28/08/11 - FIM Women's World Champ.: Tanvald, CZE

LAIA SANZ CLAIMED HER 11th WORLD TITLE!!!

Twenty-five year old Laia Sanz – Repsol Montesa successfully claimed her eleventh FIM Women's Trial World Championship today as she recorded a commanding win at the second and penultimate round of the series held at Tanvald in the Czech Republic. With the best two results from the three rounds counting towards the title, Laia can now go to the final event in Italy in a relaxed mood. Today Sanz produced an unstoppable performance whilst British contenders Emma Bristow – Ossa and Rebekah Cook – Sherco finished second and third respectively.
In what proved to be a technically demanding Trial, Sanz was in top form from early on in the proceedings. Heavy rainfall on Saturday evening transformed the course that had held the third round of the 2011 UEM European Trial Championship during the previous day, which Laia also won, turning the dry dusty sections into a mass of slippery challenges.
After dropping a single mark at the second section of her opening lap, Laia went on to clean the following four hazards. Section seven witnessed Laia's first and only failure of the day as the reigning World champion fived the slippery test. Losing another four marks through sections ten and eleven, Sanz ended her first tour at the top of the results table on ten marks.
Meanwhile compatriot Sandra Gomez – Gas Gas opened the Trial in scintillating form, dropping a mere eleven marks over the first nine hazards. Despite losing a further five marks at the eleventh section, Gomez finished her opening lap on a total of nineteen and slotted into second place behind Sanz at this stage. Twenty-year-old Bristow continued her good form from last weekend cleaning six hazards on her first lap. After fiving section eleven the Ossa teamster ended her first tour on twenty marks and in third place.
Whilst Bristow was enjoying a relatively incident free first lap, the same could not be said for countrywoman Cook. After dropping maximum marks at sections two and three, the Sherco teamster's day went from bad to worse at the seventh hazard. Whilst attempting to tackle the greasy zone Cook slipped and injured her knee, eventually closing her first lap on twenty-four marks.
With the sun starting to break through and determined to wrap up the title with one round of the series to go, Sanz launched her second tour of the course in spectacular fashion. Cleaning ten from a possible fifteen sections, Laia completed her second lap on seven marks, taking the win a clear nineteen ahead of her nearest rival.
Similarly to Sanz, Bristow made good use of the drying sections, finishing her second and final lap on sixteen marks and to claim a well-deserved second place. Despite still struggling with her injured knee, Cook remained focused and went on to take third spot, two behind Bristow.
After recording two consistent lap scores Germany's Rosita Leotta – Gas Gas just missed out on a rostrum position finishing fourth overall, six marks behind Cook. Despite her initial good form, youngster Gomez slipped down the results table from second to fifth. Finishing the Trial on equal marks with Leotta, Gomez was demoted to fifth with twelve cleans compared to thirteen for Leotta.


Many thanks to FIM for writing this report
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LAIA SANZ CONQUISTA IL SUO 11-ESIMO TITOLO MONDIALE!!!