The X-Trial in Rennes, held tonight at the Glaz Arena in the French town that was filled with more than 3,500 spectators, has consolidated the World Champion of the specialty Toni Bou (Repsol Honda) in first place in the provisional classification of the Championship thanks to the victory he has added in a very demanding final that has tested his riding and that of his rival. World Runner-Up Adam Raga (TRRS).
While Raga started the final with a 5 in the first zone, Bou did so with only two penalty points. In the complicated second, both have been charged with a fiasco, but while Bou accumulated 3 points in the next two (3rd and 4th), Raga added 10 more to his personal score and with it practically lost the option of achieving the victory. A sign of the toughness of the final of this X-Trial Rennes is that between the two protagonists they have only scored one 0, that of Toni Bou in the sixth and last section.
Jeroni Fajardo (Sherco) has started the 2020 season with a third place, beating Miquel Gelabert (Vertigo) in the fight for the third step of a podium that guarantees his presence in the next round as he is the best Event Rider of this second round of the season. It took two zones to settle the fight for third place as Fajardo and Gelabert penalized 5 points in the first.
On the other hand, Benoit Bincaz (Beta) and Jaime Busto (Vertigo) have run out of options to fight for the podium in the second round. The Frenchman because of two crashes in sections 2 and 3 and the Spaniard because of a five in his fifth and final section. In the first round, Busto had achieved the second-best score after Bou.
Those eliminated in the opening round were Toby Martyn (Beta) who was forced to change bikes when the shock absorber of his first unit broke in the second section and Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) who was only two points away from moving forward. The first round was very evenly matched, as evidenced by the fact that there were five drivers separated by just two points.
Toni Bou (1st):
“I’m very happy with this triumph in a race that has been increasing its level of demand as the rounds went by. In the first one I didn’t feel completely comfortable, but after changing bikes for the second, which was already more complicated, I felt much better and I rode with more effectiveness and precision in a really demanding final”.
Adam Raga (2nd):
“I was happy with the level of my riding in the second round, but the level of the final sections was very high. After how difficult they were already in the second round, doing some in two ways was almost impossible. I couldn’t do anything because it was so hard. I’m happy because every year it’s more difficult since I’m a year older but maintaining the level I showed in the second round, I feel satisfied.”
Jeroni Fajardo (3rd):
“I had to fight a very tough second round with Adam and Jaime and I didn’t do a great lap with three fiascos, although the two zeros allowed me to qualify to fight for third place with Miquel. This was my goal, to do a good X-Trial and see what I could achieve.”
The next round of the FIM X-Trial World Championship will take place at the Budapest Arena on January 19th. Don’t miss it live and also relive the two races held so far in www.x-trial.tv.
