PREVIEW: Biker legend Dougie Lampkin launching DL12 Indoor Trial at Utilita Arena Sheffield

The 12 times FIM Trial World Champion, fresh from his recent and 13 times winner of the Scottish Six Days Trial, has signed some of the sports biggest names to take part on Saturday, January 7, 2023, at 7pm.

BUY TICKETS: Tickets starting from £39.95 for adults and £29.95 for under-14s are available now at www.utilitaarenasheffield.co.uk – CLICK HERE.

Having already engaged with the biggest names in the sport, Lampkin has promised that apart from still inviting the world’s top riders, he will deliver a completely new event under his control.

Confirmed riders include 32 times World Champion Toni Bou, plus fellow Spanish sensations Adam Raga, Jaime Busto, and Gabriel Marcelli; Norway’s newly crowned World Champion Sondre Haga, plus Yorkshire’s teenage star Harry Hemingway; and British Champion and vice champion Toby Martyn and Jack Paece.

Motorcycle trials, often called simply a trial, is a non-speed event on specialised motorcycles designed to be ridden standing up, requiring fine throttle, balance, and machine control with highly skilled competitors riding through natural or constructed obstacle courses while attempting to avoid touching the ground with their feet.

“It’s time for a change,” enthused Dougie, who was born just up the road in Silsden, near Bradford, in West Yorkshire.

“We are creating six sections using fresh materials, plus two new races and, subject to final sign off, an elevated new part of the course that has never been done in the UK before.”

Full event details can be found at www.dl12indoortrial.co.uk.

True to his roots, the event will be run in Yorkshire and at the Sheffield venue known well to Trial fans.

But the new course layout means that entry will be limited to just over 4,000 spectators, which looks set to make the first edition of this new event a total sell out.

“The Steel Hall configuration, as they refer to it at The Utilita Arena Sheffield, will bring the fans closer to the action and create a really intense atmosphere, this plus new lighting, new commentators, new format and some other new ideas, will create an event on a whole new level.” Lampkin proudly confirmed.

Dougie added. “Having ridden in and attended many indoor events all over the World, during the past 25 years, it has long been a dream of mine to run my own event and to put it right up there with the very best of them. Next January I will have the chance to do exactly that.”

The event will start at 7pm, with a 15-30 minute interval after a qualification heat and the prize giving ceremony will be around 10.30pm.

The competition format will feature eight riders, six sections ad two races, with the four best riders going to the final, when scores will return to zero - then featuring four riders, six sections, reverse direction and two races.

DL12 Indoor Trial is delighted to be bringing Toni Bou, the undisputed King of Trial, returning to Yorkshire for the first time in three years.

The 35-year-old Spanish supremo has dominated the sport over the past 15 years, having won an incredible 32 world titles, 16 of them indoors and 16 outdoors. These unmatched statistics mean that Bou will arrive at the Utilita Arena Sheffield as the man to beat, as he looks to treat his British fans to yet another display of pure brilliance.

Pleased to have secured Bou for the first edition of his DL12 Indoor Trial, Lampkin said. “Signing Toni was an absolute priority, he is without doubt the best rider in the World and the event would not have been complete without him.

"We said we would bring the top riders back to Yorkshire, and hopefully this shows that we are fully focused on making that happen. Toni is not only a great rider, but he is a great guy too and this is something we think the British fans will really appreciate when they get to meet him next January.”

Toni confirmed that he is happy to be heading back to Yorkshire and said: “I am really looking forward to coming back to the UK and to ride again in front of the British fans who really understand the sport of Trial.”