Bou & Bristow top TrialGP Spain Qualification
By Press Release on 22nd Sep 19
With an unprecedented 13th consecutive title already sewn-up in France at the end of July, Toni Bou (Repsol Honda) ensured he will start in the preferential position of last away at the TrialGP Spain the seventh and final round of the 2019 FIM Trial World Championship at La Nucia after demolishing the opposition in Qualification.
Competing on his home turf, Bou ended the two Qualification sessions over four seconds ahead of his compatriot Jaime Busto (Vertigo) while in TrialGP Women defending champion Emma Bristow (Sherco)was more than a second clear of Spains Maria Giro (Montesa) as Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) and Alice Minta (Scorpa) came out on top in the Trial2 and Trial2 Women classes.
Introduced in 2017 to determine starting positions, Qualification has been a huge success among riders and fans alike.
The name of the game is to stay feet-up in the quickest time possible and Bou has mastered the art of being both fast and faultless having claimed his fifth Qualification win in a row in Spain.
Its been the perfect start to the weekend here in La Nucia with pole in Qualification, says Bou. I had to take some risks but my riding was good and Im happy to start last tomorrow.
The grippy, arena-style section with varying degrees of severity depending on class didnt trouble Bou who led comfortably following Q1 before blowing his rivals away in Q2 with an incredible ride that saw him easily come out on top with his second clean run timed at 0:31.85.
Bustos best was 0:35.94 before a big gap back to Spains Jeroni Fajardo (Gas Gas) who came home third in 0:38.20.
Separated by just over a second, British rider James Dabill (Beta) narrowly beat off two-time World champion Adam Raga (TRRS) for fourth with Miquel Gelabert (Sherco) taking sixth.
Amazingly, it was the first time this season that Bristow who is in pole position for her sixth consecutive top-flight womens title with a 16-point lead has qualified at the front of the TrialGP Women field but she was in imperious form and her Q2 time of 0:26.04 saw her comfortably ahead of Giro who broke the timing beam at 0:27.39.
Im pleased to have won today, says Bristow, and to be at the back tomorrow will be a really big advantage because I will be able to see how the sections are developing. Im feeling good on the bike and hopefully will end the year on top.
Spains Sandra Gomez (TRRS), who sits third in the title chase, will start third from last behind Sarah Bauer (TRRS) and Berta Abellan (Vertigo) who is Bristows closest rival for the championship.
Trial2 is too close to call with Italys defending champion Matteo Grattarola (Honda) leading by just a single point from Marcelli whose Qualification victory by half-a-second ahead of Spains Aniol Gelabert (Scorpa) hands him a huge advantage heading into tomorrows title decider.
Grattarola was third but had to rely on his Q1 performance following a maximum at his second attempt.
Its also close in Trial2 Women where Britains Alice Minta (Scorpa), whos currently second, came out ahead of the French duo of Caroline Moreon (Sherco) and Lenna Volpe (Sherco).
Germanys Vivian Wachs (TRRS), who has a six-point lead at the top of the table, will start tomorrows competition fourth from the back.
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