On The Pegs August 2018 - Volume 3 - Issue 8 | Page 103

On The Pegs
Vol. 3 Issue 8 - August 2018
P 103
Bou’s fourth win in a row stretches his lead to a very
healthy twenty-three points with just two rounds
now standing between him and a record-breaking
twelfth consecutive World Championship crown.
“It has been a very special weekend,” says Bou. “I
had a crash in the morning yesterday and my condi-
tion this morning was not very good, but after sec-
tion four or five I rode with more confidence and to
finally win makes it a perfect weekend.”
In hot, dry conditions grip was at a premium on
sections that comprised huge, dusty rock steps and
perilous loose climbs, mainly laid out in a quarry and
on near vertical banks on a wooded hillside over-
looking the town.
The fifth rider away after his mistake in yesterday’s
Q2 session, Bou had a shaky start to the event and
dropped five marks on the first four sections before
regaining his composure. However, he still incurred
two maximums – including a five on section thirteen
that stopped everyone on the opening lap – as he
reached the halfway point of the Trial on a total of
twenty.
Next best after the opening lap was Bou’s fellow
Spaniard Adam Raga – TRRS on thirty-one who in
turn was one mark ahead of his compatriot Jaime
Busto – Gas Gas. At this point it looked as though
Bou was cruising to yet another win, but after strug-
gling to find his form all season Raga strung together
a series of impressive rides.
Successive maximums by Bou on sections six and
seven where Raga recorded a pair of single-dab rides
narrowed the gap dramatically and led to a tense
run-in to the finish with Bou’s total of forty-two –
equalling his highest score of the season – plus one
time penalty giving him just a four-mark advantage
at the close.
Japanese fan favourite Takahisa Fujinami – Repsol
Honda claimed a hugely popular podium finish in
third, aided by a sensational single-dab ride in sec-