Reigning SPEA FIM Trial World Champion Toni Bou – Repsol Montesa HRC placed third and first respectively over the two days of competition at the French Grand Prix, and thanks much to his second day victory he now heads the general standings by seven points. Bou’s team mate Takahisa Fujinami on his Cota 4RT did not fair so well at the second round of the series as he went 5 – 4 on Saturday and Sunday. Adam Raga – Gas Gas was the winner on the opening day of the event and put Bou under pressure, to which Toni responded brilliantly with a totally clean lap to bring his weekend to a close in some style.

The rural location of Breal-sous- Montfort was last visited by the FIM Trial World Championship, as it was then known, back in 2003 before then hosting the FIM Trial des Nations in 2006. The purpose managed Trials Park was once again a fitting venue for this status of event, with the wooded hillside terrain offering a mixture of steep natural rocky outcrops and manufactured sections created by the careful placement of large local boulders. Both days of competition took place in hot, dry and dusty conditions, with only minor modifications being made to the sections for day two.

Bou and Raga were locked on fifteen marks a piece at the head of the leader board after the first lap on day one, but with two fives on his final tour Toni rode himself out of contention and was over taken by eventual runner up Jeroni Fajardo – Ossa. With Bou down in third, Raga closed to within two points of his Spanish compatriot in the title race to set up a tense second day. In truth Fujinami struggled all day and was one of the many victims who fell foul of the new rule, where just touching a section marker, as opposed to dislodging it is now a five. His fifth spot was well below his expectations.

Following his win on Saturday, Raga was forced to ride at the front of the pack on Sunday, and this seemed to bring extra pressure for the Gas Gas teamster. With mistakes early in the first lap Adam was soon on the back foot, as Albert Cabestany – Sherco emerged as the new leader by dropping one mark in the initial five sections.

By the halfway point on day two Cabestany held a single mark advantage over Bou. What was to happen in the next fifteen sections was pure class, with Toni completing the final lap totally unpenalised to claim the win, his second of the season and to increase his lead in the series standings. Again Fujinami failed to find any kind of form and after two mixed laps finished in a slightly better fourth position on day two.

Bou now heads Raga by seven points in the championship table after two of the eight scheduled events, as the Spanish rivals take a short break before resuming their battle at their home Grand Prix next month.

HONDA RIDER COMMENTS :

Toni Bou (Repsol Montesa)
Trial result: 3rd / 1st Championship position: 1st “Yesterday I made too many mistakes, my riding was OK, but my concentration was not good especially during the second lap. Like everyone I made some fives just for touching the flag. Of course I felt some extra pressure today, as Adam
(Raga) rode well yesterday, and was close to me in the standings. My first lap today was not perfect, but it was still OK, in the final lap even I can say that my riding was incredible. It is a good way to finish and to keep my lead in the championship.”

Takahisa Fujinami (Repsol Montesa)
Trial result: 5th / 4th Championship position: 5th “Saturday was a disaster from start to finish, most of my marks were for touching the flags, and sometimes I am not sure if I even touched them.
Today I was riding with more confidence and with a better mentality, but still on both laps I took too many fives. In some places my riding was good, but I was not consistent, and when I look at my results this weekend I can not be happy.”

Laia Sanz (Repsol Montesa)
Trial result: 15th / 18th Championship position: 16th “It has not been a good weekend for me, and today has been even worse than yesterday as you can see. Normally these type of sections are good for me, but I have not ridden well and I have taken too many fives for touching the flags like all the other riders. Now we have a break, so I hope I can be ready for my home GP next month, when I will be hoping for a better performance and a better result.”