Toni Bou continues X-Trial title defence
By TMX Archives on 23rd Mar 17
Defending champion Toni Bou continues his defence of the FIM X-Trial World Championship at round three of the 2017 series in Marseille, France this coming Saturday.
The Spanish superstar is unbeaten so far this year with victories in Barcelona, Spain and Wiener Neustadt, Austria and starts as a strong favourite to make it a hat-trick of wins in the Palais des Sports.
Once again his closest competition is likely to come from fellow Spaniards Adam Raga, Jeroni Fajardo and Albert Cabestany. Along with Bou this trio have made up the top four at the opening two rounds, but they will have to raise their game if they are going to stop the reigning champion taking another step towards an unprecedented eleventh title in eleven years.
Since 2002 Marseille has featured in the FIM Indoor / X-Trial World Championship calendar every year apart from 2013 and Bou has won on the last five occasions the series has visited the historic Mediterranean city.
Raga's two second places put him second in the title chase, but at the halfway stage he is already ten points behind Bou. Cabestany, the 2002 champion and the last rider to beat Bou in Marseille back in 2010, is tied on points with Fajardo, but holds third by virtue of his better result in Wiener Neustadt where he took the final step on the podium just one mark behind Raga.
British champion James Dabill and Japanese favourite Takahisa Fujinami are also tied on points with Dabill's better performance in Austria earning him fifth in the table with Germany's Franz Kadlec in seventh.
The eight-man field for Marseille is completed by Spanish wild card rider Jaime Busto, aged 19, who finished fifth in the opening round of this year's FIM X-Trial World Championship in Barcelona, missing the cut for the final by two marks
From Marseille the 2017 FIM X-Trial World Championship stays in France, signing off with the final round in Nice on 31st March.
Marseille - Key Facts
6 x Victories in the Marseille Grand Prix make Toni Bou the most successful rider in the history of the event
Bou's 2016 victory is the only time a rider has remained unpenalised in the final of an FIM Indoor / X-Trial World Championship event in Marseille
Adam Raga will tie Bou for most victories if he wins on Saturday
Last person to beat Bou in Marseille – Albert Cabestany 2010
Bou, Raga and Cabestany have won every Marseille Grand Prix since 2002 when Marc Freixa took victory
FIM Indoor Trial World Cup event first held in Marseille, 1993 won by Bruno Camozzi
