The 2016 FIM Trial World Championship comes to an end this weekend in Italy, with an important event for Toni Bou and the entire Repsol Honda Team.
With a 31-point advantage over the second-placed rider,
Toni Bou
can certify, this coming Saturday in San Pietro Mussolino, Italy, his tenth Outdoor Trial World Championship title, the twentieth world title of his career in individual Trial (indoor + outdoor). A new title to further enlarge his legendary level as a motor sportsman with the highest number of world titles.
The chances of the Repsol Honda Team rider clinching the title in the first of the two match balls he has in this Italian GP are high, since even finishing in seventh place – a position he has never occupied on his bike – would secure the title.
His main rival will be
Adam Raga
, who arrives at the Italian GP with the runner-up mathematically in his possession and the remote options for the title that would be confirmed if Toni Bou does not meet the aforementioned premises.
According to Toni Bou: “Anyone who thinks it’s all done is wrong, but it’s true that, with a 31-point lead, we’re in a good position to win the title. This year there has not been an easy World Championship race for me, it has been very hard because of the physical conditions in which I have competed, because when it seemed that I had overcome the shoulder injury, I relapsed again. Fortunately, as I said, I have a cushion of points that means I can ride calmly, without any pressure and in this last race of the year, in Italy, I will try to get all the good out of me.”
ABOUT THE ITALIAN TRIAL GP
San Pietro Mussolino is the 33rd Italian town to host the Trial World Championship since Torre Pelice hosted the first World Championship in 1975.
The race will have a distance of about 20 kilometers. Most of the 12 trial zones will be located in San Pietro Mussolino, although the start and finish will take place in Chiampo (where the last section will be). For the first time this season, the last rider to take the start – in this case Toni Bou – will do so at 10:30 a.m. local time.
Dougie Lampkin is the ‘king’ in Italy, after beating his rivals in 9 races, six of them with Montesa. Toni Bou and Jordi Tarrés are behind him, with 7 wins each.
Toni Bou has won the last five editions of the Italian Trial GP (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014).
San Pietro Mussolino will mark Toni Bou’s 125th race with the Repsol Honda Team.
Takahisa Fujinami is the rider with the highest number of points in the Italian Trial GP. With 391 points, he is almost 100 points ahead of the second active driver with the most points to his credit.
The Japanese Repsol Honda Team rider has won up to 5 races in the World Championship races in the country of the boot, the last one in 2006 at Darfo Boario Terme.
Toni Bou, Takahisa Fujinami, Dougie Lampkin and Marc Colomer have won the Italian GP with Montesa. Eddy Lejeune (Honda) has also done it four times.
Montesa celebrated in Tong (England), in the previous World Championship race, his 200th victory in the Trial World Championship, practically doubling the second best time. Also at the British Isles event, he took the 19th constructors’ world title. Precisely, in the United Kingdom it is the country where the Catalan brand accumulates the most victories (25).
The Italian GP will host, also in a two-day competition format, a scoring event for the FIM Women’s Trial World Championship.
