2025 DL12 Indoor Sheffield – Bou Puts Michelin on the Top Step
After the success of the inaugural DL12 Indoor Trial in 2023 the three year deal of this trials supershow came to an end at the ‘Grand Finale’ on Saturday the 18th of January 2025. Once again in the capable hands of the 12 x FIM World Trials Champion Dougie Lampkin MBE and the experienced promoter Jake Miller from G2F they had the 36 x FIM Trial World Champion trials superstar Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP) as the headline act. In a tense and exciting evening of superb trials skills it was the master Toni Bou who once again took the top step of the podium with a clear win over his ever present rival Adam Raga (Sherco-ESP) joining him on the podium along with Gabriel Marcelli (Repsol Honda-ESP).
It was a strong international entry that had come do battle at Sheffield that included Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP), Jaime Busto (GASGAS-ESP); Gabriel Marcelli (Repsol Honda-ESP) and Adam Raga (Sherco-ESP). They would be joined by Gael Chatagno (EM-FRA) and Sondre Haga (GASGAS-NOR) and for the first time ever at an indoor trials competition in the UK on electric powered machine’s. Looking to make an impression in front of the ‘Home’ crowd would be Great Britain’s 2024 FIM Trial World Champion Jack Peace (Sherco-GBR) and the 18 year-old 2024 ACU Trial GB British Champion Harry Hemingway (Beta-GBR).
This fully seated stadium event attracted a sell-out crowd of 5,000 motorcycle trials fans who came to watch the world’s best in action at the Utilita Arena Sheffield at its central location in the country. With its easy-to-follow competition format the eight riders invited riders would compete over the six man-made sections consisting of steel, wood and concrete and of course the huge Michelin tyres which dominated the middle of the arena floor. Two races would be included over the huge Michelin tyres with the four best riders proceeding to the final where the scores would be returned to zero. In the final the four riders would compete over six sections ridden in the reverse direction finishing with races with the eventual winner crowned the king of the DL12 Indoor event.
The races over the Michelin tyres to determine the start positions for the riders first attempt at the six sections got under way and it was the two electric machines out first with Sondre Haga (GASGAS-NOR) and Gael Chatagno (EM-FRA) leading the way followed by Harry Hemingway (Beta-GBR) who all suffered high losses in the six sections. Jack Peace (Sherco-GBR) was out next and soon had his score of nine marks looking good for the final. Adam Raga (Sherco-ESP) was next with a solid score of six marks lost as Jaime Busto (GASGAS-ESP) parted with two fives. Gabriel Marcelli (Repsol Honda-ESP) parted with six marks before Toni Bou went round faultless to head into the final.
It was a three-man Spanish final with Great Britain’s Jack Peace joining Toni Bou, Adam Raga and Gabriel Marcelli. With Jack out first he looked very impressive taking the lead after the opening section and looking very confident. It was all very close as Toni Bou stopped in the second section as the third section stopped all four finalists. As we have seen the past though at Sheffield Bou moves up a level with his riding and that is what he did over the final three sections to pull out a five mark advantage over second placed Adam Raga to take the win.
Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP): “This was not an easy victory and if I am honest I felt quite unsettled in the final and could not find the rhythm I wanted in my riding. The organisers had made a very tough and demanding competition and the level of the sections was very high. As we have seen in the past at the indoor in Sheffield anything can happen and I was more than happy to pass thought the end cards on the final section to take the win. On the wide variety of man-made hazards which included steel, concrete, stone, wood and metal the Michelin tyres once again proved their superb attributes of providing wheel grip in the most demanding of conditions to give me the clear victory at the DL12 Indoor event”.
Final – 1: Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP) 13; 2: Adam Raga (Sherco-ESP) 18; 3: Gabriel Marcelli (Repsol Honda-ESP) 19; 4: Jack Peace (Sherco-GBR) 22.
Qualifying – 1: Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP) 0; 2: Adam Raga (Sherco-ESP) 6; 3: Gabriel Marcelli (Repsol Honda-ESP) 6; 4: Jack Peace (Sherco-GBR) 9; 5: Jaime Busto (GASGAS-ESP) 10; 6: Harry Hemingway (Beta-GBR) 22; 7: Sondre Haga (GASGAS-NOR) 22; 8: Gael Chatagno (EM-FRA) 32.
