His team-mate Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) may have pinched the extra point on offer in the Power Section, but reigning champion Toni Bou (Montesa) did the lion’s share of the scoring to dominate the opening day’s action from the TrialGP of San Marino – round five of the 2025 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – as Miquel Gelabert (Honda) stamped his authority on Trial2 and Fabio Mazzola (TRRS) and Ryon Land (Sherco) traded wins in Trial3.
- Toni Bou maintains his TrialGP win-streak in San Marino
- Another electrifying double for Miquel Gelabert in Trial2
- Every second counts for Jin Kuroyama in Trial3
After eighteen consecutive seasons on top, Bou is showing no sign of loosening his grip on the premier TrialGP class and the thirty-eight-year-old Spaniard headed to the town of Baldasserona having won fifteen of the sixteen races staged so far this season.
Last used for a round of the series in 2023, the venue challenged competitors with a seemingly never-ending succession of huge boulders – either naturally located or strategically placed to cause most problems – that provided very little grip and immediately claimed marks from the world’s best riders.
The majority of sections were set in a dry riverbed with the opening handful of hazards proving to be expensive for everyone as scores began to mount under the strong Mediterranean sun, with Marcelli and Jaime Busto (GASGAS) establishing an early advantage in what quickly became a high-scoring first race.
After seven sections Marcelli and Busto were level on a total of twenty-three, one clear of Britain’s Jack Peace (Sherco) and two ahead of Bou. A fantastic clean on section nine – a faultless ride matched only by Peace – then tied Bou on observation with Marcelli and when both signed off with three cleans, victory went to Bou once his younger rival’s time penalties were added.
A maximum on the man-made final section saw Busto complete the podium on thirty-four, two ahead of class newcomer Peace with Spain’s Aniol Gelabert a further five off the pace in fifth.
Although lower scoring, race two proved to be even more closely-contested with Busto and Marcelli applying early pressure before Bou pulled clear with an incredible clean on section four that took maximums from all his rivals apart from Peace who got through for a three.
That should have been job done, but Bou then incurred a five on section seven followed by a three on section eight and when Busto added just a single mark to his score here the twenty-seven-year-old moved into the lead by one. However, a single time penalty dropped him back to within reach of the champion and with the scores tied on thirteen it was Bou who was awarded his second race win of the day on a tie-break.
“It has been an amazing day for the team because I won both races,” said Bou. “In the second race I was fighting to the end with Jaime [Busto] and he was very strong, but I am super-happy and looking forward to tomorrow.”
Marcelli’s challenge dropped off in the second half of the race and he came home third on nineteen – two ahead of Italy’s Matteo Grattarola (Beta) with Peace fifth on twenty-six – before dancing his way across the rocks of the Power Section where he earned an extra championship point after posting the fastest time.
Consistency is key in any championship and this is proving to be especially true in Trial2 where two riders – Britain’s Harry Hemingway (Beta) and Spain’s Gelabert – are beginning to pull clear from the chasing pack, with Hemingway holding the series lead and Gelabert carrying more momentum.
The pair locked horns in the first race of the day with Gelabert establishing an early advantage before a maximum at section six let the British teenager close to within two marks. With his lead under threat, Gelabert – who this season has dropped down from TrialGP to develop the new RTL Electric machine – completed the race for the loss of just an additional four to take his total to sixteen, three ahead of Hemingway.
Former champion Sondre Haga (GASGAS), who has struggled to find his form this season, completed the podium on twenty-two, three clear of a tie for fourth that was won by France’s Benoit Bincaz (EM) from Spain’s Arnau Farré (Sherco).
Race two quickly developed into another game of cat and mouse with Gelabert establishing an early advantage, only for Hemingway to fight back. However, the more experienced Gelabert had done enough in the opening half of the race and even a maximum on the man-made sequence of rock steps that comprised section twelve could not prevent him from making it five race wins in a row with his score of eighteen one ahead of Hemingway.
“Today has been incredible and the racing has been amazing,” said Gelabert. “The rocks have been super-slippery and I am happy with my riding, although maybe I relaxed a little too much in the second race.”
Continuing to show his potential in his first year in the class, George Hemingway (Beta) – the younger brother of Harry and also the reigning Trial3 champion – won a tie-break for third with his compatriot Jack Dance (GASGAS) on twenty-four, one ahead of Farré.
The Trial3 class saw its fifth different winner from the thirteen races staged so far this season when Italy’s Fabio Mazzola (TRRS) produced his best performance of the year to take victory in the day’s opening contest on twenty-eight, one ahead of Japan’s Jin Kuroyama (Sherco) and four clear of Harison Skelton (Scorpa) from Britain.
Series leader Ryon Land (Sherco) from America was fifth on thirty-six and the fifteen-year-old from Kansas, clearly stung by his worst performance since the opening round in Spain, fought back strongly to reassert his dominance with a clear victory in race two.
Land’s second race total of twenty-two put him five clear of Kuroyama with Jorgensen – who lies second in the series – third on thirty-four.
“The sections have been very slippery today and it’s been hard,” said Kuroyama. “I have enjoyed myself very much and tomorrow I will be giving it full gas.”
Focus now shifts to tomorrow’s points-scoring action that is scheduled to get under way at 09:00 (local time).
