Riders who have marked Takahisa Fujinami’s sporting career, such as Jordi Tarrés, Adam Raga, Dougie Lampkin, Toni Bou or Jeroni Fajardo, send an emotional farewell message after the announcement that the Japanese rider is hanging up his boots with imminent effect.
These trial riders are also joined by the recognition of the official Repsol Honda Team, with Márquez, Espargaró and Alberto Puig.
FUJINAMI COMPETED IN HIS LAST GP IN PORTUGAL
After 26 seasons in the Trial World Championship, a record number of participations with 168 podiums, 34 victories, seven runners-up finishes and a championship title, Repsol Honda Team rider Takahisa Fujinami (Mie, Japan, 13/01/1980) will close his sporting career this coming Saturday in Portugal.
Since his debut in Navacerrada, Spain, in 1996, at the age of 16, he has spent more than a quarter of a century fully dedicated to trial competition, highlighting several successes, such as the world crown won in 2004.
In addition, the Japanese rider also accumulates different records in the specialty, such as the youngest driver to win a World Championship event (Talheim, 1997), at the age of 17, or even the oldest: this same 2021 he won in Italy at the age of 41. Precisely, his longevity has led him to be the rider with the highest number of participations in the top competition: 355 with which he will compete this Saturday in Gouveia.
"Fujinami has competed for 26 seasons in the Trial World Championship, a record of participations with 168 podiums, 34 wins, seven runners-up and one championship title."
With 34 victories, and always with Montesa-Honda, Takahisa Fujinami is the fifth rider with the highest number of victories in world championship races and the fourth in number of podiums, only surpassed by Adam Raga, Toni Bou and Dougie Lampkin. In addition, he has finished in the top five of the world championship in 20 consecutive seasons.
‘Fujigas’ has also been runner-up in the World Championship for 7 years. To all this, we must add his participation in indoor competitions: 1 runner-up, 1 victory and 36 podiums in 139 races.
In Japan, he won 5 national titles between 1995 and 2001. To conclude, with his 15 participations in the Trial of Nations with the Japanese team, he has helped to finish runner-up on five occasions.
