The opening day of the British Trial Grand Prix saw Montesa celebrate an incredible two hundred Trial victories as Toni Bou notched up yet another triumph for the famous manufacturer as they sealed the team title for a nineteenth time. The originally independently owned Spanish marque that is now a part of the global Honda organisation has enjoyed a long tradition with the sport of Trial and enjoyed its first win at the highest level with Britain’s Don Smith back in 1969 when the series had European status.
Montesa achieved its first Trial win proper during the first edition of the FIM Trial World Championship in 1975 when again it was a British rider, this time Malcolm Rathmell who climbed to the top step of the podium to define this historic moment. Forty-one years later and the brand is still winning, having seen no less than fourteen different riders add to their Trial GP winning tally over this prolonged period.
During the prize giving presentation by FIM Trial Director and former three times FIM Trial World Champion Thierry Michaud, Montesa’s long serving team manager Miguel Cirera was joined by six of those winning riders including Toni Bou, Takahisa Fujinami, Marc Colomer, Marc Freixa, Dougie Lampkin and Malcolm Rathmell.
FIM Communications