Toni Bou Perfect Trial:
Miracle at Motegi
Just as a perfect game is a pinnacle performance for a pitcher in the major leagues, so too is a dab-free trial for observed trials riders. 25-time World Champion Toni Bou accomplished the feat of a perfect trail on Sunday, day two of the 2019 Twin Ring Motegi TrialGP. While a zero-point trial at a world round is difficult under any circumstances, Bou did it at an event where his closest competitor, longtime rival Adam Raga, scored 20 points.
Bou, riding for the Repsol Honda Team, won on Saturday in mixed conditions by a 48-71 margin over TRRS Factory Team’s Raga. “Today I am very satisfied,” Bou said, “since it was a complicated trial with conditions that varied throughout the day. It was raining, then it stopped raining…so it was especially complicated on the second lap where it had stopped raining right before the difficult sections. Tomorrow, I think it will be a different trial with lower scores. The terrain should dry out as there are no predictions of rain, so we’ll see. We’ll try to give everything.”
The rain held off on Sunday, and Bou was able to ride the entire Twin Ring Motegi TrialGP without touching his foot to the ground once. “It’s amazing for me because to stay clean for two laps is incredible,” said Bou. “It is only the second time in my whole career. I won yesterday and today was one of my best performances, so I am very happy for all the team, and I think it’s been a very important weekend for the championship. Having done this perfect trial here in Japan was really special. Thank all the team who have done a great job. We have prepared a lot for these first events, and the results have been incredible, so I can’t be happier this weekend.”
Bou, in search of his 26th consecutive World Championship observed motorcycle trials title, has won the first three rounds of the eight-round series. Bou’s 60 points in the TrialGP Championship Series puts him 11 points ahead of Raga in the standings, and 20 points in front of teammate Takahisa Fujinami. Fujinami, riding in front of his countrymen, finished on the podium with Bou and Raga on Sunday at the Twin Ring Motegi. The next TrialGP round is June 23 in the Netherlands.
2019 Twin Ring Motegi TrialGP Sunday Results
- Toni Bou, Honda, 0-0, 0 points
- Adam Raga, TRRS, 16-4, 20 points
- Fujinami Takahisa, Honda, 15-16, 31 points
- James Dabill, Beta, 18-19, 37 points
- Jorge Casales, Vertigo, 17-21, 38 points
- Franz Kadlec, TRRS, 18-23, 41 points
- Jamie Busto, Vertigo, 33-14, 47 points
- Miquel Gelabert, Sherco, 33-16, 49 points
- Jeroni Fajardo, Gas Gas, 31-23, 54 points
- Jack Price, Gas Gas, 32-25, 57 points
- Benoit Bincaz, Beta, 29-34, 63 points
- Dan Peace, Sherco, 40-30, 70 points
- Kenichi, Kuroyama, Yamaha, 45-27, 72 points
- Tomoyuki Ogawa, Honda, 48-37, 85 points
- Fumitaka Nozaki, Yamaha, 41-45, 86 points
2019 TrialGP Standings (after 3 of 8 rounds)
- Toni Bou, 60 points (3 wins)
- Adam Raga, 49
- Takahisa Fujinami, 40
- Jeroni Fajardo, 35
- James Dabill, 33
- Jamie Busto, 29
- Franz Kadlec, 28
- Miquel Gelabert, 24
- Benoit Bincaz, 23
- Jorge Casales, 22
- Jack Price, 17
- Dan Peace, 9
- Kenichi Kuroyama, 7
- Oriol Noguera, 6
- Arnau Farre, 4
- Fumitaka Nozaki, 3
- Tomoyuki Ogawa, 3
- Andrea Riva, 1
2019 Twin Ring Motegi TrialGP Photo Gallery