PREVIEW: Superstar bikers gear up for DL12 Indoor Trial at Utilita Arena Sheffield

For the third and final time they will compete to be the King of Steel when the DL12 Indoor Trial returns to the Utilita Arena Sheffield on Saturday 18th January 2025.

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The show will be headlined by Spanish supremo and 36 times world champion Toni Bou who recaptured his crown earlier this year after having been deposed by his arch rival and compatriot Adam Raga in 2023. 

Raga made his debut in the famous Yorkshire venue back in 2002 and has held the title of the King of Steel on three separate occasions and will be desperate to add to his tally when he brings the curtain down on his long and decorated career in front of his thousands of British fans.

Raga and Bou will have more than each other to contend with, as their younger compatriots Gabriel Marcelli and Jaime Busto – currently ranked second and third in the World – look to get their first taste of glory when they return to Sheffield early next year. 

This formidable Spanish quartet will be joined by Britain’s best, as the 2024 Trial2 World Champion Jack Peace makes his second appearance at the DL12 Indoor Trial alongside his fellow countryman Harry Hemingway who snatched this year’s national title away from Peace.

Hemingway will again be the youngest competitor, but any inexperience will be offset from the huge support he can count on being Yorkshire born and bred. 

The eight-rider invited international entry is topped off by the historic inclusion of Norway’s Sondre Haga and Gael Chatagno from France, as they are set to become the first riders ever to compete inside the Utilita on electric trials bikes. With both riders having won on the world stage earlier this season, the battery machines have more than proved themselves up against the more traditional petrol-powered bike. 

Ahead of the main show, that gets underway at 5pm, and which is suitable for all ages, visitors will also be able to enjoy Trial Expo, an indoor motorcycle exhibition that opens at 2pm on the day at the venue – this also provides back stage access to the rider paddock and warm up areas, which are all included as part of every early access ticket – available exclusively from dl12indoor.co.uk

As has been the case previously, Yorkshire’s own 12-time world champion and eight-time King of Steel, Dougie Lampkin will be responsible for designing and building a fearsome course to test these eight elite riders to the limit. Regarded as one of the toughest events of its kind anywhere on the global tour, Lampkin has been working for several months to ensure that this reputation is maintained for the 2025 edition that will bring to a close the run of three events over a three-year period since Dougie brought the show back to life post COVID.

Dougie said:“Running in the same arena as where my dad and his partner had created so much history was always a big risk, but we had a vision to take the event to the next level in terms of the overall production and by adding in new elements.

“I think anyone who was at the second edition earlier this year would say we had reached our main goal, though we still plan to make 2025 even bigger and better. The huge investment we have made in lighting, sound and the addition of Trial Expo created something special and something we are proud of in amongst our twenty years of delivering events.

“We are looking to sign off on this chapter not by sitting back but by setting the bar even higher. The line up of riders is strong with the top three guys in the World plus our own Trial2 World champion, plus the newly crowned British Champion and the legend that is Adam Raga, and finally a first for Sheffield with two electric bikes battling it out against the other guys.

“The plan is to give Adam the send-off he deserves, as he makes his last appearance at a UK event and to give the British fans the chance to show their appreciation for Emma Bristow who recently clinched her tenth Women’s world title.

“DL12 Indoor Trial version three is going to be huge, and although I might be slightly biased, if you only visit one Trial event in 2025, please make sure it’s in Sheffield next January.”