Alford rider Emma Bristow loses SuperEnduro world title

There was a surprise for the Alford rider when she arrived in the Czech Republic for the first part of an action-packed weekend.

During the riders’ briefing, the girls were told their second round in Madrid had been cancelled so the championship would be decided that night over two races.

The stakes were high and 10,000 excited fans filled the Tipsport Arena and saw what would ultimately become a one-race showdown for the crown.

She said: “Free practice was good. I was lapping six seconds faster than my nearest competitors and felt I had a lot more to give.”

Bristow overcame an early mistake in race one to take the lead with a couple of laps left and hold it to the line.

“I was happy to take the first win of the night, but I knew it would all come down to race two,” she added.

She made a brilliant start to race two and was in pole position to defend here world title. But disaster struck with just over a lap to go.

“I lost my line through the rocks and didn’t have the speed to make the next log pile,” she said.

“I dropped the bike in a difficult position and broke my clutch lever losing a lot of time and making it impossible to race to the finish.

“The last lap was difficult for me as I couldn’t race and soon realised it wasn’t going to be my night, having to settle for second position.

“It’s a tough blow to take as this title is important to me. My bike and set-up were incredible all day.

“The Sherco 250sef really is the perfect bike for this type of event and I would like to thank all my sponsors that continue to support me with the best equipment.”

Straight after the race Bristow had to rush back to catch a flight back to the UK for round one of the Women’s British Trials Championships the following day.