The X-Trial World Champion leaves no chance for his rivals at the Palau Sant Jordi, while Busto beats Marcelli by a single point in the battle for second place
Toni Bou (Repsol Honda Trial Team) once again delivered a commanding performance at the X-Trial of Barcelona, claiming his 19th victory at the event. He had already set the pace by topping Q1 and being the fastest rider in the Superpole. Jaime Busto (GasGas) and Gabriel Marcelli (Repsol Honda Trial Team) joined the World Champion on the podium, finishing second and third respectively after battling for second place until the final section. The gap between them at the finish was just one point.
Bou began the Final with a clean in the opening section, while Busto, Marcelli and Harry Hemingway (Beta), the fastest rider in Q2, all picked up five penalty points. The World Champion made the decisive difference in the fourth section, where his rivals once again scored five points, while Bou completed it with just a single penalty. From that moment on, the fight for victory was effectively settled, as Bou held a nine-point advantage over his closest rivals.
Arnau Farré (Sherco), Matteo Grattarola (Beta), Miquel Gelabert on the electric Honda RTL-E, and Hugo Dufrese (Beta) completed the classification. The French rider suffered a heavy crash in the first section of Q1, taking a hard blow to his shoulder and was unable to continue. Bou’s victory gives him a 42-point lead over Marcelli in the provisional championship standings, and a 46-point advantage over Busto, with 60 points still up for grabs.
Bou (1st): “I’m really happy. This feels like a dream. Winning here, at home, is always very special and the feeling is extraordinary, almost on the level of winning a title. It’s my nineteenth victory in Barcelona, which is incredible, and today I was the best in all phases of the competition. Once again, the work done by the team has paid off.”
Busto (2nd): “This second place is a good result considering how difficult the final sections were and how well Toni rode. I’ve always struggled in the final here in Barcelona, and today it was different despite the challenges. The connection with the crowd was very important.”
Marcelli (3rd): “To be honest, I’m not happy with how things went today. I didn’t feel comfortable, I couldn’t quite find my rhythm on the bike and, even so, I finished just one point behind second place. It’s a good result for the championship standings, but I want more.”
In the FIM Women’s X-Trial Trophy competition, Berta Abellán (Scorpa) claimed her third victory in Barcelona, finishing one point ahead of Andrea Sofia Rabino (Beta) and two points clear of Denisa Pechackova (TRRS). Alice Minta (Beta) and debutant Kaytlyn Adshead (Vértigo) completed the results.
Berta Abellán (1st): “This third consecutive victory in Barcelona is very important to me because of how it happened. I won by just a single point, and that always adds extra pressure when riding. Still, it shows that the overall level continues to rise.”
Chalon-sur-Saône will host the eighth round of the season on March 6.
Photo Gallery
