Toni’s a record Bou-reaker
By John Dickinson on 21st Mar 14
I hesitate to write this but there is such an inevitability about Toni Bou winning any trial he enters that it has actually become boring!
Bou is a phenomenom whose dominance is such that we have never seen its like before. Proof? For starters he has won the last 25 World X-Trial events.
When Jordi Tarres won seven World Trials Championships, in a sequence that was interupted by Thierry Michaud (1988) and Tommi Ahvala (1992) it was widely stated that it was an achievement that would never be equalled, never mind beaten.
Yet once Marc Colomer, always viewed as the heir to Tarres, had picked-up what turned out to be his only World Championship, up stepped Dougie Lampkin to match Jordi's seven wins but eclipse the Catalan by winning them consecutively.
For good measure Doug threw in five Indoor titles (X-Trial) before Adam Raga relieved him of that title.
Once again the word was that it would be a long time before Dougie's seven consecutive titles would be equalled – even as the young Toni Bou, having swapped his Beta for a factory Repsol Montesa, was setting out on his first World
Championship.
Just like Doug, Bou strode majestically onward through the years knocking off his first five outdoor crowns, matched by an equal number of X-Trial titles.
And Bou has just kept on going, six X-Trial, six outdoor titles, seven X-Trial followed by seven outdoors and now EIGHT X-Trial Championships with the outdoor series to follow...and no-one even looking like mounting a serious challenge.
His rival's problem is that, just like Doug, Bou rides best when he is put under pressure. He revels in it.
Both Adam Raga and Albert Cabestany have been in a position to push Toni hard and as soon as they put themselves in the frame they simply fall apart.
So, if you were a betting man/ woman and should you manage to find a bookie who would take odds on a motorcycle trials result (I would hope not actually) the odds on an eighth outdoor title would be very short indeed. Yet however short it would still be very safe money.
The question might just be asked again in 2015 as Toni's Montesa contract comes to an end and we'll assume that he is then sitting/ standing on a nice, even, eight indoor and eight outdoor titles.
The rumour mills are already grinding loudly as to where Toni will be riding in 2015 and while I have a pretty good idea I am bound to silence – if I told you I'd have to kill myself!
GIven that most of us would back Bou to win if he was mounted on a half-tidy BSA Bantam you could argue that it is a moot point anyway.
Meanwhile, take a bow Toni Bou...
