Bou and Bristow extend series leads at TrialGP of Belgium
Toni Bou (Montesa) took another step towards an unprecedented eighteenth straight TrialGP title and Emma Bristow (Sherco) was back on top in TrialGP Women as the 2024 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship travelled to Belgium. In Trial2 Arnau Farré (Sherco) claimed his third win of the campaign while Euan Sim (Sherco) upset the formbook with victory in Trial3 and Sara Trentini (TRRS) came away with maximum points in the FIM Women’s Trial2 World Cup.
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- Defending champions Toni Bou and Emma Bristow on top in TrialGP and TrialGP Women
- Arnau Farré registers his third win of the season in Trial2 as Euan Sim ends George Hemingway’s unbeaten run in Trial3
- Sara Trentini claims career-first win in FIM Women’s Trial2 World Cup
Returning to the fantastic facility at Comblain-au-Pont for the TrialGP of Belgium for the first time since 2022, the world’s leading Trial riders knew Sunday’s single day of competition would provide a suitably tough challenge, but torrential rain on Friday resulted in extremely testing conditions – especially on the second half of the course that was under tree cover and never really dried out.
Bou, of course, is in his element when the going gets tough and the Spanish superstar took the lead halfway around the opening lap before opening up an unassailable advantage, although the second half of the lap accounted for fourteen of the twenty marks he lost on observation. A single mark on time boosted Bou’s first-lap total to twenty-one which put him ten clear of his compatriot and closest challenger Jorge Casales (TRRS) who in turn was two ahead of Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) whose total included two time penalties.
It was Marcelli who set the pace on lap two as he powered his way through the sections based in and around a quarry and wooded hillside overlooking the town with the twenty-four-year-old Spaniard adding another seventeen to his score – one less than Bou – to make sure of second as Adam Raga (Sherco)completed the podium with a total of fifty-four.
“It’s been a nice day for the championship,” said Bou. “I rode pretty good in some sections and made a few mistakes in others, but I’m very happy with the win.”
Casales’ hopes of a podium finish disappeared on lap two when he picked up an additional twenty-six marks and he ended the day in fifth after Jaime Busto (GASGAS) pulled level on the final section of lap two before winning the tie-break for fourth.
In her retirement season, British lioness Bristow recovered from the disappointment of finishing third on day two at the TrialGP of Germany with a commanding performance to make it four wins from five starts as she bids to sign off with her tenth title in eleven years.
Parting with just nine on her opening lap, Bristow led her Spanish rival Berta Abellan (Scorpa) and compatriot Alice Minta (Scorpa) by seven before her second lap total of ten plus one time penalty put the result beyond doubt.
“I’m super-happy with the way I rode today,” said Bristow. “I didn’t make too many silly mistakes and felt like I was in control for most of the day.”
Abellan – who won on day two in Germany – could not find an answer to Bristow’s brilliance, although her lap-two score of fourteen allowed her to break free of Minta who ended the day on thirty-five to equal her career-best finish at this level after taking third on a tie-break with Italy’s Andrea Sofia Rabino (Beta). Great Britain’s Kaytlyn Adshead (TRRS) recorded her best finish of the season in fifth another five marks behind.
It was British rider Harry Hemingway (Beta) who held a narrow lead following the opening lap with his score of eleven giving him a two-mark advantage over his fellow countryman and defending champion Billy Green (Scorpa). However, while his rivals tried – and failed – to keep their second lap totals in single figures, Farré reeled off a score of just six that when added to his first-lap total of twelve plus three on time gave him a three-mark winning advantage.
“I made a few mistakes on the first lap,” said Farré, “but my second lap was very good and I had a great feeling with the bike.”
Hemingway’s hopes of a first Trial2 win ended with a maximum on his second attempt at section ten, where Farré went clean on lap two, but he still finished three clear of Peace who now heads into the six-week summer break with an extended nineteen-point championship lead from Farré after Alex Canales (Sherco), who was second at the start of the day, struggled to eighth.
Following the first three rounds and six days of competition, defending Trial3 champion George Hemingway (Beta) was unbeaten, but his compatriot Sim – in just his first year of FIM World Championship competition – produced an incredible opening lap of seven to take an eight-mark lead at the halfway point from Norway’s Jonas Jorgensen (Beta) as Hemingway sat outside the top ten on twenty-two.
Only seventh in the points table after a disappointing start to the FIM Women’s Trial2 World Cup in Germany, Trentini looked a different rider in Belgium and she ended the opening lap on ten, two ahead of last weekend’s double winner Martina Brandani (Sherco) as the Italian pair pulled clear.
Dropping her score to seven on lap two, Trentini ended the day four clear of Brandani with Spain’s Laia Pi (Beta) coming home third on thirty.
“I’m very, very happy,” said Trentini. “The sections were more old style which is what I like.”
The best riders on the planet now have six weeks to regroup before the 2024 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship resumes with the TrialGP of France at Cahors on 24-25 August.
