Takahisa Fujinami returns to the top of the podium two years after, with an overwhelming triumph, as teammate Bou had done yesterday. The reigning world champion takes a heavy fall, but comes back to snatch a spot on the rostrum.

Toni Bou’s brother-in-arms at Repsol Honda Team, Takahisa Fujinami today put an end to his teammate’s spell of six consecutive wins in the Outdoor Trial World Championship. Fujinami, the most veteran of the field, was too hot to handle from the start astride the Montesa Cota 4RT. With two sharp first laps, the Japanese rider finished the job with just a single penalty point on the final lap. That raises Takahisa Fujinami’s victory tally to thirty-three wins in the FIM Trial World Championship. He also becomes the fourth different rider to take victory so far this season. The result consolidates the third position overall of ‘Fujigas’ on the leader board.

The trial in Lourdes has been one of the toughest so far this season, even with the overnight modifications to the route. Race authorities marked out three new sections, but overnight rain filled the areas with mud once more, making the balancing something of an ordeal for the competitors.

Toni Bou, nevertheless, comes away from the French trial with a hefty margin of twenty points in the general standings, ahead of nearest second place rival Adam Raga, who finished runner-up on the day. Bou didn’t get off to much of a start today and was further hindered by a heavy fall in section nine with the bike taking a hard knock. The Repsol Honda Team ace failed to regain the momentum, but clawed his way back into the top places, posting a third spot at the end of the day.

Jaime Busto, once again, was a hair’s breadth away from a spot on the rostrum. After looking poised throughout to make it onto the podium, an error-filled final lap saw him equal Bou’s score, who took the third place thanks to the greatest number of zeros achieved in the championship. Busto had to settle for fourth place.

Next outing for the Repsol Honda Team in the FIM Trial World Championship will be in Comblain-au-Pont, Belgium in a one-day competition – the only one-dayer this season – which will take place on Sunday, June 10. Prior to that Toni Bou and Jaime Busto will participate in the third trial whose points count towards the Spanish Trial Championship. This will be held in Pobladura de las Regueras, León.

Toni Bou

TRIAL: 3rd CHAMPIONSHIP: 1st

Today we didn’t get off to a good start with a five right at the start. It was a trial with few marks and that complicated the day. Even more so when I hit the bike hard in a fall and it didn’t go on in the same way. I battled on with the discomforts until the end, but I was clawing my way back and in the end I was able to salvage something out of it. I said it yesterday: in these trials anything can happen. Today, I could easily have lost 10 points, but instead I lost only two. We are now 20 points ahead in the championship, but we have to keep working on it.

Takahisa Fujinami

TRIAL: 1st CHAMPIONSHIP: 3rd

I’m dreaming! I don’t know how I have done it! Near the start I saw that Tony had picked up a five and that I was up ahead with Adam. Towards the end the zones were starting to dry out and I thought that everyone would do much better. I knew nothing about the marks of the rest. In section four with Toni, we took a different route and we were the only two to get a zero out of it. It has been a great team effort. I knew that things were going well, but not that I’d be 15 points ahead of the second place rider! I wasn’t going after the victory and I didn’t expect it. I just wanted to fight to try and get on the podium, but today I was very focused and it was like back in the 2004 season. This victory is a gift for me and is great for the motivation that it will give me. I should thank the team and the sponsors, Montesa-Honda and HRC for having believed in me and supporting me. I’m really, really happy.

Jaime Busto

TRIAL: 4th CHAMPIONSHIP: 4th

Today went somewhat better than yesterday, above all, on the first two laps, which I think that I did very well. I didn’t know how it was going. I found out after that I had been on for a podium place. But, of course, not everything could go well… and in the end, on the last lap, I made too many really absurd mistakes. The hazards were slippery, but I don’t think that I should have made so many faults. I think that I was really close to getting on the podium. Next time it will be my turn, right?

Private: Miquel Cirera

Team Manager

For the team this has been a really good result. When one doesn’t win, the other does… who could ask for anything more? Fujinami has had a memorable race and has ridden in such an incredible way. He moved so well on the bikes. He has had a great weekend. Once again, Jaime didn’t have any luck: he drew in third place and lost out on that, but today he did really well. With Toni we had an unexpected mechanical problem, but we were able to finish on the podium all the same. We have to keep working as nothing is guaranteed yet. The team has worked hard all this week and I want to thank them all for the great effort. It has been a difficult race and one has to remember all the work that everyone has done, which is fundamental to being successful. Thanks to everyone.

Trial 2016
Trial Round T5 , Trial 2   Lourdes

Results Trial France 2016 day 2

Pos. Rider Num Nation L1 L2 L3 T3 Champ Team Constructor Points
1 Fujinami Takahisa 5 JPN 10 10 1 20 Repsol Honda Team Montesa 21
2 Raga Adam 2 SPA 7 13 16 17 TRRS Factory Team TRRS 36
3 Bou Toni 1 SPA 19 13 10 15 Repsol Honda Team Montesa 42
4 Busto Jaime 6 SPA 14 9 19 13 Repsol Honda Team Montesa 42
5 Cabestany Albert 4 SPA 21 14 9 11 Sherco Factory Team Sherco 44
6 Fajardo Jeroni 3 SPA 28 9 12 10 Vertigo Factory Team Vertigo 49
7 Gubian Loris 21 FRA 31 10 15 9 Beta Factory Racing Beta 56
8 Dabill James 8 GBR 23 15 18 8 Vertigo Factory Team Vertigo 56
9 Casales Jorge 9 SPA 20 16 25 7 Beta Factory Racing Beta 61
10 Grattarola Matteo 18 ITA 26 24 19 6 Gas Gas FG Italia Gas Gas 69
11 Gelabert Miquel 20 SPA 31 27 25 5 RFME Spea Sherco 83
12 Ferrer Alexandre 7 FRA 42 26 17 4 Sherco Factory Team Sherco 85
13 Kadlec Franz 11 GER 39 23 33 3 Gas Gas Gas Gas 95
14 Noguera Oriol 24 SPA 38 36 33 2 MRW Limit Motos Montesa Montesa 107
15 Karlsson Eddie 10 SWE 44 37 33 1 Montesa Team Karlsson Montesa 114
16 Pedersen Hakon 15 NOR 49 38 38 0 Gas Gas Gas Gas 125
17 Sorensen Ole Kristian 16 NOR 57 51 56 0 Sherco Sorensen Sherco 164
18 Tournour Gianluca 23 ITA 0 Gas Gas Gas Gas
Location Information

Podium 2017 Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Jaime Busto
Podium 2016 -day2- Takahisa Fujinami - Adam Raga - Toni Bou
Podium 2016 -day1- Toni Bou - Takahisa Fujinami - Adam Raga

Lourdes, Francia - View in Google Maps