POSITIVE START TO 2020 TRIALGP SEASON FOR GASGAS FACTORY RACING.
CASALES AND CABESTANY END CHAMPIONSHIP OPENER IN FRANCE FIFTH AND SECOND RESPECTIVELY.
Successfully completing the first of four rounds of the 2020 FIM Trial World Championship, GASGAS Factory Racing teammates Jorge Casales and Albert Cabestany have come away from the TrialGP of France fifth and second overall in their respective championships. For Casales the series opener ended with 5-5 TrialGP class results, while Cabestany finished second on both days in the TrialE category, completing the second day of competition equal on marks dropped with the class winner.
With the first of three laps on the opening day of competition in France being cancelled, Jorge Casales produced an impressive second lap, dropping just 10 marks and keeping himself in contention for a possible podium finish. Frustratingly, two fives on the final lap prevented the Spaniard from challenging for the top three, eventually placing fifth but just five marks behind fourth placed Adam Raga.
With three laps of the dry, rocky French sections on day two, a tougher course saw all riders lose considerably more marks than on day one. Notching up three fives during the opening lap, Casales had his work cut out as he headed into lap two and improved his score with just 14 marks lost. Again dropping 14 marks on lap three, Casales placed fifth overall but just eight marks behind eventual runner-up Jaime Busto.
Looking to make a winning start to the defense of his Trial-E title, Albert Cabestany rode to a second-place finish on day one in France. Dropping six marks on lap two, including a costly five in section eight, the experienced Spaniard then completed the third and final lap dropping only one further mark. Although frustrated at having not challenged Gael Chatagno for the win, Cabestany made a strong start to his TrialE championship.
The second day of competition in France was altogether more positive for Cabestany, who came agonizingly close to claiming the win. With Chatagno again riding well, Cabestany steered his GASGAS through the opening lap with just one mark lost. Dropping two marks on the second lap and just one on the third and final lap, in ending the day on four marks dropped Cabestany equaled the score of his French rival. However, with Chatagno having more zero scores throughout the day he secured the win with Cabestany again finishing as runner-up.
The 2020 FIM Trial World Championship moves on at pace with round two set for Pobladura de las Regueras, Spain, next weekend, September 12-13.
Jorge Casales:“It’s great to be back in competition but it’s been very strange with so many months and so few events. Obviously, everyone in the team was full of motivation for this race and during the training everything felt great. On day one I was able to get a feeling for the championship again, also to, you know, find my feet. I felt like I rode well on both days, but I made some mistakes that dropped me back a little and I had to work hard to get back in contention. That put the pressure on me a little. I know that I can do better and if I remove some of the bad scores from this weekend things would have been different. Some mistakes were in the easier sections, so I will work on that and look forward to competing again next weekend in Spain. I know I can improve, I know how good my bike is, so we’ll work to be on the podium next weekend.”
Albert Cabestany:“It’s been an enjoyable but tough weekend. We knew coming into this event that our competition had been working hard, but we were also confident that the work we’ve been doing would help us achieve the results we wanted. The sections didn’t favor our bike so much, but we kept pushing to do the best and I gave all I could. Obviously, I finished on the same marks as Gael on both days, but today he got one more clean than me. It’s a little disappointing, to be so close but not get the victory that we wanted, but that’s how it can go. Knowing how hard everyone in the team has worked, to not win is frustrating. But importantly, we know what areas we need to work on and with some weeks before the final round in Italy we’ll work on improving and then give the final round our all and try and defend our trial-E title.”
Results: FIM Trial World Championship 2020, Round 1
TrialGP – day 1
1. Toni Bou (Montesa) 6; 2. Jaime Busto (Vertigo) 11; 3. Jeroni Fajardo (Sherco) 14; 4. Adam Raga (TRRS) 20; 5. Jorge Casales (GASGAS) 25; 6. Takahisa Fujinami (Montesa) 29…
TrialE – day 1
1. Gael Chatagno (Electric Motion) 1; 2. Albert Cabestany (GASGAS) 7; 3. Julien Perret (Electric Motion) 11; 4. Martin Pochez (Electric Motion) 34; 5. Jerome Delair (Electric Motion) 48
TrialGP – day 2
1. Adam Raga (TRRS) 33; 2. Jaime Busto (Vertigo) 40; 3. Toni Bou (Montesa) 41; 4. Jeroni Fajardo (Sherco) 46; 5. Jorge Casales (GASGAS) 48; 6. Takahisa Fujinami (Montesa) 53…
TrialE – day 2
1. Gael Chatagno (Electric Motion) 4; 2. Albert Cabestany (GASGAS) 4; 3. Julien Perret (Electric Motion) 28; 4. Martin Pochez (Electric Motion) 77; 5. Jerome Delair (Electric Motion) 109
Championship standings: FIM Trial World Championship 2020, (after round 1)
TrialGP
1. Toni Bou (Montesa) 35 points; 2. Jaime Busto (Vertigo) 34; 3. Adam Raga (TRRS) 33; 4. Jeroni Fajardo (Sherco) 28; 5. Jorge Casales (GASGAS) 22; 6. Takahisa Fujinami (Montesa) 20…
TrialE
1. Gael Chatagno (Electric Motion) 40 points; 2. Albert Cabestany (GASGAS) 34; 3. Julien Perret (Electric Motion) 30; 4. Martin Pochez (Electric Motion) 26; 5. Jerome Delair (Electric Motion) 22
Text/Bild: GasGas