While development Triumph’s motocross and enduro project forges on, the brand continues to highlight the capabilities of its renewed Tiger lineup. To prove the adventure bike’s rally meddle, Hinckley enlisted five-time enduro world champion Iván Cervantes to vie for the inaugural Trail class title at the 38th Baja España Aragón on July 22-24 in Teruel, Spain.
Triumph specially prepped its Tiger 900 Rally Pro for the occasion with a black/gray/white/Hi-Viz yellow that set the middleweight ADV even further apart from its rivals. With the Baja España Aragón course covering over 450 kilometers (280 miles) of challenging terrain, finishing the rally was no easy feat, but Cervantes passed the test with flying (and fluorescent) colors.
The Spanish rider crossed the finish line after just six hours, 13 minutes, and 32 seconds. That time secured 11th place within the 75-rider field, and number 90’s pace impressed nearly all onlookers. With Cervantes at the helm, the Tiger 900 Rally Pro finished the race just 33 minutes behind the overall winner and more than one hour ahead of its nearest category competitor. In a pack of Dakar-spec machines, those are stellar results for Triumph and Cervantes.
"We came to the Baja Aragón with a clear goal, which was to win the new Trail category on the Tiger 900 Rally Pro,” Cervantes admitted. “However, our greater ambition was to finish as high as possible in the overall rankings, where people have been amazed at the pace we have taken with the Trail.”
Cervantes wasn’t just ecstatic about his 2022 Baja España Aragón result but also alluded to a potential return aboard Triumph’s enduro project in 2023.
“This once again proves that Triumph is here in off-road racing - and is here to stay,” added Cervantes. “We chose this race because in the future we plan to come here with the Enduro project, and of course, we plan to succeed!”
Further down the field, Harley-Davidson and Joan Pedrero claimed the Max-Trail trophy with the Pan America 1250. The Motor Company didn’t disclose where the Pan Am placed among the 75-bike grid, but it’s truly impressive that the heavyweight ADV finished the course at all. Both Harley and Triumph should be proud of their 2022 Baja España Aragón accomplishments, but it looks like Triumph has even loftier ambitions in the coming years.
