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
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
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
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
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.
Results Trial France 2016 day 2
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | L1 | L2 | L3 | T3 | Team | Constructor | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fujinami Takahisa | 5 | JPN | 10 | 10 | 1 | Repsol Honda HRC | Montesa | 21 | |
| 2 | Raga Adam | 2 | SPA | 7 | 13 | 16 | TRRS Factory Team | TRRS | 36 | |
| 3 | Bou Toni | 1 | SPA | 19 | 13 | 10 | Repsol Honda HRC | Montesa | 42 | |
| 4 | Busto Jaime | 6 | SPA | 14 | 9 | 19 | Repsol Honda HRC | Montesa | 42 | |
| 5 | Cabestany Albert | 4 | SPA | 21 | 14 | 9 | Sherco Factory Team | Sherco | 44 | |
| 6 | Fajardo Jeroni | 3 | SPA | 28 | 9 | 12 | Vertigo Factory Team | Vertigo | 49 | |
| 7 | Gubian Loris | 21 | FRA | 31 | 10 | 15 | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 56 | |
| 8 | Dabill James | 8 | GBR | 23 | 15 | 18 | Vertigo Factory Team | Vertigo | 56 | |
| 9 | Casales Jorge | 9 | SPA | 20 | 16 | 25 | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 61 | |
| 10 | Grattarola Matteo | 18 | ITA | 26 | 24 | 19 | Gas Gas FG Italia | Gas Gas | 69 | |
| 11 | Gelabert Miquel | 20 | SPA | 31 | 27 | 25 | RFME Spea | Sherco | 83 | |
| 12 | Ferrer Alexandre | 7 | FRA | 42 | 26 | 17 | Sherco Factory Team | Sherco | 85 | |
| 13 | Kadlec Franz | 11 | GER | 39 | 23 | 33 | Gas Gas | Gas Gas | 95 | |
| 14 | Noguera Oriol | 24 | SPA | 38 | 36 | 33 | MRW Limit Motos Montesa | Montesa | 107 | |
| 15 | Karlsson Eddie | 10 | SWE | 44 | 37 | 33 | Montesa Team Karlsson | Montesa | 114 | |
| 16 | Pedersen Hakon | 15 | NOR | 49 | 38 | 38 | Gas Gas | Gas Gas | 125 | |
| 17 | Sorensen Ole Kristian | 16 | NOR | 57 | 51 | 56 | Sherco Sorensen | Sherco | 164 | |
| 18 | Tournour Gianluca | 23 | ITA | 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
