X-Trial Calendar Shuffle
By Team TMX on 28th Mar 24
In an excuse that’s right up there with 'my dog ate my homework' and 'the cheque’s in the post', the 2024 X-Trial of Nations – that was set to run on November 16 in Saint-Denis on Reunion Island – has been cancelled as ‘building works on the Stade Jean Ivoula have not been completed on time’.
It’s not all bad news in indoor trials circles though, as an additional X-Trial World Championship date has been added to the calendar. Tallinn, in Estonia, will fill the Des Nations date and serve as the penultimate round of what’s now a seven-round championship. The Tallinn Indoor is already well established on the indoor trial calendar and upgrading it to World Championship status seemed the appropriate thing to do.
“In two seasons our competition has gained real attention as an organisation and structure which is very attractive to spectators,” says Tallinn event promoter Kaino Tulle of the TRIXS group. “All of this has also caught the interest of the World Championship and the FIM. Organising an event at this level will of course mean more responsibility but it will be very important for the development of the sport in the region and will bring great visibility to Estonia.”
This leaves the X-Trial calendar looking like this –
May 4 X-Trial Geneva, Switzerland
October 5 X-Trial Andorra la Vella, Andorra
October 26 X-Trial Tallin, Estonia
November 16 X-Trial Pamplona, Spain
As things stand, Repsol Montesa’s Toni Bou leads the championship with 65 points, 22 ahead of second-placed Jaime Busto. The GASGAS ace has a slender four-point buffer over Bou’s teammate Gabriel Marcelli. The three Spaniards have hogged the podium so far in 2024 with Britain’s Toby Martyn currently the best of the rest. With four rounds to go there are still 88 points up for grabs so although Bou is already a GP ahead there’s still plenty to play for.
