Today saw the first of the two-day Japanese TrialGP held at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit. Fifteen sections over two laps were to decide the occupancy of the top step of the rostrum. On this occasion there was no discussion – a dazzling Toni Bou dominated the proceedings throughout. His team-mate at Repsol Honda Team Takahisa Fujinami took 3rd place on the podium.

Toni Bou remains unbeaten so far this season since first clinching victory on January 7th in Sheffield, UK. The win today in Motegi brings his overall tally to ninety-one; a decisive triumph in below-par conditions after recent rain had left many sections mud-drenched and treacherous.

Bou, who started as the championship leader after a win in the season’s opening event, got lumbered with a tricky course after the bad weather of the previous day. Nevertheless, the Montesa Cota 4RT rider, like a fish in water, made short work of the sections, finishing with a scorecard that the adversaries were simply unable to match. Dominating throughout, the champion gave a master class in how to ride in adverse conditions to once again make off with the top honours. Bou stretches his advantage at the top yet further to twelve points over the nearest second-place rival.

Local boy Takahisa Fujinami, with the home crowd firmly behind him, lived up to the occasion. After starting from seventh position with a chance to observe some of the top riders ahead, the Japanese rider dug deep and finished the event on the rostrum. This marks the 27th podium finish for the ex-champ on home soil.

The first Repsol Honda Team member to take the start had been Jaime Busto, in a more complicated trial than had originally been expected. Busto was constantly in contention for a podium finish but picked up a few too many penalty marks in the latter stages and posted sixth overall.

The second and final day of the Japanese TrialGP takes place tomorrow – Sunday – and will feature Toni Bou starting last of the Repsol Honda Team riders in penultimate place at 10:01 and is due to finish at 15:23 after having the two laps with a twenty minute break in between.

With heavy hearts Toni Bou, Takahisa Fujinami and Jaime Busto, along with various other team members had signed a placard paying tribute to the former MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden, who lost his life in tragic circumstances earlier in the week.

Toni Bou

TRIAL: 1st CHAMPIONSHIP: 1st

I’m really happy with the way the start of the championship is going and with the way that I’m riding in particular. We have had two trials in the wet which are the type that I get on with best, but I’m starting to get used to it. The trial was very complicated and the victory is very important not just because the rivals have had different results, but also because it is the ‘home’ GP for Honda and all the top directors came down to see us. A perfect start and I hope that tomorrow the trial will be as selective; here it’s really easy to make a mistake but we will continue to try and obtain the victory.

Takahisa Fujinami

TRIAL: 3rd CHAMPIONSHIP: 3rd

This podium finish is really important to me. It’s not just one more podium, but a podium on home soil at Honda’s home as well. It’s the first podium of the season and I’ve achieved it in a really tough trial with each lap of the course different each time round. Plus there were a lot of contenders for the podium. I’m very happy with the third place. Tomorrow we will battle to finish on top again. It won’t be easy but we try our best as always.

Jaime Busto

TRIAL: 6th CHAMPIONSHIP: 7th

I think that the first lap went pretty well and I was able to get through the sections, but on the second time around it was a lot more slippery and I made a few mistakes. I hope that tomorrow I will be able to do better from the start and hopefully the hazards will have dried out a bit.

Private: Miquel Cirera

Team Manager

The conditions of the trial today were really difficult. Toni, as he usually does in all the complicated races, was able to mark the difference over his rivals. Tomorrow it will continue to be difficult and they will continue to try and triumph in Motegi, which for the team is a special motivation. Fujinami is at home and always gives every trial his maximum, but even more so here in Japan. He has performed very well. Jaime has to continue to work to improve on his sixth position. He knows it well and he will try his hardest.
I'd like to thank the team for all the great work they have done. It's not an easy task and they always give it their maximum.

TrialGP 2017
Trial Round TR2 , 1   Motegi

TrialGP of Japan, Day1

Pos. Rider Num Nation L1 L2 L3 T3 Champ Team Constructor Points
1 Bou Toni 1 SPA 26 22 20 Repsol Honda Team Montesa 48
2 Dabill James 7 GBR 32 40 17 Gas Gas Factory Team Gas Gas 72
3 Fujinami Takahisa 3 JPN 35 39 15 Repsol Honda Team Montesa 74
4 Fajardo Jeroni 47 SPA 35 40 13 Vertigo Factory Team Vertigo 75
5 Raga Adam 67 SPA 42 35 11 TRRS Factory Team TRRS 77
6 Busto Jaime 69 SPA 41 49 10 Repsol Honda Team Montesa 90
7 Casales Jorge 33 SPA 46 46 9 Beta Factory Racing Beta 92
8 Cabestany Albert 37 SPA 46 52 8 Sherco Factory Team Sherco 98
9 Farre Arnau 19 SPA 51 50 2 7 RFME Spea Gas Gas 103
10 Kadlec Franz 11 GER 49 54 6 Gas Gas Factory Team Gas Gas 103
11 Kuroyama Kenichi 98 JPN 51 52 5 Yamaha Racing Yamaha 103
12 Bincaz Benoit 16 FRA 56 49 4 Scorpa Factory Scorpa 105
13 Nozaki Fumitaka 99 JPN 49 57 3 Sherco Factory Team Sherco 106
14 Gubian Loris 14 FRA 56 51 2 Beta Beta 107
15 Grattarola Matteo 9 ITA 55 54 1 Gas Gas FG Italia Gas Gas 109
16 Price Jack 34 GBR 55 56 0 Gas Gas Factory Team Gas Gas 111
17 Noguera Oriol 15 SPA 62 48 1 0 MRW Gas Gas Trial Team Gas Gas 111
18 Karlsson Eddie 12 SWE 58 54 0 RG Team Montesa 112
19 Gelabert Miquel 10 SPA 63 50 0 Sherco Factory Team Sherco 113
20 Ogawa Tomoyuki 97 JPN 56 59 0 Honda Team Mitani Honda 115
21 Ferrer Alexandre 13 FRA 60 60 0 Sherco Factory Team Sherco 126
Location Information

Race format 12 sections x 2 laps

Twin Ring Motegi, Haga District, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan - View in Google Maps

Records

Podium 2019 -day2- Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Takahisa Fujinami
Podium 2019 -day1- Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Takahisa Fujinami
Podium 2018 -day2- Jaime Busto - Toni Bou - Adam Raga
Podium 2018 -day1- Jeroni Fajardo - Adam Raga - Takahisa Fujinami
Podium 2017 -day2- Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Albert Cabestany
Podium 2017 -day1- Toni Bou - James Dabill - Takahisa Fujinami
Podium 2016 -day2- Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Takahisa Fujinami
Podium 2016 -day1- Adam Raga - Toni Bou - Takahisa Fujinami
Podium 2015 -day2- Toni Bou - Takahisa Fujinami - Jeroni Fajardo
Podium 2015 -day1- Toni Bou - Jeroni Fajardo - Adam Raga
Podium 2014 -day2- Adam Raga - Toni Bou - Albert Cabestany
Podium 2014 -day1- Adam Raga - Toni Bou - Takahisa Fujinami