The Repsol Honda team rider could be crowned champion in September, whilst Gabriel Marcelli takes a podium finish on Sunday.
The TrialGP World Championship held the sixth and penultimate round of the season in the town of Sestriere, Italy this weekend, as the venue returned from an absence of 20 years. With two wins, Toni Bou extends his lead in the standings and approaches what would be his 33rd World Title. His teammate, Gabriel Marcelli, took second place on Sunday, after finishing fifth the previous day.
On a track where he had only participated once in his entire career, Bou claimed his first victory of the weekend after dominating Saturday from start to finish. On Sunday, the Repsol Honda Team rider once again swept the field, earning a sixth consecutive win and a total of 9 so far this season in the Outdoor series. He also increased his lead over his nearest rival.
Marcelli had a difficult day on Saturday. Despite being in the fight for podium positions on the first lap, the Repsol Honda Team rider made some mistakes on the final zones, having to settle for fifth position. However, he was able to recover and get another podium in Sunday’s race, thanks to an excellent second lap in which he made almost no mistakes.
Bou leads the standings with 231 points, 29 ahead of second placed. Marcelli remains third overall, with 161 points.
The next and last round of the TrialGP season will be held from September 1st-3rd, in Vertolaye, France.
Toni Bou:
“It’s been a fantastic weekend for us, with the two wins. The team have worked very well, we have been training all this month in Andorra at the same altitude and in the end the effort has been rewarded. Without them it would not have been possible. We are very happy going into the break. We did not expect to leave here with this lead, and we will work hard for the last double race in France to try to secure this title”.
Gabriel Marcelli:
“Yesterday things didn’t go particularly well, but today was a great day. I had a good first lap, but the second lap was especially good. I managed to make almost no mistakes and gain positions. The feeling with the bike at the end was great, so we can go into the summer break very calm. After the first lap I knew I had a chance to be up there; it was very tight, but I knew I had to have a good second lap. I managed to forget about the nerves and the pressure, and I think that allowed me to ride at my true level.”
