The Palais Nikaïa hosts again the FIM X-Trial of Nations. The competition is back after a six-year absence
The Spanish team, consisting of Toni Bou (Repsol Honda Trial Team) and Jaime Busto (GasGas), enters as the favorite to claim the win in the FIM X-Trial of Nations, a competition making its comeback after last being held in Vendée in 2019.
The Palais Nikaïa, which has previously hosted this event on four occasions, will be the venue for the competition on Friday, April 18, starting at 8:00 PM. The Spanish team will defend its title against France, Great Britain, Italy, and Norway. Spain has won every edition of this event, which has taken place 13 times since 2002—securing victories in the first seven editions at various Spanish venues and the last six in France.
Bou and Busto previously teamed up in 2017 and 2019. Representing the host nation, Benoit Bincaz, making his debut as an Electric Motion rider, will compete in his sixth X-Trial des Nations. In his previous five appearances, he partnered with Alexandre Ferrer, securing second place four times. This time, he will team up with newcomer Hugo Dufrese (Beta). For Italy, Matteo Grattarola (Beta) will also make his sixth appearance, having claimed third place in 2016 alongside Gianluca Tournour. He will be joined by Francesco Titli (TRRS), who is making his official competition debut in this discipline.
British riders Jack Peace (Sherco) and Harry Hemingway (Beta) will debut in this team format, while in the Norwegian team, Sondre Haga (GasGas) brings experience from 2019, partnering with newcomer Jarand-Matias Vold Gundvaldsen.
The participating teams will compete in two rounds, following the same penalty system as the individual World Championship events. The first round will use the standard scoring format, while the second will follow a sprint format. At the end of each round, the best team will receive one point, the second two points, and so on. The top three teams, based on cumulative points from both rounds, will advance to the final, where sections will be tackled in both directions, and each team member must complete a course.
With all these thrilling elements in play, you can't miss the event in Nice! Experience the FIM X-Trial of Nations live on FIM-MOTO.TV!
