Toni Bou and Gabriel Marcelli are set to compete in the inaugural round of the 2024 TrialGP World Championship at Motegi, Japan on May 17th. Both riders are part of the Repsol Honda Trial Team and will be aiming for the championship title this season.
Last season, Bou finished with eight consecutive wins and has already secured four victories in the X-Trial World Championship. As the reigning world champion, he is well-prepared to defend his title. Meanwhile, Marcelli achieved third place in the standings last year and has shown promise with eight consecutive podium finishes in 2024 between X-Trial and Spanish Championships. He is hoping to secure his first outdoor series victory this season.
Changes have been announced in regulations for the TrialGP World Championship, including the removal of the ‘Non-Stop’ rule after a decade of implementation. This new rule allows riders to stop in designated zones for a specific amount of time. Additionally, there will be no ‘Park Fermé’ regulation established last season.
Both riders demonstrated their readiness for the upcoming season by participating in a thrilling mining operation where they showcased their skills with incredible jumps. The TrialGP World Championship will consist of seven events, with races taking place in Japan followed by Andorra, Italy, Germany, Belgium, France before concluding in Spain at Ripoll.
As Bou prepares to defend his title, he knows that Marcelli will be a strong competitor. However, he believes that their team’s focus on continuing their streak of successful results will give them an edge over other teams.
“We are both focused on performing at our best and achieving our goals,” said Bou. “Gabriel has shown great progress this season and is a real talent so we know we’ll have to stay sharp if we want to come out on top.”
