Bou shines in Calvi for 160th TrialGP victory

The Repsol Honda HRC rider earns the win on the first day of competition. Gabriel Marcelli finishes third overall.

The TrialGP World Championship had an intense day in Calvi, Corsica, on Saturday, starting the fourth round of the 2025 season. On new terrain for all the riders, Toni Bou once again took centre stage, earning the win. Gabriel Marcelli, meanwhile, managed to salvage a valuable third place finish from a difficult first day.

Coming off a race in Japan marked by rain, mud, and slippery sections, the premier class riders found themselves in completely different conditions in Calvi: High temperatures, sunshine, and a very grippy surface.

Bou started the first lap with a near-perfect performance. The Montesa Cota 4RT rider showed great technical solidity and made only two major mistakes in Zones 3 and 10, finishing with enough of a lead to win and take the first 20 points of the day.

The second lap was a closer call for the Repsol Honda man. An early mistake on Zone 2 complicated matters, forcing him to fight back for the rest of the race. The series leader had to be at his best in the decisive sections, keeping up the pressure until the final section and securing victory at Zone 12. This added another 20 points to his overall standings, and Bou also took the bonus point awarded in the Power Section as the fastest to complete the designated section.

Gabriel Marcelli didn’t have his best day in Calvi, although he recovered well. In the first race, the Montesa Cota 4RT rider finished in fourth place on the first lap, just two points off the podium, after making three major mistakes at Zones 3, 6, and 9 that hurt his final result. Nevertheless, the Repsol Honda rider earned a valuable 13 points overall.

On the second lap, Marcelli was able to take a step forward in the closing stages as the course became more demanding. He fought for second place until the end, but a single point difference relegated him to third on the podium, behind Jaime Busto. The Repsol Honda HRC rider earned 15 points in this second race, finishing the day third overall. He remains third in the 2025 World Championship as well, with a total of 204 points.

On Sunday, the Repsol Honda HRC riders will return to action in Calvi for the second day of competition, which will mark the halfway point of the 2025 TrialGP World Championship. Bou will be looking to extend his lead at the top, while Marcelli will try to fight for victory in both races.