A more hard-fought victory today for the World Champion, with Marcelli second and Grattarola returning to the podium at home
Toni Bou (Repsol Honda Trial Team) wrapped up the first half of the FIM X-Trial World Championship tonight with his second victory in 24 hours in Ponte di Legno. Today proved more challenging than yesterday, and he did not pull clear of his teammate Gabriel Marcelli until the final three sections of the Final, which they reached separated by just one point.
In the fourth section, Bou dropped only one point compared to Marcelli’s five, a moment that began to define the outcome of the event. The result was sealed in the final section with a clean ride from Bou and a five-point penalty for Marcelli. In the end, there was a nine-point gap between the winner—who had already dominated Q1 by clearing all sections—and the runner-up.
Meanwhile, Matteo Grattarola (Beta) completed the podium in front of a packed Italian crowd at the Palazetto dello Sport. He secured third place in the tiebreak section, beating Harry Hemingway (Beta), who had finished third in Q1. Grattarola returns to the podium for the first time since Barcelona 2022.
Jaime Busto (GasGas), missed out on the podium for the first time this season. He finished fourth in Q1 and fifth in Q2, which was won by Grattarola. Benoit Bincaz (Electric Motion), Francesco Titli (TRRS), and Jack Peace (Sherco) completed the classification in that order. At the halfway point of the Championship, Bou leads the standings with 95 points, followed by Marcelli with 72 and Busto with 62.
Toni Bou (1st): “Today’s victory was more difficult than yesterday’s. Q1 was much closer, which made it harder to secure a place in the Top 3. I won the Superpole, and in the Final Marcelli pushed me very hard in the first three sections. From there on, I managed to make the difference and secure the win. I’m very happy with these two victories in Ponte di Legno and grateful for the team’s hard work.”
Gabriel Marcelli (2nd):“Today I felt much better than yesterday and rode very solidly from Q1 onwards, also delivering a strong Superpole and a good Final. There were two sections that were very challenging for me, but I’m very happy with this second place, which puts me second in the Championship with some very valuable points.”
Matteo Grattarola (3rd):“I’m very happy with this result because it puts me fifth in the standings with the chance to stay in the Championship, and I achieved it at home. Stepping onto the podium here is special. Ponte di Legno brings me luck and the organization is spectacular. I felt good, even though I’m quite sick with a cold.”
The sixth round of the season will take place in Leeds on January 24.
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