Ponte di Legno, Italy, September 18, 2022 – Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou has won the 2022 FIM*1 Trial World Championship in the first race of Round 6, Italy held on September 17. This is his sixteenth TrialGP crown in sixteen years.
Combined with his sixteen FIM X-Trial titles, he has won his 32nd consecutive world championship.
Toni Bou is an HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) contract rider, and competes in the indoor and outdoor world championships for Honda’s factory team*2 Repsol Honda Team.
In this year’s Trial World Championship, Bou was second in Day 1 and first in Day 2 of the season-opener in Spain. In Round 2, Andorra, he was once again second / first. In Round 3, Germany, Bou won on both days. After the summer break, Bou went on to win both Rounds 4 and 5 in Belgium and France, and by second the first day in Italy, he has secured his sixteenth victory with Day 2 remaining.
Trials is a sport where riders control their bikes to overcome obstacles, reaching the goal without their feet touching the ground. TrialGP, or outdoor trials, and held over the May – September period in the open, at venues taking advantage of natural geographical features promising dynamic competition. X-Trials or indoor trials, are held in stadiums covering man-made obstacle courses, with spectators in the stadium to share the excitement of the proceedings.
“It’s always special to win a world title. When you have a good points lead, the race in which the title is at stake is always a bit strange, because you don’t want to make mistakes and it’s hard to concentrate. On the first lap I made two big mistakes and that’s where the victory slipped away from me. On the second lap I was able to get into the fight for the win at a certain point, but in the end it wasn’t to be. The trial was really beautiful, in the Alps and with a dedicated Italian crowd.
In terms of the season, consistency has been key. It has been a very good year, very regular and we have always been on the podium. We fought until the end and, finally, we were able to clinch this new outdoor title. I am very grateful to the team.”
■Koji Watanabe, Head of Corporate Communications Supervisory Unit,
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and President of Honda Racing Corporation
“I would like to congratulate Toni Bou for his sixteenth consecutive TrialGP title. Winning 32 world championships, combined with his sixteen X-Trial titles, is an astonishing feat. He is more determined to win titles and more diligent than anyone, and I believe he will continue to go on winning titles. I am so glad he is a Honda factory rider. I would also like to thank everyone who supported Toni: Team manager Takahisa Fujinami, the team staff, the sponsors who have supported our racing activities, and all trial fans.”
Birth Date:
October 17, 1986 (35 years old)
Birthplace:
Spain
Career Highlights:
2003 Trial World Championship debut
2007 Joins Repsol Montesa HRC,
Wins his first Trial World Championship and X-Trial World Championship
2008 – 2021 Trial World Champion & X-Trial World Champion
2022 Wins his 16th Trial World Championship
Engine:
Liquid-cooled 4-stroke single-cylinder engine
Frame:
Aluminum twin-tube
Tires:
21-inch (front) 18-inch (rear)