Two-day trial this weekend

The 59th Manx National Two-Day Trial gets under way this Saturday with over 200 competitors entered.

The first riders will start at 8am, leaving Onchan Community Centre to set out on the separate routes for solo and sidecar competitors.

The solos head south and away from the TT course, covering early groups including White City, Knock Froy, Old Stoney Mountain Quarry.

They finish the day on the southern coast with groups on volcanic rock at Pooil Vaaish and Scarlett, used for the first time in several years.

Meanwhile, the sidecars go north on the first day with early locations including Clypse, Ballacarooin and Snaefell Mines.

On Sunday, solos are at the likes of West Baldwin Bridge, Injebreck Gulley, Laxey Beach, and finish in the centre of Douglas at The Arches.

The sidecars will be covering groups including Bims’s Field, Glenlough, Scarlett, Knock Froy and Douglas Beach.

Local rider Josh Brain will be trying to make it a hat-trick of wins in the solo expert class.

Following an excellent top three result at the recent Reeth three-day trial in Yorkshire, Brain is certainly on form and looking for the win.

His main challenger is likely to be MRS Sherco team rider Ricky Wiggins, who comes into the event fresh from a top ten result at the latest round of the British Championship in Scotland.

He is now seemingly fully recovered from the serious knee injury he suffered at last year’s Manx, and will be going all-out to secure his first win on the Island.

In the solo clubman class the result is much harder to predict with any amount of potential winners.

Previous clubman winner Steve Swanson will be in the mix as will Tom Swindlehurst, Nigel Crowther, Michael Clarke and Philip Hanlon.

The sidecar class is at its most wide open for years.

With the previously dominant pair of Robin and Sam Luscombe having had a year of semi-retirement from sidecar trials they will have their work cut out to stay top of the pile.

There is always a strong local challenge and this year is no exception with Nigel Crellin/Chris Molyneux and Janie Teare/Jane Birchall leading the way.

Rupert and Chris Kimber will also be very close to the top and it will be nip and tuck all weekend with the leading crews not able to throw any marks away.

Entries to note in the solo clubman class include former TT winner Iain Duffus, who is the latest former road racer to compete in the trial, following on the heels of Rob McElnea and of course Nick Jefferies, the only man to win at the TT, Manx Grand Prix and Manx Two-Day Trial.

Leading World Enduro rider Danny McCanney is back for a weekend of fun and is also well capable of a good result.

Riding around with younger brother Jamie, himself a World Enduro rider there is sure to be plenty of competition to keep them on their toes.