World Champion Toni Bou started the outdoor World Championship season with a great victory in Japan. Takahisa Fujinami was fourth and young Jaime Busto, sixth.
First position for the Repsol Honda rider Toni Bou at the opening round of the FIM Trial World Championship in Japan. The several times champion started his eighth title defence showing a fantastic shape, setting the difference over his rivals from the first zone and winning a race that was not easy at all. His team mates, Takahisa Fujinami and Jaime Busto finished in fourth and sixth position, respectively.
Takahisa Fujinami returned to competition after the long recovery from his knee injury, which had undergone surgery just as the last season finished. Nevertheless, the Japanese rider of the Repsol Honda team was able to finish the twelve zones without any physical problems and on the fourth position at the start of his twentieth World Championship season.
The debut in the highest category of Repsol Honda Team’s young rider Jaime Busto was brilliant, as he finished in an impressive sixth place. Only some mistakes in the last lap –where the conditions were more complicated– prevented him from achieving an even better position.
Tomorrow, Sunday, the second day of this Japanese Trial Grand Prix will take place at the Motegi circuit, with 12 zones that will be run three times.
Toni Bou
1st – 17 points
“I’m happy to start the season with a win. It went very well, maybe it was a bit easier for the ones in front, but we had to fight quite a lot. The level was good and the zones were difficult, but the judges relaxed whn setting the non-stop and it got more complicated, as it lost some difficulty. I’m satisfied of my performance. We’ll see if we can repeat it tomorrow.”
Takahisa Fujinami
4th – 61 points
“I was not perfect, but I suppose that I felt a bit nervous after so long without competing in a race after my knee surgery and also because I’m competing at home. I made some mistakes, but I could recover in other areas. I don’t feel very happy, but the fourth is not that bad. It’s not a bad result after the surgery.”
Jaime Busto
6th – 92 points
“I felt quite well in this first race of the World Championship. During the first lap it all went well and I could also recover the in the second, but in the third I skidded a bit and made some mistakes. I hope to improve tomorrow and not to make those mistakes again.”
