FIM Trial World Championship
With just four days and eight points scoring rounds this was always going to be a high-pressure championship. Early season injuries had no time to heal and affected Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP) who has a niggling back injury. This is no excuse as we all know he always gives 100%. The fight at each round for supremacy has seen Adam Raga (TRRS-ESP) take the top spot of the podium twice but its his arch-rival who holds the ten point advantage as the short break before
Italy in October takes place. Behind Bou and Raga we have had the new TrialGP sensation Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa-ESP) on the podium, and twice in Andorra Jorge Casales (GASGAS-ESP). We also have a new manufacturer, TRRS, leading the world championship, the first time they have stood proud at the top of the table.
COVID 19
To adjust to the various government guidelines concerning Covid 19, the series start has moved from May to September. There is no qualification process with the riders using their final 2019 championship positions to dictate their start position in France. After France at round two, the riders finishing positions from the opening day would determine their start position on day two. The hazards have been reduced to just ten to be covered three times,once again due to Covid 19 guidelines, with changes made to them for the second day. This year’s shortened championship will be run over two days with four proposed rounds, with all eight scoring rounds counting.
2020 TRIALGP
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
3 OF 4 ROUNDS COMPLETED
POSITIONS: 1: Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP) 112; 2: Adam Raga (TRRS-ESP) 102; 3: Jamie Busto (Vertigo-ESP) 81; 4: Jorge Casales (GASGASESP) 66; 5: Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa-ESP) 59;
6: Takahisa Fujinami (Repsol Honda-JPN) 57; 7: Miquel Gelabert (GASGAS-ESP) 56; 8: Jeroni Fajardo (Sherco-ESP) 54; 9: James Dabill (BetaGBR) 48; 10: Benoit Bincaz (Beta-FRA) 42; 11: Dan Peace (Sherco-GBR) 33; 12: Jack Price (VertigoGBR) 32.
2020 FIM MANUFACTURES’ CHAMPIONSHIP
3 OF 4 ROUNDS COMPLETED
POSITIONS: 1: TRRS 206; 2: Montesa 188; 3: Beta 171; 4: Sherco 134; 5: Vertigo 1028 6: GASGAS 74; 7: Scorpa 9.
FRANCE: ISOLA 2000, 5TH AND 6TH SEPTEMBER
Under a blazing sun and at high altitude, the action on both days was very hot to say the least. Day one was plagued by time problems after the FIM introduced a new time limit for the first five sections which would force the scrapping of all the first lap scores. Toni Bou was in superb form taking the win despite challenges from both Jaime Busto and Jeroni Fajardo, as Adam Raga was kept down in fourth position just off the pace of the top three.
Day two was the closest action the TrialGP class had seen for some time as Jeroni Fajardo focussed on a victory, leading after the opening lap as Toni Bou suffered with back problems causing him some discomfort. It was the turn of Jaime Busto to make a charge for victory as Fajardo still held the lead after the second lap. With Adam Raga watching the action with a close eye, he had a storming last lap score of just three marks lost to snatch a clear victory on the final lap. Bou had been beaten, for the first time since Japan in 2018, but he came away from France leading the championship table.
DAY 1: 1: Bou 6; 2: Busto 11; 3: Fajardo 14; 4: Raga 20; 5: Casales 25; 6: Fujinami 29; 7: Bincaz 33; 8: Gelabert 34; 9: Dabill 36; 10: Price 52; 11: Peace 55; 12: Marcelli 58.
DAY 2: 1: Raga 33; 2: Busto 40; 3: Bou 41; 4: Fajardo 46; 5: Casales 48; 6: Fujinami 53; 7: Gelabert 55; 8: Bincaz 59; 9: Price 72; 10: Marcelli 74; 11: Dabill 76; 12: Peace 102.
SPAIN: POBLADURA DE LES REGUERAS, 12TH AND 13TH SEPTEMBER
Once again, the sun shone in Spain on this eightkilometre course taking in the three laps of a wide variety of ten hazards. You can never put a good man down and showing true strength of character, Toni Bou came back on day one in Spain with a very dominant statement by taking a clear win. With time problems now a thing of the past, it looked like Jaime Busto could challenge the dominance of Bou but once again it was not to be. A surprise to the established podium takers was Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa-ESP) in a fighting fourth position.
Day two would witness a day long fight between the old adversaries Bou and Raga with the win once again going to the defending world champion. With a mechanical failure taking out Jeroni Fajardo on the Sherco, it was Gabriel Marcelli who took full advantage of the opportunity to take his maiden trip to the podium in his first year in the TrialGP class. French rider Benoit Bincaz (Beta) also showed the form we all know he has with a good solid fourth position. For Great Britain’s Jack Price (Vertigo) it was a very difficult day after a massive crash on day one. He struggled all day with troubling injuries. but showed true spirit to finish and take some valuable points.
DAY 1: 1: Bou 28; 2: Busto 49; 3: Raga 57; 4: Marcelli 68; 5: Gelabert 69; 6: Fajardo 69; 7: Dabill 70; 8: Fujinami 86; 9: Peace 93; 10: Casales 115; 11: Price 136; 12: Bincaz 147.
DAY 2: 1: Bou 48; 2: Raga 56; 3: Marcelli 62; 4: Bincaz 66; 5: Gelabert 68; 6: Busto 69; 7: Dabill 69; 8: Casales 75; 9: Fujinami 77; 10: Peace 78; 11: Price 150.
ANDORRA: SANT JULIA, 19TH AND 20TH SEPTEMBER
Very much a ‘Home’ round for Toni Bou this highaltitude venue was shrouded in damp moist air for both days as cold September weather moved into the area. Yes, the sun did shine through, but it made for some very tough conditions as the huge rocks polished up offering very little wheel grip. Day one was all about the battle between the top two, Bou and Raga. It went to the very last lap as Raga took the advantage to record his second win in 2020. A rejuvenated Jorge Casales (GASGASESP) pulled himself onto the podium for the first time for the new Austrian GASGAS owners.
On day two the fight for supremacy was all about one man, yes Toni Bou. He took no prisoners on his way to a clear twenty-mark victory over Raga. As we have seen before, it is the self-belief that matters, and it was a very proud Casales who once again took the last step on the podium. Have suffered with a drop in form, Takahisa Fujinami (Repsol Honda-JPN) came within two points of a podium finish much to his delight. After looking very much like a championship challenger in France, Jamie Busto (Vertigo-ESP) has lost that confident touch needed to fight for the wins but he still holds third in the championship. Of the British riders, James Dabill on the Beta has shown on his day just how competitive he can be, and Dan Peace continues to gain experience all the time. One rider looking forward to a short session of ‘TLC’ will be the injured Jack Price after his big crash in Spain.
DAY 1: 1: Raga 50; 2: Bou 56; 3: Casales 73; 4: Marcelli 79; 5: Dabill 82; 6: Busto 83; 7: Fujinami
93; 8: Bincaz 98; 9: Fajardo 98; 10: Gelabert 101; 11: Peace 105; 12: Price 105.
DAY 2: 1: Bou 28; 2: Raga 48; 3: Casales 70; 4: Fujinami 72; 5: Gelabert 74; 6: Busto 77; 7: Fajardo 79; 8: Marcelli 80; 9: Dabill 94; 10: Peace 96; 11: Price 99.
The 2020 FIM TrialGP World Championship will now take a short break before resuming in Italy on the 10th and 11th October.