Busto blasts back on day two in Italy
Jaime Busto (GASGAS) blasted back into contention on day two of the TrialGP of Italy – round three of the 2024 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – with a sensational victory as Jack Peace (Sherco) regained the points lead in Trial2 and George Hemingway (Beta) continued his dominance of the Trial3 class.
- Jaime Busto ends Toni Bou’s win-streak in TrialGP
- Second victory of the season puts Jack Peace back on top in Trial2
- Defending champion George Hemingway remains unbeaten in Trial3
Conditions were considerably drier in Valsassina for day two following yesterday’s rain, but an overnight downpour ensured that grip was still in short supply for riders on the opening lap, especially on thesteep, slick bankings and tree roots of sections five and six which claimed big scores from everyone apart from defending champion Toni Bou (Montesa) who skipped through with a single dab and a clean.
Having won the first five scoring days of this year’s series with relative ease, it looked to be business as usual for the superstar Spaniard who wasted little time opening up a healthy lead, but his momentum came to an abrupt halt when he reached the river sections. A run of four consecutive maximums put the seventeen-time champion on the back foot and at the end of the first lap his total of twenty-two was just three ahead of Busto with home favourite Matteo Grattarola (Beta) best of the rest on thirty-one.
Bou had started the day complaining of feeling unwell, but he maintained his advantage until section six on lap two where, following Busto’s faultless ride, he lost a five and with it the event lead and another maximum on section seven after his compatriot had produced a brilliant clean looked to have dropped him out of contention.
Busto then had a maximum on section eight where a huge step out of the riverbed caused problems for most of the field and Bou seized this lifeline by escaping with just a dab, but with the remaining sections relatively straightforward it was Busto in the driving seat and he kept his cool to record his first win of the season on a total of thirty-nine.
“My feeling today was incredible,” said Busto. “The start of the season has been very difficult for me so I am very, very happy to win.”
Bou looked almost relieved to get the event over on a total of forty-three to extend his championship lead with Grattarola maintaining his brilliant home form to end the day in a hugely-popular third on fifty, ten marks clear of Adam Raga (Sherco) with Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) a disappointed fifth on sixty-one.
It was all-change at the top of Trial2 where twenty-four-year-old British rider Peace went head-to-head with his compatriot and defending champion Billy Green (Scorpa) on a close opening lap that saw Green hold the lead at the halfway point on five, one clear of Peace and three ahead of series leader Alex Canales (Sherco) from Spain.
A maximum by Peace on his second visit to section three appeared to be pivotal, but Green collected a five on the big rock steps of section four and Peace then put in a controlled performance that allowed him to ease clear to end the day on a score of fourteen that gave him a seven-mark winning advantage and saw him regain the championship lead.
“It’s been a really good weekend with a second yesterday and then a first today,” said Peace. “I’m really happy with how I’ve ridden and to get the win today was great. I’ve really enjoyed the Trial.”
With his chance of victory gone, Green almost slipped back into the clutches of Harry Hemingway (Beta), but he took second on a tie-break on a great day for British riders who recorded a one-two-three in this incredibly competitive class.
A further eight marks off the pace, yesterday’s winner Arnau Farre (Sherco) was a solid fourth, one mark clear of Canales in fifth.
The pace-setter in Trial3 with three wins from three starts, reigning champion Hemingway maintained his impressive one-hundred per cent record with victory number four on a day when he was never seriously challenged.
Leading by thirteen marks at the halfway stage, the sixteen-year-old’s second-lap total of nine saw him sign off on a total of twenty, sixteen clear of series newcomer Euan Sim (Sherco) and twenty-four ahead of third-placed Pablo Echene (Beta) from France.
“It’s another win ticked off and I’m very happy with it,” said Hemingway. “The team’s worked so hard this weekend so a big thank you to them all.”
