This 2020 begins the fourth season of the Montesa Talent School, the help and support program for talented young trial pilots to be able to progress in their sports career. The promotion formula created by Montesa in 2017 has proven to be a good method so that the promises of the Trial of our country can evolve and improve in their training as pilots and serve as a springboard for their future.
The best example of the Montesa Talent School’s success is the Galician pilot Gabriel Marcelli. In just two seasons, Marcelli, who entered the first promotion of the Talent, obtained the title of Trial World Champion in the TR2 category and the absolute European championship in 2019.
His path may be followed by a new addition to the team this year: young Pablo Suárez. The Asturian, current TR2 champion of Spain, competes in the national competition in the highest category and will do so in the World Championship in the TR2 category. Also in the competitive Junior category the Montesa riders are performing very well in the CET.
The Montesa Talent School will support and assist, this 2020, a total of six pilots in three different categories of the Spanish Trial Championship: Pablo Suárez (TR1), Martín Riobó (TR2), Jordi Camp (Junior), Jordi Lestang (Junior ), Roger Casas (Junior) and David Olmedo (Junior).
On the other hand, Montesa also supports different international teams, such as the Swiss RG team, with which Marcelli was proclaimed champion last year, or the Italian Sembenini Team, where Matteo Grattarola took the same TR2 World title in 2018 .
Women have also passed through the Montesa Talent School. It has been the case of María Giró, Carla Caballé or Laura Donate, although all of them have decided to change the course of their professional life and leave high competition. In Italy, the Sembenini Team includes Alex Brancati and Sara Trentini.
The drivers of this promotional formula receive, among others, technical and mechanical help from the brand, as well as from the mechanics and backpackers of the official Repsol Honda Team. The team’s sponsors are: Repsol, Hebo, Braktec, Galfer and Banyeres Parts.
CET – Category TR1
Pablo Suárez
CET – Category TR2
Martín Riobó
CET – Category Junior
Jordi Camp
Jordi Lestang
Roger Casas
David Olmedo
DECLARATIONS
MIQUEL CIRERA, Repsol Honda Team Manager
“La Montesa Talent School was born as a school to discover the talent in the field of trial, especially young people who are supported from the beginning so that they can progress to a high level. The most notable case is, perhaps, that of Gabriel Marcelli, who was one of the first to enter this promotion formula and has managed to win a world title and, who knows where he will go in the future. Without a doubt, if you continue along this line, you will go far.
The Montesa Talent School allows us to be and support the Spanish Trial Championship, since the pilots receive factory assistance. All this would not be possible without a series of team sponsors and collaborators that allow this much-needed assistance to be provided to the members of the Montesa Talent School.
Now we have several junior pilots, TR2 and another new TR1 pilot, Pablo Suárez, but we have also had women. Unfortunately, due to studies or other circumstances, they have decided to abandon trial and change the course of their professional life. ”
GABRIEL MARCELLI, Trial2 World Champion 2019 and pilot of the Montesa RG TrialGP team
“It was fortunate for me to enter the Talent School. In Galicia I could not find enough support and here, in addition to entering the Ripoll sports residence, I noticed a big change in everything. I was able to train and had the support in the Spanish Championship, and this allowed me to improve.
In 2018 I made the jump to the absolute category of the National and it was getting better and better. The Talent School is a very important satellite team in Trials, since the ‘top’ pilots can make a living from trial, but in the case of young people, we need a team that supports us in order to progress; there you are not missing anything, the official team is close to you and we can even enjoy the Montesa mechanics in case we need help. The Talent is doing very well to train young riders, like I have been or, now, Pablo Suárez, who is improving very fast. I have become part of a private team, the RG, and I have to thank these years of training that have allowed me to reach the title of Trial2 World Champion . ”
