Sublime Spaniard Toni Bou (Montesa) clinched his nineteenth consecutive TrialGP title and home hero Harry Hemingway (Beta) claimed his first Trial2 crown on day one of the TrialGP of Great Britain – the seventh and final round of the 2025 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – as Berta Abellan (Scorpa) moved another step closer to striking gold in TrialGP Women.
- Toni Bou and Harry Hemingway secure TrialGP and Trial2 titles on day one at Geddington
- Berta Abellan in pole position to win TrialGP Women crown tomorrow
- Sara Trentini and Ryon Land looking good for Trial2 Women and Trial3 titles
Also in action over the concluding weekend of competition, Trial2 Women saw Italy’s Sara Trentini (TRRS) strengthen her hold on the class on the opening day while in Trial3 home rider Harison Skelton (Scorpa) won, but points leader Ryon Land (Sherco) from the USA moved to within touching distance of the title in his first season in the series.
An all-new venue for the Hertz FIM Trial World Championship, Geddington in the East Midlands region of England proved to be an inspired choice with the boulders and imposing concrete pipes that formed the manmade sections one and twelve in the paddock book-ending ten tough and technical hazards laid out in a narrow, steep-sided valley that provided great viewing for a large turnout of spectators.
With the sun beating down, Bou’s blistering form matched the temperature in the day’s opening race as he took a decisive lead on section five, a twisting climb up, down and around a series of imposing rock steps before an incredibly steep, gripless climb out. The thirty-eight-year-old’s masterful clean ride here gave him a clear lead when everyone else took a maximum and Bou’s final total of just three put him fourteen ahead of his team-mate Gabriel Marcelli in second.
Jaime Busto (GASGAS) made it a Spanish one-two-three on eighteen, two clear of his compatriot Alex Canales (Montesa) who in turn was ten ahead of veteran Italian Matteo Grattarola (Beta).
Race two was much closer with twenty-five-year-old Marcelli matching Bou’s performance on a section-by-section basis with the pair ending the day locked together on twelve marks lost and Bou getting the verdict on a tie-break to claim an unparalleled nineteenth title in style.
“It’s amazing to win the championship by winning the races,” said Bou. “I had a big fight with my team-mate to the end of the second race and I’m super-happy.”
Busto matched his opening race score of eighteen to finish third – and he also picked up the bonus point on offer by skipping his way through the Power Section in a faster time than his rivals – as Grattarola improved to fourth on twenty-four.
While the top four positions in the championship are now realistically decided, the fierce fight for fifth between Aniol Gelabert (TRRS) and home favourite Jack Peace (Sherco) continued with the British rider, in his debut season in TrialGP, moving one point ahead with his eight-five finishes giving him the advantage over his Spanish rival’s six-nine scores.
| TrialGP Women competitors are contesting an abbreviated five-round series and Spanish star Abellan – a five-time silver medallist – will start tomorrow’s final day of competition in pole position to claim her first FIM Women’s Trial World Championship title after taking victory on a tie-break with an on-form Denisa Pechackova (TRRS) from the Czech Republic.
The pair traded wins and second places over the day’s two races with Pechackova taking an early advantage with her score of four placing her two ahead of Abellan. However, Abellan responded like a true champion with a faultless second race as Pechackova picked up seven penalties.
Italy’s Andrea Sofia Rabino (Beta), Abellan’s main rival for the title, ended the day in third after losing a tie-break for second in both races and as a result Abellan – who also picked up the extra point in the Power Section – will start Sunday’s competition leading by an almost unassailable forty points.
“I’m feeling so, so good,” said Abellan. “The first race was a little bit difficult for me, but the second race was perfect and tomorrow I will be fighting like always.”
Pechackova’s second place equals her season-best finish and consolidates her third position in the championship chase, moving her seventeen points clear of Britain’s Kaytlyn Adshead (Sherco) who posted four-six finishes for fourth overall, one position ahead of American Maddie Hoover (GASGAS) who was a season-best fifth with an eight-five scorecard. |
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| Starting his home round with a healthy twenty-eight-point advantage, Hemingway remained cool, calm and collected and he drew first blood with his race-one score of three good enough to win by a single mark from Spain’s Arnau Farré (Sherco).
The pair completed the second race locked together on three with Farré’s tie-break victory earning him the day’s overall decision, but when Spain’s Miquel Gelabert (Honda) – who finished the opening race in third on a score of thirteen – was forced to retire from race two with an issue with his RTL Electric machine, Hemingway ended the day with an unbeatable fifty-point lead.
“I can sleep tonight,” joked Hemingway. “It has been a fairly stressful week. I had a good points lead, but nothing is guaranteed so I’m over the moon to get the job done a day early and in front of all my family, my sponsors and my home fans. The crowd has been unbelievable today.”
Trial2 Women competitors were back in action for the first time since Portugal with Trentini leading France’s Margaux Pena (Electric Motion) by twelve points and although she had to settle for second on the day behind Britain’s Sophie Bailey (GASGAS), her one-four race scores enabled her to stretch her lead out to twenty points after Pena recorded six-three finishes for fifth overall.
Bailey’s three-one scores earned her a career-first victory, much to the delight of the home fans who flocked to the venue.
“What a feeling to win in front of my home crowd,” she said. “It’s such an honour. I lost a few silly marks, but it’s been a good day and hopefully I can pull it out of the bag tomorrow.”
Today’s second home victory came in Trial3 where Skelton barely put a wheel wrong to win both races with scores of one and zero, but the competition was incredibly intense and his victory in race one came after a four-way tie between the fourchampionship front-runners with Japan’s Jin Kuroyama (Sherco) taking second ahead of Land and Norway’s Jonas Jorgensen (Beta).
Race two was almost as close with Skelton winning a tie-break with an equally faultless Land and Kuroyama dropping a single mark to take third as Jorgensen lost a tie-break for fourth on a total of two with Spain’s Oriol Garcia (Beta).
“It feels fantastic just to ride in front of my home crowd, never mind taking the win,” said Skelton. “It’s been a nerve-racking day, but I’m really happy.”
The result moves Skelton into second in the championship, but Land is now thirty-three points clear with just Sunday’s two races left to run.
The action at Geddington resumes tomorrow with the first rider due to get away at 09:00 (local time). |
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