Normal service has been resumed in the Bou Show. The Repsol Honda rider returns to victory after a mighty performance in Barcelona. The triumph, in a highly-demanding final, puts yet more distance between the Honda ace and the nearest rival on the overall leaderboard.
The fourth date of the FIM X-Trial World Championship in Barcelona proved to be an excellent one for Toni Bou, who retook the top-spot that he has occupied so often over recent seasons. Barcelona has been productive for Bou, with a total of nine victories there, seven of which have been consecutive.
The Repsol Honda Team star finished the semi-final in first place picking up just four points over the five sections disputed; the next best rider scored ten marks. The home crowd at the Catalan capital’s Palau Sant Jordi witnessed an awesome display from the champion who casually swept the opposition aside. The final’s six sections saw Bou collect six penalty points for the victory, ahead of runner-up Adam Raga finishing with ten.
The win widens the gap at the top of the championship’s general rankings to thirteen points over nearest rival Adam Raga and a whopping twenty-seven over third-place holder Albert Cabestany.
New Repsol Honda Team signing Jaime Busto, 17, made his X-Trial debut on an extremely tough, technical circuit, accomplishing the mission that he set out to achieve: ride and pick up experience.
Next stop for Team HRC will be the X-Trial of Wiener Neustadt, Austria, which will take place next Saturday, March 14.
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After the last race, I was determined to win again. I believed in my form, but everyone could see how much quality Adam Raga was showing, which is why victory here in Barcelona tastes so good. I think I had a good race today in a very technical trial, nothing particularly impossible, but worthy of world championship level. |