IN
THE
WIND
P24
BOU BOUNCES BACK
I
n very difficult wet conditions
that played a major part of the
event in Belgium on Sunday,
Repsol Honda's Toni Bou further
extended his championship lead
over his nearest rival Adam Raga
with a well-earned victory.
It had been seven years since
the FIM series visited Belgium –
the home country of three-time
World Champion Eddy Lejeune –
but the town of Comblain-au-Pont
played host to round five of this
year's championship and heavy
rains hit the area on race day.
The pressure on the two lead-
ing riders in the championship
Bou and Gas Gas'
Raga started very early on the
first lap when Bou took a three-
mark penalty on section three
followed by a clean on section
four. Two five mark penalties fol-
lowed including one when his
tire was damaged and deflated in
the hazard. This allowed Raga to
take the lead by two marks at the
close of the lap. Sherco's Albert
Cabestany also in the mix with an
opening score of 26.
Bou cleaned the first eight sec-
tions of the second lap, scoring a
13 – the best of the event. On the
final lap Raga produced a score
just in front of Bou's but the cur-
rent World Champion knew exact-
ly what he had to do and he kept
calm to take yet another victory.
"This victory is very important
for me as the Belgium round
starts a three-week run of cham-
pionship events," Bou said. "The
trial started in the dry, but the
conditions changed very quickly
as the rain came down as we
finished the opening lap. I have
extended my championship
lead, but I cannot rest as I must
keep pushing at every round.
The team has worked well today
as we continue to chase another
championship victory. I now look
forward to the two-day event next
week in Great Britain."
Bou leads Raga by just four
points, 128-124. Cabestany is
third with 96 points.
Toni Bou won
for the 60
th
time
in his career in
the World Trials
Championship.
