Bou clinches twentieth TrialGP title as Skelton takes Trial3 Junior crown

Occupying the middle ground between TrialGP and Trial3 Junior, the battle continued to rage in Trial2 where Britain’s George Hemingway (Beta) picked up maximum points for both race wins – including an incredible clean second race – and moved into second position in the standings with the deficit to leader Arnau Farré (Sherco) from Spain reduced to just thirteen points.

With warm, dry weather greeting the riders on Sunday morning, the entirely man-made, purpose-built course at Zelhem provided plenty of grip, although the mammoth boulders, huge slabs and giant concrete pipes strategically embedded into the ground threw up no shortage of problems for the world’s best riders.

Starting the opening race of the day knowing the title was his for the taking, the thirty-nine-year-old defending champion lost a surprise five on section two, handing an early advantage to his compatriot Jaime Busto (Beta) that lasted until section five where the twenty-eight-year-old added a maximum to his score.

As the leading pair pulled clear of the chasing pack led by Italy’s Matteo Grattarola (Beta) and the Spanish duo of Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) and Miquel Gelabert (Honda), Bou began to distance himself from Busto and he signed off without adding to his total – a brilliant performance that secured his twentieth title – as his rival dropped another six to finish second on a score of eleven.

On sixteen at the halfway point, Marcelli completed the race after adding just five more marks to his score – courtesy of a maximum on the huge rock steps of the tenth section – that earned him third on twenty-one, two ahead of Gelabert and eight clear of Grattarola, whose challenge dropped off in the closing stages, with Britain’s Jack Peace (Sherco) best of the rest on forty.

With the title in the bag, Bou could have simply cruised through the second race, but having won all twenty-one races staged so far this season he was determined to keep his win-streak going and he eclipsed Busto’s time – that looked to be unbeatable – to top Super Pole and have the advantage of starting at the back of the field for the Final.

However, his starting position proved to be a double-edged sword and after staying clean through the opening three sections, Bou arrived at the fourth where he felt the severity had been unduly increased by wear and tear caused by the passage of his rivals. Moving ahead to the concluding section of the Final where he remained clean, he then had to revisit section four and incurred a maximum on the imposing step at the end that handed Busto a four-mark lead heading into the Super Final stage.

Bou remained clean throughout the Super Final, but the damage had already been done and Busto rode brilliantly to add just two further marks to his score to win by two and end the reigning champion’s 2026 unbeaten streak, although Bou still extended his run of overall day victories to a perfect eleven in a row.

“I’m super-happy with the weekend and the season,” said Bou. “Jaime was super-strong in the second race and I had just one mistake in one section so he won the second race, but I am so happy to have won the title. It feels amazing.”

A further twelve marks adrift, Grattarola brought it home in a fine third, one ahead of Marcelli and three clear of Gelabert – who continued to impress on the sole electric bike in the field – with Britain’s Harry Hemingway (Beta) taking sixth on twenty-six.

The season-long struggle for dominance continued in Trial2 where, following his victory on Saturday, Farré started the day with a healthy seventeen-point advantage over his compatriot Alex Canales (Montesa), but it was Hemingway – twenty-five points in arrears – who took the fight to the championship leader.

Completing the opening race on a score of seven that gave him victory on a tie-break with Italy’s Francesco Titli (Montesa), Hemingway reduced the deficit to Farré – who was fourth on twelve, three behind French rider Benoit Bincaz (Electric Motion) – to eighteen points and the two-time Trial3 Junior champion then reeled off an incredible clean performance in race two.

“It’s my first [overall] win of the year and it’s taken a long time,” said Hemingway, “but I’m happy with two race wins today and staying clean in the second so I’m looking forward to the final round.”

After finishing sixth in the opening race, Canales fought back to second on two marks lost with Farré third on three so with just one round – and two scoring days remaining – only eighteen points separate the top three.

Titli ended the race in fifth on seven – one behind Britain’s Harry Turner (Sherco) – to take second on the day on a tie-break with Farré.

It has been equally hard-fought in Trial3 Junior this season where Skelton and his Italian rival Fabio Mazzola have emerged as the two front runners. Starting yesterday locked together on points, Skelton’s overall win earned him an eleven-point lead and he extended it in race one when he finished second on eight marks lost, two behind Germany’s Marco Laure (Beta) and two ahead of Mazzola in third.

With the pressure firmly on his young shoulders, Skelton kept his cool to finish third in race two on a total of six – five behind Laure who took the day’s overall and four adrift of Germany’s Oscar Wuensch – to clinch his first FIM World Championship with Mazzola’s sixth-placed finish earning him silver as Laure took bronze.

“A world championship title – I can’t believe it,” said Skelton. “It’s taken me many, many years to get to this stage and here I am! I’m pretty much speechless.”

The final round of the 2026 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – the TrialGP of Spain – takes place on 18-20 September at Pobladura de las Regueras where the TrialGP Women, Trial2 and Trial2 Women titles will be decided along with the battle for silver in TrialGP where Busto will start with a seven-point advantage over Marcelli.