08/04/18 - Matteo Grattarola, Sergio Piardi and Markus Kipp the first winners

Italian Matteo Grattarola (Montesa) is strongest than the weather conditions and climbed the highest step of the podium at the first round of the 2018 FIM Europe Trial Championship, held in Castelloli, Spain.

To complete Italian success Sergio Piardi (Beta) triumphed in the Junior class, while in the Over 40 the first place went to German Marcus Kipp (TRS) with an other Italian ,Piero Sembenini (Montesa) in second place.

How wrong were the weather forecasts the day before, such true were the same ones for today. In both days, they indicated rain, but it seemed the Skies had a moment of clemency for the younger and the women on Saturday while they dumped their anger on the 83 riders starting today. It was necessary to postpone the start of 1 hour to allow organizers to modify part of the loop, to cancel one section and to simplify all the other's , reducing of one level what already featured the day before.

Under weather conditions typical of North Europe countries we expect to see British riders at their easy, on the contrary who did the best score was a South Europe rider, Italian number one and unbeaten in Italy in the last 4 years that confirmed to be the most respected candidate to the 2018 title. His first lap's score was 7 marks. All the others were already distant. Spanish Aniol Gelabert (Scorpa) - brother of Michel who rides in TrialGP class – scored 16 tied with Marc Riba (TRS). In fourth Francesc Moret (Montesa) who scored one point more.

Again Grattarola made the best score in the second lap: just 6 marks. The “7” done by Moret let him to gain the runner up position overtaken Gelabert and Riba, that finished behind him in third and fourth place.

Piardi dominated the Junior class. After the first lap in which his score of 14 marks was slightly better than French Kieran Touly -Sherco- (15) and Hugo Dufrese - Gas Gas – (16). Piardi made a masterpiece in his second lap, delivering his card with only 3 points! Touly kept the second position scoring 12, while Dufrese worsened a lot his first performance making 29 errors and was overtaken by Swedish Linus Almthen (Gas Gas).

Kipp , winner of the last two editions in the Over 40 class, was not intimidated to combat against ex world rider Italian Sembenini and beat him in this first round. One point less in the first lap and other two in the second. In third place Dutch John Van Veelen (Gas Gas).

In the International II class, Spanish Carlos Brines (Gas Gas) won beating Italian Sara Trentini (Montesa), the best woman who rode today. Only two riders in the International I where the winner was Jere Karjalainen (Beta).

Next round in Isola 2000, France on 7th and 8th of July.
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Matteo Grattarola, Sergio Piardi e Markus Kipp the first winners i primi vincitori

Grande Italia all'Europeo : 2 primi posti nelle classi più importanti (Europe e Junior) e due secondi posti nella Over 40 (Piero Sembenini) e International II (Sara Trentini).

Condizioni meteo proibitive con pioggia torrenziale che hanno costretto gli organizzatori a post porre la partenza di un'ora per modificare tutte le zone e parte del percorso.