Reigning champions Toni Bou and Emma Bristow maintained their control of the premier TrialGP and TrialGP Women classes on day one of the TrialGP of Germany.
With the sections comprising a mixture of super-steep bankings under trees and massive imported rocks, Bou’s compatriot Jaime Busto held second at the halfway stage on fourteen, four clear of Miquel Gelabert with Italian veteran Matteo Grattarola best of the rest on twenty-two, one ahead of Jorge Casales.
Bou and Busto then locked horns on lap two with the pair reeling off a series of faultless rides before arriving at section eleven having cleaned everything at their second attempts, but with rain beginning to fall the imposing step once again remained unconquered by the entire field. Both sailed through the final hazard unpenalized and while Bou maintained his seven-mark advantage until the end, Busto’s second lap performance sets up a dramatic showdown between the two tomorrow.
“I felt very comfortable, as there were quite easy zones, where it was difficult to make a difference,” Bou said. “We gained a small advantage in the first zones on Lap 1, and that was what we were able to use to make a difference with respect to Jaime at the end of the second lap. I am happy with the victory. Tomorrow there will be changes, but if it continues to be easy like today, this victory will give us some more confidence -especially because it rained today and we do not know if the zones will dry out by tomorrow. I want to thank the team for the great work they have done.”
While the top two distanced themselves from the chasing pack, the battle for the final step of the podium raged behind them until the final section of the Trial. Grattarola held a slender advantage, but he failed to get up the big step before the exit and dropped to fifth while Gelabert’s five at the same place also cost him a top-three finish.
By contrast, Gabriel Marcelli recorded a clean here that pulled him back up to fourth after an expensive opening lap, but it was Casales who booked his first visit to the podium since 2020 when he cruised through feet-up.
Having announced before the opening round that this will be her final year of top-flight competition, Emma Bristow is determined to record a perfect swansong season and the British lioness maintained her 2024 unbeaten record with a clear win as she took another step towards a tenth title in eleven years.
“I’m really happy with my win today and to extend my championship lead,” said Bristow. “I’ve been training a lot and I felt really good on the bike.”
Parting with three marks on her first lap and two on her second, Bristow outclassed a strong field led by French rider Naomi Monnier whose opening lap total of nine placed her second at the halfway mark, four ahead of Spain’s Berta Abellan who in turn was three clear of Andrea Sofia Rabino from Italy.
The action from Neunkirchen resumes tomorrow
