Dan Thorpe (GasGas) has put himself in a strong position to retain his Champion status in the Trial Expert class with a very controlled ride in the thirty six sections at Brimham Rocks on Sunday. His main championship rival, Brad Bullock (Beta) kept the Yorkshireman honest throughout the day, with Sam Beecroft-Penny (TRRS) maintaining his run of form to finish a distant third.
Thorpe gave himself breathing space on the first of three laps, amazing his rivals (and the author) by parting with just two marks on the first tour, using his vast experience to push on to the front of the field before the rocks became polished. He then controlled his lead with lap scores of 2-5-8 to eventually finish four clear of Bullock who went 9-5-6.
With just two rounds remaining, Thorpe now holds a thirteen point lead in the series from Bullock, whilst Beecroft-Penny has hoisted himself into third, four points clear of Emma Bristow MBE (Sherco) who had her worst points haul of the year in seventh.
Charlie Smith (Vertigo) backed up his previous round second place with fourth position this time out, recording more cleans than Beecroft-Penny, but suffering from four more fiascos.
From here on the marks were tight for top ten positions with Thomas Swindlehurst (Sherco) recording his best finish of the season in fifth, leaving him just outside of the seeded positions for the next round, whilst Thomas Dexter (GasGas) also squeezed in from of Britain's best female rider to open his points tally in sixth.
After missing some rounds earlier in the year, Elliott Laws (Scorpa) finished a good eighth, with Cameron Brice (Beta) and Oliver Sharp (Gas Gas) rounding out the top ten.
We don't usually do this but a special mention to local rider Joshua McParland who predicted pre Trial that his score would be circa seventy five marks lost and he finished with seventy nine to record his first championship points.
Our picture shows Thorpe in full flow half way round the lap.
Thanks to Jazz Hammond for air dropping the image.