BUSTO BATTLES TO SECOND AT TRIALGP FRANCE.
GASGAS FACTORY RACING’S SONDRE HAGA ALSO SECURES RUNNER-UP FINISH IN CLOSELY FOUGHT TRIAL2 CLASS.
Jaime Busto has delivered a stunning ride at the TrialGP of France, storming to second place on his TXT 300 GP. Also impressing at the sixth round of the FIM TrialGP World Championship, Sondre Haga took his TXE GP machine to a runner-up finish in the super-tight Trial2 category, finishing equal on points with the winner! Jack Dance rounded out a strong weekend for GASGAS Factory Racing, placing 10th in Trial2.
With riders competing for just a single day in Cahors, France, for round six of the TrialGP World Championship, the pressure was definitely on. True to form, Busto came out swinging, and his aggressive style paid off. Completing the first seven sections on lap one with only two marks lost put the GASGAS star into the provisional lead. A series of mistakes towards the end of the lap cost the Spaniard dearly however, as he lost another 18 marks to reach the halfway point in fourth overall.
Refocused and back on the attack, Jaime’s performance on the second lap was nothing short of spectacular. Losing just two marks over the course of the entire lap was enough to move the TXT GP 300 rider up to second overall at the finish.
Although the championship winner was crowned in France, the fight for second is heating up. Currently third in the standings, Busto’s result at round six brings him to within seven points of second-placed Gabriel Marcelli, with just the two-day final round left to contest in Spain.
The Trial2 category was once again incredibly close, with just three points separating the top five. Completing the first lap with five marks lost, Sondre Haga put in a superb ride on lap two, losing just one single mark. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough – completing the day on equal points with Gerard Trueba, Sondre lost out on the win due to cleaning one less section than his rival. Nevertheless, Haga’s result moves him into an excellent fifth overall in the Trial2 championship rankings.
A solid ride on the rocks and dusty climbs of Cahors earned Jack Dance 10th place in Trial2 on his TXT GP 300. Finishing just 17 points shy of his teammate, Jack maintains his ninth place in the standings and now looks ahead to finishing his season on a high in Spain.
The 2024 FIM TrialGP World Championship concludes with round seven on September 13-15, which will be held in Ripoll, Spain.
Jaime Busto: “A good day for me here at the TrialGP of France. I really enjoyed the sections and the fans here were great. I made a couple of mistakes on the first lap, but regrouped and delivered an excellent second lap. Now looking ahead to the final round in Spain.”
Sondre Haga:“We’re done here in Cahors and it feels great to be back on the podium once again. We got second with the exact same points as the winner, so it’s a little disappointing not to be on that top step. But it feels good to be back, and I’m feeling really fit physically, so the holiday break worked well. Now, it’s on to the final round in Spain – I’m looking forward to it.”
Jack Dance: “It’s been a really interesting trial here in Cahors with some technical sections and some big steps. I was just a little too inconsistent here today – I rode some really good sections, but also earned a few too many fives, which knocked me down the order. I’m looking forward to the last round in Ripoll now, and I have to say a big thanks to the GASGAS team for all their support as always.”
Albert Cabestany – GASGAS Factory Racing Trial Team Manager: “Well, the French GP is over and it’s been a good race overall for the team. First of all, I want to congratulate Sondre for his return to the podium. It was so close, and to finish on equal points to the winner is frustrating, but it was definitely the most deserved podium of the season. He’s been fighting so hard at every race, so it’s good to see that work rewarded. Jaime rode really well today, it was just that moment at the end of the first lap where he lost his focus a little and made a couple of mistakes – those few sections probably cost him the win today. He looked great on the bike today and the crowd were really behind him on every section. We have one round left to race now and it’s the team’s home race in Spain, so we’ll give it everything as usual and hopefully secure more great results.”
Results: TrialGP of France
TrialGP
1. Toni Bou (Montesa) 15
2. Jaime Busto (GASGAS) 23
3. Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) 32
Trial2
1. Gerard Trueba (Beta) 6
2. Sondre Haga (GASGAS) 6
3. Jack Peace (Sherco) 7
10. Jack Dance (GASGAS) 23
Championship standings (after round 6)
TrialGP
1. Toni Bou (Montesa) 197
2. Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) 150
3. Jaime Busto (GASGAS) 143
Trial2
1. Jack Peace (Sherco) 164
2. Arnau Farre (Sherco) 143
3. Alex Canales (Sherco) 136
5. Sondre Haga (GASGAS) 107
9. Jack Dance (GASGAS) 62
Text/Bild: GasGas