Toni Bou (Repsol Honda) took his fifth win of the year in an X-Trial in Bilbao that was spectacular, exciting and evenly matched until the closing stages. Once again, the World Champion saw, for the third round in a row, Adam Raga (TRRS) make things very difficult for him until the end.
Raga has achieved the best scores in the first two rounds, 4 and 3 points ahead of Bou in each of the cases, but in the final the situation has changed from the third zone in which Bou has penalized 3 points seeing how Raga was charged with a five. They have reached the penultimate section with a four-point advantage for the Champion who has given the scare as he has fallen and has been hit by his bike, but Raga has also scored five points and the result has been seen to be sentenced.
The third step of the podium was occupied by an inspired and effective Benoit Bincaz (Beta) who had already signed the third best card in the First Round and faced Jeroni Fajardo (Sherco) in the fight for third position, penalizing one point less than his rival in the area where it was decided who would accompany Bou and Raga in the Top 3. He is the fifth rider to hold that position so far this season.
Fajardo had qualified for third place by time, as he has tied with an effective Marcelli (Montesa) in the Second Round, but has managed to move forward having invested less time than his rival in covering the five zones of the course in which they have tied at 17 points. Jorge Casales (Gas Gas), who arrived in Bilbao with the good taste in his mouth left by his third position in Barcelona, has been out of the fight for the podium by just three points.
The two riders eliminated in the First Round were Toby Martyn (TRRS) and Miquel Gelabert (Vertigo) who took part in place of the injured Jaime Busto.
Toni Bou (1st):
“It was a very demanding trial and very hard until the end and this gives even more value to this fifth consecutive victory of the season. In the final maybe I risked too much at some point and I suffered a little more than I needed to. The season has been very competitive, Adam is competing at a high level and this circumstance makes this victory even more important and leaves me excellently positioned in the fight for the title.”
Adam Raga (2nd):
“I achieved the best score in the first two rounds of the X-Trial and I was very competitive. In the final, which was very tough and physical, it was more difficult for me, but I had my chances. I’m satisfied with this second place and how I’m pushing Toni test after test.”
Benoit Bincaz (3rd):
“I’m very happy for this first podium of a season in which I started racing injured. I think I’m at a good level now and I hope this isn’t the last podium of the year. In addition, I have repeated the podium in Bilbao in a race that has once again been very selective and demanding”.
The next round of the FIM X-Trial World Championship will be held on March 21st at the Arena Nova in Wiener Neustadt.
