X-Trial Round Two - Toni Bou bounces back
By Team TMX on 13th Jan 25
A dominant performance from Repsol Honda’s Toni Bou saw him take the win at the second round of the X-Trial World Championship in Chambery, France to tie for the lead in the series standings with round one winner Jaime Busto – the GASGAS star salvaging second on the night after taking a trip to Q2 after missing a transfer spot in the evening’s opening round.
Beta’s Harry Hemingway got Q1 underway – giving the seven other riders an inkling of how the sections should be ridden. A lap score of 27 put him at the back of the pack – although he made amends with a sensational score in Q2 that had the fans on their feet.
It was Sherco’s Adam Raga who won the opening qualification round after dropping 10 marks through the sections – the same as Bou – but managed it in a time that was one second quicker. Repsol Honda’s Gabriel Marcelli secured third spot on 11 marks lost with Benoit Bincaz (Sherco) fourth on 12 and Busto fifth after dropping five in the opening section that ultimately cost him a place in the final. He’d be headed to Q2 with Bincaz, Lorenzo Gandola (Beta), Hugo Dufrese (Beta) and Hemingway.
Q2 saw Hemingway run first through the three sections with marks counting as time penalties and added to the rider’s time to create a total. The young Brit made great progress and held a commanding lead following Dufrese and Gandola’s attempts. But Busto was next and moved into the lead ending Hemingway’s hopes of a final appearance and was quicker than Bincaz too who secured second in Q2 meaning Hemingway had to be content with third.
Super Pole is a similarly timed affair that pitches the four finalists against the clock to determine the order in which they attack the sections in the Final. Busto ran first and finished feet-up with a time of 56.6. Marcelli was equally as adept through the sections but needed 1:11.7 to reach the End Cards. Bou magnificently undercut Busto’s time by four-and-a-half seconds to take the lead while Q1 winner Adam Raga had an absolute nightmare and dropped marks in the second and third sections which meant – with time penalties added – they needed a calendar to figure out his time. He placed fourth and would hit the sections first in the final.
Six fives followed for the Sherco-riding Spaniard who’d placed fourth on the night. Marcelli lost maximum marks in Section One, Three and Five, one in Section Two and he cleaned the fourth – exactly the same as Busto which set up a final section showdown between the two. Marcelli needed two dabs to get out of Section Six while Busto watched and learned and made sure that just one dab was required which was good enough to secure second on the night.
Bou was head and shoulders above the rest and had done enough to win the trial by Section Four having dropped just three marks to that point. He rounded out his lap with a two and a one to finish the night on six – 11 clear of runner-up Busto.
“I'm very happy, I think that after the round in Madrid, the whole team deserved this result,” said Toni. “We have worked very hard these last few weeks and it has been reflected in the result. The race went really well and it was an incredible final. I felt really comfortable from the start and we know that this is the way forward. I would like to thank the team for all the work they have done since Madrid to get us here in top form.”
“I am disappointed with my riding today,” said Busto. “In Q1 I strained my arm and it was tough from there although I did manage to recover a bit and things got better. So, I am happy to have finished second and I’m looking forward to next week.”
Round three of the 2025 World Championship is X-Trial Clermont-Ferrand which takes place this coming Friday – January 17 – with Bou, Busto, Raga and Marcelli then overnighting it to Sheffield for the DL12 Indoor Trial.
Billy Green (Scorpa) will compete at round three of the X-Trial series as fellow Brits Jack Peace (Sherco) and Hemingway concentrate on their home event in the Utilita Arena. Tickets to see that showdown are still available at www.dl12indoortrial.co.uk.
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Motorcycle Trials February 2025
Our regional list of trials around the UK in February 2025 with links to find out more.
