Bou wins but Hemingway steals the show at X-Trial Leeds
By Team TMX on 26th Jan 26
Local lad Harry Hemingway celebrated his 20th birthday in style with a stunning performance at X-Trial Leeds that saw the Beta rider put in the ride of a lifetime to lead the final at the midway point. In the end, he missed victory by a single mark but was still ecstatic to have hit the FIM X-Trial World Championship podium for the first time in his career and in front of his home crowd.
The series returned to the UK for the first time in a decade on Saturday night as round six of the championship was staged at Leeds’ impressive First Direct Bank Arena. While it was business as usual for defending champion Toni Bou (Repsol Honda), who claimed his fifth win of the 2026 campaign, it was the local hero who came within touching distance of blowing the roof off the place.
In just his eighth FIM X-Trial appearance, the Leeds rider marked his 20th birthday with a career-first podium at world level, riding beyond his years to lead the Final at the halfway stage and push Bou to the very limit. In the end, a single mark proved the difference, but Hemingway’s performance had the packed arena on its feet and announced him as a genuine force on the indoor scene.
To put the result into context, it marked the best performance by a British rider in X-Trial since Dougie Lampkin – now one half of X-Trial Leeds promoter ML Events – finished second in Belfast back in 2006. Hemingway came agonisingly close to a fairytale victory in front of his home fans, and few inside the arena would have begrudged him the win.
That said, Bou has not amassed a record 19 consecutive X-Trial crowns by accident. Even while nursing a shoulder injury, the 39-year-old Spaniard once again demonstrated his trademark composure under pressure, digging deep to secure victory only in the final hazard - a towering combination of Michelin tyres and shipping containers that lifted the riders six metres above the arena floor.
“It’s been a difficult day and Harry was riding amazing,” said Bou. “He’s a very young talent and I’m happy for him. He forced me to fight until the end and the win is important for the championship. Tonight there were some big jumps and I’m pleased with how my shoulder is recovering.”
Proceedings got underway with Harry’s younger brother George Hemingway (Beta) making his X-Trial debut. The 17-year-old opened with a confident two-mark ride across the imposing S3 crates before slipping out of contention. France’s Hugo Dufrese (Beta) endured a torrid night, recording maximum scores across the hugely technical six-section course.
Britain’s Jack Peace (Sherco) also struggled, managing a two in the opening section before a run of five maximums halted his progress. Matteo Grattarola (Beta) fared little better. After opening with a two and picking up a single mark on the Rock Oil-backed rock section, the experienced Italian ended his lap with four consecutive maximums.
Harry Hemingway was next to tackle the course and immediately set the tone. He dropped just a single mark in each of the opening two sections before incurring maximums on the metal blocks and cylinders of section three and again in section four – the Inch Perfect-sponsored hazard of metal mushrooms and concrete pipes. After pausing for running repairs to his rear wheel following a heavy landing, Hemingway regrouped impressively, finishing the lap with a two and a five - the latter for exceeding the six-minute time limit - to post a leading score of 19.
That advantage was short-lived, however, as Jaime Busto (GASGAS) produced the standout qualifying ride of the night, losing just eight marks. Gabriel Marcelli (Repsol Honda) followed with 17, while Bou dropped 12 to secure his place in the Final.
With the top three transferring directly, the remaining riders faced a last-chance head-to-head race across an oversized Hope logo, bicycle cranks and metal tubing. Once again, Hemingway electrified the crowd with a display of controlled aggression to secure his place in the Final four.
Marcelli, third after Super Pole, led the Final away. With scores reset to zero, sections reversed and a strict one-minute time limit, the pressure was immediate. Marcelli, Hemingway and Busto all took maximums on the opening section, while Bou seized an early advantage with a single mark. Hemingway responded in sensational fashion, producing a flawless clean on section two as all three of his rivals failed to reach the ends cards – vaulting him into the lead.
The atmosphere inside the arena reached fever pitch as Hemingway repeated the feat in section three, matching clean rides from Bou and Busto to retain his advantage at halfway. Marcelli, meanwhile, added two more marks on the treacherous concrete cylinders.
Bou edged ahead with a clean ride on section four as both Busto and Hemingway took maximums, while Marcelli needed two. Hemingway clawed his way back into contention with a superb clean on the Red Bull-backed fifth section - a sequence of towering metal obstacles split by intimidating gap jumps.
With Bou dropping two marks, Busto recording a one and Marcelli taking five, Hemingway was guaranteed second place – but he was just two marks adrift of Bou and firmly in contention for victory. After watching Marcelli and Busto both complete the final section for one, Hemingway matched them, exiting the hazard with just two seconds remaining to pile the pressure on the champion.
With victory - and 20 vital championship points - hanging in the balance, Bou responded with a measured two-mark ride to clinch a dramatic win. The result extends his championship lead to 34 points with four rounds remaining, but the inaugural X-Trial Leeds will forever be remembered for Harry Hemingway’s coming-of-age performance.
“It’s been unbelievable,” said Hemingway. “The crowd, everything - I couldn’t ask for more. I’ve made my first X-Trial podium on my 20th birthday and I didn’t just scrape onto it. I finished second and took the fight to Toni Bou with one mark in it. There was so much pressure in that last section, but now I know I can do it.”
Tickets for X-Trial Leeds 2027 – which takes place on Saturday, January 23 – go on sale later next month. If this year was anything to go by, they won’t hang around… especially if history is about to repeat itself.
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