Tomorrow evening and almost a year to the day the FIM X-Trial World Championship will return to the Austrian city of Wiener Neustadt, and again as the penultimate round of the series. Twelve months ago the Nova Arena played host to an event that saw the championship return to Austria for the first time since 2003. The occasion became of increased significance as Toni Bou – Repsol Honda not only took the victory on the night but also clinched his ninth successive indoor title in doing so.
The small compact setting served up a tough test for the gathered group of elite riders with Bou running out a comfortable victor on a total of ten marks that was some thirteen clear of the then Beta mounted Jeroni Fajardo who was worthy of his runners up status on that evening. Eventual vice World Champion and then Gas Gas team member Adam Raga rounded out the podium at the fifth counting event to complete a not unusual all Spanish top three.
Albert Cabestany – Sherco claimed the last place in the four-man final, whilst James Dabill – Vertigo was very unlucky to not make it through to the main event after he lost out on a tie-break with Fajardo in qualification. Alexandre Ferrer – Sherco, Eddie Karlsson – Montesa and returning wild card entrant Franz Kadlec who is now a Gas Gas rider completed the final placings respectively at the event in 2015. FIM Trial