If all goes to plan Toni Bou – Repsol Montesa will wrap up his seventh successive FIM Trial World Championship at the French Grand Prix this weekend to add to the seven FIM Indoor / X-Trial World Championships he already has to his name. A seventh outdoor title for Bou will confirm him as one of the three great riders of the modern era, with him having every opportunity to go on to surpass the seven FIM Trial World Championships won by both Jordi Tarres and then Dougie Lampkin. If Bou reaches his goal this weekend he will also match Lampkin not only in the total number of outdoor titles, but also by having won all seven in a row as Lampkin did up until 2003.
The debate regarding Bou being the best rider of all time will continue amongst those in the paddock and his many thousands of fans around the World, and whilst that particular point remains subjective his winning record can not be disputed in any way. Since Toni joined the FIM Trial World Championship aged sixteen years, five months and eighteen days at the Irish GP back in 2003 he has always recorded point scoring rides, his debut outing earning him a
single point as he finished in fifteenth place. The following season Bou had established himself as a regular top ten finisher with his highest placing coming at the final round in Switzerland on route to him being ranked ninth overall.
Just a year later and Bou had moved into the top five in the World and was showing great consistency including achieving his first podium places in America and Germany, which was to serve as an early warning to the higher ranking riders. The start of the 2006 season saw Toni claim his maiden GP win at his home round, a feat he was to repeat in Japan later in the year as he maintained fifth place in the general standings for the second season in a row. A move to the mighty Repsol Montesa squad during the winter of 2006 shocked many and some in the paddock questioned if the four stroke machine would hinder Bou’s progress.
Five back to back GP wins to open his 2007 campaign soon silenced those critics, as Bou marched on to take the first of his FIM Trial World Championships as he was only twice defeated during his victorious run. Although Adam Raga – Gas Gas managed to disrupt Toni’s winning ways on a more regular basis in 2008, he could not stop Bou taking his second outdoor title. It was a similar story throughout 2009, 2010 and 2011 although Raga did push Bou to the wire in the latter of these three battles, but ultimately had to watch on as Bou collected his fifth straight FIM Trial World Championship.
Bou was simply in a class of his own during 2012, as he only lost out twice, once to Raga and once to Cabestany before eventually collecting his sixth outdoor crown by a massive sixty-three points. However things were about to change within the sport as no-stop rules were re-introduced for this year’s FIM Trial World Championship. The new rules have certainly upset Bou’s consistency this season as he has fought a season long battle with Raga, which he only really got the upper hand with following his two wins at the previous GP in Great Britain, a point Bou was quick to acknowledge ahead of this weekend’s final encounter. “It has been difficult for me this year with the new rules. Many times I have felt very nervous and this has shown in my results especially when the Trials have been easy. Adam (Raga) has been very strong this year and maybe has adapted to the rules better than me. Finally thanks to the results at the last GP I have my best advantage of the season. There is still work to do in France, but I now feel the most confident I have done all year, so hopefully it will be a good weekend for me.”