Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou (Montesa) and Takahisa Fujinama (Montesa) swept the opening two rounds of the FIM Trial World Championship in Italy, June 12-13.
Bou, who is still recovering from a broken leg suffered in May, battled 2005 and ’06 Champion Adam Raga (TRRS) all day long. Bou held off Raga at the end, winning by just one mark.
“It was an amazing fight with Adam,” said Bou. “I arrived here after my injury one month ago and my feeling is not the best, but I finally took the win.”
Neither Bou nor Raga, however, got the win Sunday. Instead, top honors went to 41-year-old Takahisa Fujinami who finished seventh on Saturday and surprised everyone by taking the win on Sunday. It was the 2004 champ’s first victory since 2016. Fujinami battled his teammate Bou for most of the day before pulling clear of Bou with a phenomenal four-point second lap that saw him finish a comfortable eight marks clear of Bou.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” said Fujinami. “I would have been so happy with a podium, so to win is just amazing. Yesterday, I felt comfortable on the bike, but the results didn’t materialize. Yesterday, I did not expect to finish seventh. What I did not expect was to be able to win today! I was looking for the win, but not 100 percent. I’m very happy. At 41, I don’t think anyone was expecting it, not my team, nor Toni, and I don’t think I was. It was terrific to be able to achieve it. I felt like I did in 2004, when I was 24 years old. Thank you very much to the whole team for always supporting me and helping me, this victory is a gift for all of you.”
Raga, who struggled during the first lap, took third.
“First of all, I want to congratulate my partner Takahisa Fujinami,” Bou said. “What he has done today at 41 has been incredible. He works a lot and does such a good job with the whole team. As for me, I am happy with the weekend in general. Today, in section six, I hurt myself a bit, I made a mistake with the line and wasn’t able to secure my foot. Even so, I got a very good result. I hope I haven’t done too much damage and hopefully I will be able to recover fully for the second round of the world championship.”
After the two rounds, Bou leads the championship by five points over Raga. Fujinami is another three points back in third.
Fujinami’s wasn’t the only surprise over the weekend. Laia Sanz, competing in her first World Championship TrialGP in eight years after switching to Rally racing, took the Women’s-class win in her first ride back on Saturday. The GasGas rider finished second to Emma Bristow (Sherco) on Sunday. CN
2021 TrialGP of Italy Results
Day One
- Toni Bou (Mon) 24
- Adam Raga (TRRS) 25
- Matteo Grattarola (Bet) 40
Day Two
- Takahisa Fujinami (Mon) 22
- Toni Bou (Montesa) 30
- Adam Raga (TRRS) 36
Click here to read 2021 TrialGP of Italy Results in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
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