award losing 26 marks with Nene Valley raider Steven Bird putting in a very creditable ride to take the runner-up spot 16 adrift.

Section one was a tough starting point and Warner put a faultless display in lining up perfectly at every visit to ride this very awkward fallen tree section.Steve Bird on the other hand was the only Expert to clean section six another toughy that dropped towards the river before a very loose steep offset camber back towards the observer was ridden.

Tom Haslam put his little125 Beta around for an impressive 32 marks lost and for his troubles took best Youth A this included the only clean of the day at Jim Axfords section 11 this was a hard one with a steep mass of roots at the begins cards and then a very loose climb before turning down over another lattice of roots exposed to the elements after a large Oak had fallen through the winter.

On the standard white route Rob Faulkner was at the top of his game going clean all day with Ray Haslam a worthy runner-up on nine Ray coincidently winning the James Cup outright in 1980 and 1981 on Twinshock machinery.

Best Twinshock today was Mark Stokes piloting the 350 Ossa around for a 12 mark penalty.

Colin Ridgeway first visit to the Ridings was going well and on for a best Novice award  until Gremlins struck the 290 Beta.

On the Blue beginners route Tony Sulivan 280 BSA lost two with one of these being despatched at the long wooded climb of section five whilst second placed man Pete Hampton 180 Bantam had problems with the loose cambered turns of section eight but still finished on a tidy seven marks lost.

Many thanks to all the observers and riders who took note of the sign-age at the start for quiet engines until the start.

Results in a bit