TrialGP of Portugal: Day Two race Report
By Team TMX on 13th Apr 25
There was double delight for the Brits on Day Two of the TrialGP of Portugal as British Trials Champion Harry Hemingway topped the Trial2 class and Harison Skelton took a career-first overall win in Trial3.
A rare mistake in today’s concluding Power Section may have prevented Toni Bou (Montesa) from posting back-to-back maximum points-scoring performances, but the Spanish superstar still extended his TrialGP series lead on the concluding day of the TrialGP of Portugal – round two of the 2025 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – as his compatriot Berta Abellan (Scorpa) traded wins and second places with Italy’s Andrea Sofia Rabino (Beta) in TrialGP Women.
Spain’s Daniela Hernando (Beta) came out on top in Trial2 Women and America’s Ryon Land (Sherco) took his second overall win of the weekend in Trial3.
Highlighting just how close the competition is this season, victory in the opening race in all five classes was only determined after tie-breaks.
With conditions much drier for today’s two races, it was too close to call in TrialGP during the opening stages of Race One with all the front-runners incurring early maximums as grip remained elusive on the steep, rocky hillside overlooking the city of Viana do Castelo on the Atlantic coast, close to the border with Spain.
At the halfway point Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) shared the lead on 11 with his fellow Spaniard Jaime Busto (GASGAS), one mark ahead of Bou and Italian veteran Matteo Grattarola (Beta), before the defending champion reeled off five cleans and a three in the remaining six sections to draw level with Busto and take the decision on a tie-break.
After a bruising day on Saturday, Marcelli was relieved to return to the podium in third a further mark adrift with Grattarola dropping to fifth behind Aniol Gelabert (TRRS) after signing off with four maximums in the final five sections.
Race Two was all about Bou from the get-go. Taking the lead with a masterclass in precision on section three that resulted in a dab where everyone else other than his team-mate Marcelli took a maximum, the 38-year-old needed a three on the following section that had stopped everyone at their first attempt before completing the race for the loss of just two more marks.
“I’m super-happy with the weekend with victory in both races yesterday and today,” said Bou. “It’s been great for us and the mood is very good in the team.”
This time around it was Grattarola who was applying the most pressure on the leader and his final total of 12 gave him a three-mark cushion ahead of Busto with Marcelli fourth on 18 as Britain’s Jack Peace (Sherco) snatched fifth on 27 with a cool, clinical clean of the final man-made section.
Renewing her rivalry from yesterday with Rabino, Abellan had to settle for second behind the 18-year-old on a tie-break as the pair ended Race One locked together on 18, two ahead of the Czech Republic’s Denisa Pecháková (TRRS) with Naomi Monnier (Beta) from France fourth on 21, three clear of Britain’s Kaytlyn Adshead (Sherco).
With the sections dialled in, Abellan cruised clear in Race Two with her total of seven contrasting favourably with Rabino’s score of 15 with Italy’s Alessia Bacchetta (GASGAS) moving into contention in third on 16 before a five-mark gap to her compatriot Martina Gallieni (Sherco) who took fourth from Adshead on a tie-break.
“The first race was not so good, but I’m very happy to win the second,” said Abellan. “Portugal has been good – I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Run against the clock, the Power Section for the premier TrialGP and TrialGP Women competitors once again put a dramatic seal on proceedings with Busto taking the maximum three points up for grabs with a time of 24:15 ahead of Marcelli’s 27:49 and Grattarola on 27:91. After catching his sump jumping across the wooden crates, Bou failed to finish and was clearly frustrated to miss out on another valuable scoring opportunity – although his performances this weekend have allowed him to extend his series lead to 22 points.
In TrialGP Women neither Abellan or Rabino were able to capitalise on the additional points on offer as Monnier posted a fastest time of 20:65 to win from Adshead’s 21:60 and Alice Minta (Beta) who clocked 21:92.
A clear winner in Trial2 yesterday on the new RTL Electric model, Miquel Gelabert (Honda) picked up where he left off in Race One and claimed victory from overnight championship leader Harry Hemingway on a tie-break after the pair ended the morning’s action locked together on six, five clear of former champion Billy Green (Scorpa) from Britain.
Hemingway then struck back in Race Two, taking a career-first overall win in the class and strengthening his series lead following a tie-break with Green after the pair both finished on two with Gelabert third on three, one mark ahead of France’s Benoit Bincaz (Electric Motion).
“This is my third year in this class,” said Hemingway, “and I’ve waited so long for this win. I’ve been close so many times so I’m over the moon to finally get it.”
Leading the Trial2 Women class at the beginning of the day, Italy’s Sara Trentini (TRRS) started with victory in Race One on a tie-break with Spain’s Daniela Hernando (Beta) after the pair both dropped 13 to finish three ahead of rising French star Margaux Pena (Electric Motion).
In a repeat of her performance yesterday, Hernando won the second race with her score of fifteen putting her one mark ahead of Pena who won a tie-break from Britain’s Sophie Bailey (GASGAS), but Trentini’s fourth-placed finish means she extends her class lead to 12 points.
Fresh from a dynamic double win yesterday, Land completed his very positive weekend in Portugal with one-two finishes putting him on top to take the series lead away from Norway’s Jonas Jorgensen (Beta) who endured a tough second day.
“I’ve had a really good time today,” said Land. “I went into today feeling really confident and I’m very happy with how the weekend went.”
With a third and a first, Britain’s Harison Skelton (Scorpa) kept day-long pressure on the American series newcomer with Jin Kuroyama from Japan going two-three on the day as Jorgensen struggled to 14-five finishes. The results give Land an 11-point lead over Kuroyama with Jorgensen a further five off the pace, two clear of Skelton.
Global attention now moves to the iconic Mobility Resort Motegi for the TrialGP of Japan – round three of the 2025 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – on May 16-18 where TrialGP, TrialGP Women and Trial2 class competitors will be in action.
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