Sheffield threw up a cliff-hanger for ten times world trials champion Dougie Lampkin and his Radson Montesa on Saturday when Spanish rising star Marc Freixa gave the Silsden rider food for thought by piling on the pressure right from the start of the evening of flashing lights, and airhorns.

No matter how much support the capacity audience of nine thousand bike mad fans gave by almost raising the huge arena roof in a bid to lift the gritty Yorkshirman in his opening indoor world title defence Freixa was on a mission.

A thudding crash from the highest point of the artificial log section in the qualifying heats failed to detune Lampkin, the Radson Montesa piledriving Dougie hard into the solid floor while Freixa was in great form, matching him all the way.

It was on the sixth and penultimate section that Dougie got his chance, two marks on his card while Freixa and Adam Raga both failed and collected five marks.

Albert Cabestany rounded out the top quartet while Marc Colomer, Takahisa Fujinami and Steve Colley failed to make the final cut.

The contest was by no means over after the observed sections because the high jump, and speed race, carried points, and they went to Lampkin. He knew he had to beat Freixa in both tests, or loose his seventh Sheffield Arena crown to the Spaniards.

Lampkin now has breather, all of six days, then he hits Koblenz in Germany, and has to do it all over again - beat the Spanish Armada.

He heads for Germany on Saturday for round two of the F.I.M. World Indoor Championship at the Stadhalle in Koblenz where the organisers always seem to find time to build a major spectator attraction.

Last year it was a magic carpet entrance from somewhere up in the rafters of the huge hall. What will they come up with at the weekend ? Will Dougie win ?

New Year trial

The annual Ilkley Motor Club New Year Trial was a tough test for trials riders at Dob Park on Sunday, and a fantastic photography venue as the winter fog filled the entire Washburn Valley to a height of 300 feet above the reservoir surface.

Yeadon and Guiseley member Roger Pulleen said he had seldom seen a fog bank as dense or at that height over the Washburn valley in half a century.

The trial attracted over 70 starters with an even split between expert and clubman category skills, and with 20 sections and two laps the mud was really flying as most competitors struggled to keep on two wheels.

Menston observer Malcolm Rainforth took the tenth section, a very steep hill, for all classes, and few riders managed to scale the expert route without penalty and not many clubmen gained the summit without resorting to flailing legs and boots. Top rider was Leeds builder Henry Moorhouse with rival Sam Ludgate right on hand to snatch the coveted trophy should he falter.

Tranmere Park youth Edward McIntosh was the top novice and neighbour Andrew Carter stormed the Inter class to win by a large margin from Andy Johnson and Andy Tales.

James Dabill rode the full adult course and won the Youth class and was fifth overall. Richmond farmer, and veteran trialler Richie Sunter was the star in the clubman category.

The funeral service of prominent Harrogate motorcycle sport official and former rider Roger Milner will take place on today, Thursday, January 10 at Stonefall Cemetery, Wetherby Road, Harrogate, at 11.40 am.

On home ground the only trial on Sunday is at Scarborough where Harwood Dale is the venue for an East Yorks Centre contest.

Wetherby would have run their annual January Group Trial but Club Secretary Margaret Myers confirmed late on Sunday that the club would be sorting out their programme later this month and that no trials would run for a few weeks, until all the landowners in the Pateley Bridge area have been consulted so to settle any speculation about Wetherby and next Sunday the answer is no trial on the weekend list.

Sue Smith of Yeadon & Guiseley Motor Club sent me a list of her club's activities this year, all 43 of them. Club nights, trials at all levels up to British championship level, on two and three wheels.

The club at present is one of the most active in the British Isles and always welcomes new members. Watch the fixture list for their fortnightly club meetings at Guiseley Football and Cricket Club.

Yeadon and Guiseley have been running for almost a century. I think I joined the club about 47 years ago. It was the club whose colours I rode under at my first event, a Spen Valley contest near Cleckheaton in 1956, and failed miserably, and where I won the same trial the following year, the Eddie Rigg Trophy event.

Anyone who followed the fortunes of Odsal speedway will know just who, and how good, Eddie Rigg was on the cinders.

Diary Dates:

Tonight, Thursday

Craven MC club night, The Cross Keys, Skipton (8.30pm); Spen Valley M.C. club night, The West End, Gomersal (8.30pm); West Leeds M.C. club night, The Valley Inn, Drighlington (8.30pm).

Saturday

FIM World Indoor trials championship, round two, Koblenz, Germany.

Sunday

Scarborough DMC adult and youth trial, Harwood Dale, Hackness (10.30am).

Weekend Results Check

Weekend Results Check

FIM World Arena Trial championship, Sheffield Arena. Saturday - 1, Dougie Lampkin (Radson Montesa) 15; 2, Marc Freixa (Sherco) 19; 3, Adam Raga (Gas Gas) 22; 4, Albert Cabestany (Beta) 34.

Non-qualifiers: 5, Marc Colomer; 6, Takahisa Fujinami; 7, Steve Colley.

World points: 1, Lampkin 20; 2, Freixa 17; 3, Raga 15; 4, Cabestany 13; 5, Colomer 11; 6, Fujinami 10; 7, Colley 9.

Ilkley and DMC annual New Year Trial Dob Park, Sunday - Hard course-winner: Henry Moorhouse (Gas Gas) 13. Experts: 1, Sam Ludgate (Sherco) 24; 2, Liam Walker (Gas Gas) 27; 3, Phil Alderson (Sherco) 28. Inters: 1, Andrew Carter (Montesa) 68; 2, Andy Johnson (Sherco) 84; 3, Andy Tales (Gas Gas) 90. Novices: 1, Edward McIntosh (Montesa) 58; 2, Mark Sunter (Gas Gas) 81; 3, Boyd Webster (Montesa) 85.

Youth class A: James Dabill (Scorpa) 35. Clubmen: 1, Richie Sunter (Scorpa) 22; 2, Ian Waddington (Scorpa) 25; 3, Ray Sharp (Gas Gas) 32. Youth class B: Scott Fenton (Sherco) 61.