Tonight’s FIM X-Trial World Championship round in Bielefeld, Germany will mark a special moment for this event as it celebrates twenty-five years of hosting indoor motorcycle Trial competitions, but with this being the first time the city has held a World status event in this discipline. The relatively small sports arena on the outskirts of Bielefeld is sure to create a warm atmosphere when the action gets underway later this evening and will be in contrast to the cold conditions that lay outside.
In and away from the snow that lingers on the edges of the nearby streets, the course that the eight permanent riders and one wild card entrant will face will provide a unique challenge. The sections are all built to a local design and following a theme relevant to the region. The large period house with its windmill has the potential to be a real spectacle, as does the dual lane race that is dressed as a railway scene. They offer hazards which include a log puzzle, an array of rocks, a large scaffold tower and a jumble of skips.
Initial feedback from the riders as they made their usual preliminary inspection earlier today, is that they have a tough night ahead of them, with action and drama surely guaranteed.