Cycle News Staff | March 28, 2023
Toni Bou landed his second win of the season in the X-Trial Championship and Gabriel Marcelli placed second. GasGas rider Jaime Busto finished third.
Here is the race report from Honda…
The Repsol Honda Trial Team took a one-two finish in the first ever X-Trial World Championship round held in Pamplona. Toni Bou (above) achieved his second victory of the season at the third round of the year, consolidating his lead in the overall standings. His teammate, Gabriel Marcelli (pictured below), was second after a great performance at the Navarra Arena.
The first lap was very tight, and Bou was second, going through the five zones with a total of 3 points. Marcelli picked up 4 penalty points. On the next lap, both Repsol Honda Trial Team riders qualified for the final, placing inside the Top 3. Marcelli led this second round with Bou third.
In the final round, over 6 zones, Bou earned his second victory, remaining leader of the standings. Marcelli finished second and cut points in the championship thanks to an extra point in the second round by taking first place. The Galician rider is third overall, just six points behind the second-placed rider.
The following is a race report from GasGas…
The winner last time out in Austria when he claimed his debut FIM X-Trial World Championship victory for GasGas, Jaime Busto (pictured below) has secured another podium finish – his third in a row this season – with a super-strong ride at round three of the series at Pamplona in Spain.
Busto led after the opening lap in Pamplona, taking control early on with a solid showing as he took the lead ahead of reigning champion Toni Bou. With a score of just two, he then picked up one additional mark during the second lap as he went on to book his place in the all-important final.
Hoping to repeat the form that saw him take victory last time out, the 25-year-old went on to ride to a third-place finish at the end of a close-fought final. Despite progressing to the final in front, a pair of maximum scores proved costly for Busto as the competition went down to the wire. In continuing his run of podium finishes, Busto remains in contention for the championship, sitting just 12 points off the lead in second with four rounds still to run.
The next challenge will be on April 7 in Bordeaux (France), the fourth round of the year and the last before the mid-season break.