Bou Targets Latest Title in France
VertolayeThe Repsol Honda Team rider will have the opportunity to clinch the championship on the first day of competition. Gabri Marcelli will fight for third place overall.
The 2023 TrialGP World Championship concludes this weekend in Vertolaye, France. The Repsol Honda Trial Team riders arrive fully motivated after the summer break. Toni Bou will look to clinch the title, which would be his 17th in the outdoor discipline. His teammate, Gabriel Marcelli, will fight for third place overall.
This season Bou has achieved a total of nine victories and two podiums in the eleven events held to date. The Repsol Honda Trial Team rider, who holds a 29-point lead over nearest rival Jaime Busto, wants to seal the title as soon as possible, and can do so on Saturday by placing among the Top 5. In the event that Busto wins and Bou finishes lower than fifth place, the battle for the title would be decided on Sunday.
It will also be an important weekend for Marcelli. The Montesa Cota 4RT rider is third overall and his goal will be to maintain that position come the end of the season. Marcelli has an 18-point advantage over his direct rival, Matteo Grattarola. Third place in the championship would be the best result so far in the TrialGP World Championship for the Repsol Honda rider, who has his sights set on a first victory in the class.
The weekend will kick off on Friday with administrative and technical checks, followed by practice and zone visits. The action on Saturday and Sunday will begin at 9am CEST.
We will try to face the weekend like we have the others. It is always difficult when you are fighting for the title and obviously we will be a little more conservative than we usually are, as we don't want to take risks. We know that we have done a great job throughout the year and it's time to finish off the season. The feeling before the last round is good, the team have worked very well after the summer break and we arrive with our batteries recharged. The last round is always special, especially if you have a chance at winning the title; nerves and feelings are there that you don't have during the rest of the year, but we know how to handle it.
I'm looking forward to the weekend because I think we have had a good season. It being the last round, I would like to get a good result. I'm very motivated because we are fighting for third place in the standings. The approach will be similar to the rest of the rounds, and I will try to get the best possible results on both days. During the two rounds we will pay attention to where our closest rivals are to stay ahead of them, but in the end our mentality will be the same as every weekend. I have a good points advantage and I hope to take third position in the championship.
It has been a great season and I hope we continue in the same vein in these two remaining rounds. The riders have been able to disconnect over the summer holidays and get back to 100%. Toni is very close to winning the title and he will try to become champion with a victory, although he will not risk any more than necessary because the important thing is to secure the title. Gabri's situation is similar： He is 18 points ahead of Matteo Grattarola, so he will fight for third place overall. This weekend he will look for his first victory, which is his goal for 2023. It will be a special event and we hope to enjoy the weekend.
