Global focus will naturally centre on Spanish superstar Toni Bou (Montesa) as he attempts to win an unparallelled nineteenth consecutive title in the elite TrialGP class, but the opening round of the 2025 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – the TrialGP of Spain – is about much more than just one man with all five classes in action this coming weekend (4-6 April).
- TrialGP of Spain gets 2025 title fight up and running
- Toni Bou goes for nineteenth consecutive TrialGP title
- New champions assured in TrialGP Women, Trial2, Trial2 Women and Trial3 classes
Staged at Benahavis, around twenty kilometres north-west of Marbella, the first of this year’s scheduled seven rounds will see riders in the premier TrialGP and TrialGP Women classes along with Trial2, Trial2 Women and Trial3 competitors all looking to start their 2025 campaigns with the strongest possible performances.
While thirty-eight-year-old Bou will automatically start as favourite in TrialGP, the competition in TrialGP Women is wide open following dominant champion Emma Bristow’s retirement and 2025 will also see new champions crowned in Trial2, Trial2 Women and Trial3 following a series of exciting developments in the off-season.
An innovative new format has been introduced this year with the time limit in each section reduced from ninety to sixty seconds and points awarded following each ‘lap’ – now referred to as ‘race’ – with the TrialGP and TrialGP Women riders also competing in a new ‘Power Section’ at the close of each day of competition when further points will be at stake. Also affecting the two top-tier classes, a ‘Super Test Section’ to determine starting order will be staged at selected rounds.
Bou is without doubt the rider to beat in TrialGP – the question on everyone’s lips is can anyone rise to the challenge? A career-best second in 2024, on paper at least Bou’s team-mate and compatriot Gabriel Marcelli is the obvious candidate, but that fails to take into account the mechanical problems suffered by fellow Spaniard Jaime Busto (GASGAS) at the start of last season.
Vice-champion in 2022 and 2023, the twenty-seven-year-old’s results in 2024’s opening two scoring days in Japan put him on the back foot for the entire season and his eventual recovery to claim the bronze medal was a remarkable performance.
Veteran Matteo Grattarola (Beta) remains a podium contender, but with two-time champion Adam Raga now retired from top-flight competition the evergreen Italian will have to contend with British rider Jack Peace who has graduated to TrialGP following his Trial2 title last season along with Spain’s Alex Canales (Montesa) who also moves up.
The retirement of Bristow – who won ten titles in eleven years – could leave the door open for Spanish star Berta Abellan (Scorpa) to finally claim the TrialGP Women crown after finishing second behind the British Lioness on five separate occasions. However, the class is stacked with talent and if she is to finally strike FIM gold the twenty-five-year-old from Barcelona will have to beat off strong challengers including Italy’s Andrea Sofia Rabino (Beta), French rider Naomi Monnier (Montesa) and Denisa Pecháčková (TRRS) – the Trial2 Women champion in 2022 – from the Czech Republic.
The class also sees a strong British contingent with Alice Minta (Beta) and Kaytlyn Adshead (Sherco) both changing machinery for 2025 as they bid to climb the ladder alongside compatriot Alicia Robinson (Beta) while Maddie Hoover (GASGAS) will once again represent the USA and Spain’s Laia Pi (Beta) has moved up from Trial2 Women.
With Peace contesting TrialGP the way is clear for a new champion in Trial2 and there is no shortage of candidates including former champions Billy Green (Scorpa) from Britain and Norway’s Sondre Haga (GASGAS), although by virtue of his silver medal last season Spain’s Arnau Farré (Sherco) must also be considered as a main contender.
Haga claimed an historic first win for an electric motorcycle last season and he will again be battery-powered as he goes for Trial2 gold and the twenty-five-year-old will be joined by Miquel Gelabert, seventh in TrialGP last season, who will give Honda’s new RTL Electric its FIM Trial World Championship debut while France’s Benoit Bincaz also drops down to Trial2 with Electric Motion.
With its mix of rising young stars and established talents Trial2 is incredibly hard to call, but expect a strong showing from riders including Britain’s Harry Hemingway who was fifth in 2024 and who will once again find himself competing against his younger brother, George, who moves up after taking back-to-back crowns in Trial3.
A fresh influx of talent – including a large contingent of British riders – has shaken up the Trial2 Women class where Italy’s Sara Trentini (TRRS) will start as the highest placed rider from 2024 while in the Trial3 class Britain’s Euan Sim (Sherco), who was second last season, will be hoping to fill the hole left by George Hemingway, although first he will have to contend with a field of highly-motivated riders from ten countries and three continents.
Round one of the 2025 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – the TrialGP of Spain – takes place at Benhavis, around twenty kilometres north-west of Marbella, on 4-6 April. For regular updates go to https://trialgp.com or check out our social media platforms on Facebook, X and Instagram – just search for TrialGP.
Taking the 2025 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship to a global audience, FIM-MOTO.TV will stream all rounds LIVE including behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and expert analysis with a season pass covering all seven rounds and the FIM Trial des Nations priced at €34.90.
In addition, for all 2025 rounds the opening race in Trial2 on all scoring days will be streamed free on FIM-MOTO.TV and TrialGP and TrialGP Women action from race two on all scoring days will be available via a pay-per-view pass.
