Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/824646
IN THE WIND P52 BOU WINS SPANISH TRIALGP OPENER R eigning TrialGP Champion Toni Bou (Repsol Honda) took a clear-cut win at the open- ing round of the 2017 FIM Trial World Championship at Cam- prodon, Spain, May 14. The Spaniard, attempting to win an 11th consecutive TrialGP title, kicked off the defense of his crown with a 12-mark win over compatriot Adam Raga (TRS). Albert Cabestany (Sher- co) made it an all-Spanish po- dium in third, 26 marks behind Bou. After starting the morning in bright sunshine, a thunderstorm halfway through the opening lap changed the complexion of the sections. This allowed Cabes- tany, an early starter following problems in qualification, to go into the second lap with a one-mark lead over Bou and two marks ahead of Raga. On the second lap, with intermittent heavy rain and a hailstorm making conditions treacherous, Bou was quite simply untouchable. As his rivals struggled to match their first- lap performances, he put on a master class of his technique, incurring just one maximum and reducing his opening lap score by 10 to finish on a total of 46. "The first trial of the year was a complicated one with a lot of nerves and pressure," Bou said. "This place is a paradise for trial, but it's not really the type that suits me best as I find it tough with all the mud. But I think I got through it pretty well. It was a hard event and I think the rain made it more difficult but I'm very pleased about the victory, as it has been a great way to start the season. Adam is pushing as hard as always—he's a really tough rival and I think that it will be a hard season for all of us. "Always it is difficult even after 10 years, but this is how it needs to be to win my 11th title and I'm happy to win in this paradise for Trial." Spain's Jeroni Fajardo (Ver- tigo) was fourth on 84, one mark ahead of Japanese rider Taka- hisa Fujinami (Repsol Honda). The other big name forced to start near the front after a poor performance in qualification, Fujigas also benefitted from the downpour on lap one and escaped with a single mark on section 13 where Bou, Raga and Fajardo all picked up maximum scores on their first visit. Jorge Casales (Beta) finished sixth ahead of fellow Spaniard Jaime Busto (Repsol Honda). After finishing the first lap in contention in fifth, Busto's dream of a debut podium evapo- rated on lap two with nine fives. Recovering from a poor opening lap, British rider James Dabill (GasGas) climbed back to eighth with Spain's Miquel Gela- bert (Sherco) and Italian Matteo Grattarola (GasGas) rounding out the top 10. CN 1. Ton Bou (Mon) 2. Adam Raga (TRS) 3. Albert Cabestany (She) 4. Jeroni Fajardo (Ver) 5. Takahisa Fujinami (Mon) Toni Bou started off his quest for an 11th TrialGP title with an opening-round win in Spain. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY HONDA RACING