The city of Sheffield was once famous for its massive steel industry, but with the decline of its main manufacturing business in more recent times, it is the staging of a round of the Indoor Trial World Championship that has once again put the South Yorkshire destination back on the international map.

Saturday 3rd January 2009 will mark the fourteenth edition of this great event, with the majority of the previous competitions hosted in Sheffield having also been part of the World series in its various disguises over the last ten years or so.

Sheffield arena has the honour of opening the 2009 SPEA FIM Indoor Trial World Championship, which will mark the start of a new era for this specialised sport now under the full control of motorcycling’s World governing body, namely the FIM. Seven of the World’s best trials riders have been selected to do battle this time around, two of whom will be flying the home flag.

Whilst Spanish sensation Toni Bou – Repsol Montesa HRC, who comfortably took the 2008 Indoor World title, may start as the obvious favourite, it will be Yorkshire’s own Dougie Lampkin – Beta who is sure to receive the loudest greeting from the patriotic and potentially eight thousand strong crowd.

Despite having not recorded a victory inside his favourite stadium in more recent years, Lampkin remains the undisputed ‘King Of Sheffield’, having previously won this competition on no less than eight separate occasions during his great reign of the sport.

Dougie finished as runner up to Bou at the last edition of this event, and will be hoping to go one better in what will probably be Lampkin’s last ever appearance both at Sheffield and in the World Indoor trials series as a whole.

Twenty-one year old Michael Brown - Sherco is the other British rider looking to make the most of his home advantage and to follow up his fantastic Sheffield debut in late 2007. Add to this, the usual candidates of Adam Raga – Gas Gas, Albert Cabestany – Sherco and Takahisa Fujinami – Repsol Montesa HRC and then you can understand why Sheffield 2009, will be a opening battle to be remembered.

SPEA FIM INDOOR TRIAL WORLD CHAMPIONHIP 2009

Round 1 – Sheffield – England

03 January - Saturday

Round 2 – Marseille - France

24 January – Saturday

Round 3 – Barcelona – Spain

08 February – Sunday - TBC

Round 4 – Bolzano – Italy

26 February – Thursday

Round 5 – Milan – Italy

07 March – Saturday - TBC

Round 6 – Madrid – Spain

14 March – Saturday

2008 Final championship standings:

1: Bou 48, 2: Raga 35,

3: Cabestany 35, 4: Fujinami 27,

5: Fajardo 20, 6: Lampkin 14,