Trial World Championship

Takahisa Fujinami earns World Championship runner-up title again
The Japanese Repsol rider takes the second place in the overall standings after a fourth place in the last round of the season staged in the Belgium city of Spa Francorchamps.
The Repsol-Montesa HRC team has achieved in its second season with the Cota 4RT 4 stroke machines the highest number of victories, five. Four were clinched by Takahisa Fujinami -who has won the largest number of races- and one by Dougie Lampkin. Moreover Montesa was able to take its ninth makes’ championship title. Laia Sanz, who took her seventh women’s’ world championship title yesterday finished seventh in the Junior World Championship.  Takahisa Fujinami: ‘I would say that the nerves betrayed me. I wanted to finish the championship with another victory which was also essential to try to clinch the title and I’ve made many mistakes. This has been a very difficult season for me due to the physical problems I had during the first half but the fact of finishing with a larger number of points makes me feel satisfied and it is at the same time a good incentive for the next year in order to try to recover the number one’.  Dougie Lampkin: ‘To tell you the truth it has been very hard for me to stay out of the podium at the end of the championship. The third place was at stake today and I’ve made my worst race of the year. Now I only want to think about the next world championship where I hope to be able to give the best of me and improve the results of this season’.  Laia Sanz: ‘Even if it may seem the contrary, the result I achieved today is not bad. I have managed to finish more in the front other times but without being satisfied with my riding and this time it has been the contrary. I know that the World Championship is over and my overall result is positive because I have found higher competition this season, as well as regards the level of experience and the assessment of the final result. This is something we also have to take into account’.  Results GP of Belgium 1. Adam Raga (Gas Gas) 28 (6+22) 2. Albert Cabestany (Sherco) 28 (8+20) 3. Toni Bou (Beta) 40 (25+15) 3 4. Takahisa Fujinami (Montesa) 41 (18+23) 5. Jeroni Fajardo (Gas Gas) 44 (21+23) 6. Dougie Lampkin (Montesa) 46 (22+24)  World Championship Standings 1. Adam Raga (Gas Gas) 201 points 2. Takahisa Fujinami (Montesa) 184 3. Albert Cabestany (Sherco) 177 4. Dougie Lampkin (Montesa) 169 5. Toni Bou (Beta) 160 6. Jeroni Fajardo (Gas Gas) 131  Makes’ Championship 1. Montesa 354 points 2. Gas Gas 331 ‘ 3. Beta 264   Profile and career highlights Takahisa Fujinami  Date of birth: 13.1.1980Place of birth: Mie (Japan)Height: 1.71 m.Weight: 68 Kg.First competition: Trial of Spain 1996First podium finish: Trial of San Marino 1997First victory: Trial of Germany 1997Total victories: 20World Championship titles: 1Years as Repsol rider: 3 (2004-2006)Hobbies: Music and tennis  1993: Runner-up Japanese Championship class B1994: 3rd Japanese Championship class A1995: Japanese Champion1996: 7th World Championship1997: 4th World Championship1998: Japanese Champion 5th World Championship1999: Japanese Champion. Runner-up World Championship2000: Japanese Champion Runner-up World Championship 5th Indoor Trial World Cup2001: Japanese Champion. Runner-up World Championship2002: Runner-up World Championship2003: Runner-up Outdoor Trial World Championship 5th Indoor Trial World Championship 3rd Spanish Championship2004: Trial World Champion Runner-up Indoor Trial World Championship2005: Runner-up World Championship 5th Indoor Trial Championship2006: Runner-up World Championship 5th Indoor Trial World Championship   The world championship title in the 2004 season was a deserved prize for the tenacity and class of Takahisa Fujinami, who after the absolute dominance of the Japanese national series made the jump to the World Championship, leaving behind his home-country and culture to continue being successful but at the international level.   Takahisa Fujinami has been through all specialities, and in his case it is fair to say that he has been balancing on every kind of two-wheelers. He was bicycle trial world champion before changing over to motorbike trial and becoming Japanese champion class B at the age of 13. Since he was a little boy and in any of these specialities, Takahisa showed an extraordinary condition that allowed him to climb really quickly, building a brilliant sports record from his first title in Japan in 1995. His first outstanding result in the World Championship was a seventh place in 1996. One year later he was already fourth. The vice-championship in 2000 confirmed him as one of the best. Completely adapted to his Spanish and European life, the Japanese rider with the constant smile on his face was able to develop all his abilities and became repeatedly championship runner-up in the shade of the untouchable Doug Lampkin the next year.   Coinciding in several competitions and having the British star as a teammate allowed him to improve his abilities and ambitions until achieving the well-deserved crown in 2004. He was not able to achieve his aim in the 2005 season and had to settle for the second position of the championship, behind Adam Raga, and ahead of team mate and seven times World Championship Doug Lampkin, a result he repeated this year.