BUSTO BREAKS THROUGH
The FIM X-Trial World Championship made a long-awaited return to the Austrian town of Wiener Neustadt. The stadium hosted the series between 2015 and 2017, but a planned return in 2020 was delayed due to the global pandemic. It was watched by almost 2,000 spectators who enjoyed the action over the six man-made hazards consisting of rocks, logs, wooden boxes and large concrete structures on a course that featured five sections in each of the opening two rounds, with the final contested over six sections.
BOU IN CHARGE
In the opening round, Toni Bou was in charge, with only Gabriel Marcelli and Aniol Gelabert the closest to matching him, both missing out by just a single mark. However, in round two, the bar was raised, and any advantage they had over Jaime Busto and Adam Raga was lost, seeing them slip out of the top three places and eliminated from the final. Marcelli finished fourth, with Gelabert fifth. Benoit Bincaz finished just four marks from the podium, but that was only good enough for sixth.
It was a tough night for Toby Martyn with six five-mark penalties from ten sections, leaving him seventh, with Matteo Grattarola eighth and the ‘Wild Card’ Marco Mempor ninth.
BUSTO ON THE TOP SPOT
A crucial pair of mistakes from the championship leader Toni Bou in section two of the final left him chasing Jaime Busto. Then, under pressure, a further failure in section four dropped him into a fight for second with Adam Raga.
Busto was seven marks ahead, two sections from the finish, and secured his first win of the 2023 season.
In the fight for second, Bou held his nerve with a sensational performance in section six to end the night on a high. Bou claimed both bonus points for topping the opening two rounds of the night and is at the top of the championship with two rounds completed.