Vermont, Sept 4/5, 2004.
Geoff Aaron has totally dominated the 2004 US Trials scene, and at the final round in Vermont, wrapped up a record 8th Championship. It was a dominating season for Geoff, winning 8 out of 9 rounds. In fact, it was almost a relief to see a couple of other riders actually pose a challenge to Geoff, as the season so far had become almost monotonously predictable.
At the Saturday event, Chris Florin took his first National victory, which has been a goal of his for the last couple of seasons. He finally made it happen with a convincing 13 point win over Aaron, with Brent le Riche also stepping on the podium. 16 year old phenom Cody Webb was just one step away from the podium after showing some great form.
On Sunday, Cody stepped it up, holding the lead at the end of the first lap, and holding it through the end of the second lap. Cody was the only rider to consistently scale what was described as the biggest wall ever in a National. Cody's learing curve is steeper than any other rider's on the circuit by a big margin. By 2005 many are looking to Cody as Geoff's new challenger. In the end though, Geoff took over on the final loop, as did Ryon Bell. Geoff therefore took his 8th win of the year and the Championship, while Cody stepped onto the podium.
Ryon Bell & Wilson Craig have announced they will not be returning to the National scene in 2005. Ryon is certainly one of the the best riders to never win the title. Gas Gas USA would like to thank both riders for their dedication and entertainment over the years.
