Seventeenth successive TrialGP title for Bou
By Team TMX on 4th Sep 23
News Trials Trial World Championship
Spanish superstar Toni Bou rewrote the Trial record books yet again with victory on the opening day of the TrialGP of France, rewarding him with his seventeenth consecutive crown.
For the seventh and final round of the 2023 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship on 2nd & 3rd Septemeber a new venue in the TrialGP calendar, at Vertolaye in France, provided a stiff test for the best riders on the planet. A succession of steep climbs and huge rocks in a heavily wooded hillside – bookended by man-made obstacles to start and end the lap – resulted in some sizeable scores. Time was also a factor with most of the field collecting penalties on their opening laps.
For Bou, however, it was simply business as usual as he powered his way to his one-hundred-and-forty-second TrialGP career victory – his tenth of the season – and a sensational seventeenth straight crown.
“It is an incredible moment to continue with this amazing dream after seventeen seasons,” said Bou. “Thank you to all the team for making this possible. I am super-happy.”
With the title secured on Saturday, Toni Bou (Montesa) could afford to relax on the second day, but the most successful rider in the history of the sport signed off on top with a conclusive nine-mark victory over his season-long rival and fellow Spaniard Jaime Busto (GASGAS).
“It has been a day without pressure for me,” said Bou at the end of day two. “I’m always fighting for the victory, but it has been a different day for me and I enjoyed it with the team.”
Powering his way up, down and around the steep and rocky hillside where the majority of sections were plotted, the thirty-six-year-old led at the halfway stage on twelve with Busto best of the rest a further six adrift.
Even with his second lap total of sixteen – including a maximum on the final section and a single time penalty – Bou finished nine marks clear of Busto to claim his eighth consecutive win of the season.
Matching his performance on Saturday, Bou’s compatriot and team-mate Gabriel Marcelli was thirteen behind Busto to secure third in the championship with Italy’s Matteo Grattarola (Beta) one mark adrift in fourth and Miquel Gelabert (Vertigo) a further mark behind in fifth.
2023 TrialGP results round-by-round
| Rider | Nat | Motorcycle | Spain | Portugal | Japan | San Marino | Andorra | Italy | France | Total | |
| 1 | Toni Bou | ESP | Montesa | 17-20 | 20-17 | 20-17 | 20-20 | 20-20 | 20-20 | 20-20 | 271 |
| 2 | Jaime Busto | ESP | GASGAS | 20-17 | 17-20 | 17-20 | 15-17 | 17-17 | 15-10 | 17-17 | 236 |
| 3 | Gabriel Marcelli | ESP | Montesa | 15-13 | 15-15 | 13-13 | 17-10 | 11-11 | 11-17 | 15-15 | 191 |
| 4 | Matteo Grattarola | ITA | Beta | 9-6 | 11-11 | 11-9 | 13-15 | 15-15 | 17-11 | 13-13 | 169 |
| 5 | Adam Raga Sans | ESP | TRRS | 13-15 | 13-13 | 15-15 | 11-13 | - | 13-15 | 11-8 | 155 |
| 6 | Aniol Gelabert Roura | ESP | Beta | 11-8 | 9-10 | 10-10 | 10-11 | 9-10 | 10-9 | 10-10 | 137 |
| 7 | Jorge Casales | ESP | Scorpa | 8-11 | 8-8 | 8-11 | 5-7 | 13-13 | 7-8 | 4-4 | 115 |
| 8 | Benoit Bincaz | FRA | Sherco | 5-10 | - | 9-8 | 6-6 | 7-8 | 8-7 | 6-7 | 87 |
| 9 | Miquel Gelabert Roura | ESP | Vertigo | - | - | - | 9-9 | 10-9 | 9-13 | 9-11 | 79 |
| 10 | Jeroni Fajardo Vila | ESP | Sherco | 6-9 | 10-9 | - | 8-5 | 8-7 | - | 8-5 | 75 |
| 11 | Luca Petrella | ITA | GASGAS | 7-7 | 7-7 | - | 7-8 | 6-x | - | 60 | |
| 12 | Toby Martyn | GBR | Honda | 10-0 | - | - | - | - | 6-6 | 7-9 | 38 |
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Three British world champions crowned on day two the TrialGP of France in Vertolaye
