The 2023 X-Trial World Championship has come to an end with the celebration of the X-Trial de Vendée, which left us with another epic duel until the last section between Toni Bou, who took his sixth win of the season, and Gabriel Marcelli.
As happened a week ago in Madrid, Bou’s teammate, Gabriel Marcelli, was his clear rival in the fight for the win and forced the tiebreaker to finish second for the fourth time this season. Bou and Marcelli are tied on 7 points after the first 4 sections of the final. In the fifth they have charged with five and in the sixth and last they have passed with only one penalty point so they have finished tied at 13. In the zone that decided the victory, Marcelli penalized three points and Bou 1, so the Champion, who had already been the best in the first two rounds, added a new victory.
The third final place went to Jaime Busto (GasGas) who started the final very well as he went to zero in the first zone while Bou and Marcelli took a point each, but, from there, he added five in the remaining five sections and lost all chance of fighting for the victory with his two rivals.
Aniol Gelabert (Beta), who scored the third best score in the Second Round, qualified fourth, just one point ahead of Adam Raga (TRRS), who was unable to return to the podium he last topped in Bordeaux. Behind him was Benoit Bincaz (Sherco) who achieved sixth place, beating Toby Martyn (Montesa) for having invested less time than him as they finished tied on points.
Rookie Hugo Dufrese (GasGas) picked up the two points in eighth place and Italian Luca Petrella (GasGas), who replaced the injured Matteo Grattarola, closed the standings.
At the end of the podium ceremony, Bou received the trophy that accredits him as the 2023 X-Trial World Champion.
X-TRIAL CLASSIFICATION vendée
Vendée - X-Trial 2023
- TONI BOU (MONTESA)
- GABRIEL MARCELLI (MONTESA)
- JAIME BUSTO (GASGAS)
- ANIOL GELABERT (BETA)
- ADAM RAGA (TRRS)
- BENOIT BINCAZ (SHERCO)
- TOBY MARTYN (MONTESA)
- HUGO DUFRESE (GASGAS)
- LUCA PETRELLA (GASGAS)
