With two victories and two runner-up finishes from the four points-paying days staged so far, Jaime Busto (GASGAS) has got off to a super-strong start in the 2023 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship.
Heading into the TrialGP of Japan on 19-21 May, the twenty-six-year-old from Bilbao in Spain is tied at the top of the points table with defending champion Toni Bou (Montesa) and is looking cool, calm and collected.
During the off-season Busto returned to GASGAS – a factory he last rode for in 2018 – and he appears to have instantly gelled with his new machine following his best-ever start to a TrialGP campaign which will be his ninth since winning the Trial2 title in 2014.
After chasing Bou and Adam Raga (TRRS) for his entire career in the premier class, Busto finally moved up to second last season and is now piling the pressure on the record-breaking sixteen-time champion.
“This season I really want to do well,” he said. “I have had some good results in the past. I had some solid seasons so I think that this year could be a good one to be in front – I have all the ingredients. I’m feeling good and capable, I have a good team and a good bike so why not? I think that it can be done.
“The truth is that I’ve always been a bit behind [Bou and Raga], they always were one step ahead. More than anything it was that they were more regular, I had some good races but then I could do some really bad ones. So now I think that if I am consistent I can be with them or in front of them.”
As well as a new team for 2023, Busto also changed his off-season preparation over the winter and the results so far have been very impressive and he has doubled his career total of wins to four.
“I have tried to adapt to the bike as quickly as possible since it was a new bike for me. I also worked on my training programme, just to be more focused and have a schedule to follow. During training I focused on being more constant with my riding since I was not very regular last season.”
Of course, he is not the only rider who is intent on climbing the rankings this season and his compatriot Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) has also stepped up his challenge in 2023 – although Busto only has his sights set in one direction.
“Well, in the end all the riders in the World Championship are good riders, right? If you relax a bit anyone can beat you but the goal is to look who is in front and battle with them. So to put it short let’s say that I am more worried about what is in front than behind.”
The action from the TrialGP of Japan will be streamed LIVE on FIM-MOTO.TV.
The cost is for €7.99 for full weekend coverage or €34.99 for the entire season, including the FIM Trial des Nations.
