Simply impeccable. This is what best describes Toni Bou`s season in the World Outdoor Trial 2008, after winning seven times and finishing second in the remaining five rounds. An unbeatable performance that has crowned him for the second consecutive year as the King of the speciality; rounding off a great year after winning the World Indoor Trial Championship in March. Today all he needed to do was to finish ninth or higher, but he gave another exhibition of his sublime skills and exceptional talent and got another overwhelming victory, his seventh of the season.
The Repsol rider started the season steadily, winning in Luxembourg in tough conditions, ahead of his big rival over the last few years, Adam Raga, who once again was at a very high level. A week later, it was the ex champion who returned the favour with a close victory iin the Bangor Trial, in Ireland, tying the champioship and showing how exciting the season was going to be.
The first visit outside Europe was to the USA, where in spite of not winning on the first day behind his teammate, Takahisa Fujinami, he won on the second day and so extended the lead he had at the top of the classification. The Repsol rider confirmed his great form with another two victories a week later in Japan, in a very demanding round that was complicated by the heavy rain that fell the whole weekend. The championship reached the halfway mark with the round in France, there he was second behind Raga, who was now twelve points behind the Repsol rider in the overall classification.
In Tolomezzo, Italy, Bou won again, but after that he finished second in Kramolin, Czech Republic, and second again in Sweden, both times behind Adam Raga, and so he reached the run in to the championship with a nine point lead at the top of the classification. A significant advantage, but not enough to let him relax in the remaining rounds, as Raga was also at a very high level.
The penultimate round took place last week in Portugal, and Bou took an important step on the way to getting his second World Championship there. The Repsol rider got his sixth victory of the year, which together with the third place achieved by Raga, allowed him to start the final round at the Moto Club Igualada, Spain, with a 14 point advantage which almost gave him the title. Today, in the round held at the Parcmotor de Castellolí, Barcelona, the Repsol rider Toni Bou rounded off another great season with a flourish.
The Repsol rider made it clear on the first round that he was not just going to defend his lead, as he was planning to win with a resounding victory. With the knowledge that the title was in his pocket the Repsol rider tackled the different zones of the lap steadily, receiving only three penalty points on the first lap, and another seven on the second. In the end he got his seventh victory of the season and the World Trial Championship 2008 at the same time.
His teammate, Takahisa Fujinami, finished fourth today, after an exciting finale with Adam Raga and Geroni Fajardo. The Repsol rider began strongly, finishing the first lap second, in spite of a mistake in zone 15, where he received five points. Another two mistakes at the start of the second lap, in zones 2 and 5, meant that he had to make do with 4th position today. With this result, Fujinami finishes third in the World Championship, the same position he had last year. The Repsol rider has been on the podium in practically all the rounds as well as getting one victory, in the USA. In the World Junior Cup the Repsol rider Laia Sanz finished tenth.
The next date for the Repsol riders is next week in Andorra for the Trial of Nations.
Toni Bou, >> Audio
“Today`s result was brilliant. Racing on home soil put a little extra pressure on me, more so with the world title in play. It is also true that I had a good advantage that allowed me one mistake, but I did a very good race and I was able to fight for the victory. Winning at home, in the final race is awesome. After zone 2, which I got through well, but where Adam [Raga] was penalised with five points, let me ride much more calmly. I had a good lead with the points then, that helped me stay calm, to forget about the pressure in the rest of the race, and to be able in the end finish with the lead I had gained.”
Takahisa Fujinami, >> Audio
“This was quite a tough race, and apart from Toni [Bou], we all finished bunched up together. But on the second lap I made a few mistakes, especially on zones 2 and 5, where I got 5 points. On the other hand there were zones where I rode very well. The problem is that during one of these mistakes I was hit hard on the ribs and it was more difficult to stay on the pace with the pain I had and the growing tiredness. In the end I finished the season in 3rd place, like last year, although I think that my level has been higher, with the victory and finishing closer to Toni and Adam. I felt very strong this year and next season I plan to be fighting for the world title.”
Biography
Born 17th October 1986 and resident in Piera (Barcelona), Toni Bou started riding trial bicycles when he was 8. After being proclaimed World Champion in this speciality in his category, he moved to trial motorbikes in 1999.
Immersed in this bike speciality he soon won the Spanish Junior Championship, in 2001. This title was followed by the European 250cc Cup for promising youngsters in 2002, and the European Championship in 2003.
In 2005 he formed part of the winning team in the Trial of Nations, and was runner-up in the Spanish Indoor Trial and 5th in the World Outdoor. Bou got his first victories at the top level two years ago, in both the indoor (3rd in the World Championship) and the outdoor, where he finished in 9th place in the overall.
A year ago, after signing for the Repsol Montesa HRC team, the rider from Piera won the World Indoor in unbeatable form. At the controls of his Montesa Cota 4RT, Toni Bou won four of the eight rounds in the World Indoor Championship. The high level exhibited had made him into one of the big favourites to win the outdoor championship, which he also clearly won after getting nine victories out of eleven rounds. The icing on the cake was for the Repsol rider to win the Spanish Indoor Championship, all of them consecutive, and his third victory as a member of the Spanish team in the Trial of Nations.
