Trial Magazine Forum

Looks like Bou will wrap up the title this weekend and conitinue in his winning ways. Depending on rule changes it looks like he will be at the top of the game for a few years yet.. my question is who do you think will be the next rider to challenge for that top spot now that the "old order" of Raga, Cabestany, Fuji, Lampkin etc are not pushing for the wins on a regular basis?
I have always liked Fajardo but i think he just lacks that final consistant top runner ability, and of course he has actually been on the scene a good few years now. Has James Dabill got that bit extra in him for regular top spots? Will Alexz Wigg get full factory support to enable him to push on?.. or do we need to look down to the youth and Junior classes for the next big thing... Challoner, Tarres, Sheppard etc etc.

Or do we need to start looking at the National Championships being more important again, the French and Italians seem to have many good riders and they also seem to be able to attract support from within and out of the trials world to run well presented teams but they don't seem to worry about riding in World events. Look at the images from the european national events and they seem to be very well publicised and promoted and they have the look of a world round with sponsors and proper markers etc etc. (most of you know my disappointment about the british series promotion)

... in the present climate will the manufacturers continue to support riders in a multi series round? I still reckon we should use the national series as qualifying for a world championship weekend. Costs would be cut and the national series may be improved. It would then leave dates open for trials to be organised along the lines of the French urban events of one off trials like the supertrial. Invite top riders and get sponsors interested, even eurosport.