The 2010 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship will come to a close in Kramolin, Czech Republic this weekend and in doing so will bring the curtain down on the thirty fifth edition of the series.
2010 Champion Toni Bou
Three and a half decades have passed since the first FIM Trial World Championship started proper back in 1975, with Toni Bou - Repsol Montesa being the latest FIM Trial World Champion to join the thirteen other riders who have previously won the title over its long history.
Britain's Martin Lampkin - Bultaco was the first person to collect this prestigious crown in the mid seventies and continues to be a part of the current championship acting as a minder to his son Dougie who was later to follow in his father's tyre marks. Martin's reign was important, but only brief as Yjro Vesterinen - Bultaco begun his three year domination. The Finnish rider was to take the title in 1976, 1977 and 1978 as the series and riders begun a new era of professionalism.
Vesterinen still remains amongst an elite group of riders who have won the championship on more than one occasion. The trophy was to change rapidly over the coming years as Bernie Schreiber - Bultaco claimed yet another title for the Spanish manufacturer in 1979 before losing out to Ulf Karlson - Montesa from Sweden a year later. Frenchman Giles Burgat - SWM made it three different winners in three years as he snatched the title in 1981.
The eighties were dominated by two riders, with Belgium's Eddy Lejeune - Honda HRC recording three championships in a row - 1982, 1983 and 1984 - to equal Vesterinen's feat. His arch rival Thierry Michaud - Fantic was eventually to get his turn at the top of the table as he won three titles for the Italian factory during 1985, 1986 and 1988 to become the first rider ever to reclaim his crown after having lost it.
One of the championship's best ever riders was to emerge during the later part of the same decade, with the young Spanish hotshot Jordi Tarres - Beta bringing a new style of riding to the series. Over the next nine years Tarres would be only interrupted twice, once by Michaud and another time by Tommi Ahvala - Aprilia 1992 - as he notched up an incredible seven titles to firmly put himself in the history books.
Marc Colomer - Montesa was the man to bring Tarres' reign to a close in 1996 as he collected his team's second only title after a long sixteen year wait. Unfortunately for Colomer, he was to be sandwiched between two greats as Dougie Lampkin - Beta begun to show his true potential. Twenty two years after his father's victory, Dougie began his unequalled run of seven wins in a row to match and beat Tarres' record all in one go. With this dominance Dougie rightly became the new legend of Trial.
Lampkin's then team mate Takahisa Fujinami - Montesa was the man to take over at the top in 2004, as he became Japan's second only ever off road FIM World Champion. Adam Raga - Gas Gas then secured back to back titles in 2005 and 2006 before being over shadowed by the new force of modern Trial, his name being Toni Bou - Repsol Montesa.
2010 saw Bou claim his fourth successive SPEA FIM Trial World Championship, this year's crown coming with one round to spare. With age on his side, the twenty three year old supremo now looks a real threat to the records set by Tarres and Lampkin. Whilst his latest title is already in the bag, Bou will arrive in the Czech Republic looking to close the season in style by taking his eighth win of the campaign.
