A little Brown time
By Barry Robinson on 15th Nov 07
MICHAEL Brown won the 60th Northern Experts trial on Saturday after a titanic battle with British trials champion Graham Jarvis at murky Wildboarclough, where only trials riders and pheasants braved a cold damp day in the Derbyshire hills.
It was foggy in the morning, wet about lunchtimethen the cloud base descended so low that the 20 section observersstruggled to actually see. The final sections at Eardley's Burden weremore or less in darkness.
Brown, riding his John Lampkin Repsol Beta,actually rode every section without loss, apart from the final sectionunder the giant evergreens at Eardley's Burden where he lost a singlemark on each lap. Dan Thorpe was not on his usual national form but wasconistent with a brace of sevens that got him third place while LeeSampson missed the cut when he footed and fived Eardley's big step.
Clough House opened the action, up the beck forthe Clubmen and out over tree roots that got really nasty by lap two.The hard men headed for the five foot deep pool below the waterfallthen hooked sharp right up round the big tree and then plunged backinto the beck to be faced by a claggy bank. Ann and Peter Hallam had tododge about to spot any stray dabs behind the big tree which LeeSampson clattered and Chris Pearson elbowed out of the way. The treestayed put! Buster Regan bit the bullet with the first hard coursecleans.
Clubman Expert James Francis and eventual winnerDarren Wasley were the first cleans on the Clubman course and seemedwell in control. For Daz it was first time out since the Manx Two Dayand his tyres were virtually mint condition, hence the grip on themuddy rooted climb. Nigel Greenwood threw his pristine TLR at theroots, and they threw the bike straight back. That was a rib-crackingthump for Nigel.
Clough Gulley, up on the moors in the fog - abovethe first section where Michael Phillipson took a wrong - five markslater- turn out of the first sub. Chris Pearson took a flailing two asdid Morton but local ace Craig Robinson did a three and five on asection he knows well. Sampson also required two dabs on lap two toclear the first sub but hammered the second big climb-out on the moor.
Hilda and Rupert Ellison were camped up at fourunder the trees at Plantation, complete with tea brewing stovesheltering under their Jimny. The first and second of four subs in thevalley were easy. Camp Ellison featured a straight beck with a soggyexit that dug out. Danby, Robinson and Pearson all took single dabsgetting round the cambers on the second section. The sixth was bigmotor time, up the long loose gully with a switch round a tree beforefiring at a fallen tree that blocked the last three yards. Pune(Brown), Grimbo and Desperate Dan were all line-perfect as they hit thewoodwork square on. Morton did not make the cut on lap two so the marksslipped from George, Danby, Pearson, Sam Ludgate and Miles Jones. Andthe top rides ? Phillipson with his right knee well braced, and CraigRobinson. Michael was out in a major for the first time since the ColinAppleyard British back in June.
Sampson suffered in the seventh with a stop on laptwo while Danby fell foul of the earthy loose climb up through thetrees on lap one while Phillipson dropped three at the same spot. SamLudgate lost the tow with a stop on lap two or he would have levelledwith Thorpe on the run-in.
The turning point was coming up at Ben's Ditch,two subs straight up a dead ended gully, and they have played a keyrole in many an Experts. And they did, again. Brown just danced theRepsol Beta up both subs, on both laps. This was the Mighty Atom' witha full head of steam. No Pune' about him today. Michael was just onfire on Saturday, in every section.
And Graham ? I was right on it in the first subuntil a rock moved under my back wheel, I had to dab to correct on lapone and I think I hit the same spot on lap two! That initial singledab meant that Pune was ahead with a clean sheet on lap one and heattacked Cumberland Corner with a vengeance, jumping the yawning chasmat ten where Sampson got the airtime prize. Thorpe took a single toclear the waterfall. Just ten riders cleaned the second sub, includingall the front runners and the same applied to the third sub.
NORTHERN EXPERTS TRIAL
Wildboarclough (Manchester 17 MCC)
Northern Experts Trophy: Michael Brown (Repsol Beta) 2 marks lost.
Expert: Graham Jarvis (MRS Sherco) 3, Dan Thorpe(JST Gas Gas) 14, Lee Sampson (MRS Sherco) 21, Sam Ludgate (RepsolBeta) 22, Ross Danby (JST Gas Gas) 23, Chris Pearson (MRS Sherco),Michael Phillipson (Repsol Beta) 33, Miles Jones (Montesa) 40, GeorgeMorten (Repsol Beta) 40.
Clubman: Darren Wasley (Gas Gas) 5, Nick Shield(Beta) 14, Paul Bennett (Sherco) 14, Simon Hiscock (Beta) 14, JohnCowlay (Montesa) 14, Mark Reynolds (Gas Gas) 17, Mick Boam (Scorpa) 17,Kevin Hipwell (JST Gas Gas) 20, Simon Levett (Montesa) 22, Ben Robinson(Beta) 25, Chris Clarke (Montesa) 26, Liam Robinson (JST Gas Gas) 29,Rob Bowyer (Gas Gas) 29, Gavin Black (Beta) 30, Matthew Smith (Gas Gas)30, David Braithwaite (Montesa) 31, James Francis (Gas Gas) 32, JohnHulme (JST Gas Gas) 33, Andy Hipwell (JST Gas Gas) 34, Paddy Edwards(Gas Gas) 34.
See T+MX News, Friday, November 16, 2007 for full report and pictures.