Bou makes history in Zelhem by winning 40th world title
ZelhemThe Repsol Honda HRC rider secured his twentieth TrialGP World Championship crown with victory in the first race on Sunday, while Gabriel Marcelli returned to the podium.
Repsol Honda HRC experienced an historic day on Sunday in Zelhem, at the penultimate round of the 2026 TrialGP World Championship. Toni Bou reached the second day of the Dutch event with a clear chance of mathematically clinching the title, after winning both races on Saturday and extending his lead in the overall standings to 111 points. Gabriel Marcelli, meanwhile, was aiming to regain form after finishing fourth the previous day.
Bou didn't let the opportunity slip away. The Montesa Cota 4RT rider was once again unstoppable from the start and enjoyed a virtually perfect first race. The only section that proved challenging was Zone 2, where he incurred five penalty points, but from then on he made no mistakes and completed all the remaining sections without penalties. This secured him another victory and the 2026 TrialGP World Championship crown, bringing his total to 40 world titles. In the Super Pole, Bou once again demonstrated his speed, setting the fastest time with a 0:27.29.
He approached the final race of the weekend aiming to close out the Dutch event with another victory. The Montesa Cota 4RT rider started with a strong pace and no penalties, but a mistake on Zone 3 resulted in five points that ultimately proved decisive in the fight for the race win. Despite remaining competitive throughout the rest of the contest, Bou was unable to close the gap to Jaime Busto, who ultimately took the victory.
Marcelli also made progress compared to Saturday and returned to the podium in the first race. He didn't have an easy start, and several mistakes in the first three sections forced him to fight his way back. From then on, he found his rhythm and strung together several cleans. With 21 penalty points, the Repsol Honda HRC rider finished third -an important result in his fight to maintain second place in the championship standings. In the Super Pole, Marcelli set the fourth fastest time, with a 0:29.01.
Marcelli started the second race with some mistakes that prevented him from being among the leaders, but he once again picked things up as the lap progressed. He remained in contention to improve his position, but another error at Zone 10 halted his rise. The Repsol Honda HRC rider finished Race 2 with 18 penalty points, earning fourth place.
Record-breaking champion Bou leaves the Dutch round as the 2026 series winner with 437 points. Marcelli has 317 points and drops to third place, just seven points behind Jaime Busto in second. The TrialGP World Championship will reach its final event of the season on September 18-20th in Pobladura de las Regueras.
"I'm so happy. Winning my 40th world title is incredible, and it's still hard to believe we did it. This season has been amazing; we've been very consistent and made good decisions at crucial moments. I want to especially thank the team for all their hard work, because without them none of this would be possible. To be able to clinch the title here, before the final race, is very special. Now it's time to enjoy this moment and keep working to finish the season in the best possible way."
"I'm so happy. Winning my 40th world title is incredible, and it's still hard to believe we did it. This season has been amazing; we've been very consistent and made good decisions at crucial moments. I want to especially thank the team for all their hard work, because without them none of this would be possible. To be able to clinch the title here, before the final race, is very special. Now it's time to enjoy this moment and keep working to finish the season in the best possible way."
"I'm not happy with today's result. Something similar to what happened yesterday was repeated. I made a few mistakes, but I felt comfortable on the bike and the feeling was good. The team worked very well, but things didn't go as we had hoped. We salvaged something with this third place, but in Pobladura we'll have to give it our all to take the runner-up spot. I just want to congratulate Toni, because he has been spectacular. He gets stronger every year and will be doing this for many years to come. He deserves it."
"I'm not happy with today's result. Something similar to what happened yesterday was repeated. I made a few mistakes, but I felt comfortable on the bike and the feeling was good. The team worked very well, but things didn't go as we had hoped. We salvaged something with this third place, but in Pobladura we'll have to give it our all to take the runner-up spot. I just want to congratulate Toni, because he has been spectacular. He gets stronger every year and will be doing this for many years to come. He deserves it."
“This is a historic day for Toni and the entire team. Reaching 40 world titles is extraordinary and demonstrates the incredible level he has maintained throughout all these years. This season has been exceptional once again, and securing the title before the final race reflects the great work of Toni and the entire Repsol Honda HRC team. We are proud to be part of this moment, and I want to thank all the team members for their efforts. It hasn't been an easy weekend for Gabri, and we are currently third in the championship, but there are two races left in Pobladura, and we will fight until the end to regain second place. Today, above all, it's time to enjoy and celebrate this 40th title.”
“This is a historic day for Toni and the entire team. Reaching 40 world titles is extraordinary and demonstrates the incredible level he has maintained throughout all these years. This season has been exceptional once again, and securing the title before the final race reflects the great work of Toni and the entire Repsol Honda HRC team. We are proud to be part of this moment, and I want to thank all the team members for their efforts. It hasn't been an easy weekend for Gabri, and we are currently third in the championship, but there are two races left in Pobladura, and we will fight until the end to regain second place. Today, above all, it's time to enjoy and celebrate this 40th title.”
