The second round of the Indoor Trial World Championship lands this Saturday in Marseille. After a first round in Sheffield, where Toni Bou won masterfully to claim the first win of the season, the Repsol Honda Team rider will be looking for his 28th consecutive victory in the sport in France.
Question: First win at the first round in Sheffield. How do you see the 2015 World Cup?
Toni Bou: “As always, it’s complicated. I had a nervous start but I finished very happy, with a great victory. Starting with a win is very important for the comfort of the rest of the championship. We’ve taken that pressure off of the start but as always it will be complicated, because the X-Trial World Championship is very short, only six races, so we’re going to have to suffer for sure.”
Q: You’ve been unbeaten in the X-Trial since 2010. Do you feel pressure to keep this streak going?
TB: “The streak is very long and I know that sooner or later it’s going to end. With my competitive nature I’m going to fight to extend it as long as possible, but I know it’s very complicated. It’s 27 races in a row and it’s very difficult to repeat, so I’m going to enjoy it.”
Q: Last year you had to deal with an injury, are you back to full strength physically?
TB: “Yes, the truth is that we have recovered very well from the injury. It’s already forgotten. I’m sure things are going to happen this year as well, but we’re at 100 per cent for the start of the championship.”
Q: Have you evolved the bike for this season?
TB: “Yes, we’re working on it. From February we will have some new parts and hopefully they will work well, but we are still very satisfied with the performance of last year’s bike and we hope this year will be the same.”
Q: How do you see your opponents this season?
TB: “They’re always strong. Last year, especially at the World Outdoor Championships, Adam [Raga] was very strong until the end. In the X-Trial World Championship, Albert [Cabestany] also pushed alongside Adam, so the rivals will be similar to last year. There are also young riders coming in this season, but I think the older riders are the ones who will make things more complicated.”
Q: Ask for a personal and a professional wish for 2015.
TB: “My personal wish is to continue life with my family as I have done so far, because everything is going fantastic. And on the professional side, I would definitely like to repeat a 2015 season like last year and the last few years, which have been great years. It’s always tricky, but we’ll have to try.”
Q: A year ago we saw you riding with Marquez and Pedrosa. Have you met again?
TB: “Yes, I’ve been able to meet Marc more because we live very close and I’ve had the opportunity to do things with him and enjoy it a lot. I hope this year I can do it with Dani as well.”
Q: What do you expect from the MotoGP World Championship this season?
TB: “I expect a lot of success from the Repsol Honda Team, as they have two incredible rides. Marc is killing it and I hope this year stays the same. All my encouragement to Dani as well.”
