Barca battle so X-citing!
By TMX Archives on 4th Mar 15
THIS weekend sees what could be the defining moment in the 2015 World X-Trial Championship as the contenders take on the fourth round in Barcelona.
That is, of course, the home round for all four leading contenders, Toni Bou (Repsol Montesa), Adam Raga (Gas Gas), Albert Cabestany (Sherco) and Jeroni Fajardo (Beta).
It is also the first home round for the All-new Vertigo factory and Britain's James Dabill would love to take the new Combat machine to a podium in front of a partisan Catalan crowd.
The remaining contracted riders are French challenger Alexandre Ferrer (Sherco) and popular Swedish teenager Eddy Karlsson (Montesa), who is gaining valuable experience in the harsh Indoor environment.
Making up the eight-rider field is organiser's choice Jaime Busto, the talented teenager who has just been signed by the Repsol Montesa team.
And while this has proven to be a somewhat controversial choice, with several other Catalan riders feeling they should have had the ride, it is surely the right one and should help draw in the home fans.
Reigning champ Toni Bou leads the Championship on 55 points to Raga's 47 but as Raga brought his rival's amazing winning run to an end at the last round, in Pau, France, the Gas Gas rider will be going all out for a repeat.
And as Raga was the former King of the Barcelona event before Bou began his reign, Adam is certainly capable of winning again and if he can put the pressure on Bou then anything could happen.
If Adam can win again and get the points gap down to just three points the remaining two rounds, in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, and Oviedo, Spain, would be real powder kegs.
Bou is undoubtedly the most skilled but unlike Dougie Lampkin, who rode better the more pressure he was under, Toni has proved he can be susceptible to pressure and if Adam can step up to the mark and ride at his best an upset is certainly possible.
It was in this very event that, before his epic win in Pau, Raga took his last X-Trial win, an almost unbelieveable seven years ago.
Said Adam, "The feeling after Pau was amazing. But Barcelona is just another event and I am preparing in exactly the same way.
"I have won here five times previously so I do know what to expect.
"The important thing is I am training really well, my confidence is up and I have a good feeling. And Barcelona is a very special race.”
The massive St Jordi stadium in Montjuic, overlooking the city and built for the 1992 Olympics, with its mighty 15,000 capacity, is a magnificent setting for what could prove to be the crucial round of the 2015 X-Trial series – which will be run alongside an International (non world championship) Indoor Enduro.
There will of course be a full report, with pics, in next week's TMX!
FOR FULL MORE TRIALS TORQUE STORIES SEE TMX NEWS, MARCH 5, 2015 (ISSUE 1961)
