Bou earns victory and Marcelli keeps battle for runner-up spot alive
Pobladura de las ReguerasThe Repsol Honda HRC rider secures two second-place finishes in León, reclaiming second place in the overall standings. Toni Bou maintains his perfect winning record for the 2026 season.
The final round of the 2026 TrialGP World Championship kicked off on Saturday in Pobladura de las Regueras, with the two Repsol Honda HRC riders taking centre stage. Toni Bou once again dominated with two victories, while Gabriel Marcelli took a significant step forward in his bid for the runner-up spot -finishing second in both races.
Bou began Race 1 displaying great confidence once again on his Montesa Cota 4RT. In the opening sections -with more ‘indoor’ characteristics- he strung together six consecutive cleans. Penalties began to appear once the riders reached the river sections, yet Bou managed to maintain control of the race, finishing with 11 points. It was enough to secure another victory and add another 20 points to his tally. Later, in the 'Super Pole,' the Repsol Honda HRC rider was once again the fastest, earning the final starting position for the second race.
In Race 2, Bou raised his level even further. With the river sections removed from the course, the World Champion delivered a superb performance, clearing all sections with a total of 11 penalty points. The Repsol Honda rider claimed his second victory of the day and the win in the day's combined standings, extending his extraordinary run of results and keeping up a perfect win record in the 2026 season.
Marcelli did not get off to the start he had hoped for. Several small mistakes early on forced him to play catch-up right from the start, but he managed to stay focused and respond effectively as the sections progressed. Marcelli finished Race 1 in second place with 20 penalty points, while Jaime Busto -his direct rival for the runner-up spot—finished fourth. This result allowed the Repsol Honda HRC rider to significantly narrow the gap between them in the overall standings.
The second race gave Marcelli the chance to build on the strong pace he had shown throughout the day. Competing on terrain he knows well from the Spanish Championship, he once again battled for the top positions and finished second. Thanks to the points earned, Marcelli also reclaimed second place in the World Championship; he heads into the final day with a one-point lead over Jaime Busto, leaving the fight for the runner-up spot wide open.
On Sunday, Gabriel Marcelli will start in second place in the overall standings, aiming to defend his one-point lead and wrap up the season as runner-up. Meanwhile, Toni Bou will look to put the finishing touch on a historic season.
“When you come into a round without pressure, it’s always hard to get into rhythm, but we’re doing things very well this year. The bike works great, and we were able to continue the same form we’ve shown all season. For tomorrow, I’d really like the team to achieve their goals with Gabri as well. Personally, I want to try to wrap up the year with a clean sweep of victories. It’s not a massive goal, since the season has already been spectacular and staying focused all weekend won’t be easy, but we’re here and, of course, we’re going to give it a shot.”
“When you come into a round without pressure, it’s always hard to get into rhythm, but we’re doing things very well this year. The bike works great, and we were able to continue the same form we’ve shown all season. For tomorrow, I’d really like the team to achieve their goals with Gabri as well. Personally, I want to try to wrap up the year with a clean sweep of victories. It’s not a massive goal, since the season has already been spectacular and staying focused all weekend won’t be easy, but we’re here and, of course, we’re going to give it a shot.”
"It's mission accomplished -at least for today. We finished second on the second lap, second in the day’s overall standings, and -most importantly- we’ve moved up to second place in the World Championship. That was the goal for today: to finish ahead of our direct rival, Jaime. There’s still work to be done tomorrow, so we can’t relax. We hope to keep this momentum going, have another good day, and wrap up the season by securing the runner-up spot."
"It's mission accomplished -at least for today. We finished second on the second lap, second in the day’s overall standings, and -most importantly- we’ve moved up to second place in the World Championship. That was the goal for today: to finish ahead of our direct rival, Jaime. There’s still work to be done tomorrow, so we can’t relax. We hope to keep this momentum going, have another good day, and wrap up the season by securing the runner-up spot."
"It’s been a very positive day for the whole team. Toni once again demonstrated the high level he’s maintained all season by taking both wins, and Gabri put in a very solid performance that puts him second in the World Championship. Tomorrow, we have two clear goals: trying to close out the season with a clean sweep of wins for Toni and securing the runner-up spot for Gabri. There’s still an important day ahead, so we need to stay focused right up to the final section and finish off the great work we’ve done all year."
"It’s been a very positive day for the whole team. Toni once again demonstrated the high level he’s maintained all season by taking both wins, and Gabri put in a very solid performance that puts him second in the World Championship. Tomorrow, we have two clear goals: trying to close out the season with a clean sweep of wins for Toni and securing the runner-up spot for Gabri. There’s still an important day ahead, so we need to stay focused right up to the final section and finish off the great work we’ve done all year."
