Perfect end to the season for Repsol Honda Trial Team
VertolayeToni Bou takes the last victory of the season and Gabriel Marcelli, closes the podium to secure third place in the championship.
Toni Bou takes the last victory of the season and Gabriel Marcelli, closes the podium to secure third place in the championship.
There was a spectacular close to the season for the Repsol Honda Trial Team. On the second day of competition in Vertolaye, France, Toni Bou took another victory after winning the title just 24 hours earlier. His teammate, Gabriel Marcelli, achieved a podium and sealed third place in the championship.
On Sunday’s first lap, Bou was relentless and topped the standings with 12 penalty points, 6 fewer than the second-place finisher. For the second lap, he managed to maintain the lead until the end and took another victory, putting the icing on the cake in an impeccable season.
After winning the title on the first day at the French town, Bou continues to increase his record tally with his latest victory. The current Outdoor World Champion closes the 2023 season with 11 victories, seven of them consecutive, and three podiums.
The first lap did not start in the best way for Gabriel Marcelli who, after making some mistakes, was in fifth position. On the second lap, the Repsol Honda rider improved and managed to finish in third place overall, one point ahead of Matteo Grattarola, with whom he was competing for third place in the standings.
Marcelli thus earned the spot after an intense fight during the season with Adam Raga and Grattarola. In 2023, the Repsol Honda Trial Team rider has taken a total of seven podiums and the best position in his sporting career in the World Championship.
The weekend was important for Montesa. Thanks to the great work carried out by the riders in the TrialGP and Trial2 categories throughout the 2023 season, they managed to win their 24th constructors’ title.
The next challenge for the Repsol Honda Trial Team riders will be next weekend with the Trial of Nations, in which Toni Bou and Gabriel Marcelli will participate along with Jaime Busto.
It has been a perfect weekend for us, with the title yesterday and another victory today. Jaime pushed us today and it was a fun race in which in the end we were able to get the win, so I ended up very happy. Now we are focused on winning the Nations Title, which is also important for us, and especially on the final stretch of the XTrial World Championship. I can't wait to return to the indoor series, where we will try to fight for another title.
We took third in the championship and also two podiums in the races on Saturday and Sunday. I think it has been a great weekend and we are really happy. The goal for the season has been achieved, so now it's time to recharge our batteries and take another step next year. The most positive thing about this season has been how the entire team have supported me and helped me in moments that have not been easy. I have felt their support every day and in every race. They have also been giving 110%, and that has been reflected in the results, so I want to thank all of them.
Today we also saw a great performance from Toni, making a big difference and finishing the season with a victory. Gabri also tried to fight for the win today, although in the end he was third. It's not a bad result, although our goal for today was to win, so we know we have to improve. In general, we are really happy with the team's performance this year, fulfilling the goal of finishing in the top three with Gabri and with Toni becoming World Champion. I congratulate the two riders and the entire team. Many thanks to HRC and all the sponsors for their unconditional support to achieve this great success.
