Dougie Lampkin hit top form with an easy victory at the international invitation indoor arena trial at Bolzano.
The Silsden rider beat former world champion Marc Colomer and Spaniard Marcel Justribo to first place.
The mid-week event was a warm-up for the crucial Madrid world final next Friday where it is more or less a formality for Adam Raga to claim his first indoor world crown.
"It felt good to be on top of the podium again," said Lampkin. "A win is a win whatever the circumstances. I am aiming to win again in Madrid. It will ease the pain of not taking the title."
Lampkin heads to Barcelona this week to carry out suspension testing before competing in the indoor world final on Friday and then on Sunday riding in the opening event in the Spanish national outdoor series.
l Ilkley Motor Club team manager Richard Wood steered his team to their eighth consecutive Larkspeed Inter-Club Championship last year, but the Bradford man came unstuck on Sunday at Melbourne Airfield when his new contenders only scored five points.
Huddersfield, North Humberside and Trackrod clubs all topped the 200-mark.
It was a bad day at the office for Wood. One entry failed to make the start of the special stage event and then out went Bradford's Gavin Parry and co-driver Adele Mosey with just one stage remaining with axle problems on their Hillman Avenger.
"They were third in their class and about 13th overall so they would have scored quite well," said disappointed club press officer Henry Kitching.
Parry works at the Guiseley branch of Benfield Ford when not trying to win rallies.
A total of 60 crew took part in the eight-stage event, with victory going to York brothers Phil and Mick Gallagher driving a Metro 6r4.
Class winners included Huddersfield driver Chris Leeming.
The other half of Team Mosey, husband David, ventured to the Midlands and won the first round of the national Autotest Championship at Curborough driving his own built and prepared Mini Special.
Mosey scored maximum points to get the defence of his title off to a flying start.
l James Dabill won the Yeadon-Guisley trial at Dob Park from Richard Timperley and John Lampkin. Harrogate precision engineer Patrick Darybyshire topped the strong clubman class. Burley youth Edward Haley took the Small Wheels class on his Beta machine.
The club had to move the trial at the last minute from Brimham Rocks because of flooded ground conditions.
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