The national team adds with great authority its 12th consecutive victory in the men’s Trial of Nations in Vandellòs i l’Hospitalet de l’Infant
Spain continues to dominate with authority the men’s Trial of Nations, the queen event held this Sunday in Vandellòs i l’Hospitalet de l’Infant organized by the Moto Club Tarragona on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the celebration of the first Tarragona Trial, the oldest Spanish race of this specialty.
The national team, made up of Toni Bou, Adam Raga, Jeroni Fajardo and Albert Cabestany – who finished the individual World Cup in the same order – has won for the twelfth consecutive edition this event equivalent to the World Team Championship, an unprecedented feat in the history of national sport.
The Spaniards won with only 20 penalty points (13+7), compared to 109 for France, runners-up with 109 (65+44) and Japan, third with 128 (56+72).
The event brought together pilots from 21 countries: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. Guatemala has been withdrawn at the last minute.
The participants faced a 20-kilometre route, with 18 sections, which they did two laps. Only the top three drivers from each delegation scored.
Spain had already taken the lead at the end of the first round with 13 points, followed at that time by Japan (56 points) and Italy (59 points), although France finally overtook the Japanese and Italians in the second round to be crowned runners-up.
Off the podium of the Trial of Nations were Great Britain – runners-up in 2014 – 4th with 128 points; Italy, 5th with 132 p.; and Norway, 6th with 224 p.. Meanwhile, in the Trophy Trophy – the rest of the participating countries that make up the 2nd division of the world trial – the winner was the Txeca Republic (3 points), followed by Germany (10 points) and Australia (17 points).
Invincible since 2006
Bou, Raga, Fajardo and Cabestany compete together in the TDN, having been part of the Spanish team since 2006; Since then, they have always won the last ten editions of the race. Cabestany has 17 participations and 14 titles; Raga, 15 and 13, respectively; and Bou and Fajardo, 11 wins in the eleven times they have participated.
The Spanish team has dominated the men’s Trial of Nations since it began in 1984 in Poland. Although he did not get his first victory until 1989, in Belgium, he leads the list with a total of 22 victories out of a possible 32. It has won the last 12 editions consecutively, since 2004. The other victories are shared by France (5, 1984-85-86-88-90); United Kingdom (4, 1997-99, 2002-03) and Italy (1, 1987).
In the individual section, Albert Cabestany is, with 14 victories, the most successful rider in the history of the Trial of Nations. The Tarragona native won the first in 2000, along with Marc Colomer, Marc Freixa and Marcel Justribó; he repeated in 2001 (with Colomer, Freixa and Adam Raga) and since 2004 he has only known the triumph (he has accumulated 12 in a row).
A positive balance
Vandellòs i l’Hospitalet de l’Infant has become the world capital of trial twice this weekend since apart from this Trial of Nations, equivalent to the World Team Championship, the municipality has experienced the international presentation of the new Sherco and Gas Gas models and the premiere of Jordi Tarrés’ TRS at the hands of Adam Raga, this Sunday.
Both the City Council and the Moto Club Tarragona have made a completely positive assessment of the event. From the consistory, due to the notable influx of spectators and the economic impact of the race in the municipality; and from the sports entity for the success of the race and the satisfaction of the participating teams and the International Motorcycling Federation.
In the final balance, Spain has been the great winner of the men’s Trial of Nations held today; Great Britain in the women’s category for the third consecutive year (with the Spaniards third on the podium) – it was held on Saturday; Meanwhile, the British also emerged as great winners in the last event of the Women’s Individual World Championships (Friday) after the victory of Emma Bistrow -already world champion-, the second place of Donna Fox and the third of Rebekah Cook.
