The 2026 FIM Trial World Championship fired into life at Mobility Resort Motegi in Japan with familiar names quickly asserting control, as Toni Bou and Berta Abellan opened the season in dominant fashion while Trial2 delivered unpredictable battles across a dramatic opening weekend.
With a revised event format debuting for 2026, including Super Pole, Final and Super Final elements for the elite TrialGP riders, the opening round provided no shortage of pressure and drama. Warm sunshine and dry conditions offered a stark contrast to last year’s rain-soaked event at Motegi, allowing riders to attack the steep, rock-strewn sections with confidence as the world’s best trials competitors tackled one of the most technical venues on the calendar.
By weekend’s end, Bou had claimed all four TrialGP races to leave Japan with maximum points in his pursuit of a remarkable twentieth consecutive world title, while reigning TrialGP Women champion Abellan emerged with three wins from four starts despite tasting defeat for the first time on Sunday afternoon. Trial2 again proved impossible to predict, with consistency ultimately proving the difference as Alex Canales and Billy Green emerged as key players in the championship picture.
TrialGP
If there were any doubts over Bou’s motivation heading into 2026, the Spaniard wasted little time answering them.
The defending champion immediately topped Friday’s timed Super Test to secure the opening starting order ahead of Jaime Busto and teammate Gabriel Marcelli, before carrying that form into Saturday’s opening race.
Bou struck the front early despite incurring a maximum on the imposing rocks of section three, a section that also punished Busto, Marcelli and Matteo Grattarola. While the chasing riders faltered, Bou steadily built an advantage through the middle stages and controlled the second half of the race, with even two late maximums failing to deny him victory by four marks.
Busto, now aboard Beta machinery, fought back strongly to overhaul Grattarola and British newcomer Harry Hemingway for second, while Marcelli recovered from an ugly opening sequence of mistakes to salvage fifth.
Saturday’s second race showcased the new format in full, with riders first tackling the timed Super Pole before the top five progressed through the Final and into the pressure-filled Super Final.
Busto topped the Final from Grattarola and Bou, but once the scores reset for the Super Final, Bou delivered one of the clutch performances that has defined his career.
The Spaniard, Busto and Marcelli remained locked together through the opening sections before Marcelli slipped back with a costly maximum. Bou and Busto stayed tied until the closing stages, eventually finishing level on ten marks, with Bou awarded victory on a tie-break.
“I’m super-happy to win here as it’s very important for the team,” Bou said after Saturday’s clean sweep. “To be honest, I have been under pressure all the first race and in the Final and Super Final so it has been very difficult for me, but I was fighting to the end and a start like this is amazing.”
Sunday again belonged to Bou, although the path was far from straightforward.
Marcelli looked sharp early in race one, staying clean until section seven and briefly threatening to disrupt the champion’s rhythm. Busto also remained in the hunt, while Grattarola quietly kept himself within striking distance.
A pivotal moment came at section ten, where Busto incurred a costly maximum while Bou surrendered only a single mark to move level with Marcelli at the front. Bou then pieced together a clean finish to secure yet another race win, with Grattarola taking second and Busto third after Marcelli’s challenge unravelled late.
The Super Pole again saw Bou emerge fastest ahead of Marcelli and Hemingway before another tense Final and Super Final closed the weekend.
Busto initially looked to have momentum after topping the Final with just a single mark lost, but when the scores reset Bou again rose to the occasion.
With Grattarola and Miquel Gelabert both taking maximums on the opening section, Bou, Busto and Marcelli immediately moved clear. The pressure mounted through the technical rock sections before Busto dropped crucial points with a maximum on section three, leaving Bou and Marcelli to fight for victory.
Bou finally edged clear on section four when Marcelli needed two marks, before delivering a flawless final section to complete a perfect four-from-four weekend.
“The Super Final was very difficult because there was so much pressure,” Bou said. “But the weekend has been amazing for the team and it is amazing to be here.”
Marcelli secured second on Sunday’s closing race ahead of Busto, while Grattarola and Gelabert completed the top five.
The weekend also marked a significant milestone for Gelabert, who became the first rider to compete in TrialGP aboard an electric machine.
TrialGP Women
Abellan arrived in Japan as the rider to beat and looked untouchable for much of the weekend.
After qualifying strongly in Friday’s Super Test behind Britain’s Alice Minta, the reigning champion quickly found her rhythm in Saturday’s opening race. Once she moved past early leader Alycia Soyer, Abellan was never headed again, overcoming a costly maximum on section six to still secure victory from Alessia Bacchetta and Andrea Sofia Rabino.
Race two brought an even stronger display, with Abellan reducing her score to just nine marks to comfortably defeat Denisa Pechackova, while Rabino again completed the podium.
“The first race was difficult for me because there was a lot of pressure, but I felt good,” Abellan said. “In the second race I felt confident and I’m so happy to start the season like this.”
Sunday initially looked like more of the same.
Abellan produced one of the cleanest rides of the weekend in race one, completing a faultless performance to finish an incredible thirteen marks clear of Rabino and Bacchetta.
But race two finally brought a twist.
In just her third season in the premier class, Bacchetta produced the ride of her career, capitalising after Abellan incurred a costly maximum on section four. Despite battling back with several clean sections, Abellan was forced into a tie-break for second with Minta, while Bacchetta claimed her maiden TrialGP Women victory.
“My first lap today was amazing,” Abellan said. “I made a mistake on the second lap and scored a five that was too difficult to recover from, but I’m so happy to start the season like this.”
Rabino and Adshead rounded out the leading positions on Sunday afternoon as Abellan still left Japan comfortably atop the standings.
Trial2
As expected, Trial2 once again proved impossible to predict.
Saturday opened with Arnau Farre taking victory in race one, continuing the strong form he carried from the end of 2025, before Britain’s George Hemingway bounced back from a disappointing opening race to take victory in race two.
The inconsistency of the front-runners ultimately played into the hands of Canales, who traded TrialGP for Trial2 this season and quietly pieced together a pair of second-place finishes to emerge from day one with the championship lead.
“For me today has been super-special,” Canales said. “Last year I was riding TrialGP, but I’ve taken a step down to Trial2 and my results here today have been amazing.”
Sunday delivered even more unpredictability.
Hemingway again showed his pace by winning the opening race, only to tumble down to thirteenth in race two, opening the door for former champion Billy Green to claim his first victory of the season.
Green’s six-one scorecard ultimately proved enough to secure overall honours for the day, narrowly edging Francesco Titli after the Italian pieced together another highly consistent performance.
“I’m super-happy to get a win on day two,” Green said. “I eliminated a few mistakes in the second race and it’s a great feeling.”
Norwegian rider Jarand Gunvaldsen also emerged as one of the surprises of the weekend, backing up an impressive second-place finish with sixth to secure third overall after struggling outside the top ten on Saturday.
Meanwhile, consistency continued paying dividends for Canales, whose four-five finishes on Sunday ensured he retained the championship lead despite not standing on the top step.
With Japan complete, the championship now pauses for four weeks before returning at the TrialGP of Andorra on June 12–14.
