BARCELONA, 8 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Repsol Honda trial team faces the X-Trial World Championship that begins this Friday in Nice (France) with the hope of revalidating the title achieved by its rider Toni Bou, with a new partner in the figure of Gabriel Marcelli and with Takahisa Fujinami as the new ‘team manager’.
In Nice, Toni Bou will defend his status as champion at the start of a revamped Repsol Honda team, with Gabriel Marcelli as a new addition after the withdrawal of ‘Fuji Gas’, who will take on the duties of team manager.
“We’re starting a new season and, as always, we have to go for it. I think we’ve had a good pre-season, working hard, both on the bike and in practice. We’re physically very good at the first race and looking forward to it”, assured Bou, fifteen times X-Trial world champion.
A Bou who recognizes that this championship will be “heads or tails” by returning the regulations to that of two years ago, and who is happy to welcome Gabriel Marcelli into the group. “He is a great driver, very hard-working and with a very good outlook. We hope to have a very good season,” he predicted.
Precisely, at his side will compete the newcomer Gabriel Marcelli, 22 years old and Trial2 world champion in 2019, and fourth last year in the X-Trial World Championship, closing the championship with a second place at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona .
And the former team driver Takahisa Fujinami becomes ‘team manager’. “For me it is a big change compared to last year. I have known Toni Bou for more than 15 years and, seeing him train these last few weeks, I can say that he is stronger than ever. In this sense, I am quite confident that he can do a great season”, predicted ‘Fuji’.
“With Gabriel Marcelli, who this year has joined the official team, something similar happens: he has improved a lot. He has made a great change, both mentally and technically and, in addition, the team has helped him a lot. It is a pity that he cannot be in the first X-Trial race due to the new regulations, but we trust that he can join in the following appointments. Surely he will be in the top positions”, he said.
The 2022 season kicks off with a World X-Trial that will have a total of six events, three in France (Nice, Chalon-sur-Saône and a third city yet to be confirmed), two in Spain (Madrid and Barcelona) and another race in Andorra.
The X-Trial regulations have undergone some changes for this 2022 and one of the most important concerns participation: globality is prioritized to the detriment of quality. Thus, Gabriel Marcelli -fourth classified last season- will only be able to participate as a guest in one of the races.
Each event is distributed in three phases: Round 1, Round 2 and Final. In the first, the 8 pilots participate and, after it, two are eliminated. The final will be played by the best three of the first two phases. For the championship classification, in addition to the points for the final position, the winners of each round will add an extra point to their locker.