Tonight will see the FIM X-Trial World Championship return to the compact arena on the outskirts of the Austrian city of Wiener Neustadt, almost exactly a year after the series last visited this noisy venue. Now in its third successive year as part of the championship, the last two editions of the event have served up something different to the campaign with the technical sections proving a tough test inside an arena that enjoys a boisterous atmosphere.
Twelve months ago, it will be no surprise to Trial fans that it was Toni Bou – Repsol Honda who came out on top as he had done also at the inaugural event back in 2015. Qualification proved to be a tense affair last year with Bou transferring to the final tied on the same marks as Adam Raga – TRS, with this leading pairing joined by the familiar duo of Albert Cabestany – Sherco and Jeroni Fajardo – Vertigo in the main part of the competition.
Whilst Bou may have had close company earlier in the evening, as is often the case he rode himself well clear of his rivals in the final on route to collecting a tenth indoor / X-Trial crown at the next and final round in Marseille, France. Cabestany managed to beat his arch enemy Raga on a tie-break to snatch the runners-up spot, leaving Adam to close out the rostrum as Fajardo ended the night in fourth place back in March 2016.
Will it be a case of déjà vu tonight?
FIM Communications