Perfect for fans of strong sensations! A stage of the world X-Trial championship is being held at Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole's Arena on January 13, 2018. The stars of motorcycle obstacle course riding will try to win the second round of the World Championship competition organized by FIM, the International Motorcycle Federation.
"The world's best riders will face off on an unprecedented course, where balance, taking risks, and demonstrating incredible talent are the only way to win," explains Pierre Estripeau, the event's Social Media Manager for 2 Play. Trial riders must pass a series of obstacles, including cement blocks, electrical reels, and scaffolding without touching the ground with their feet. They need to complete the course in less than six minutes.
The event program features world leaders in the discipline, as well as newcomers. The number one worldwide, Toni Bou, with 22 indoor and outdoor world championship titles, is competing to hold on to his position. He will face several other top riders: Adam Raga, number 2 worldwide, 4-time Indoor Trial World Champion; Jaime Busto, number 3 worldwide, who finished in second place for the first round held in Vendée, behind Toni Bou; and James Dabill, currently number 5 worldwide. France is also well represented, with two riders: the prodigious young Benoît Bincaz, now 6th worldwide; and the more experienced Alexandre Ferrer, who has already reached 5th place for general ranking in previous years. Four new riders were selected as "event riders" to challenge the champions. The best-ranked gets to stay in the competition for the next round. That was the case for the phenomenal Jeroni Fajardo, who won 4th place in Vendée. A total of nine riders are competing.
Intermission will feature a show by Aurélien Fontenoy, a superstar of MTB-Trial riding. This is an opportunity to witness the exceptional agility of the YouTuber, whose channel has some 200,000 followers. 4,500 to 5,000 people are expected to attend the event, which brings together fans of strong sensations and X-Trial and motorcycle aficionados. This is the first time that Montpellier is hosting one of the indoor world championship rounds. The Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole area's reputation as a center for extreme sports helped the organizers choose the location. Also, the Arena facility offers the ideal infrastructure to welcome the event, notably thanks to its size and modular structure, in which one of the bleachers can be removed to set up a VIP space.
Find out more:
- Tickets available at the Montpellier Tourist Office
- FIM Live
