Toni Bou is the new leader of the World Trial Championship after winning the second leg of the G. P. Ireland, the second round of the season, today in Newcastle. After his second place yesterday the Repsol rider posted an almost perfect lap. Takahisa Fujinami was not able to repeat the podium place he got yesterday after the first leg, held at the same venue.
1st Day
The Repsol riders Toni Bou & Takahisa Fujinami were second and third, respectively after the first leg of the G. P. Ireland Trial, which started a new season of the World Outdoor Championship. The course quite a tough one, with slippery zones owing to the presence of water. Bou ceded two points to the eventual winner on the first lap, the same number of points that separated him from the victory, something he fought for right to the very end. Fujinami ended the first lap in fifth position, but on the second was penalised with just two more points than his teammate, and rose to third place.
2nd Day
Bou built his win around an almost perfect ride on the second lap on a course that was drier than on the previous day, but still very slippery. The reigning World Champion finished this lap with just three penalty points, nine fewer than Takahisa Fujinami, his Repsol Montesa-HRC teammate. The Japanese rider had a high hopes for this the second leg, but on the first lap he lost too many points and even though he was second in the following lap he was not able to close the gap and finish on the podium as he had done yesterday. Bou`s & Fujinami`s results over the two days were rewarded with the highest number of points for any of the the teams and so their lead at the top of the manufacturers`classification is now bigger.
The third round of the World Trial Championship will be held on 26th April in Chaves (Portugal).
Toni Bou
1st day
“It is not bad to begin the championship with this result. The new regulations shortened the first lap by half an hour and that meant we had to hurry. It was a bit slippery out there on the wet ground and Adam [Raga] did it better. But, like I said, beginning like this is fine by me”.
2nd day
“Obviously I am much more satisfied than I felt yesterday. The first lap was very even and I did not like the idea of finishing second again at all. I had to improve and I was able to do so and I did what I consider to be a great second lap”.
Takahisa Fujinami
1st day
“I agree with what Toni says; finishing third is not a bad result. In any case the worst was the difference I lost on the first lap, but after that I was more accurate and in the end I was on the podium, alongside two very strong rivals. I can`t wait to do things better tomorrow”.
2nd day
“I had a high hopes for today, but sincerely I just did not have my best day. On the first lap things did not go as well as they could have done and on the second it was just not enough to improve and lower the number of penalty points to half of those I got on the first lap”.
