【X-Trial 2022 Season Review】Bou wins 16th straight title with four wins from five starts

Bou dominates opening round for 70th victory

The opening trial of the season was held on March 11 in Nice, France. Due to  regulations, Marceli was unable to compete. With only one point deducted from each of the five sections in Round 1 and Round 2, Bou was the top finisher to advance to the finals, where the top three riders would battle it out. Bou won the difficult opening round with only two points deducted, edging out Adam Raga (TRRS), with 13 points. For Bou, it was his 70th X-Trial victory.

Bou defeats Raga for another victory, Marselli makes team debut, finishes eighth

Trial 2 in Chalon-sur-Saone, France, marked Marcelli's debut as a Repsol Honda Team rider. The trial was more difficult than the season-opener, and with 11 points for Bou and 19 points for Marcelli in Round 1, Marcelli finished the event in eighth place.

Bou held off Raga in Round 2 with 2 points, going into the finals tied with Raga. The final was another close match, but Bou won by a single point to take his second straight win.

Repsol Honda Team shows true colors in Madrid

In the third trial in Madrid, Bou topped all rounds to take his third consecutive win. Unlike his team debut where he had been nervous, Marcelli showed his true potential this round, entering the finals in third place and riding calmly to finish on the podium in second, giving the team a 1-2 finish.

The Barcelona trial, home trial for both the team and Bou, was held at the Palau Sant Jordi, the largest stadium in the X-Trial, in front of a  packed crowd of 4,800 spectators.

Bou came out on top to advance to the finals, where he defeated Raga once again for his fourth straight win. The victory was the best possible response to the loud cheers of the local fans.

Last trial canceled, championship decided

With four rounds completed by April, trials entered the outdoor season, with two rounds remaining in October, but at the end of August, it was announced that the final round in Marseille would be canceled. With only one round remaining, the point difference by Trial 4 was sufficient to give Bou his 16th consecutive championship.

In the fifth and final round in Andorra, Bou rode perfectly in the first two rounds. In the finals, he lost to Jaime Busto (Vertigo) by a single point to finish 2nd, but finished the season with a overwhelming record of four wins and a second place.

Marceli finished the final trial in fifth place, and the season in fifth place.

Race Report

Rd.01 Nice：Toni Bou kicks off the 2022 season with a 70th X-Trial World Championship win

Rd.02 Chalon-sur-Saône：Second win on the spin for Toni Bou in the X-Trial World Championship

Rd.03 Madrid：Repsol Honda Team double in Madrid for Toni Bou and Gabriel Marcelli

Rd.04 Barcelona：Another magical night in ‘La Catedral’ as Toni Bou hones in on a 16th X-Trial title

Rd.05 Andorra：Toni Bou takes gold at the X-Trial of Andorra

Standings