Bou has first chance to clinch 2026 title in the Netherlands
ZelhemThe Repsol Honda HRC rider holds a perfect record coming into the penultimate round of the season, while Gabriel Marcelli will be looking to consolidate his second position in the overall standings.
The 2026 TrialGP World Championship heads to Zelhem in the Netherlands this weekend for its penultimate round. Repsol Honda HRC’s riders head the overall standings, with Toni Bou in first place and Gabriel Marcelli in second, eight points ahead of third-placed Jaime Busto. The series returns to a familiar venue at a crucial point in the season, and Bou will have his first opportunity to seal the title in Zelhem.
With two days of competition and a total of 80 points up for grabs this weekend, Bou can mathematically secure the title before the final round, which will be held in Pobladura de las Regueras. The Montesa Cota 4RT rider had another clean sweep of victories in Cahors this past week, maintaining an impeccable record for the season. To secure the title in Zelhem, he must finish the weekend with a lead of more than 80 points over the second-placed rider in the standings. The goal will be to maintain the consistency he has shown so far, avoid mistakes, and earn what would be an unprecedented 40th world title.
Marcelli also heads into the penultimate round in excellent form. Two second-place finishes in Cahors allowed him to reclaim second place in the overall standings and move eight points ahead of Jaime Busto. After the positive feeling he had in France, the Repsol Honda HRC rider will be looking to take another step forward in Zelhem and fight for his first victory of the season.
The action in Zelhem will begin on Friday with technical and administrative checks, a visit to the sections, and practice sessions. The two days of action will take place on Saturday and Sunday in an event that could prove decisive for Repsol Honda HRC.
“I’m approaching this weekend with a lot of enthusiasm and motivation. After the break, we had a really good race in Cahors and we’ve reached a very important point in the season. Honestly, I didn’t expect to have this advantage and to have already secured all the victories available, so I’m very happy with the work we’ve done and very proud of the team, because without them it would be impossible to maintain this consistency. Reaching 40 world titles after 20 years of winning both the indoor and outdoor series would be spectacular. For a long time, I saw it as an impossible number, and now we’re very close.”
“I’m approaching this weekend with a lot of enthusiasm and motivation. After the break, we had a really good race in Cahors and we’ve reached a very important point in the season. Honestly, I didn’t expect to have this advantage and to have already secured all the victories available, so I’m very happy with the work we’ve done and very proud of the team, because without them it would be impossible to maintain this consistency. Reaching 40 world titles after 20 years of winning both the indoor and outdoor series would be spectacular. For a long time, I saw it as an impossible number, and now we’re very close.”
“I’m coming into this one with a really good feeling. In Cahors, I felt great on the bike, and the team did a fantastic job. Until now, I wasn’t thinking too much about the runner-up spot and was taking things race by race, but after the last result and with us being second with an eight-point advantage over Jaime, we have to start looking at the overall standings. There are still a lot of points up for grabs, and anything can happen, so we have to keep giving 100% in every race. My main goal remains to get a win in the Netherlands; it would be a great way to consolidate second place and demonstrate the high level we’re showing this season.”
“I’m coming into this one with a really good feeling. In Cahors, I felt great on the bike, and the team did a fantastic job. Until now, I wasn’t thinking too much about the runner-up spot and was taking things race by race, but after the last result and with us being second with an eight-point advantage over Jaime, we have to start looking at the overall standings. There are still a lot of points up for grabs, and anything can happen, so we have to keep giving 100% in every race. My main goal remains to get a win in the Netherlands; it would be a great way to consolidate second place and demonstrate the high level we’re showing this season.”
“We’ve arrived at a very important weekend for the team. Toni is having an incredible season, and in Zelhem he’ll have his first opportunity to clinch the title. We know there are still many points available, and we’ll have to stay focused, but reaching 40 world titles would be something historic. Gabri is also coming into this race in great form after his two second-place finishes in Cahors and regaining second place in the standings. The goal with him will be to keep fighting for victory and increase our lead over his rival. We have two days of competition ahead of us, and we want to continue working in the same way as always with both riders.”
“We’ve arrived at a very important weekend for the team. Toni is having an incredible season, and in Zelhem he’ll have his first opportunity to clinch the title. We know there are still many points available, and we’ll have to stay focused, but reaching 40 world titles would be something historic. Gabri is also coming into this race in great form after his two second-place finishes in Cahors and regaining second place in the standings. The goal with him will be to keep fighting for victory and increase our lead over his rival. We have two days of competition ahead of us, and we want to continue working in the same way as always with both riders.”
