The Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship saw the Forsiteservices GP of Wales kickstart the second half of the season in style with an incredible weekend of racing in Rhayader.
Here are just some highlights from round four…
Doing the double
The Forsiteservices GP of Wales saw a unique trend forming. Every class, except the Junior Women’s Enduro, resulted in the same rider being victorious both days. Josep Garcia (KTM) won both EnduroGP and Enduro1, Zach Pichon (TM MOTO) won Enduro2, Hamish MacDonald won Enduro3, Kevin Cristino won both Junior and Junior2, and Leo Joyon (Beta) topped Junior1 each day. Rosie Rowett (RIEJU) was best in Expotrade Women’s Enduro and Romain Dagna won the Youth class. The trend stretched into the Enduro Open categories too, with Yann Dupic (KTM) winning both days of Open 2S and Rudy Cotton (Husqvarna) doing likewise in Open Senior!
Badia and Holcombe in the paddock
The Forsiteservices GP of Wales brought out a bunch of familiar faces we’d not seen in a little while, namely Mireia Badia and Steve Holcombe. Our reigning FIM Women’s Enduro World Champion retired at the end of 2024, but she was back in the paddock in Rhayader to support her RIEJU teammates and friends, Rachel Gutish and Rosie Rowett. It was great to see Holcombe too. Although not yet cleared to ride again, he’s itching to get back on the bike.
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Bike setup and changes
Adapting to change is a big part of mastering EnduroGP. On day one, TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Zach Pichon mentioned he made adjustments to his bike that saw him improve and go on to secure an eventual second place. On day two, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia also commented on setup. A wrong choice in his rear mousse during Saturday’s work service – it didn’t rain as much as he expected – saw him remove the tyre to change his mousse, right before the GMOTO Enduro Test. It just goes to show that even the very best are constantly striving for the perfect bike setup.
Getting stuck
Saturday’s overnight rain added some extra spice to the racing on Sunday morning, with the soft boggy ground on the ACERBIS Cross Test catching out numerous riders. GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona was one rider to get stuck in a deep rut. The Italian lost one minute digging himself free, but managed to race his way back to third in the Enduro2 class and keep his five-year podium streak intact. Incredibly, the Italian has never missed a class podium in the last five years. Thanks to the GASGAS team for reminding us of that amazing stat!
First win for Lafont in Junior Women Enduro
The Expotrade FIM Junior Women’s Enduro World Cup saw a new winner emerge on day two in Wales. After Electraction TM MOTO’s Elizabeth Tett won both days at round one in Portugal and took victory on day one in Wales, it was France’s Lorna Lafont (Sherco) who claimed victory on day two. It’s great to see new talent emerging on the world stage.
RIEJU celebrate
The RIEJU Factory Team firmly stamped their authority on the Expotrade FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship in Wales. Thanks to Rosie Rowett and Rachel Gutish, they locked out the first two steps of the podium each day. With Rowett claiming a 1-1 and Gutish going 2-2, they proved themselves the team to beat.
No luck for Beta
It’s proving to be a tough 2025 for the Beta Factory Team. At round one, their defending Enduro3 World Champion Brad Freeman exited the championship with a knee injury, leaving Nathan Watson as the sole rider under the awning. Unfortunately, Watson was injured during a recent round of the Italian national series, ruling him out of competing at his home round in Wales. We hope to see Beta back in action soon!
Rider parade
Following the success of the rider parade last time out the Polisport GP of Sweden, the Forsiteservices GP Wales also had their own parade on Thursday to officially welcome the EnduroGP paddock to Rhayader. Hundreds of spectators lined the village streets to see the riders pass before gathering in the town square for an autograph signing. Great fun and a cool spectacle, it’s something we hope to see more of in the future.
Max Ahlin in the mix
With every round so far in 2025, reigning Junior Enduro World Champion Max Ahlin is finding his feet in the EnduroGP category, since stepping up to seniors this year. The Team KTM Pro Racing Sport rider took a career-best fifth in EnduroGP on day two, finishing within 16 seconds of the top three. And in Enduro2, he was third on day one and second on day two. Along with securing his first podium results, he had moved up to fourth in the Enduro2 championship battle.
Upheaval in Youth Enduro
The Forsiteservices GP of Wales may prove critical in the outcome of this year’s Youth Enduro title fight. Arriving in Rhayader, TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Alberto Elgari led by two points over Fantic Factory Racing Enduro Team Specia’s Pietro Scardina in second, with Team KTM Pro Racing Sport’s Romain Dagna a further two points back in third. On day one, disaster hit Scardina and then on day two, Elgari ran into bike problems too, all while Dagna disappeared into the distance with a double race win. The outcome turned the points standings on its head and now Dagna leads by 14 points over Elgari, with Scardina a further 12 points back in third.
The Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship now heads to Vila de Rei in central Portugal for round five on 12-14 September.
