VIVE LA FRANCE
Italy
On the slippery rocks this was always going to be a testing day for the 125cc two-stroke machines. With last year’s FIM Trial125 top three moving up a class it opened the door for some new talent to shine through. French rider Kieran Touly took the opportunity to take the win at round one, with the hard work done on the opening lap as he headed the field by seven marks from eventual third-placed Alex Canales. On the second lap the man on form was Alberto Rabino with a score of just seven marks lost to eventual winner Touly’s nine.
RESULTS: 1: Kieran Touly (Scorpa-FRA) 21; 2: Alberto Rabino (Beta-ITA) 28; 3: Alex Canales (Gas Gas-ESP) 29; 4: Pau Martinez (Vertigo-ESP) 34; 5: Pol Medinya (TRRS-ESP) 45; 6: Marco Mempoer (Beta-AUT) 57; 7: Arthur Rovery (Sherco-FRA) 58; 8: Ben Dignan (Gas Gas-ESP) 69; 9: Jonathan Heidal (TRRS-DEU) 83; 10: Philipp Eberharter (TRRS-AUT) 95; 11: Fabio Schollar (Beta-AUT) 102; 12: Dylan Ball (Beta-NZL) 108; 13: Gaudi Vall (Gas GasAND) 114; 14: Jake Eley (Beta-GBR) 124.
Japan: Day one
The ‘find’ of the 2019 season, Kieran Touly from France on the Scorpa arrived in Japan ready to fight for the victories and that’s exactly what he achieved. Despite the fact he lay down in third position after the opening lap behind Alberto Rabino and Marco Mempoer he remained calm to take the victory by three marks. Rabino and Mempoer were engaged in their own battle and rounded off the podium as Pau Martinez and Arthur Rovery finished within two marks of one another in what was a very competitive day, made harder for the 125cc machines in the very wet conditions. RESULTS: 1: Touly 48; 2: Rabino 51; 3: Mempoer 55; 4: Martinez 60; 5: Rovery 62; 6: Canales 66; 7: Medinya 67; 8: Ball 76; 9: Kaoru Isogaya (Beta-JPN) 112; 10: Haruto Miyazawa (Beta-JPN) 119; 11: Rei Hamabe (Scorpa-JPN) 122; 12: Eley 131.
Japan: Day two
It got even closer in the fight for the victory for Kieran Touly on day two as his French rival Arthur Rovery pushed him all the way. At the close of the opening lap Rovery held a single mark advantage but as he has demonstrated already this season Touly remained calm to once again take maximum points. Showing the talent that is waiting to come out, Spain’s Pau Martinez had a much more consistent day to finish on the podium in third position. The battle for fourth place was very close between Alex Canales, Marco Mempoer, Alberto Rabino and Pol Medinya.
RESULTS: : Touly 20; 2: Rovery 22; 3: Martinez 25; 4: Canales 32; 5: Mempoer 34; 6: Rabino 35; 7: Medinya 35; 8: Ball 61; 9: Miyazawa 73; 10: Isogaya 82; 11: Eley 88; 12: Hamabe 100; 13: Shinya Toudou (Scorpa-JPN) 110; 14: Chen Mao Wen (TRRSTWN) 120.
Netherlands
Everyone wants to get on the podium, but young Marco Mempoer for Austria did it in style under the intense heat in the Netherlands. Parting with just a single mark on section nine on his first lap, he kept his calm on the second tour of the hazards to come home a worthy winner. Arthur Rovery kept the French flag flying on the podium as the championship leader Kieran Touly had a disaster of a day. With Alex Canales and Alberto Rabino the only other two riders with single figure scores Touly was well off the winning pace on 18 marks lost. RESULTS: Mempoer 1; 2: Rovery 3; 3: Canales 7; 4: Rabino 9; 5: Touly 18; 6: Medinya 23; 7: Martinez 23; 8: Ball 53; 9: Heidal 55; 10: Dignan 57; 11: Schollar 68; 12: Eberharter 76; 13: Eley 118.
Belgium
Riding very much like a rider who wants the world crown, Kieran Touly came fighting back after his disaster in the Netherlands with a well-deserved clear victory. It was tough on the small-capacity machines under the heat in Belgium but he remained focussed on the win all day. The interesting fight is with the next three riders in the championship as Austria’s Marco Mempoer backed up his win the week before with a good second position in front of Rabino and Canales. The riders below form were Medinya, Martinez and Rovery, but expect some fireworks as their 2019 season concludes. RESULTS: 1: Touly 42; 2: Mempoer 55; 3: Rabino 59; 4: Canales 59; 5: Medinya 71; 6: Martinez 71; 7: Rovery 75; 8: Ball 93; 9: Dignan 112; 10: Eley 125.