RUNNER-UP RESULT FOR BUSTO AT ANDORRA X-TRIAL.
JAIME PLACES SECOND WHILE SONDRE HAGA MAKES DEBUT X-TRIAL OUTING ON THE GASGAS TXE GP.
GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jaime Busto has finished a close second at round five of the FIM X-Trial World Championship. Taking the fight to his rivals throughout the evening in Andorra, Busto’s runner-up result moves him into second in the championship standings. Sondre Haga made his first appearance in the 2024 X-Trial series. Riding the TXE GP, the Norwegian placed a solid seventh.
Jaime made a strong start to his evening during the first ‘round’. Tackling the demanding sections one by one, the Spaniard completed the round with a total of six marks, placing him second, equal on points with Toni Bou.
For round two, Busto demonstrated his skill and judgment by cleaning three of the five sections and only scoring threes on the remainder, for a total of six marks. With all his rivals scoring at least two fives, Jaime not only topped the round, but also took the event lead going into the final.
With five sections to go, Busto was looking in control on his TXT GP 300. An unlucky landing from one of the obstacles on section one cost him dearly however, as the judges ruled him out of bounds and awarded him a five. From there, the 26-year-old had no choice than to fight back the best he could.
With Gabriel Marcelli scoring three fives in the final three sections, the battle for victory came down to just Busto and Bou, and with only two points separating them going into the final section, it was all to play for. Giving his all, Jaime successfully completed the section with three marks, but it wasn’t quite enough.
Finishing as runner-up overall in Andorra, Jaime now lies second in the championship standings. Although the title was decided at round five, the fight for second continues, and Busto has his sights firmly set on securing the silver medal in the 2024 standings.
Sondre Haga, riding the TXE GP in its debut appearance at X-Trial, made a brilliant start to his night in Andorra. Despite having the unenviable task of entering the sections first, Haga delivered an excellent performance on the electric-powered machine to complete the round in seventh.
An equally solid ride during round two placed the Norwegian eighth, for seventh overall. Despite not qualifying for the final, Haga was pleased with his ride and looks forward to continuing with the development of the TXE GP and taking part in further X-Trial rounds in the future.
Jaime Busto:“I’m really happy with how things have gone here in Andorra. To qualify top for the final is great, and I knew I was riding well. With things so tight, even a small mistake could make a big difference to the results as we saw. In the final, I just made a couple too many mistakes and ended up second to Toni, which is never a bad thing. Congratulations to him and we’ll take the fight for second on to the next round in Estonia.”
Results – 2024 X-Trial World Championship, Round 5
1. Toni Bou (Montesa) 10 final
2. Jaime Busto (GASGAS) 14 final
3. Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) 18 final
7. Sondre Haga (GASGAS) 34
2024 X-Trial Championship Standings (after round 5)
1. Toni Bou (Montesa) 106
2. Jaime Busto (GASGAS) 68
3. Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) 68
9. Sondre Haga (GASGAS) 2
Text/Bild: GasGas