The 2021 FIM X-Trial World Championship season will start next Saturday at the Poliesportiu de Andorra la Vella in what means the return of the speciality to activity once the situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has allowed it.
The Andorran capital will be the stage where the drivers will return to action after more than a year and a half of waiting in a scenario especially loved by all of them, since in their last stop in the principality, the country in general and the fans in particular, showed them their enthusiasm and warmth.
In these conditions, Toni Bou (Repsol Montesa-HRC) begins the defence of the title and, at the same time, seeks what could be his 15th consecutive world crown in the speciality in a season that has been drastically shortened as a result of the effects of the pandemic.
But the Spanish rider, who has just turned 35, will not have it easy because his most direct rivals are ready to break his hegemony starting with the spectacular and demanding sections that will make up the first round of the year.
Adam Raga (TRRS), Jeroni Fajardo (Sherco), Jorge Casales (Gas Gas) and Jaime Busto (Vertigo) are the most direct rivals of Bou in the fight for the victory of this first round of the year, but youngsters such as Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) or Miquel Gelabert (Gas Gas) or the experienced Matteo Grattarola (Beta) and Toby Martyn (TRRS) will not give up on opening the season looking for a position in the Top 3 of this race that will give Start at 6 p.m. (local time).
For this season, the competition system maintains all its previous characteristics so, after an individual passage through the zones of the 9 participants in Round 1, the 6 best will play Round 2 grouped in threes for qualifying purposes. Subsequently, the runners-up in each group will fight for the third step of the podium and the first-placed teams will fight for the final victory.
All spectators attending this event must comply with the health measures adopted by the Government of the small country in the Pyrenees.
