WORLD Trials champion Iwan Roberts showed his all-round class with victory in the Lakes Two-Day Trial.

The GP2 250cc champion reigned supreme on the national course, tackling the tough environment around Bootle Fell, Broughton and Torver.

Roberts was part of a top-class entry for the event, first run in 1975 and well-established in the trials calendar.

The popular event always gives the organisers the difficult decision of having to disappoint many a would-be entrant when the maximum number of riders permitted are reached within a few days of entries being available.

This year was no exception, as Welshman was joined by the likes of Emma Bristow, the world ladies champion for the last three years, and defending champion Michael brown, from Yorkshire.

Torrential rain prior to the event made some of the sections impassable, so hard-working organisers toiled tirelessly altering routes and sections.

A line-up of 180 competitors left the start at Broughton Auction Mart on Saturday morning to tackle around 40 sections over a 25-mile route around the Bootle Fell areas in dry but misty conditions.

The poor visibility did result in a few riders straying off course, but all returned to Broughton at the end of the day.

Roberts, on his Beta, was top man at the close of play, with a loss of just 10 marks, with last year's winner Brown not too far astern on 25.

Sunday morning saw riders set of to tackle tricky sections around the Torver areas.

Roberts put on another display of the type of riding which netted him his world championship, dropping just four marks to give him a total of 14 over the two days to win the event.

Brown had a bad day, dropping a further 12 marks, relegating him to sixth overall.

The Clubmens course, not as challenging as the national course, but also not carrying British Championship points, produced the closest finish.

Just two marks separated the leading two riders, with Phil Houghton edging out Lee Sampson.

Millom's Craig Seward rode his Scorpa to a well deserved sixth place among some stiff opposition.

The Lakes Motorcycle Trials Association thanked all the observers, officials, landowners and volunteers who gave up their time to make the event possible.

RESULTS

National Course: 1. Iwan Roberts (Beta, North Wales), 14 marks; 2. Dan Thorpe (Gas Gas, Derbyshire), 24; 3. Russ Danby (TRS UK80, Birmingham), 32; 4. Andy Chilton (Birkett Scorpa, Yorkshire), 34.

Clubmens Course: 1. Phil Houghton (Beta, Wrexham), 21 marks; 2. Lee Sampson (Gas Gas, Yorkshire), 23; 3. Darren Wasley (Gas Gas, Buxton), 33; 4. Richard Fraser (Sherco, Lancashire), 42.