14/06/17 – TrialGP Andorra proved to be a pivotal event in the 2016 FIM Trial World Championship.
After tasting defeat in two out of the opening three rounds of competition, defending World Champion Toni Bou – Repsol Honda had just strung together three consecutive victories as he headed to the tiny principality high in the Pyrenees.
This had given him an eleven-point advantage over Adam Raga – TRS but his fellow Spaniard had won both days in Andorra in 2015 and was determined to halt Bou’s momentum and ultimately end his dream of a tenth straight crown.
A regular stop on the TrialGP calendar, both riders knew the terrain well. Made up of predominantly huge rocks in a steep valley above the town of Sant Julia de Loria, the sections were imposing and after the opening lap on day one it was almost too close to call.
Raga had the slight upper hand on observation with his first lap of thirty-three, a single mark better than Bou. However, both had picked up sizeable time penalties which in real terms gave the lead to Bou whose total of thirty-nine was one ahead of Raga.
Takahisa Fujinami – Repsol Honda was the best of the rest with just two time penalties to add to his observation total of forty-one.
The second lap was all about Bou who added just six marks to his total, halving Raga’s lap two score as Fujigas shed a further twenty-nine marks for third.
Day two was drier and much lower scoring with Bou leading after lap one on four marks, five ahead of Raga. Jeroni Fajardo – Vertigo was third on fourteen.
Neither Bou or Raga would add to their totals with both staying clean on lap two as Fajardo cemented third with a second lap score of two.
With Bou going into TrialGP Andorra this coming weekend unbeaten so far the 2017 edition could be equally pivotal. Failure to end his winning-streak would only add to his momentum, but defeating him could throw the championship wide open.
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