A wet and cold event greeted the riders tackling the course in Arglye Victoria. Event organisers braved the rain and chilling wind that tore through the property on the day before the trial whilst completing the finer touches on the course which would test every rider over the 2 days of competition (20th and 21st of August 2016)
5 Entrants in Experts with 3 states competing to take the title made for an exciting start to the competition on day 1 with local riders Tim Coleman (Beta), Tom Scott (Montesa, returning to trials) Zac Malarczyk (Beta, stepping it up and riding expert), South Australian Connor Hogan (Sherco, back in the country from his euro adventures) and Colin Zarczynski aboard his new mount the Vertigo Ice Hell.
Before the trial Colin said “I’ve had about 2 solid hours on the bike last weekend and its so impressive. I have a lot of nervous energy and I am looking forward to running in the bike this weekend and testing its abilities”.
All the expert riders started on section 8 the first lap which proved to be one of the hardest sections of the trial. The section was long and each rider carried mud up the rocks to add to the already slippery conditions. A quick slip saw young Zac drop of the tricky rock in the middle of the section and snap went his beta rear guard. Tim had a good ride getting through the section, only to time out with a few meters to go. Colin pushed through the mud and raced through the section to take a 3. This looked to be the start of a very slippery long day with plenty of opportunity to take a quick 5 on each section.
Slowly the sun came out and the sections gained some grip. The first lap scores were close with most points being lost on the same sections and same obstacles for each rider. Colin lead the field over each of the 3 laps to take the win on day 1 with 39 points to Tim’s 61 and Connors 87.
Colin Said, “It was a tough slippery day and I dropped some unnecessary dabs in easy parts of the sections. I don’t get to ride much wet and slip so it’s a great challenge putting me out of my comfort zone. I am loving my Vertigo, the power is smooth and consistent, the suspension handles like a dream and the fuel injection system inspires confidence with perfect throttle response. I am defiantly happy with todays results”.
Day 2 and the sky darkened with light rain throughout the day which only cleared at the end of the trial to make for a pleasant trophy presentation. Through injury Tom Scott was unable to compete on day 2 with the rest of the field braving the conditions, new sections and some modified sections. Organisers decided on 4 laps for the Sunday which was a risky call but worked out that all riders still finished with the overall time limit for the day.
Spectators that had also braved the conditions saw some great rides from all competitors through the much tighter sections of day 2. The loop was long and whilst getting smashed by the rain between sections all riders kept battling for the title with high spirits. Colin Zarczynski continued his good form on day 2 and again lead the field from start to finish.
Colin said, “I am excited to take the win, Tim is always a tough competitor to beat with his calm demeanour, Connor has been riding so much I was unsure how close we would be and the experience for tom returning to trials and Zac stepping up to expert was inspiring. My Vertigo, although totally covered in mud, had a dream debut and completing the weekend without incident has calmed my nerves heading into Round 2 of the NSW Championships next weekend. I am keen to develop the bike, learn its abilities and challenge for the Australian Championship in Queensland next month.
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|
Lap 1 |
Lap 2 |
Lap 3 |
Total |
Lap 1 |
Lap 2 |
Lap 3 |
Lap 4 |
Total |
|
Colin |
21 |
7 |
11 |
39 |
12 |
14 |
13 |
11 |
89 |
|
Tim |
25 |
11 |
26 |
61 |
22 |
24 |
10 |
12 |
129 |
|
Connor |
35 |
27 |
25 |
87 |
30 |
19 |
25 |
19 |
180 |
|
Zac |
39 |
39 |
35 |
113 |
23 |
28 |
29 |
32 |
225 |
|
Tom |
30 |
30 |
28 |
88 |
DNS |
|
|
|
|