photo: FIM X-Trial
For the first time in the sport’s history the campaign opens away from the continent of Europe; although La Réunion (France) is a French overseas territory it is located in the Indian Ocean, closer to Madagascar than the French mainland.
The race for the 2020 title opens at the Stade Jean Ivoula de Saint-Denis, in the 4,600 capacity Gymnase de l’Est, a new venue for a season that opens with a backdrop of sweeping changes to team line-ups.
Young chargers Jaime Busto and Miquel Gelabert will make their first X-Trial World Championship appearances since moving to manufacturer Vértigo, while Jorge Casales moves on from the factory (Spain) to another by joining up with Gas Gas.
La Réunion will also see the introduction of 18-year-old Frenchman Kieran Touly to the Championship for his X-Trial debut. The reigning 125cc World Champion is yet another youth talent welcomed to an ever-expanding series.
More familiar faces include Adam Raga (TRRS), the 4-times World Champion and reigning number two, the only rider other than Toni Bou from Andorra to have recorded an X-Trial victory in 2019.
Young chargers Benoit Bincaz (Beta) and Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) will also be keen to press their case for the podium places right from the start of this new season, the latter now included for the first time among the list of permanent riders for the X-Trial World Championship campaign.
