【TrialGP 2022 Season Review】Toni Bou wins 16th consecutive title following a dominating season

Bow wins 200 world championship trials

The season opener was held on June 12 in Tarragona, Spain. On Day One, Bou and  Marselli finished in second and sixth places, respectively. On the Day Two, both riders learned from the opening-day mistakes, and moved up to first and fifth place, respectively.

Round 2 was held in Andorra. Facing a tough section on a slippery river, Bou made a series of mistakes on the first day and surrendered victory to long-time rival Adam Raga (TRRS). After the first three rounds, however, Bou remained in the overall lead, 8 points clear of second place. Marcelli finished the third round in sixth overall.

On Day Two, Bou was back to his usual form and won the event, reaching the milestone of 200 world championship trial wins, covering indoor and outdoor trials.

Bou finishes first half of season in the lead

In the third round in Neunkirchen, Germany, Bou had a tough time in his first attempt at a section he had never attempted before, but he was able to hold on to the lead from start to finish to take 20 points and an 18-point lead over second place overall.

The second day of racing was more difficult due to post-storm conditions, but the day was a fierce battle for the lead between Bou, Jaime Busto (Vertigo), and Matteo Gratarola (Beta). Bou won this close battle, extending his lead to 23 points. From this point on, Bou was unstoppable.

After a month-long summer break, the second half of the season began in the Belgian country town of Combran-aux-Ponts. Bou got off to a good start, winning by a narrow margin. Marcelli fought hard and despite strong competition, finished a respectable fourth.

Round 5 was held in Cahors, France. Bou kept his points deductions to a minimum, and by the second lap he had more than doubled his lead over second place in the championship. On Lap 1, Marcelli was sixth, but drastically improved his score on the following lap by learning from his mistakes. On combined points from laps 1 and 2, he was fourth, only a point behind third place, and although narrowly missing out on the podium, was up to sixth in the overall standings.

Another dominating performance to defend the title

The final round was held over two days in Italy, at a new venue, Ponte di Regno, located at the foot of the Alps. The sections covered high altitude, dense forest, slippery rocks, and  rivers. On Day One, Bou finished second, and with this result, was crowned champion with a 44-point lead ahead of his closest rival. This, including his X-Trial victories, was his 32nd title. Marcelli remained in contention for the podium until the last section of the race, riding strongly to take fourth and maintain his sixth overall. He held onto sixth in the championship, only two points behind fifth place overall with one day to go.

On Day 2, Bou kept his momentum until the end, winning by more than double the score of second place. Marcelli made a series of mistakes on the first lap, but put in a great performance on Day Two to catch up. Although he missed the podium, he moved up one position in the standings and finished his first season with the Repsol Honda Team in 5th overall.

Race Report

Rd.01 Spain(Day 1)：Second place for Toni Bou as the TrialGP World Championship kicks off in Spain

Rd.01 Spain(Day 2)：Victory and leadership for Toni Bou after an intense Spanish TrialGP

Rd.02 Andorra(Day 1)：Second place for Toni Bou on Andorra TrialGP Day One

Rd.02 Andorra(Day 2)：World Championship win no. 200 for Toni Bou

Rd.03 Germany(Day 1)：Toni Bou extends his overall TrialGP World Championship lead after a great win in Neunkirchen

Rd.03 Germany(Day 2)：Twin wins in Germany as Toni Bou becomes undisputed world championship leader

Rd.04 Belgium：Toni Bou seals a narrow yet invaluable win at Comblain-au-Pont

Rd.05 France：Toni Bou on course for a 16th TrialGP title after another win in France

Rd.06 Italy(Day 1)：Toni Bou wins a 16th outdoor world title in Italy

Rd.06 Italy(Day 2)：Toni Bou closes the 2022 season with another win in Italy. Marcelli, fifth in the World Championship

Standings