VICTORY GIVES TONI BOU ONE HAND ON THE TITLE2014-09-06 16:03Using his many years’ experience as World Trials Champion Toni Bou – Repsol Honda put one hand firmly on the 2014 title with a dominant display in Spain today. None of his rivals had any answers to his dynamic riding in the hot conditions. Takahisa Fujinami on the second Repsol Honda had a tough day with his result spoilt by time penalties in his final lap. Arnedo (Spain) - 06.09.2014. Arnedo is the third largest town in the La Rioja region of Spain in a predominantly Sandstone area where wine is stored in the local caves. It has a population of approximately 15,000 people with its economy based on the shoe industry which began to grow at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to local shoe production. It welcomed the world championship riders for the first day of the two day event which would conclude the 2014 championship. The competition was contested over a 10 Kilometer course containing twelve sections to be attempted three times. The crowd of approximately 4,000 enjoyed the very warm but cloudy weather conditions. Parting with a solitary single five mark penalty on his first lap Toni Bou – Repsol Honda dealt best with the pressure of the championship race as his nearest rival Adam Raga – Gas Gas tried desperately to hang onto any chance he had of taking the 2014 World Championship. The very dry dusty hazards situated mainly on the hills above the town proved costly for title contender Raga who took four five mark penalties and it was fellow Spanish rider Albert Cabestany – Sherco who took the fight for the win to Bou on the opening lap. On the second lap Bou simply upped his game to pull even further ahead as his Repsol Honda team-mate Takahisa Fujinami started to pull some marks back after a tough opening lap to move him into the top five positions. Adam Raga also pulled some marks back but was coming under attack from Cabestany and Jeroni Fajardo – Beta. On the final lap Bou showed his domination of the event to finish with a very clear win as the race for second place on the podium became very tense with the riders racing to meet their finishing times. Three marks would cover second to fourth positions as Fujinami had to take some five mark penalties without attempting the hazards to make his finishing time and come home in fifth position. The top five finished well clear of the rest of the field. HONDA RIDER COMMENTS: Toni Bou: “This is a very important victory today as I can now put one hand on the 2014 World Trials Championship. I rode very strong today as my nearest rivals struggled to cope with the pressure of challenging myself for the win. I now look forward to day two in Spain tomorrow where I hope to become champion for a record eight time”. Takahisa Fujinami: “I ruined any possibility of a good result today on the first of the three laps parting with too many five mark penalties. On the second lap I found the form I am capable of showing and pulled myself back into the top five. On the last lap I had to race to stand any chance of keeping in the time limit which spoilt my score. Tomorrow I will try to fight for fourth position in the championship”. Results: Arnedo (Spain) - 06.09.2014. 1: Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP) 37; 2: Albert Cabestany (Sherco-ESP) 65; 3: Adam Raga (Gas Gas-ESP) 66; 4: Jeroni Fajardo (Beta-ESP) 67; 5: Takahisa Fujinami (Repsol Honda-JPN) 69; 6: Alexandre Ferrer (Sherco-FRA) 81; 7: Jorge Casales (Gas Gas-ESP) 90; 8: Pol Tarres (Sherco-ESP) 90; 9: Matteo Grattarola (Gas Gas-ITA) 94; 10: James Dabill (Beta-GBR) 126. World Championship 1: Toni Bou (Repsol Honda-ESP) 205; 2: Adam Raga (Gas Gas-ESP) 193; 3: Albert Cabestany (Sherco-ESP) 150; 4: Jeroni Fajardo (Beta-ESP) 139; 5: Takahisa Fujinami (Repsol Honda-JPN) 134; 6: James Dabill (Beta-GBR) 103; 7: Jorge Casales (Gas Gas-ESP) 98; 8: Alexandre Ferrer (Sherco-FRA) 86; 9: Pol Tarres (Sherco-ESP) 71; 10: Matteo Grattarola (Gas Gas-ITA) 53. Source: Honda Pro Image Click here to visit our forums to discuss this story |
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