FIM X-Trial
Yes, it’s that man Toni Bou who continues to dominate the FIM X-Trial World Championship as he took his 65th career victory in the Indoor series with another win at round three in Budapest, Hungary. Adam Raga (TRRS-ESP) continues to be the one to challenge Bou, but in a massive breath of fresh air, the young Spanish rider Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa-ESP) made his first visit to an X-Trial podium in Hungary.
Starting on the French overseas territory of La Reunion island in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, the 2020 FIM X-Trial World
Championship came to life in late 2019. It then moved back to Europe for the remainder of the proposed seven-round series one week later, at round two in the vibrant student-populated town of Rennes in France. After a break for the festive celebrations, the action would resume in the historical city of Budapest in Hungary in January 2020. At each round, three nominated riders joined a quintet of permanent riders, consisting of the defending champion Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP), Adam Raga (TRRS-ESP), Jaime Busto (Vertigo-ESP), Benoit Bincaz (Beta-FRA) and Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa-ESP).
COMPETITION FORMAT
The format and rules for each round were implemented by 2Play Event Production, the promoters of the FIM X-Trial. The new format was introduced in 2018 with the majority of the rules remaining into 2020 from last year. The qualifying process takes place at the start of the competition for all eight riders, over a selection of five hazards, racing against a time limit of six minutes over the timed lap. Three groups of riders go through the elimination stages in three heats, with the three highest-scoring riders eliminated. The eventual winner is found from the top six, who then proceed to the next round in two heats and then the semi-final, where only the best of each of the two groups continue in the competition and will go through to the final. A consolation final over one-timed hazard to determine the third position on the podium is staged, prior to the grand final which settles the top two rankings. In the final, different variants of the hazards are used, and some are ridden in the reverse direction. All the hazards are made up of a mixture of steel, wood and concrete objects positioned in the most bizarre and awkward situations in the arena to challenge the riders and find an eventual winner.
ROUND 1: LA REUNION ISLAND, FRANCE
The five permanent riders were joined by Miquel Gelabert (Vertigo-ESP), Jorge Casales (Gas GasESP) and Kieran Touly (Scorpa-FRA). More than 3,500 spectators enjoyed a spectacular and very demanding course at the Stade Jean Ivoula de Sant-Denis on Reunion Island as Toni Bou started the defence of his FIM X-Trial World Championship in the best possible way: with a victory.
Having already topped the first and second heats of the contest, Bou met the current world number two, Adam Raga, in the final, which was decided when Raga failed in three of the six sections leaving Bou with an unassailable lead.
The fight for the final place on the podium was contested between Vertigo’s two new Spanish signings, Jaime Busto and Miquel Gelabert. Busto came out on top and took the final step on the podium after parting with just two marks on the single-section play-off as Gelabert was eliminated after exceeding the one-minute time limit.
On his debut for Gas Gas, Spain’s Jorge Casales took fifth overall ahead of young Gabriel Marcelli, whose debut, as a permanent rider, saw him in third place after the opening heat but he then scored a maximum 25 marks in his second heat. Struggling with an ankle injury, Benoit Bincaz was seventh as Kieran Touly scored a maximum on his X-Trial debut.
LA REUNION ISLAND, FRANCE
FINAL: 1: Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP) 10; 2: Adam Raga (TRRS-ESP) 17. RUNNER-UP FINAL: 3: Jaime Busto (VertigoESP) 2; 4: Miquel Gelabert (Vertigo-ESP) 5;
5: Jorge Casales (Gas Gas-ESP) 12; 6: Gabriel
Marcelli (Montesa-ESP) 25; 7: Benoit Bincaz
(Beta-FRA) 17; 8: Kieran Touly (Scorpa-FRA) 25.
ROUND 2: RENNES, FRANCE
The five permanent riders were joined by Miquel Gelabert, Jeroni Fajardo (Sherco-ESP) and Toby Martyn (Beta-GBR). Miquel Gelabert was the first heat winner, but only by a single mark from Jeroni Fajardo. X-Trial debutant, Toby Martyn, suffered two mechanical failures on his final ride for the Italian manufacturer. In the second heat, Gabriel Marcelli failed to produce the form he had shown one week earlier as Jaime Busto held a two-mark advantage over the ‘home’ rider Benoit Bincaz. Toni Bou and Adam Raga had a very close battle, but it was Bou who held the advantage as Raga stopped in the fifth hazard. With both Martyn and Marcelli eliminated, it was now down to six riders for the second phase of the event. It was once again dominated by Bou and Raga with the difference only two marks between them as Bincaz was eliminated. We now had the final four.
The first fight would be between Jeroni Fajardo and Miquel Gelabert with the runners-up final decided over just one hazard, section one ridden in the reverse direction. They both failed the hazard, and with the time element deciding the positions, it was Fajardo who was rewarded with the trip to the podium.
Bou and Raga moved to the final, which would include an additional hazard as the other five were ridden in the reverse direction. Bou held the upper hand as Raga would attempt the hazards first and, after an uneasy stop in the second hazard, Bou simply pushed harder as he added yet another trophy to the cabinet.
RENNES, FRANCE
FINAL: 1: Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP) 15; 2: Adam Raga (TRRS-ESP) 27. RUNNER-UP FINAL: 3: Jeroni Fajardo (ShercoESP) 5; 4: Miquel Gelabert (Vertigo-ESP) 5; Jaime Busto (Vertigo-ESP) 17; 6: Benoit Bincaz (Beta-FRA) 18; 7: Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa-ESP) 11; 8: Toby Martyn (BetaGBR) 20.
ROUND 3: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
The five permanent riders were joined by Miquel Gelabert, Jeroni Fajardo and Jorge Casales. Both Miquel Gelabert and Benoit Bincaz were eliminated in the very first phase of the competition. This event had possibly the strongest line up so far in the 2020 series as Jorge Casales outpointed the pair by a three-mark margin despite his unfavorable first rider starting position in the heats.
In round two, it demonstrated just how testing the hazards were as both Casales and Jaime Busto were also unable to make it through any of the sections successfully.
For the young newcomer to the 2020 championship, Gabriel Marcelli, this was his moment as he made it to the third position final alongside the experienced Jeroni Fajardo and with a strong ride made the final step on the podium, much to his delight.
In the final, which was once again a duel between the lifelong rivals Toni
Bou and Adam Raga, the action was very close as they were both very evenly matched in their riding on the night. As it turned out, they would both end up in a tie-break situation as they both lost the same amount of marks. In order to claim his 65th FIM X-Trial career win, Bou had his toughest test of the 2020 season as the official referee had to look back to the second round results following two ties in the Grand Final. Both Bou and Raga lost 15 marks each in a tense six-section finale before both going on to fail a challenging run-off over the hazards. In this unique situation, they could only be split by their results in the opening Heat stages which gave Bou the win by ten marks to thirteen over the reigning world number two.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
FINAL: 1: Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP) 15; 2: Adam Raga (TRRS-ESP) 15.
RUNNER-UP FINAL: 3: Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa-ESP) 5; 4: Jeroni Fajardo
(Sherco-ESP) 5; 5: Jorge Casales (Gas Gas-ESP) 25; 6; Jaime Busto (VertigoESP) 25; 7: Miquel Gelabert (Vertigo-ESP) 16; 8: Benoit Bincaz (Beta-FRA) 16.
2020 FIM X-TRIAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS: ROUND 3 OF 7
RESULTS: 1: Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP) 60; 2: Adam Raga (TRRS-ESP) 45; 3: Jamie Busto (Vertigo-ESP) 22; 4: Jeroni Fajardo (Sherco-ESP) 21; 5:
Miquel Gelabert (Vertigo-ESP) 20; 6: Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa-ESP) 18;
7: Jorge Casales (Gas Gas-ESP) 12; 8: Benoit Bincaz (Beta-FRA) 7; 9: Toby
Martyn (Beta-GBR) 1; 10: Kieran Touly (Scorpa-FRA) 1. The 2020 FIM X-Trial World Championship will continue with round four in Barcelona Spain on the 3rd February.