Belgium YWTC - Alexz Wigg World Champion
By TMX Archives on 25th Sep 06
Alexz Wigg (JST Gas Gas 07 Pro Racing 125) produced a gutsy but mature performance in the final round of the Youth World Championship in Belgium today.
Typical of his riding this year the 2006 European Junior Trials champion performed exceptionally well under extreme pressure, simply he had to finish top three if he was to lift the Youth World title.
From the first section the trial and championship was there to be lost, as the sections were tricky and technical but the large numbers of cleans early on meant a 5 could be disastrous. Wiggy was riding well and a dab dropped in the awkward section 7 was followed by a unique clean in 9, no one else managed this. This set him up for a very low score, which was achieved by some great rides in the last few zones. Section 13 was particularly difficult, and a two-mark loss here was good.
Leading at the end of lap 1 with a miserly 4, Cervantes was second on 6, and championship rival Gubian on 8.
The second lap was more demanding because the sections deteriorated as the mud carried up, however a clean card until section 7 meant the trial was within reach. The slippery rocks caused an uncharacteristic three-mark loss, but this was then followed by yet another no-loss ride on 8, then another great effort to clean number 9 the only double clean. Then the difficult 13, which was fived by Dani Gibert on the blue route, with the green being almost as hard. Two riders got up the first bank one of these was Gubian which left no room for error, with the motor revving ready to burst he scaled the first mud step but needed a couple to do it so had increased his score closer to the others.
Another dab in 14 by Gubian opened the door again, but a soft 1 balancing in a stream didn't help going into to the tricky 15.
Alexz started of well but didn't manage to get up an awkward rock and before long was on another 3, after nearly dropping the bike. Despite thinking he had done enough to win the championship he was annoyed that he had not won the trial, as the scores were showing Gubian on 14 and Alexz on 15. Once the officials had checked the scores both were on 14 and Alexz got the nod on most cleans for the trial and of course the championship.
Alexz was soon very happy (an understatement) on seeing the results, Cervantes having faded and the third rider now Liotard back on 19 the margin for error was greater for Alexz to secure the Championship. A delighted (but as usual perfectionist) Alexz said, " it would have been a disappointment not to have won today and then lift the championship, but thankfully I have managed both. It hasn't sunk in yet but with all the pressure that's not surprising. Andorra convinced me that I could do it, and today although nervous to start with once I cleaned section 9 on the first lap things went pretty well”. Alexz finished well clear in the points with a final margin of 9 points to his first ever WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!
At the presentation he was first up for winning the trial, then for the SPEA young hopefuls and finally for the Championship, brilliant!