The GasGas rider secures his first victory of the season with Bou and Marcelli joining him on the podium
Jaime Busto (GasGas) has claimed his first victory of the season in Saint-Denis in a race that featured the same podium finishers as the previous two, but in a different order. Toni Bou (Repsol Honda Trial Team) finished second, 5 points behind the winner, and Gabriel Marcelli (Repsol Honda Trial Team) came in third, 4 points behind Bou.
The fourth finalist was Hugo Dufrese (Beta), who was making his season debut in Reunion Island and topped Q2. Once in the final, the Frenchman quickly fell out of the fight for the podium, accumulating 30 penalty points.
On the other hand, three fives accumulated between the second and fourth sections left Marcelli without any chance of fighting for the top 2, while Busto, who had been the best one in Q1, and Bou were riding at a high level, having only scored two points in the first four sections. The fifth section was decisive, as Bou racked up a five and Busto scored a zero, opening the door to victory for him. In the final section, Bou risked everything, trying to tie the standings, but another five definitively ended his chances.
The classification of this third round of the season was completed in this order by Jack Peace (Sherco), Matteo Grattarola (Beta), Harry Hemingway (Beta), and Benoit Bincaz (Electric Motion).
In the provisional World Championship standings, Bou has 52 points, followed by Busto who has moved into second place with 44, and Marcelli with 42.
Jaime Busto (1st): “I’m very happy with this win and what it means, especially considering I started with a bad crash in Andorra la Vella, wasn’t feeling quite right in Madrid, and finally, today I was able to win. I rode very consistently all night and felt very comfortable because the atmosphere was exceptional.”
Toni Bou (2nd): “It wasn’t my best day. I fought hard in Q1 and Superpole, and in the final until the very last moment, but the mistake in the fifth section forced me to take excessive risks in the final one, where the initial foot-on had already left me with no chance to win. The crowd was fantastic, the points are good for the championship, but I didn’t feel completely comfortable on the bike. I need to keep working on my fitness.”
Gabriel Marcelli (3rd): “I didn’t ride at my best throughout the entire race, I never felt comfortable on the bike and I made mistakes in Q1 and during the final. The points are important for the championship but I’m not happy with the result and with my riding.”
The next two rounds of the Championship will be held at the Palasport in Ponte di Legno on December 12th and 13th.
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