Wigg-wam-Bem!
By TMX Archives on 14th Mar 14
ALEXZ Wigg successfully defended his Bemrose Trophy crown by taking the win for the second year running, when the long-standing National trial was staged in the Peak district surrounding Buxton on Sunday.
Instigated by Colonel KL Bemrose, back in 1921, the 2014 trial on this occasion was run by the North Derbyshire Youth MCC, Manchester 17 MCC and Macclesfield TC.
The Bemrose was run as a stand-alone National trial and as it was not part of an ACU series the organisers elected to run under Stop Allowed observing rules and the circa 140 entry was treated to a single lap of 40 sections starting from High Edge, up on the hills above Buxton on the Leek road.
To the joy of riders, officials and spectators alike the event was run in glorious sunshine which, as anyone who has spent any amount of time in the area knows, is not something that happens every day.
Just short of 20 riders had elected to ride the full Hard Bemrose course, with the vast majority happy on the Easy course and around 40 taking the 50/50 option meaning that the Bemrose catered for a wide variety of ages and skill levels.
The dozen groups started with a loop north from the start taking in Kidtor Dale, Staden Quarry and Wrights, a total of a dozen hazards.
After cleaning the first couple Wiggy then indulged in a slack dab in the third at Kidtor, which left fellow Gas Gas rider Sam Haslam and Jotagas pilot Ross Danby still clean.
Sam lasted just three further sections before he parted with a dab in Staden Quarry.
Danby then managed a further three sections before dropping dabs in two consecutive hazards at Wrights, to leave Alexz and Sam level pegging on one apiece.
Etchings four subs comprised an opener which crossed and re-crossed a shallow brook and then three on the dry bankings.
Section 19 at Booths proved to be the difference on the day as Wigg pulled off the ride of the day to drop just a dab while Haslam lost five, along with all the other Bemrose course contenders.
Ross drew himself back into contention with an excellent two-dab attempt but unfortunately a maximum at Robinsons Rocks, finally halted the Danby charge.
The once-feared red sandstone at Manor Steps was almost unbelieveably dry while even two subs on the infamous Hawks Nest millstone grit proved not too taxing, although the Stop Allowed rule helped the Hard course contestants immeasurably.
In the end Alexz claimed the Premier despite a two-mark loss in the first of a mighty 10 sub group on the slabs at Dane Bower.
Haslam took the only entire clean of the group, in fact Sam cleaned the final 20 sections, but that five at Booths proved impossible to peg back.
Danby filled the final podium spot, well ahead of Sherco's Luke Walker and Shaun Fox. The Easy route proved very popular with the Over 40 and Over 50 entries and in the former, Gas Gas rider Richard Moakes took a three-mark win from Ian Margetts, who had a brilliant ride on his early 1980s twin-shock, air-cooled Fantic 240.
Rob Bowyer was also up at the sharp end, finishing seventh on his Pre-65 Triumph twin on which he dropped just 25 marks.
Former MX World Champ Jamie Dobb enjoyed his ride round on a four-stroke Montesa although he required some help at Hawks Nest, when the drive chain snagged round the front sprocket, requiring some educated brute force to fix it.
In the Over 50s Graham Haslam finished way ahead of his rivals on just eight marks, comprised of a five in the last of four subs at Wrights plus a further two and a one.
Clive Charlton took second in class for a Beta one-two. Scott Rowland, who opened the course along with Mike Edwards, finished sixth in class.
In the 50/50 classes Chris Koch proved the master losing less than half the total of John Cowley and Roman Kyrnckyj.
Chris dropped 10 to the 22. Ian Payne was fourth ahead of former road race ace Rob McElnea with Chris Barlow, who rarely rides these days, next.
Tom Fraser took the Inter honours on the 50/50 course with an eight-mark cushion over Adam Frith.
All in all an excellent day's riding at a traditional single lap National, with the bonus of blue skies!
