Cycle News Staff | February 6, 2024
A new season of the Indoor Trial World Championship got underway at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on February 3. It brought together many fans, who witnessed an exciting first round of X-Trial action of 2024. Repsol Honda’s Toni Bou added the latest win to his record.
Toni Bou got his 2024 FIM X-Trial season off to a good start with the victory in Spain.
Bou began a new season in the same position as he left off, winning the first event of the year. On his first lap, he made just one mistake, while on the second lap, the zones became more difficult for everyone. Bou was able to maintain the top spot, with just a single error, and qualified for the final.
In the decisive round, even though the current World Champion started with a fiasco and handed first place to Jaime Busto, he managed to claw his way back and take victory.
“Without a doubt, starting the season here is special because it is our home race,” Bou said. “I don’t know if it was the best edition of the Barcelona round, but it was very close. The level was rising as the laps progressed, but we managed to handle it well, especially in the final. We are still living a dream, so it’s time to enjoy it.”
Taking an early lead on the first of six sections in the final, Busto, on the factory-backed GasGas, looked in great form. Unfortunately for him and his team, with the difficulty increasing as the final progressed, maximum marks on sections two, three, and four ultimately cost the 26-year-old the chance of victory.
With the pressure building, Jaime delivered a strong performance over the final set of obstacles, losing only one mark. This effort clinched his second-place finish and marked a positive beginning to his 2024 season.
“I’m really happy with how everything went today,” Busto said. “I missed out on the win, but I came second, which is my best result in Barcelona for the past few years. The bike was working well today, and I felt good on most of the obstacles; it was just those few mistakes in the final that cost me.”
Third on the night went to Bou’s teammate Gabriel Marcelli, who was one point behind Busto. CN
FINAL
- Toni Bou (Mon)
- Jaime Busto (GG)
- Gabriel Marcelli (Mon)
- Matteo Grattarola (Bet)
- Adam Raga (She)
