The final day of the San Marino TrialGP concluded with a perfect result for Repsol Honda HRC. Toni Bou and Gabriel Marcelli secured a one-two finish in the overall standings on Sunday, with Bou taking the overall victory and Marcelli his first race win. On a day affected by the technical difficulty of the zones and accumulated fatigue, the two riders once again demonstrated their talent in the top category.
In the first race, Bou once again fought for victory from the start, remaining in the lead for most of the contest. However, as this was the fourth time the premier class riders had ridden the same sections -with barely any changes made- the mental and physical challenges were evident. A fiasco in the penultimate section cost him the win, but the Repsol Honda rider earned a valuable 17 points with second place, ahead of his main rival in the standings, Jaime Busto.
In the second race, Bou was determined to correct his mistakes and opted for a more aggressive strategy. His concentration made the difference from the very first stage. With only seven penalty points accrued and a brilliant performance, he returned to the top of the podium, taking the day’s overall victory as well and earning another 20 points.
Marcelli, meanwhile, shone in San Marino. He started the day with a very solid ride, showing that he felt comfortable. That confidence translated into his best race of the season, which ended with his first victory in the premier class. With the 20 points that he earned and Jaime Busto’s third place, Marcelli took a step forward in his fight for second place in the series.
In the second race, he maintained his pace. The Montesa Cota 4RT rider battled with Bou and Busto for the win, but a few mistakes left him with no chance of repeating his triumph. He finished second in both the race and the day’s standings, achieving an excellent podium finish and his best overall performance of the season. In addition, he earned an extra point for being the fastest in the Power Section.
With this one-two finish, Repsol Honda HRC rounded off a perfect weekend in San Marino. Toni Bou strengthened his lead in the overall standings, and Gabriel Marcelli confirmed his progress with his first race win.
The TrialGP World Championship will have a one-month break before the next round, held in the United States from July 11-13th -in which Bou will have his first mathematical chance of becoming World Champion.
Toni Bou 1Championship: 1st“Today was very close again in both races, but with the difference that my main rival was Gabri. Having my teammate be so strong is great because it helps us both improve. I narrowly missed out on a mistake in the first race due to a mistake on Zone 11, but the second race went very well because I managed to stay very consistent. We took a lot of points for the championship. I’m very happy with how the weekend went.” |
Gabriel Marcelli 38Championship: 3rd“The day went really well and I’m very happy. We narrowly missed out on the overall win, but I’m also very happy to have won my first race. In the second race, I also felt very comfortable, but I made a mistake that cost me the second win. I was very strong, the team did a great job, and I once again took the extra point from the Power Section. Today I managed to relieve some pressure with first place, and we have to keep fighting like this to achieve the overall victory in the future. We have a very good feeling for the upcoming races.” |
Takahisa FujinamiTeam Manager“Today was an incredible day for Repsol Honda HRC. Toni rode very well in both races, although a mistake in zone 11 prevented him from winning both races again. Even so, in the second race he managed to recover as only he knows how and took the win for the day. He scored some very good points for the championship and in the United States he will have his first mathematical chance to become champion. Gabri, for his part, had a fantastic day, achieving his first victory in a race, and I am very happy about that. He was already very strong yesterday, and today he finished with that first and second place, as well as repeating the extra point in the Power Section. Now it’s time to keep training hard for the Spanish Championship next weekend. I want to thank the team and HRC for their support and constant work.” |
RACE 1
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RACE 2
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Rider StandingsProvisional Standings
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