The World Championship's stars travel to the Sud de France Arena
The FIM X-Trial World Championship arrives in Montpellier this weekend for the second round of the season, on Saturday 13th January. The discipline’s top specialists will do battle at The Sud de France Arena, a modern 7000-capacity facility completed in 2010.
In front of what is expected to be a full house, 11-times World Champion Toni Bou will defend the points lead he gained with victory in Vendée. The Montesa rider is satisfied to lead the Championship right from the start: “My win in Vendée was very important, because starting the defence of the title with a win and positive sensations on the bike is always good news. In the subsequent weeks I have intensified my preparations by completing my pre-season training programme. In Montpellier I hope to reap the rewards of that work and fight for a second successive win.”
Meanwhile Jaime Busto arrives in Montpellier second in the Championship Standings after notching his first career podium on his Gas Gas debut. “I hope to finish as high as possible again. I have adapted well to the bike and the whole team; everything has worked well right from the start. My goal is to carry on in the same way.”
In the current FIM X-Trial World Championship standings, Bou and Busto are trailed by Adam Raga in third and his fellow countryman Jeroni Fajardo. Britain’s James Dabill and home rider Frenchman Benoit Bincaz sit fifth and sixth respectively. The five permanent riders and automatic qualifier Jeroni Fajardo will be joined at this round by spectacular Japanese veteran Takahisa Fujinami, local rider Alexandre Ferrer, and the young Spaniard Miquel Gelabert.
The nine competitors will fight for victory in Montpellier from 20:15 local time (19:15 GMT) on Saturday evening. The second round of the new X-Trial era is already available to order via the Video Pass system, which will allow fans to follow live streaming in each of the countries where linear television broadcasts are not available. This alternative can be found at the following link: https://www.x-trial.com/en/watch-online.html