Toni Bou has extended his remarkable winning streak to 18 consecutive races at the TrialGP of France in Cahors, round five of the 2026 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship, putting the Spaniard within touching distance of an unprecedented 20th consecutive TrialGP world title.
Bou once again led a Spanish celebration in France, while Arnau Farré doubled up in Trial2 to take control of the championship standings and Italy’s Fabio Mazzola claimed the Trial3 Junior overall to draw level with Britain’s Harison Skelton at the top of the series.
A large crowd of passionate fans turned out in the heat for the single-day points-scoring competition, where 39-year-old Bou continued the unbeatable form he has shown since the opening round in Japan in May.
With a 90-point championship lead coming into the weekend, Bou’s double victory over compatriot and team-mate Gabriel Marcelli means he can wrap up the championship at next weekend’s penultimate round in the Netherlands.
The French course provided a stern test, with riders facing a highly technical combination of super-steep bankings, loose sandy soil and huge, sharp-edged rocks.
TrialGP
Bou started the weekend by winning Saturday’s Super Test to determine the starting order, but the opening section of Sunday’s first race produced an unusual sight as the championship leader dropped two marks.
It could have put Bou on the back foot, but the record-setting champion responded in typical fashion and remained feet-up through the remainder of the race until a solitary dab at the 12th and final hazard, combined with a one-mark time penalty, left him with a total of four.
Marcelli and Jaime Busto provided Bou’s main opposition, with the pair remaining locked together until they reached the town section. Busto’s challenge suffered a major blow when he took a maximum on the manmade section eight.
Marcelli then picked up a five on section 11, allowing Busto to close back to within a single mark, but Marcelli held his nerve and cleaned the final hazard to finish on 12. Busto added another dab to end on 14.
Britain’s Harry Hemingway (Beta) finished fourth, just one mark behind Busto, while Italy’s Matteo Grattarola was fifth, seven marks further back. Grattarola finished four marks ahead of Spain’s Miquel Gelabert, who was riding the sole electric machine in the class.
Busto gained some consolation by topping the timed Super Pole section to determine the starting order for the Final, and he matched Bou clean-for-clean through the opening five hazards.
Bou then produced another standout ride on section six, cleaning a difficult triple step from a minimal run-up that had caught out most of the field with maximums.
That allowed Bou to move clear of Busto, who managed a hard-fought three. Marcelli and Gelabert had each needed only a single dab through section six, allowing Marcelli to draw level with Busto before the race moved towards the Super Final.
Bou conceded a dab on the steep climb and rock step of section seven before taking a maximum on section 10. The reigning champion regained his composure from there, eventually finishing the race with seven marks, including a time penalty.
Marcelli finished second on 15, while Gelabert produced an excellent ride for third on 19. Hemingway was fourth on 21, two marks ahead of Grattarola.
“It has not been easy because all the riders were pushing super-hard and the weather has been so hot,” Bou said. “It was difficult to fight to the end of both races, but I’m super-happy with the result.”
Busto endured a difficult Super Final, dropping 17 marks across the opening five sections before a rear wheel puncture forced him to miss the final section. The issue also contributed to six time penalties, dropping him to sixth on 31 and allowing Marcelli to move into second in the championship standings.
Trial2
Trial2 once again produced a wide-open contest, with Farré becoming the sixth different overall winner from nine days of competition this season.
The Sherco rider twice defeated home favourite Benoit Bincaz on a tie-break to claim the round victory and, more importantly, take the championship lead away from fellow Spaniard Alex Canales.
The opening race was a tense affair, with Farré and Bincaz exchanging maximums and single dabs throughout the course.
Farré’s five on section 11, combined with a one-mark time penalty, almost cost him the victory, but he held his nerve when it mattered and won the decisive tie-break after both riders finished on 18.
Gerard Trueba finished third, just one mark behind the leading pair, while Canales was fourth after ending the race three marks behind Trueba.
Super Test winner George Hemingway finished fifth, winning a tie-break against fellow Briton Jack Dance after both riders finished on 25.
Race two produced much lower scores but another incredibly close battle between Farré and Bincaz.
Both riders started with a single dab before Bincaz added another mark on section three. Farré then lost a mark on section five, but both riders remained clean for the rest of the race, leaving Farré to claim the victory on another tie-break.
“I’m very happy,” Farré said. “It’s been a hard day, but it feels great to be leading the championship for the first time.”
Italy’s Francesco Titli completed the race podium on five marks, six clear of Canales, with Hemingway fifth on 12.
Trial3 Junior
With the Trial3 Junior championship running a shorter schedule, the TrialGP of France represented the penultimate round of the season and the battle between Skelton and Mazzola tightened considerably.
Skelton arrived in Cahors holding a two-point advantage and extended that lead in the opening race after finishing second to fellow Briton Max Dance in Saturday’s Super Test.
The first race produced relatively high scores, but Skelton’s total of 15 was enough to secure victory by a single mark over Mazzola. Norway’s Patrick Bjørnland Larsen finished third on 18.
Mazzola responded in race two with a much stronger performance, losing just two marks to claim victory.
Skelton’s total of 11 dropped him to third, while Dutch rider Fenno Goertz finished second on nine. The result was enough for Mazzola to draw level with Skelton at the top of the championship standings with just one round remaining.
“It feels great to share the championship lead,” Mazzola said. “And now we have one round left to decide things. Now I need to do it all again in the Netherlands.”
The championship now moves to Zelhem in the Netherlands this coming weekend, September 4-6, for the penultimate round of the series for TrialGP and Trial2 riders, while the Trial3 Junior championship will be decided at the same event.
