The 11-time X-Trial World Champion, Toni Bou, has won his fifth victory of the season by winning for the twelfth time in Barcelona in front of 9,000 spectators in a race as spectacular as it is disputed that has not been decided until its final stages.
The Repsol Montesa Honda rider beat Adam Raga (TRS) in a final that began to swing in the third section, where Bou was only two points ahead of his opponent. A five from Raga in the third section tipped the balance because the final balance of the other three sections was identical for both riders who provoked the delirium of the fans with their spectacular performances.
Raga had been the best in the first round, while Bou had the lowest score in the second.
The third occupant of the podium was Jeroni Fajardo (Gas Gas) who thus adds his first Top 3 of the season after having already been third in the first round. Fajardo, who had been close to the podium in one of the previous four rounds, is the fifth rider to get on the podium in addition to Bou and Raga so far this season.
For his part, the Frenchman Benoit Bincaz (Scorpa) has qualified fourth, once again exhibiting a high level of riding that has served him to become the winner of a tight fight for fourth position as he has advanced Jaime Busto (Gas Gas) and Takahisa Fujinami (Montesa) by a single point.
ARNAU FARRE’S INJURY
Those discarded in the first round were Miquel Gelabert (Sherco) who had just taken second place in Strasbourg, James Dabill (Beta) who had to withdraw after covering the first areas with a ligament strain in his left knee.
The trial started well for Farré, who made it through zone 1 with only 2 feet. In the 2nd, however, the negative point of the night would come for him and for Vertigo, with a fall that forced him to abandon and be later transferred to the hospital so that the doctors could examine his left knee. The exact extent of the injury will be known tomorrow, when Farré visits the doctor again for an MRI.
Toni Bou (1st):
“This has been a very demanding race in which I have had to ride at the highest level from the first section. Adam made things very difficult for me and the course was really tricky. In addition, this fifth win of the season puts me in a privileged position to achieve a new X-Trial World Championship title. On the other hand, Barcelona has once again been a special event and the fans who have filled the Sant Jordi have behaved exceptionally”.
Adam Raga (2nd):
“I’m very satisfied both for having returned to the second step of the podium and for the level of riding I have shown. I was the best in the first round and I pushed Toni until the end on a stage, like Barcelona, which is very special for this sport as it was shown again today.”
Jeroni Fajardo (3rd):
“I’ve finally achieved my first podium of the season after coming close in some of the previous races. I think I’ve been fine-tuning my riding and raising the level and this is the best reward that has come at home. The goal now is to try to stay in the drawer.”
The sixth round of the championship will be held on March 8 in Seville. This will be the first time that the Andalusian capital has hosted a round for the FIM X-Trial World Championship.
VIDEOS X-TRIAL BARCELONA 2018
