The official rider for Vertigo Motors, Miquel Gelabert, demonstrated a combative spirit in the challenging round of the TrialGP World Championship held this past weekend in Neunkirchen, Germany, and has moved up a position in the standings with his Nitro RS2.
The fourth, double-date round of the TrialGP World Championship took place in the town recognised as the best event of the TrialGP season in Europe in 2022, and once again, the German organisation did not disappoint in 2024. The event featured excellent organisation and a great trial atmosphere in Neunkirchen, which once again hosted one of the best trials of the year, with riders from all categories of the Championship.
The course, similar to the 2022 edition, included some sections from the 1997 European Championship, featuring both natural and indoor-style sections. Saturday’s afternoon rain had little impact on the riders, and on Sunday, some sections were modified, with certain parts becoming more difficult.
Gelabert, close to the podium
In the premier class, where Miquel Gelabert competes, the difficulty of certain steps didn’t prevent him from delivering an outstanding trial with his Vertigo Nitro RS2 on Saturday, particularly during the first lap. On the second lap through the sections, he admitted to making a few more mistakes, finishing in an excellent sixth place, just 4 points shy of the podium. On Sunday, Gelabert was hampered by a heavy fall in one of the initial sections, yet despite this, he maintained his position within the top five. However, he was not able to significantly reduce his score on the second lap and ended in eighth place. Nevertheless, Gelabert has climbed one position in the provisional TrialGP World Championship standings, now sitting in sixth place with 73 points.
The parity among riders in the Trial2 and Trial3 categories made it challenging for Vertigo’s representatives to achieve standout results in this event. Mattia Spreafico stood out among them again, though a few errors left him without a final reward. He placed tenth on Saturday and ninth on Sunday, 10 points off the podium. Mistakes are costly in these tightly contested categories, as Pau Martínez knows well, having struggled to find his rhythm and dropping points that kept him out of the scoring positions. Similarly, Alfie Lampkin did not find the way to finish satisfied with his performance.
Angel Llopis, Vertigo Motors’ sole representative in Trial3, fared better on Saturday (14th) than on Sunday, when he dropped out of the points. He is currently 14th in a very tight general standings.
The next round of the TrialGP World Championship will take place this coming weekend in Belgium, with a single day of competition. Comblain-au-Pont will challenge the Vertigo riders with a demanding trial.
2024 TrialGP World Championship results & standings
