Cycle News Staff | July 16, 2024
The fifth round of the FIM TrialGP Championship was held in Comblain-au-Pont (Belgium), July 14, and was the last before the summer break. Repsol Honda Team riders showed their winning skills on terrain with muddy areas due to rain the previous day. Toni Bou earned the victory and teammate Gabriel Marcelli was second. Third place went to Sherco’s Adam Raga, followed by GasGas’ Jaime Busto and TRS Factory Team rider Jorge Casales.
Toni Bou stretched out his Championship lead with another win, this time at the TrialGP of Belgium.
Bou started the day by leading the first lap with 21 penalty points. For the second lap, the Montesa Cota 4RT rider remained in front, with an advantage of 11 points over his nearest rival. The win was the eighth of the campaign so far for Bou.
“Today’s result is very good in general terms and we cannot ask for much more,” Bou said. “Things are going very well for us this season, so I can only thank the team for all the work they have done to make all this possible. We head into the summer break with a very good feeling and with important points for the standings. We still have to finish the season off, but the truth is that we have had a very, very good first half.”
On the opening lap, despite the equality in points and the muddy areas, Marcelli rounded out the top three. He was at his best on lap two and was the man who incurred the fewest penalty points of 17 to earn second place. It was his seventh podium of the season, and it kept him second in the standings.
Bou’s Repsol Honda teammate Gabriel Marcelli was second overall and continues to hold down second in the Championship.
“I’m very happy and satisfied with how the day went today in Belgium,” Marcelli said. “I was riding well, even though I felt the pressure for the overall standings, and we finished it off with a great second lap to finish on the podium in second position. It’s a good result that gives us peace of mind and extra motivation for what lies ahead. We have one race left in the Spanish Championship before the summer break, so we are looking forward to continuing in the same way. ”
Raga finished four points behind Marcelli and just three points ahead of Busto, who is third in the championship. “I didn’t have the best start to the day,” Busto said. “The first section was tough and I made a few too many mistakes. However, I had a much better second lap and managed to come home in fourth place with some important championship points. It’s not what we wanted, but we will keep working hard and come back better next time.”
Sherco’s Adam Raga was third.
Leader Bou has 177 championship points, followed by Marcelli with 135, Busto with 126, Raga with 114 and Matteo Grattarola (Beta) with 108.
The next round takes place August 25 in Cahors (France) where Toni Bou will have his first chance to become the 2024 TrialGP World Champion. Bou leads Marcelli by 42 points in the title chase.CN
2024 FIM TrialGP Championship Round 5 Results
OVERALL (Top 5)
- Toni Bou (Mon) 39 points
- Gabriel Marcelli (Mon) 50 points
- Adam Raga (She) 54 points
- Jaime Busto (GG) 57 points
- Jorge Casales (TRRS) 57 points
