The FIM Trial World Championship gets underway this weekend in Australia and will feature the new Repsol Honda Team. Seven times World Trial champion Toni Bou lines up in the official HRC team alongside 2004 champion Takahisa Fujinami.
It will be a weekend of debuts with both the start of the FIM Trial World Championship outdoor event, as well as the showcase of the new Repsol Honda Team featuring Toni Bou and Takahisa Fujinami.
Toni Bou looks all set to face the great challenge: his defense of his World Championship Outdoor title, an honour which he has won on seven previous occasions. 2004 World Champion Takahisa Fujinami lines up alongside him as team-mate.
Bou and Fujinami will be sporting the colours of the official Repsol Honda Team. Both will be using the Montesa Cota 4RT. The Montesa has chalked up 169 victories to date in the World Championship, including 475 podium places in the event.
The brand has won the FIM manufacturer’s title eight years in a row (2006-2013), making an overall total of 15 wins. Honda won in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1986.
The FIM Trial World Championship kicks off in Australia, an event whose calendar includes eight main dates and thirteen races with points counting towards the championship. The rules of the main competition will, once again, follow those of last season’s ‘Non-Stop’ format. The Australian test, run over two days – Saturday and Sunday - with the eventual winner having to cover fifteen sections and two laps of the course.
The FIM Trial World Championship has already taken place at Mount Tarrengower once before in 2012. That was the first occasion that the World Championship had been disputed in Australia and it was Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou who was victorious on both days. The mountainous area consists of some very large areas of rock characterized with good grip. The 2012 event took place after a downpour on the eve of the race that left the terrain in delicate condition. Toni Bou soon took command over his rivals on each lap. Takahisa Fujinami finished in fourth place, drawing with an adversary in third position. On the competition’s second day, there was little between the riders with ‘Dynamite’ Bou taking victory once more and ‘Fujigas’ occupying the third step of the podium.
‘We are starting the FIM Trial World Championship in the Antipodes, in a place that I get on very well with and like very much. I can’t wait to get started. The level of the zones is not going to be too high, so it’ll be important to not make any mistakes. We will be fighting to be on the podium and it’ll be a big plus if we win. We will try to make the most of the trip.
We began the outdoor season a couple of weeks ago with the Spanish Championship, that in spite of having different rules, the toughness has served as good preparation for the first date of the World Championship.
We are really happy to carrying the Team HRC with new Repsol Honda Team image. It’s a big responsibility to wear the HRC name, but we are used to performing at a high level.’
‘As we start the first test of the new World Championship, I want to put the experience of the last indoor races behind me and keep a cool head, and look for a good result. I want to do it well and get a result that sets me up for the second test on my home turf of Japan. Last year I won and it was fantastic. To make a good start is important for all of us.’