Gelabert closes weekend in Japan with second podium
MotegiThe Honda Montesa rider overcomes the difficult terrain to take third place
Mobility Resort Motegi was the setting for the eleventh and twelfth rounds of the Trial2 World Championship season this weekend. Saturday’s heavy rain left some very difficult sections for the riders on the second day of competition. Just as he did on the previous day, Miquel Gelabert managed to place on the rostrum at Honda’s home round.
The RTL Electric rider started the day by dropping several fives, as the slippery rocks and muddy sections posed a tough challenge. But as the event progressed, he gained confidence with the bike and improved his performance in front of the Japanese fans. Tied with one of his main rivals, Harry Hemingway, on a total of 35 points and just one point behind the leader, Gelabert finished the first race in third place, earning him 15 points in the overall standings.
For the second race, the conditions and the difficulty of the sections remained the big factor. However, despite a difficult start, he produced his best performance to salvage fourth. After stringing together several zeros midway through the race, a couple of errors in the final sections relegated him to fourth place when he was fighting for the win. However, in the end the Honda Montesa rider finished fourth in the second race of the day, third in the combined and his second podium of the weekend.
After third and fourth places on Day 2, Gelabert maintains third place in the championship standings with a total of 162 points. The Honda rider will compete at the French Trial GP from May 30th to June 1st in Calvi, Corsica.
Today's race didn't go as we would have liked; it was bittersweet. I rode very well, but I made some mistakes that cost us dearly. I was leading the second race, but I dropped to fourth place and it took me a while to recover. Overall, the weekend went well, and I want to thank Honda and HRC for their trust in me and the fans for their great support here in Japan. Harry Hemingway is pulling away a bit in the standings, so we'll try to put pressure on him to catch up in the upcoming races.
Today's race didn't go as we would have liked; it was bittersweet. I rode very well, but I made some mistakes that cost us dearly. I was leading the second race, but I dropped to fourth place and it took me a while to recover. Overall, the weekend went well, and I want to thank Honda and HRC for their trust in me and the fans for their great support here in Japan. Harry Hemingway is pulling away a bit in the standings, so we'll try to put pressure on him to catch up in the upcoming races.
In the first race, the sections were very complicated, but we fought for the win until the end, and we're happy with that. In the second race, we lost first place due to some mistakes in Zones 8 and 9. Looking at the championship, we need to improve even more and try to be more consistent. Being at Honda's home round, it means a lot to have been on the podium on both days, and yesterday's win was fantastic. I want to thank Honda and HRC for all the support they've given us, as well as the team for their hard work over the weekend.
In the first race, the sections were very complicated, but we fought for the win until the end, and we're happy with that. In the second race, we lost first place due to some mistakes in Zones 8 and 9. Looking at the championship, we need to improve even more and try to be more consistent. Being at Honda's home round, it means a lot to have been on the podium on both days, and yesterday's win was fantastic. I want to thank Honda and HRC for all the support they've given us, as well as the team for their hard work over the weekend.
Race 1 Results
Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Billy Green | 214 | GBR | Scorpa | Scorpa | 34 |
2 | Harry Hemingway | 217 | GBR | Beta Factory Trial Team | Beta | 35 |
3 | Miquel Gelabert | 256 | SPA | Honda Montesa | Honda | 35 |
4 | Arnau Farre | 219 | SPA | Sherco | Sherco | 37 |
5 | Jack Dance | 236 | GBR | Gas Gas Factory Racing | Gas Gas | 38 |
6 | George Hemingway | 252 | GBR | Beta Factory Trial Team | Beta | 41 |
7 | Sondre Haga | 217 | NOR | Gas Gas Factory Racing | Gas Gas | 41 |
8 | Benoit Bincaz | 273 | FRA | EM Factory Team | Electric Motion | 43 |
9 | Carloalberto Rabino | 268 | ITA | Team Hippelracing | Beta | 44 |
10 | Kenichi Kuroyama | 254 | JPN | Yamaha | Yamaha | 44 |
11 | Gerard Trueba | 250 | SPA | Beta Trueba Trial Team | Beta | 45 |
12 | Jarand Gunvaldse | 225 | NOR | TRRS | TRRS | 46 |
13 | Tsuyoshi Ogawa | 244 | JPN | Beta | Beta | 48 |
14 | Marco Mempor | 271 | AUT | TRRS | TRRS | 48 |
15 | Jone Sandvik | 280 | NOR | Sherco | Sherco | 50 |
Race 2 Results
Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Harry Hemingway | 217 | GBR | Beta Factory Trial Team | Beta | 20 |
2 | Benoit Bincaz | 273 | FRA | EM Factory Team | Electric Motion | 22 |
3 | Billy Green | 214 | GBR | Scorpa | Scorpa | 23 |
4 | Miquel Gelabert | 256 | SPA | Honda Montesa | Honda | 26 |
5 | George Hemingway | 252 | GBR | Beta Factory Trial Team | Beta | 29 |
6 | Harry Turner | 211 | GBR | Sherco | Sherco | 32 |
7 | Sondre Haga | 217 | NOR | Gas Gas Factory Racing | Gas Gas | 34 |
8 | Kenichi Kuroyama | 254 | JPN | Yamaha | Yamaha | 34 |
9 | Tsuyoshi Ogawa | 244 | JPN | Beta | Beta | 37 |
10 | Jarand Gunvaldse | 225 | NOR | TRRS | TRRS | 38 |
11 | Jone Sandvik | 280 | NOR | Sherco | Sherco | 39 |
12 | Fumitaka Nozaki | 291 | JPN | Yamaha | Yamaha | 40 |
13 | Jack Dance | 236 | GBR | Gas Gas Factory Racing | Gas Gas | 40 |
14 | Arnau Farre | 219 | SPA | Sherco | Sherco | 41 |
15 | Seiya Ujikawa | 290 | JPN | Yamaha | Yamaha | 42 |
Championship Standings
Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Harry Hemingway | 217 | GBR | Beta Factory Trial Team | Beta | 192 |
2 | Billy Green | 214 | GBR | Scorpa | Scorpa | 180 |
3 | Miquel Gelabert | 256 | SPA | Honda Montesa | Honda | 162 |
4 | Benoit Bincaz | 273 | FRA | EM Factory Team | Electric Motion | 138 |
5 | George Hemingway | 252 | GBR | Beta Factory Trial Team | Beta | 119 |
6 | Arnau Farre | 219 | SPA | Sherco | Sherco | 116 |
7 | Sondre Haga | 217 | NOR | Gas Gas Factory Racing | Gas Gas | 105 |
8 | Jack Dance | 236 | GBR | Gas Gas Factory Racing | Gas Gas | 93 |
9 | Harry Turner | 211 | GBR | Sherco | Sherco | 90 |
10 | Mattia Spreafico | 247 | ITA | Gas Gas Factory Racing | Gas Gas | 47 |
11 | Jarand Gunvaldse | 225 | NOR | TRRS | TRRS | 47 |
12 | David Fabian | 221 | ITA | Beta Fabian | Beta | 41 |
13 | Kenichi Kuroyama | 254 | JPN | Yamaha | Yamaha | 34 |
14 | Gerard Trueba | 250 | SPA | Beta Trueba Trial Team | Beta | 32 |
15 | Marco Mempor | 271 | AUT | TRRS | TRRS | 29 |
