Les 2 Jours d' Arbecey
20 & 21 Août 2016
invité d' honneur: Philippe Berlatier
Joel Corroy and his Club Trail70 Classic witrh about 100 assistants realised a great event in the east of France.
Trialist from France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Isle of Jersey, UK, Italy came to enjoy 2 days in the woods and the nice camp on the field.
The weather forecast for Saturday was horrible, rain from 10h til 17h. And yes, it started raining when I arrived at 10h on the padock.
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| whats that? | am the newest shopping car... |
Before the trial, I had a little time to visit Joel Corroy's huge Trail 70 shop and again his Trials Museum.
Ariel 500 engine
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| first SWM TL320 Trial as ridden by Charles Coutard | Gilles Burgats works SWM TL 320 |
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| Bultaco | Ossa |
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| JCM | Frames |
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| Tau Engine 320 and 240ccm | 323 JCM |
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| moulds | JCM 1986: Vega 333 |
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| a clients JCM | waiting for the tank |
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| some details |
I parked my Honda SUV next to the Swiss Connection consisting of Chris Aebi, Ernst & Annemarie and Claudio Stampfli, Edy, René, the brothers Liechti Max and Kurt, and of course Big Waldo Frei.
Once packed in the rain equipement, I was wondering how difficult the zones might be. I enrolled in the blue Twinshock with my TLR 250 light Honda.
I took a few pic in the park, but soon had to start myself.
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| Mark Stockes Twin 500 from UK | a nice Tiger Cub from Belgium |
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| the UK team with Mr. Majesty Steve and Mark Stockes | |
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| Claudio and Rene | Claudio is proudly presenting the newest moto in the Stampfli Garage: Tiger Cub 200ccm |
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| again the nice Tiger Cub | Walter Frei on his BSA B40, winner of the Pre65 green |
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| Walt and Pat singing in the rain | the oldest finisher: Ernst Stampfli, 79 years old !!! chapeau! |
Saturday was the "short" round with 22km in boucle A & B, 12 zones.
Althoug it was raining, the earth was not yet muddy and in the first round many zones could be passed with a zero. However, almost impossible was zone 1, very, very muddy and slippery.
Most competitors failed already to lift the front wheel on the fist rock after the curve. Big Bear (Philippe BerlatierI arrived on a pretty standard Bultaco 340 (or 250?).
He found grip an passed the first obstacle with a lot of torque, just the right speed, he went on an past the next rock, then 1 dab and he finished the zone with 1.
Wow, the few spectators and competitors were speechless, how on earth could he find grip? Next was a very good red line Twinshocker, but he could not even lift his front wheel on the first rock, because there was no grip...
Have look at my video clip and honour Philiips ride!
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| full body control | accelerating in the mud |
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| attack the rock | full control |
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| 2nd step | attacking the next slippery rock |
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| uh, that's slippery | need 1 dab |
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| next obstacle | last rock at the exit |
| Big Bears 1 dab video clip |
As the rain only started just before the start, some zones were not to bad and passable.
But here a difficult one, where Michel Petitdemange was "commisaire"
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| Walter is accelerating his BSA | problem starts |
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| ups | Walter Frei Clip |
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| the excellent French Rider Thierry Violini, 3rd Pre 65 expert | on Tiger Cub, Pre 65 Experts blue line |
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| muddling through | Thierry near the end of zone Clip of Thierry Violini |
The rain took its toll
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| Walter in the rain and mud | wow, look this muddy Bulto, chain is greased by sticky mud |
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| a Motobecane in troubel | at the finish, Saturday evening, after 30 km in the woods |
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| before | after |
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| cleaning the bikes Saturday evening | Christian & Christian |
Here some pics from the great fotographer Jean-Pierre Quemin, found on the home page of trail70. There is also a list of participants ot the trials meeting, as it is officially not a competition, more a friendly ranking.
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| Invité d' honeur Philippe Berlatier with a standard Bultaco from Dany Kempf | a great pic of Bear, by far the best rider of the weekend |
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| Christian Weber (Germany) and Claudio Stampfli, first time competing on dad's new Tiger Cub, 3rd Pre 65 green | in the middle is Vanessa, Isle of Jersey on her nice TY 200 |
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| Spanish rider Marti Font, looks exhausted after a day in the mud, not jused to in sunny Spain | Old Swiss Champ Walter Frei, many years of experience in all weather conditions |
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| let it dry and it won't turn any more | trials rider and great blues musician Dennis Foltzer (ok, hair is faked) |
The rain stopped by the end of the afternoon and people started cleaning their bike, themsleves and had a first beer. Then the usual tour de ville was the next highlight. A crowed of happy trialer toured in the village of Arbecey, greated my most inhabitants, even baptisted by a priest with nuns...
Here the fotos of Jean-Pierre Quemin
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| Joel with nuns. Yes, in France it is worth to go to church, isn't it? | a classic 2CV, the car of nuns and Trail 70 boss Joel Corroy |
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| Tour de ville, headed by holley nuns | priest and nuns |
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| stop in front ot the chruch of Arbecey (where is Pat?) | Some people were even smoking cigars... |
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| Christian Aebi, Grandpapa Martin et Maxime | holly smoke |
My fotos and 1 clip form the Tour d' Arbecey
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| assembling for the tour de village | |
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| all vehicles permitted | even in a scottish kilt |
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| the 4 M's: family Feidt, Mathieu, Marie, Maxime, Martin | |
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| Philippe Berlatier | |
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| Benedictum gladiatori trialensis | clip |
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| back at the paddock, waiting for diner |
After a good diner, many chats and even more beer & wine, some hours of sleep in peace. Then Day 2 with 2x20 km started. Her pics from Jean-Pierre Quemin
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| France is famous for its nice baguettes. There is
always a backer car coming. I bought baguettes and croissants... |
Claudio Stampfl on Tiger Cub, with 16 years of age
the younster in the Pre 65 class In his first competition on the Tiger he became 3rd in the green line |
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| Walter Frei in perfect grip position, Winner of the Pre 65 green class | Swiss Daniel on his nice BSA |
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| Isle of Jersey Rider David in the light TY 200 Yam | Claude Goset, former world chamipon contender of the 80ies, winner in the Twinshock expert blue line |
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| Christian Aebi Yamaha TY 320 special | Webmaster HondaPat on the TLR 250, 2nd Twinshock expert blue line |
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| Spaniard Marti Font on a nice Puma Bultaco, about 1973 | Guy Totems, Nationa Chmapion of the 70ies, still a top rider on Tiger Cub |
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| Herve on Honda TLR 200 | Alsace top rider Thierry Violini, 3rd Pre65 Expert blue line |
Invité d' honeur Philppe Berlatier in perfect balance. He finds grip where others not even think to walk on foot
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| Twinshock red Mr. Majesty Steve Martin honours Philippe "Bear" Berlatier, 3rd is Christian Nourisson | HondaPat 2nd, 1st Belgian Champ Claude Goset, Martin for Christian Weissel |
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| Pre 65 green, 2nd Bernd Sattler, 1st Waltou Frei, 3rd Ernst Stmpfli (79) for his grandson Claudio | Twinshock green, Pat for Kurt Liechti, 1st Chris Lebrun, 3rd. Dominique Parodi |
Despite some rain an mud, it was a great weekend. My best ranking after many years of attending this 2 Jours d'Arbecey, My Honda runned without problems and I was quite confident. The Swiss were quite successful and got some good rankings. After 3 hours I arrived home in the night, cleaned my Honda and then had a shower, tiredly felt asleep and dreamt about zones, the woods and nice scenery of Arbecey...
Honda Pat