2007 Indoor World Trial Championship Round 6

Datchforum, Milan Italy - 17/2/2007 - Attendance: 11,500

Fought Well with Injury - One Point Short!

photoWhen Mr. Cirera, the team Boss of the Montesa, told Fujinami to concentrate on healing and no riding till the weekend, he knew what Fujinami had in his mind. The boss then locked up the garage door so Fuji would not confidentially bring out his bike to see if he has made any magical recovery. The boss did not give the key to Josep, Fuji's minder, who originally thought to have more time to work on the bike during the week. The team boss knew he would end up finding Fuji on the bike if he gave the key to the minder.

It was Thursday that Fuji touch the bike since the last round. Still, it was to have a discussion about the taping treatment to his foot for the weekend with the doctor under supervision of the team boss. The doctor wasn't going to travel to Milan with Fuji, so he also needed to learn how to tape by himself too. When the discussion and the lesson were over, the bike was brought back to the garage and the door was locked again. Fuji flew to Milan the next day, so he had no riding before the Italian round.

Fuji had a trouble walking right in Milan. It was too hard for him to climb up and jump on to the obstacles, so he could not inspect the sections the way he wished. He watched them from the floor to figure out the way to ride. During the warm-up ride, Fuji felt uneasiness and a pain with the foot. He fixed the taping and prepared for the his start. By the time of his starting time, he was at the best condition possible for the day, as the pain killer began to work too.

Because there are nine rounds in the series with only five nominated riders, the starting order was decided by a ballot at the round six, and it will be so till the end of the series. Cabestany picked the first spot, and the order followed as Bou, Lampkin, Fuji and Raga.

Fuji marked five consecutive cleans at the beginning of the lap. The riders started before him have dropped some points by the fifth section; 11 points for Lampkin, six for Cabestany and Bou, and five for Fajardo. Fuji thought it wasn't going to be as bad as he expected considering the injury. There was a pain, but it was far less than the constant pain he had with his finger injury last year. He did not feel the pain while riding.

The doctor, who gave Fuji the taping lesson, ordered Fuji strictly not to jump. He even called Fuji's cell-phone before the start to make sure the Japanese would not push too much. Fuji also had the team boss keeping eyes on his riding closely at the stadium too. Still, there was a jump off spot at the end of the section six, and he had no choice other than violating the order. Fuji did jump off but hesitated a little to cover his foot. He needed to land precisely, but his hesitation seemed to affect his balance, and he overshot to drop five points. His point lead shrunk down, and the chance for the Final Lap became insecure.

There was another jump off followed by a slope and step at the section seven. He showed a protective move again, and he had to foot to hold the bike when landed; He dropped two more points as a result. Fuji's hesitation came from his worry not to have further damage to his foot, and it was affecting his riding. At the final eighth section, he lost the grip on the camber surface of the obstacle to drop another point. Fuji finished the observed sections with nine points including one time penalty point.

The final starter of the event, Raga showed the perfect ride with eight straight cleans. Thus Fuji dropped to fourth in the Qualification Lap with two points gap against Cabestany. Fuji won the final Double-Lane but it wasn't enough to bring him up ahead of the Spaniard. Although it was disappointing to miss the Final Lap, Fuji was happy the way he fought because he didn't know if he could ride before starting the lap.

It was another good result for the team Montesa as Bou finished second ahead of Raga at the Final Lap to extend the point gap in the standing. As the chance of Bou taking the title getting stronger, the team-work within the Montesa camp is getting stronger too. Two ex trial world champions gave some advises to Bou before the Final Lap too. Fuji was happy to see his team-mate fighting for the title, but at the same time, he knew he was supposed to be in the position fighting for the victory.

Fuji's foot swelled up a little after being abused with tough riding, but he thought the condition was good enough for him to start riding during the week. But he didn't want to announce his plan yet, because he didn't know what the doctor and the team boss would say about it.

Quote from Fujigas:

Again I was one point short for the Final, but I rode well at the first half of the lap. I could not ride the bike last weekdays, and I wasn't sure if I could ride so well this weekend. The point gap against Cabestany is extending, and he is getting away from me. I don't like the way, because he is now close to Adam for fighting for the second place. But the priority for me now is to concentrate on healing, I think.

Indoor Trial WorldChampionship 2007
Round 6 - Datchforum, Milan Italy
Final Lap
1 Albert Cabestany Sherco 12
2 Toni Bou Repsol Montesa HRC 16
3 Adam Raga Gas Gas 18
Qualificarion Lap
1 Adam Raga Gas Gas 0
2 Toni Bou Repsol Montesa HRC 7
3 Albert Cabestany Sherco 8
4 Takahisa Fujinami Repsol Montesa HRC 9
5 Jeroni Fajardo Beta 17
6 Dougie Lampkin Repsol Montesa HRC 21
7 Blazusiak Tadeusz Beta 31
8 Fabio Lenzi Montesa 35
PointStandings
1 Toni Bou 51
2 Adam Raga 41
3 Albert Cabestany 39
4 Takahisa Fujinami 32
5 Dougie Lampkin 27
6 Jeroni Fajardo 26
7 Blazusiak Tadeusz 6
8 Shaun Morris 4