World Trials: Bou Set To Defend Title

Toni Bou will try to defend his title in 2011.

Reigning SPEA FIM Trial World Champion Toni Bou – Repsol Montesa will look to defend his title, as the 2011 campaign gets underway in Gefrees this weekend. Passing through no less than eight different countries over a period of five months, the championship kicks off in East Germany this coming Sunday. Having not featured on the event schedule since 2005, there is added excitement surrounding the German Grand Prix, especially with it being the opening round of the new series.

The now twenty-four year old Spaniard shows no sign of slowing down with him taking his fourth consecutive SPEA FIM X-Trial World Championship earlier in the year, winning each and every round along the way. Last year’s outdoor series was declared a huge success by all concerned, and with this in mind only minor tweaks have been made ready for the new campaign. This year riders will be allowed ninety seconds to complete each section, providing them with more time to show their amazing talent.

2011 also sees the introduction of a minimum bike weight, in order to limit the use of exotic and expensive materials and thus maintain the affordability of this great sport even at the highest level. 125cc machines must be no less than sixty-five kilograms, whilst the larger capacity machines are restricted to sixty-six kilograms.

With only a week separating the first and second events of the championship, the teams will pack their trucks after Germany and head immediately South-West into France for round two of the series. Breal-sous-Montfort is located only an hour away from the port of Saint Malo and marks the first of two, two-day events in the 2011 calendar – the other being the rescheduled Japanese GP in August.

The riders then have a four-week break before they arrive in Pobladura, Spain for the third Grand Prix of the year. Spain remains one of the most important stops on the tour, and will see countrymen Albert Cabestany - Sherco, Adam Raga - Gas Gas, Jeroni Fajardo - Ossa and current World champion Toni Bou all fighting for a win at their home GP. Once again the riders and teams will be on a tight schedule with the next round located in Sant Julia, Andorra being just seven days later.

Two weeks after Andorra the international entourage will land in Montecrestese, Italy for the fifth round of the championship followed by Fort William, Great Britain later the same month. After the recent chain of natural disasters in Japan the seventh and penultimate round of the series will now take place on August 20-21st at the fabulous Twin Ring circuit - Motegi. Following five months of trials and tribulations the championship comes to rest in Myslenice, Poland during the first weekend of September.

In the World Pro class all eyes will be on Toni Bou and the chasing pack of podium contenders, whilst in the Junior class Spaniard Alfredo Gomez - Montesa will be amongst the favourites, with last year’s champion Jack Challoner - Beta having now moved up a class for 2011. However Frenchman Alexandre Ferrer - Sherco or Spain’s Francesc Moret - Montesa are also aspirants, as is the case with 2010 Youth champion Pol Tarres – Gas Gas who will be once again looking to make his mark.

Similar to the Junior category the Youth class has also seen the path cleared with the departure of Tarres, leaving Jack Sheppard - Beta as the most obvious successor. However Sheppard’s task will be far from easy with Italian Giacomo Saleri - Beta also hungry for success. All will become clearer, when the action gets underway in Germany this weekend.

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Owner and Editor of Trials and Enduro News MotoJournalist of the Year Honors from the AMA NATC Trials Hall of Fame inductee