The Repsol riders, Toni Bou and Takahisa Fujinami, achieve the first and third places of the podium in yesterday’s round held in Palma de Mallorca
Toni Bou took yesterday a decisive step forward to achieve for the sixth consecutive year the title of FIM X-Trial World Champion after winning the sixth round of the series, held on Sunday at Palma Arena, in Mallorca. Having won all the rounds held this season, the Repsol rider will only need the fifth position in the sixth and last round that will take place next Saturday in Milan, to mathematically secure the Championship.
His team mate at the Repsol Montesa Honda, Takahisa Fujinami, achieved yesterday his second podium of the season, in the same day a destructive tsunami had devastated part of his country a year ago. An emotional Fujinami dedicated the result to the people of Japan.
The zones of the Mallorca Trial Indoor did not offer huge technical difficulties. That is the reason why six riders were tied with zero points in the qualifying, led by Toni Bou, who had been the fastest in the zone. In the semifinal round, only one point separated the three riders who finally took the podium and in the finale, the several times World Champion was able to finish the three zones with no penalty.
With 100 points in X-Trial FIM World Championship overall standings, Bou gathered nearly all points up for grabs. Next Saturday in Milan the Repsol rider will try to achieve the six points he needs to secure his sixth indoor trial consecutive title.
Toni Bou
“Now I can say that most of the job is done, with five victories and an advantage of 34 points when there are only 40 up for grabs. In Milan we will not change our approach and I will go with my mind set on achieving a new triumph. Here, in Palma Arena, the important thing was not a difference of more or less points, but to avoid any mistakes that would have been very difficult to recover due to the zones’ features. Everything went perfectly well”.
Takahisa Fujinami
“I am very proud of this podium, which had a special meaning for me. Before starting I thought it would be beautiful to achieve it in such a significant date for all the Japanese. I wanted this podium and I got it, I think I could not ask for more. I could have improved the third place, but a mistake in the penultimate zone was decisive”.
