The Repsol Honda rider wins his 20th indoor World Championship. Gabriel Marcelli takes second place in the eighth round of the season
Repsol Honda HRC had a night to remember in Chalon-Sur-Saône this Friday, winning their latest indoor trial title thanks to Toni Bou. The Spaniard claimed his 20th X-Trial honour with a race victory, whilst teammate Gabriel Marcelli earned second place on the night.
Bou took his 39th world title overall, with another solid display. From the first lap, the Repsol Honda rider showed he was determined to secure the title at the first time of asking. After the opening lap, he had a total of five penalty points from the five sections, placing him at the top of the standings and sending him directly into the final to meet Marcelli and Jaime Busto. He also secured the Super Pole, with a time of 0:54.3.
In the final, the Montesa Cota 4RT rider was part of a close lap, in which Zone 4 was cancelled due to safety concerns. The two Repsol Honda riders battled for the victory, with Bou prevailing for the win. He clinched the title with two rounds remaining in the 2026 season. He now boasts a total of 20 World Championships in the X-Trial category and 39 titles across his career. The win was his 98th in the indoor series, part of 116 podium finishes in 128 starts.
Marcelli rediscovered the form he had shown in the early rounds of the season. In the first lap, the Galician rider kept a steady pace and finished second, securing his place in the final. In the Super Pole, he was the second fastest with a time of 1:01.6, which placed him second to last in the starting order.
Marcelli maintained his pace throughout the final, battling with Bou for the win, and the Montesa Cota 4RT rider secured second place. With this result, the Repsol Honda rider consolidates his second place with 108 points and increases his lead over third-placed Busto.
The next event for the Repsol Honda riders will be the Trial des Nations next weekend, where both will represent Spain. The next X-Trial World Championship event is on April 12th in Lisbon, Portugal.
Toni Bou
"I'm very happy with how the race went. Winning the title is always very special. It's been a different season for me, as I've had to work incredibly hard with my shoulder injury. I'm proud and grateful to everyone who has helped me, because it's been a tough season. So far, we've won every race but one, and that's something I never imagined achieving in 2026. It's one of the titles I'm most proud to have won."
Gabriel Marcelli
"In today's race, I rode better from the first zone onwards, although I know there are still details I can improve. I'm happy with the result. Being able to fight with Toni until the very last section was spectacular, and I want to congratulate him on the title. We're improving, and I see myself as having come one step closer to that long-awaited victory. Today I felt comfortable and had a good feeling with the bike, so we hope to continue progressing in the upcoming races."
Takahisa Fujinami
“First of all, I’d like to congratulate Toni on his latest world title. This season he’s done an incredible job, despite all the difficulties and not being in peak physical condition. He’s demonstrated his immense talent once again, and what he’s achieved is unbelievable. As for Gabri, he’s rediscovered the good feeling he had at the beginning of the season and put in a very strong performance, so we need to keep this up to keep improving. I also want to thank Honda, HRC, and the sponsors, because without them this wouldn’t be possible.”
Q1
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Points | Team | Constructor | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bou Toni | 1 | SPA | Repsol Honda HRC | Montesa | 3 | |
| 2 | Marcelli Gabriel | 38 | SPA | Repsol Honda HRC | Montesa | 6 | |
| 3 | Busto Jaime | 69 | SPA | Gas Gas Factory Team | Gas Gas | 8 | |
| 4 | Hemingway George | 55 | GBR | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 10 | |
| 5 | Hemingway Harry | 77 | GBR | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 11 | |
| 6 | Grattarola Matteo | 88 | ITA | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 12 | |
| 7 | Echene Pablo | 10 | FRA | Sherco | Sherco | 17 | |
| 8 | Dufrese Hugo | 17 | FRA | Beta | Beta | 18 |
Q2
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Points | Team | Constructor | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hemingway Harry | 77 | GBR | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 1:13.5 | |
| 2 | Dufrese Hugo | 17 | FRA | Beta | Beta | 2:12.0 | |
| 3 | Hemingway George | 55 | GBR | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 2:12.6 | |
| 4 | Echene Pablo | 10 | FRA | Sherco | Sherco | 2:25.2 | |
| 5 | Grattarola Matteo | 88 | ITA | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 2:39.4 |
Final results
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Points | Team | Constructor | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bou Toni | 1 | SPA | Repsol Honda HRC | Montesa | 12 | |
| 2 | Marcelli Gabriel | 38 | SPA | Repsol Honda HRC | Montesa | 16 | |
| 3 | Hemingway Harry | 77 | GBR | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 21 | |
| 4 | Busto Jaime | 69 | SPA | Gas Gas Factory Team | Gas Gas | 25 |
Provisional Standings after round 8
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bou Toni | 1 | SPA | Repsol Honda HRC | Montesa | 155 |
| 2 | Marcelli Gabriel | 38 | SPA | Repsol Honda HRC | Montesa | 108 |
| 3 | Busto Jaime | 69 | SPA | Gas Gas Factory Team | Gas Gas | 98 |
| 4 | Hemingway Harry | 77 | GBR | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 71 |
| 5 | Grattarola Matteo | 88 | ITA | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 35 |
| 6 | Peace Jack | 76 | GBR | Sherco Factory Team | Sherco | 19 |
| 7 | Farre Arnau | 19 | SPA | Sherco Factory Team | Sherco | 15 |
| 8 | Titli Francesco | 71 | ITA | Montesa Talent School | Montesa | 14 |
| 9 | Dufrese Hugo | 17 | FRA | Beta | Beta | 11 |
| 10 | Bincaz Benoit | 73 | FRA | Electric Motion | Electric Motion | 11 |
| 11 | Hemingway George | 55 | GBR | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 10 |
| 12 | Echene Pablo | 10 | FRA | Sherco | Sherco | 2 |
| 13 | Gelabert Miquel | 56 | SPA | Honda Montesa | Honda | 2 |
Location Information
71100 Chalon-sur-Saône, France - View in Google Maps
