Dominant victory for Bou in Andorra la Vella
The World Champion won on X-Trial’s return from the 2023 summer break
Toni Bou (Repsol Honda Trial Team) made the perfect start to the second part of the 2023 X-Trial World Championship season with his third victory at X-Trial Andorra la Vella. The home favourite claimed his revenge over Jaime Busto (GasGas) who won in the principality last year.
16-times World Champion Bou already had control of the Final after just two sections, because while his rivals Busto and Gabriel Marcelli (Repsol Honda Trial Team) floundered with two fiascos, Bou notched just four marks to take an early six-mark lead. His victory was assured by Section Four with a clean where his competitors had again failed.
From there, the battle was for second place, only decided in the last section as Busto made it through with a single mark while Marcelli suffered his sixth consecutive failure.
The top three had a clear advantage over the course of ten qualifying sections, but fourth and fifth places proved close-fought. Aniol Gelabert (Beta) snatched fourth from Benoit Bincaz (Sherco) courtesy of an outstanding second Round, but Bincaz will have been pleased to have been a genuine podium contender on his first run. Adam Raga (TRRS) had an uncharacteristically poor second run that dropped him to sixth, having been just two marks from the top three after the night’s first five sections.Toby Martyn (Montesa), Matteo Grattarola (Beta) and debutant Billy Green were cut adrift of the pace and occupied the final three positions.
Toni Bou (1st): “Starting the second part of this season with a win, especially in Andorra la Vella, and riding how I did in the second Round and the Final is the best that could have happened today. I felt much better once I changed bike after the first Round. The Final was very demanding, but I think I rode it at a high level.”
Jaime Busto (2nd): “I am happy to be on the podium again and to have finished second proves that I have found the consistency I was missing last year. Now all I am missing is another win, but the Final today was very difficult.”
Gabriel Marcelli (3rd): “I am happy with third place, because it is another podium and it could have been second right up to the last section. I felt good throughout even if the Final was really very demanding. I think I rode well in each of the first two Rounds.”
The next FIM X-Trial World Championship Round takes place in Madrid on 4th November.