Bou and Bristow word champions at La Nucia
WORLD TRIAL bike champion Toni Bou won the seventh and final race of the FIM World Championship GP Trial 2019, which was held last weekend in La Nucía. The world champion gave no options to his rivals and completed a “perfect Trial GP World Championship” for the first time with seven out of seven victories.
The sporting accomplishment was also achieved by the British Emma Bristow, winner of the GP Women’s Trial, where she was proclaimed as a world champion “full of victories”. Gabriel Marcelli also won Trial TR2, which gave him his first world title in TR2 at the tender age of nineteen.
More than 5,000 people watched the last race of the Trial World Championship throughout the 15 spectacular areas. It was the first time in Spain that the Trial World Championship was held in the Valencian community. It was hailed as a success “both at a sporting level, as well as organisation and public attendance”.
The championship was organised by the FIM (International Motorcycling Federation), the RFME ( Royal Spanish Motorcycling Federation), the FMCV (Motorcycling Federation of the Valencian Community), MotoDes , the Off Road Club La Nucía in conjunction with Alicante provincial council and La Nucia town hall. It was a free event for spectators, and thousands of fans were able to enjoy watching the best riders in the world compete.
Toni Bou – Best trial rider of all time?
Toni Bou has achieved a new addition to his extensive record (26 world titles). The Montesa rider won in La Nucía, an achievement that enlarges his nickname of the “Messi of trial biking”. Year after year both, he continues to improve and add to his titles. He has been the Indoor World Championship winner 13 times and Outdoor World Championship winner 13 times. A living legend of the sport, he remained humble and signed hundreds of autographs and posed for thousands of selfies, during his dream weekend in La Nucía.
Bou was first with 36 points. In second position was Adam Raga and the Japanese driver Takisha Fujinami finished third.
Sixth World Cup for Bristow
In Trial GP Women, the British rider Emma Bristow gave no leeway to the Spanish riders of Berta Abellán, who came second, and Sandra Gomez who gained a third. With this victory Bristow was proclaimed world champion for the sixth time with victories in each of the five women's events, a feat she achieved for a third time. Although Abellán squeezed Bristow in the first round, staying just one point ahead. Bristow kept her cool and achieved her wins.
Marcelli: world champion in TR2
At just 19 years old, Gabriel Marcelli won his first world title. The Galician rider arrived in La Nucía in second place, but just one point behind the leader, the Italian Matteo Grattarola, whom he defeated in a thrilling final. “La Nucía has given me luck and I will always carry it in my heart and memories as the place where I proclaimed myself world champion in TR2. It was a spectacular world cup with incredible areas and large numbers of people. Hopefully it will have continuity in the calendar”, commented Marcelli after stepping off the podium.
In females TR2 the podium in La Nucía was: 1st Alicia Robinson of the United Kingdom, 2nd Alice Minta, United Kingdom and 3rd Caroline Monreon from France. The German rider Vivian Wachs, gained the world cup despite coming fourth in La Nucia due to the points she had attained previously.
Around eighty riders took part, but the paddock numbers were inflated by team support and relatives. In addition to the sporting importance of hosting this race for La Nucía, it was also very beneficial for hotels and restaurants in the town.
La Nucía has now made history by hosting the first World Cup ever to be held in the Valencian community, along with the best riders in the world. The event had a great impact both at spectator level and for the media. This year were only seven rounds of the World Cup including Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal and Italy.
Bou and Bristow both praised the level of organisation, the competitors and the public.
“I think that once again we have lived up to a great international sporting event, which consolidates our brand of ‘La Nucia city of Sports’ and which has given a great economic return to the town and an incalculable promotion” said the mayor of La Nucia, Bernabé Cano.