Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) produced the performance of his career to claim a first-ever overall day win as the TrialGP of USA – round six of the 2025 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – concluded with another dramatic day at LeGrand Reynolds Horseman’s Area in Exeter, Rhode Island, where Berta Abellan (Scorpa) tightened her grip on TrialGP Women and Miquel Gelabert (Honda) fought back after his double disappointment yesterday in Trial2.
- Gabriel Marcelli claims a career-first overall victory in TrialGP
- Jaime Busto takes title battle with Toni Bou down to the final round
- Berta Abellan and Harry Hemingway keep control of TrialGP Women and Trial2
Coming in his sixth season in the premier men’s class, Marcelli’s sensational victory was at least partly at the expense of his team-mate and defending champion Toni Bou who, after missing out on the overall day win for just the second time in twelve starts this season, must now wait until the final round – the TrialGP of Great Britain – in early September before the destination of the TrialGP title is decided.
With a seventy-nine-point advantage over second-placed Jaime Busto (GASGAS) and a maximum of eighty-two points up for grabs at each round, Bou remains firmly in the driving seat to take his nineteenth consecutive title, but he now faces an eight-week wait before he can attempt to put the finishing touches to his season.
Fresh from his dominant double win yesterday, the thirty-eight-year-old Spanish superstar got his day off to a great start when he took victory in the opening race. With the majority of hazards plotted on a wooded, boulder-strewn hillside, Bou picked up a maximum on the towering rock steps of section three, but so did everyone else apart from Marcelli who skipped through for a single dab to take an early lead.
Bou wasted little time in re-establishing control and even a late five on section ten could not stop him from claiming victory on fourteen, although the winning margin over his twenty-five-year-old compatriot was just a single mark. Busto was third on twenty-four with Jorge Casales (Honda) taking fourth on thirty-two, one clear of Jack Peace (Sherco).
With conditions remaining hot and humid, but the ground slightly drier than the previous day, Marcelli then rewrote the formbook in the second race with his total of eight easily good enough to beat Busto into second on fourteen with Bou ending the race on a score of twenty.
“I’m over the moon,” said Marcelli. “Finally, finally I’ve won and I’m super-happy. I was riding good yesterday, but I was making mistakes and I knew I could do better and today I did do better.”
Canales, clearly enjoying his first taste of top-flight action this season, secured another fine fourth on twenty-five, four ahead of veteran Italian Matteo Grattarola (Beta).
With the Power Section once again plotted over the rocks and logs that comprised the man-made final hazard, Busto picked up the extra point on offer after going fastest for the third time this season.
A five-time silver medallist, Abellan’s double TrialGP Women win on Saturday moved her closer to that elusive title and on Sunday she remained in command.
The twenty-five-year-old threw down a challenge to her main title rival Andrea Sofia Rabino (Beta) with her first race total of just six placing her ten marks clear of the Italian teenager who in turn was only a single mark ahead of Denisa Pechackova (TRRS) from the Czech Republic.
British riders Alice Minta (Beta) and Kaytlyn Adshead (Sherco) have battled each other all season and on this occasion it was Minta who held the advantage to take fourth on nineteen, five ahead of Adshead.
The second race was much closer, but it was still Abellan who mounted the top step of the podium at the end of the day with her final score of seven putting her three ahead of a tie-break for second won by Pechackova from Rabino. Fourth-placed Minta, on a total of fifteen, got the better of Adshead by a single mark.
“It was almost a perfect weekend for me,” said Abellan, “and I hope to do the same [at the final round] in Great Britain as well. I’m so happy with today’s race, with the weekend and with the feeling I have on the bike.”
Rabino signed off by taking the bonus point on offer in the Power Section, but Abellan now leads by thirty-two with just one round remaining and Pechackova has leap-frogged Alessia Bacchetta (GASGAS) and Adshead up to third in the standings. TrialGP Women's Podium at 2025 TrialGP of USA, Rhode Island © Future7MediaTechnical issues proved to be extremely costly for Gelabert on Saturday when he failed to score a single point on the RTL Electric model, but like a true professional he put his troubles behind him and took control of the Trial2 class on Sunday.
While his no-score has put him on the back foot in the title stakes, it didn’t stop him taking the fight to championship leader Harry Hemingway (Beta) and the pair – together with the British rider’s younger brother, George – formed a three-rider breakaway in the opening race.
A maximum on section six by Gelabert handed seventeen-year-old George the lead before the Spaniard, who dropped down from TrialGP this season to ride Honda’s electric model, regained the upper hand to win on nine, one ahead of George and two clear of Harry.
Starting race two looking strong and confident, Gelabert made sure he didn’t incur any maximums second time around and his score of seven gave him victory over Spain’s Arnau Farré (Sherco) – yesterday’s overall winner – by three marks with Harry Hemingway third again on a total of thirteen.
“Yesterday was so hard to deal with because I was riding so well, but had bike issues,” said Gelabert. “Today feels much better now I am leaving America with a double win from today. It’s not over until it’s over and I will fight to the end.”
With just the TrialGP of Great Britain remaining, Hemingway will have home advantage – and a healthy twenty-eight-point championship lead – over Gelabert when the series concludes on 5-7 September at Geddington.
Taking the 2025 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship to a global audience, FIM-MOTO.TV will stream all rounds LIVE including behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and expert analysis with a season pass covering all seven rounds and the FIM Trial des Nations priced at €34.90.
In addition, for all 2025 rounds the opening race in Trial2 on all scoring days will be streamed free on FIM-MOTO.TV and TrialGP and TrialGP Women action from race two on all scoring days will be available via a pay-per-view pass.
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