Rider list confirmed for X-Trial Barcelona
The opening Round of the 2024 season features eight competing riders
For the second consecutive year, the FIM X-Trial World Championship gets underway in Barcelona, a 47th visit for the sport to its birthplace. And the eight riders who will head to the Palau Sant Jordi on 4th February are now confirmed.
17-times World Champion Toni Bou (Repsol Honda Trial Team) begins the defence of his title at a venue where he has claimed no less than 15 of his 79 top-flight victories. Last season his closest rivals were young pretenders Jaime Busto (Gas Gas) and teammate Gabriel Marcelli (Repsol Honda Trial Team) who also joined him on the podium at X-Trial Barcelona. Busto was the only rider other than Bou to claim a victory last season, his triumph at X-Trial Wiener Neustadt crucial in his success in the battle for second over Marcelli, who finished the season with back-to-back second places.
Meanwhile, X-Trial Barcelona will be Adam Raga’s World Championship debut with Sherco, who he joins after eight seasons with TRRS. Six-times a winner in Barcelona, Raga is bidding to match his former boss Jordi Tarrés on seven. Raga’s replacement at TRRS is Aniol Gelabert, who impressed for Beta particularly in Andorra and Vendée following the summer break.
Toby Martyn (Montesa), podium finisher at X-Trial Madrid, will be the lone British representative. Matteo Grattarola (Beta) remains Italy’s stand-out star, but he was some way short of his best in 2023 and things can only get better for him from eighth in the world rankings. The field is completed by Frenchman Benoit Bincaz (Sherco) who finished an isolated seventh last year.
All eight riders are sure to give you every reason not to miss the action. As always, you can follow the whole 2024 season live or on demand at www.x-trial.tv .
