Repsol Honda Trial Team return to action with Italian TrialGP
SestriereToni Bou arrives at Sestriere leading the series with 191 points, with Gabriel Marcelli rounding off the Top 3.
The TrialGP World Championship returns this weekend with Round 6 of the season, held in the town of Sestriere in the Italian Alps. The venue has been off the calendar for 20 years, and will host the penultimate round of the campaign with the added difficulty of high altitude.
Toni Bou leads the overall standings with 191 points after a run of four consecutive victories in San Marino and Andorra. The reigning champion will look to consolidate his winning streak and extend his advantage, earning a first ever podium in Sestriere in the process.
Gabriel Marcelli is currently third in the series with 133 points. This will be the first time that the Repsol Honda Trial Team rider has competed in Sestriere and his objective will be to claim another rostrum in the two races. He comes into the event off the back of two podiums in the Spanish Trial Championship.
The Italian Trial GP will be the last before the summer break, so it will be important for both Repsol Honda Trial Team riders to collect as many points as possible. The technical and administrative verifications, as well as practice and zone visits, will take place on Friday. On both Saturday and Sunday the action will kick off at 9am local time.
I have only competed once in Sestriere on my own, in my first year in the championship, and on one occasion in the World Cup of Nations, so I have never been able to get an individual victory there. I would love to inaugurate my record there this weekend. I tend to like competitions in Italy a lot so our goal will be to win. I look forward to both races: We want to continue the good run of results. It will be a difficult competition due to the altitude, but the team have done a good job and we will give 100%. It is a very tight championship and it will be important not to make mistakes.
Being on the podium twice in Pobladura, after the heavy crash I had in training, gives me confidence and motivation for the two races in Sestriere. It will be a contest in which the altitude will greatly influence things, so arriving with a good setup for the bike is important. In this type of competition, bikes lose a lot of power, so it will be vital to be ready when we arrive. The altitude will be an important factor compared to the rest of the races we have had throughout the season and the team have done a good job to get everything ready. As always, our objective will be to fight for the top positions and seek the best result possible.
This is an important race because it will be the last one before the summer break. Gabri feels better after the hit he took to his side, and Toni is very motivated. In 2003 Toni competed in Sestriere, but since 2003 the TrialGP World Championship hasn't returned to the Italian town, it's been twenty years since it last competed, so it's practically a new place for everyone. The objective, as always, is to be as high as possible. The team has worked on the altitude because it will be important for this race, and we're ready for the weekend.
