2024 FIM X-Trial World Championship Round 3 Results
Cycle News Staff | March 26, 2024
Repsol Honda’s Toni Bou did it again. The 34-time World Champion won for the third time this season in the FIM X-Trial World Championship, this time in Nice, France, on March 22. He’s won all three rounds held so far on the Montesa Cota 4RT.
His nearest rival was GasGas Factory rider Jaime Busto, who edged out Bou’s teammate Gabriel Marcelli in the final on his TXT GP 300. The match required a single-section tiebreaker run between the two. Busto also won one of the two qualifying laps earlier.
But Bou was the clear winner in the three-rider final. He finished it out 14 points clear of Busto and Marcelli.
“I am very happy with this latest victory,” Bou said. “The team worked very well throughout the week. It was a difficult day because it was very easy to miss out on the final, but we remained very consistent, with only one mistake on the second lap. The final was very good, and we rode at a high level. We are on the right track, and we have to keep working.”
“Everything went well tonight,” Busto said. “I was feeling good on the bike right from the very start. Taking the win in round two was important and set me up well for the final. I went into the final sections fully motivated to give my all, but a few fives dragged me down a bit. Winning the tiebreaker was important, and I’m super happy to have come away from France with second place on the night and second place in the Championship.”
Bou has established a comfortable lead in the Championship, 65 points to Busto’s 43. Marcelli is right there with 39 points.
Round four takes place on May 4 in Switzerland.CN
X-Trial (Top 5)
- Toni Bou (Mon)
- Jamie Busto (GG)
- Gabriel Marcelli (Mon)
- Toby Martyn (Mon)
- Benoit Bincaz (She)