TrialGP 2023 Review: Bou Wins 17th Consecutive Title

Bou and Busto Fight for the Lead

On April 14, the season opened in Arteixo, Spain, and on the first day, Bou and Marcelli finished on the podium in second and third places respectively. On the second day, Bou outperformed Busto by three points to take his first win of the season. Marcelli missed a podium by just two points, finishing fourth in a close battle.

The second TrialGP was held in Gouveia, Portugal, and while Bou dominated day 1 by 13 points, his rival Busto performed better on day 2, taking the victory by a single point. At this stage Bou is second in the rankings, while Marcelli, who was third for both days, is third overall.

The third TrialGP was staged in Japan for the first time in four years, at Mobility Resort Motegi, Repsol Honda Team's home turf. Day 1 was a tough battle due to rain the previous day. Bou completed the first lap in third, and attempting to turn the tables, took some risks, which in the end paid off and gave him the victory.

On Day 2 conditions were dry. Bou was neck and neck with Busto, and ended the day tied for the lead. With a 29-second time difference, Bou finished in second place, and after three events, Bou and Busto were tied for the top with 111 points each. Marcelli finished fourth for both days, tying him with Adam Raga (TRRS) for fourth overall.

Bou Takes Outright Lead
Marcelli Battles for Third

The fourth TrialGP was held in San Marino. On day 1, Bou and Marcelli achieved their first 1-2 finish of the year. Bou was consistent and sure-footed to take the win, while Marcelli was in a tight battle with Busto and Raga on lap 1, but pulled ahead on the following lap to secure his first runner-up place on the podium.

On the second day, every rider struggled with the muddy conditions caused by the previous night's rain. Even Bou made a mistake and finished the first lap in third, but on the second lap he halved his points deduction and won by two points over rival Busto. For the first time in Round 4, Bou achieved a perfect win on both days, extending his lead in the overall standings to eight points. Marcelli finished sixth, but maintained his third place overall.

On the first day in the Andorra event, Bou started the first lap with six consecutive clean sections to take the lead, then improved on the second lap with 12 sections and only four points, nearly doubling his lead over his closest rival. The second day of the event was difficult due to rain, but that did not stop Bou from continuing his strong performance. He won by a huge margin over his title rival Busto and solidified his position at the top of the championship standings.

The sixth TrialGP was held in Sestriere, Italy, revived as a TrialGP venue for the first time in two decades. On day one, Bou took the lead with a four point deduction on lap 1, and despite a mistake in the second half of the lap, was able to get stay ahead. Marcelli followed in second place for the team’s second 1-2 finish of the season.

17 in a Row
Double Podium Tops Off Another Successful Season

The final event was held in Vertolaye, France. On the first lap of Day 1, Bou put on an impressive performance, coming through section 7 clean after all other riders had scored 5 points, and continued his strong performance on the second lap to win by 17 points over Buste in second place, clinching his 17th title in a row before the second day began.

Bou continued his winning on Day 2, closing out the season with seven consecutive victories and a dominating 11 out of 14 wins. Marcelli joined Bou on the podium with back-to-back third place finishes on days 1 and 2, and with seven podium finishes in 14 races, he claimed his best result, third place in the championship.

Race Report

Rd.01 Spain Day1：Bou and Marcelli open the TrialGP season with second and third in Arteixo

Rd.01 Spain Day2：Bou gets first victory of TrialGP World Championship season and Marcelli finishes fourth

Rd.02 Portugal Day1：Bou wins with Marcelli third in Portugal

Rd.02 Portugal Day2：Bou takes second and Marcelli third at TrialGP of Portugal

Rd.03 Japan Day1：Bou earns third victory and Marcelli places fourth in Japan

Rd.03 Japan Day2：Bou second and Marcelli fourth on Day 2 of Japanese TrialGP

Rd.04 San Marino Day1：One-two finish for Repsol Honda Trial Team in San Marino

Rd.04 San Marino Day2：Bou back on top in San Marino

Rd.05 Andorra Day1：Bou achieves third consecutive victory and Marcelli places fifth in Andorra

Rd.05 Andorra Day2：Two wins for Bou in Andorra

Rd.06 Italy Day1：Latest victory for Bou in Italy

Rd.06 Italy Day2：One-two for Repsol Honda Trial Team in Italy

Rd.07 France Day1：Victory and title for Bou on first day in France

Rd.07 France Day2：Perfect end to the season for Repsol Honda Trial Team

Standings