Connor Hogan from South Australia has just returned from competing in Scandanavia in the European Junior Championship. Find a report on his trip below.
EM Trials Championships. Oslo, Norway August 10,11
We arrived in Gardemoen airport just north of Oslo, Norway on Tuesday August 6th. We picked up the hire van and headed the short distance to Siri Minken's house. Siri is a former world class women's rider who is the proud owner of a near-new 2012 GG 125 "racing" bike. Her father, Anders Minken, chairman of FIM Europe Trials Commission had heard of our plight to find motorcycles and had answered the call and arranged for Connor to hire his daughter's bike. Anders also arranged for me to be spied with a minders bike at both venues.
At the Norwegian round held at Hvervenbukta, south of Oslo Connor was not able to get as much practice on the bikers he would have liked. The bike was fitted with a Formula clutch which Connor found a little heavier than his usual AJP's. On the Friday it was tech control etc before section inspection. The Youth's (12-16) event was to be held on Saturday over a 12 x 2 lap course. Under FIM rules the riders can walk the sections on the day before, but can't enter the sections on foot on competition day. It is also non-stop rules. A rider must maintain forward motion at all times otherwise its a "five".
On race day it was a very nervous Connor who set off in his first truly international competition in the International Youth class of the European Trials Championships. The combination of a strange bike, non-stop rules, different terrain, not to mention the nerves led to a high scoring opening lap of 46. Time on the bike is everything and certainly he looked much better on the second tour dropping his lap score to 34. This made a total of 80 which produced a 27th place finish out of 44.
Though Conor felt much more comfortable on the bike on the second lap it was not the result he had hoped for. The win on this class went to Sondre Haga of Norway. British rider Jack Peace on 43 came second with Norway's Nils-Johan Gunvaldsen in third. In the Youth Championship Germany's Franz Kadlec out scored British rider Jack Price.
Boras, Sweden, August 17,18
After Norway it was a case of jumping in the van and heading south into Sweden. The final round of the European Championship was held south of Boras the following weekend on August 17/18.
Practice at the venue was Wednesday afternoon and we were there to get Connor as much riding time as possible to gel with the borrowed bike and the unfamiliar terrain. Like Norway the Swedish event was held in a pine forest with thick moss over damp racks. Practice again Thursday and you could see Connor's riding continually improving. Tech and inspection on Friday then into competition day Saturday.
A few nervous dabs but the opening lap of 16 in Sweden was a huge improvement over Norway with Connor more confident. Finally on the second lap he started to show his true potential. Starting with 6 consecutive cleans the final 6 sections only took 9 marks. A total of 25 finally netted him 13th position from 38 finishers. But it could have been even better, the points were so close. There were two riders tied on 24 and Connor lost the count back with two other riders also on 25 points.
So our Scandinavian trials adventure came to an end. Connor improved the more he rode the bike and gained a wealth of experience from the venture. The Youth International class winner was Lari Seppala from Finland (5). Runner up was Sweden's Jesper Johansson (11) and Jack Peace from England third (12).
In the battle in the European Youth Championship it was between the two Jitsie Gas Gas riders of Jack Price of Britain and Franz Kadlec of Germany both 16. In round one in the Czech Republic Price won an dialect came second. In Oslo finishing positions were reversed, so it was all square going into the deciding round in Sweden. Would you believe they tied on 7 points a piece, couldn't be broken on count back so it went to fastest time. Ironic that in the sport of trials Franz Kadlec became European Youth Champion because he was quickest.
New European Open Champion is 19 year old Swede Eddie Karlsson. He is another Jitsie backed rider who rides the Jotagas.
Connor sincerely appreciates the support of
Gas Gas Motos Australia
Motorcycling SA
Clare Motorcycle Club
South Australian Trials Community
Anders and Siri Minken
for their support in making this trip a possibility.