Toni Bou 
With 14 titles to his credit, he is the most successful rider in the history of trial, adding yesterday the seventh victory of the year that allowed him to revalidate his already long reign in the last round of the season.
Since he joined the Repsol Montesa Honda team in 2007, the man from Piera (Barcelona) has been proclaimed the absolute king of the specialty, winning no less than seven outdoor World Championships, and as many in the indoor category.
Yesterday, during the second day of the French GP, he scored his sweetest victory, which crowned him as World Champion 2013 in the toughest and most disputed season in recent years.
Finally, Bou knew how to handle the pressure and finish the campaign with a 10-point lead over his main rival, Adam Raga. [LEER MÁS]
[CRÓNICA GP TRIAL FRANCIA CON VICTORIA Y TÍTULO PARA TONI BOU]
[BIOGRAFÍA Y PALMARÉS DE TONI BOU]
QUESTION: Does this title taste better after the comeback you’ve had to make?
TONI BOU:
“Yes, without a doubt. Everything has been so tight in each race that the excitement of winning is greater. This title is very special to me.”
Q: Now, you can say that you have also equalled Lampkin’s 7 Outdoor World Championships. What’s your next challenge?
TB:
“I want to keep competing and achieve as much as I can. I had always said that my dream was to win a World Championship and from here, to continue competing in trial events, which is what I like the most and what I dedicate myself to.”
Q: With the injury in England, did you think you were missing out on the title?
TB: “The truth is that this year things had become very difficult for me in several races and then I got injured in England. Luckily the injury didn’t get complicated and I was able to be almost recovered for the next event on the calendar. On Saturday, on the first day in France, I didn’t get the best results, but the next day things went well and I was able to take the title.”
Q: From the beginning you were critical of the new non-stop regulations. How has it affected you?
TB: “I was critical because I had to change my riding style, not be so aggressive. I’ve had to train at an easier level, something that any high-level rider wouldn’t like. In addition, having to wait in each area for a control by judges seems to me to be very unprofessional. It’s my least favorite thing about this season.”
Q: How did you see the difficulty level in this season’s zones?
TB: “With the new regulations, the level of demand has been lower, because the idea was to be more equal. But I think if they had kept things the way they were last year, the differences would have been minimal as well. Everything has been so tight because of the level of the drivers, not because of the changes in the regulations.”
Q: Which date do you prefer?
TB: “Probably with the last one, because it was a very special day. But if I had to choose one because of the driving I did, I would choose the test in England. I had a great race on both days and got two important wins.”
“I have seven World Cups, which is a lot, but I’m hungry for more. Why not?”
Q: You’ve released a new engine. How has it improved?
TB: “It’s a much more powerful engine than the previous one; in races like the last one in France, at an altitude of 2,000 metres, that extra power is very important. We had a hard time making the difference compared to the two-stroke bikes, due to the difficulty of preparing the engine. This year it has been very noticeable, because it has worked really well. To be able to ride at an altitude of 2,000 metres and have the bike run like home, it’s fantastic.”
Q: Adam Raga has made things more difficult for you than ever. Do you think that both of you are raising the level of demand and preparation more and more?
TB: “In the Indoor World Championship I won the five races that made up the championship and in the Outdoor they have always beaten me by a few points, but you do have to recognize that I have had a great World Championship. He pushed the level a lot and was very sharp in many races, making things very difficult. When the level of the zones is not very high, they are a very strong opponent, because they never make mistakes and are very difficult to beat”.
Q: Where do you get the desire or strength to continue evolving and competing at the highest level?
TB: “The motivation is always the same. I’m a very competitive person, I’m 26 years old, so I’m young, and the goal is to enjoy myself. I have seven World Cups, which is a lot, but I’m hungry for more. Why not? I’m still looking forward and looking for motivations that will keep me wanting to win.”
Q: Looking at all the titles you’ve won, how many hours a week do you train to reach this level of riding and results?
TB: “I usually train about three hours a day, depending on how the season is going and whether or not I have injuries to recover. I also focus on working on physical preparation and in the end it’s like I’m doing a full-time schedule. It’s a gymnast-like preparation, which requires a lot of work.”
Q: After so many triumphs, you must run out of ideas to celebrate this last World Cup.
TB: “The truth is that I don’t have anything prepared, because until I achieved it, we didn’t want to think about any kind of celebration. It sounds easy, but it’s very complicated and this year has been very difficult. I guess we’ll have a dinner with friends, a good celebration… whatever comes up!”
Q: Now that the Trial season is over, what are you planning to do: holidays, training…?
TB: “It’s clear that I’m going to rest somewhat, because I have to do a bit of recovery from my left knee, in which I have tendonitis. This summer I’ve had few holidays, so I’ll try to take a few more days, but there are still races left in the Spanish Championship and then we’ll try to rest for next year.”
Interview: Repsol
