Toni Bou Extends Championship Lead At San Marino TrialGP

The TrialGP of San Marino – round five of the 2025 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – delivered two thrilling days of action in the hills of Baldasserona, where searing temperatures and polished limestone boulders created a demanding test of precision and control across all classes.

Toni Bou once again demonstrated why he remains the dominant force in TrialGP, claiming three out of four possible race victories across the weekend and extending his lead in the championship standings. However, it was Gabriel Marcelli who stole some of the spotlight, notching his first-ever TrialGP race win on Sunday morning in race three, and doubling up with Power Section victories on both days.

Bou’s campaign began strongly on Saturday as he overcame a high-scoring opening lap to edge Marcelli in the first race. After matching Marcelli on observation, Bou’s cleaner time handed him the win, and he followed it up with another narrow victory over Jaime Busto in race two, decided again on a tie-break. Despite a rare five on section seven and a three on section eight, Bou’s earlier clean on section four – a section that took maximums from nearly every rider – proved decisive.

“We had a good day, but it was also complicated by a heavy crash at Zone 2, which made it a bit difficult for me to get back into the race,” said Bou. “We fought until the end and things went well. I’m very happy with the second race because I felt even better on the bike, although I faltered a bit in the final sections. Despite everything, we still managed to get the double win, and scoring so many points on a difficult day is very positive.”

Marcelli’s moment of glory came in race three on Sunday morning. The 25-year-old Spaniard, who had not taken a win since stepping up from Trial2 in 2020, delivered a composed ride for just nine marks lost. Bou initially led after being the only rider to clean section two, but a maximum on section eleven handed Marcelli the advantage and the emotional breakthrough victory.

“The day went really well and I’m very happy,” Marcelli’s reflected.” “We narrowly missed out on the overall win, but I’m also very happy to have won my first race. In the second race, I also felt very comfortable, but I made a mistake that cost me the second win. I was very strong, the team did a great job, and I once again took the extra point from the Power Section. Today I managed to relieve some pressure with first place, and we have to keep fighting like this to achieve the overall victory in the future. We have a very good feeling for the upcoming races.”

Bou hit back in the final race of the weekend to take his eighteenth win from twenty starts this season, again pulling clear with a masterclass that included a sensational clean on section five, where all others failed. His final margin over Marcelli was eight marks, with Busto third again and Matteo Grattarola consistently finishing just off the podium.

With two rounds remaining, Bou now holds a commanding seventy-point lead over Busto and could secure his record-extending nineteenth consecutive world title at next month’s TrialGP of USA.

In Trial2, the battle between Harry Hemingway and Miquel Gelabert intensified, with the Spaniard showing superior consistency to claw within five points of the championship lead.

Gelabert, who dropped down from TrialGP this year to develop the new RTL Electric machine, claimed three race wins across the weekend to make it five in a row, only narrowly missing out in race one on Sunday, where Hemingway edged him by a single mark thanks to a flawless ride marred only by a single dab in section nine.

“Today has been incredible and the racing has been amazing,” said Gelabert after Saturday’s double victory. “The rocks have been super-slippery and I am happy with my riding, although maybe I relaxed a little too much in the second race.”

Gelabert bounced back to win race three on Sunday, while Billy Green returned to form to top race four with a score of seven – his fourth win of the season – ahead of George Hemingway and Gelabert.

“I’m over the moon,” Green said. “After last weekend and even yesterday when I didn’t get the best results, to stick in on top of the box today is fantastic.”

Hemingway’s championship hopes, however, took a hit in race four. A costly maximum at section four, followed by water damage to his bike, dropped him to thirteenth, narrowing his series lead to just five points heading into the final two rounds.

The Trial3 class also saw drama and tight competition as Ryon Land continued to push toward the title in his rookie season. The 15-year-old American won race three on Sunday morning to stretch his lead, but had to settle for fifth in race two on Saturday and again in race four, where a maximum on section two cost him dearly.

“Yesterday didn’t go too well for me,” said Harison Skelton, who seized the opportunity to take his first career Trial3 win in race four. “To bring it back today is such a great feeling, especially with it being my first Trial3 race win.”

On Saturday, local hero Fabio Mazzola gave the home fans something to cheer about by winning race one, narrowly ahead of Jin Kuroyama of Japan. Land responded emphatically in race two with a commanding five-mark win over Kuroyama, reasserting his place at the top of the standings.

With Trial3 not travelling to the USA, just one round remains – the TrialGP of Great Britain in September, where Land holds a 34-point advantage, putting him on the verge of clinching the crown.

As the series heads to Exeter, Rhode Island for the TrialGP of USA on 11–13 July, the TrialGP and Trial2 classes will rejoin the TrialGP Women’s category for what promises to be a pivotal weekend in the 2025 championship season.