The battles to become this year’s world champions in the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship intensify as the series heads to Vila de Rei in Portugal this weekend for round five of seven.
- EnduroGP heads to central Portugal for round five
- Championship battles heat up in final season push
- Josep Garcia leads the EnduroGP title fight
The decisive phase of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship begins this weekend with the GP of Portugal marking round five of seven. Riders face a demanding schedule, with the final three rounds taking place across just six weeks. With no room for error, and everything to play for, the pressure to win lies heavily on their shoulders.
Marking the second time the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship paddock will race in Portugal during the 2025 season, Vila de Rei is promising to be a contrasting venue to that of the series opener back in April. With Vila de Rei famous for being located precisely at the centre of Portugal, the region is also covered with pinewoods and rocky terrain, which will make for some challenging riding.
A 50-kilometre course will be completed three times each day, while the Expotrade Women’s Enduro and Enduro Open categories will complete three laps on Saturday and two laps on Sunday. From the parc ferme, riders will first meet the ACERBIS Cross Test, followed by the POLISPORT Extreme Test, with the GMOTO Enduro Test completing the loop.
Located on the outskirts of the town, the Friday evening AKRAPOVIC Super Test will get the weekend’s racing underway. To date, the AKRAPOVIC Super Test has delivered plenty of action, with three different winners from four rounds.
Currently, TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Zach Pichon holds a 10-point lead over Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia in second. Pichon has yet to win a round and would like to get one on the board in Vila de Rei.
Garcia, Pichon and Verona locked in EnduroGP title fight
As we head into the final stages of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship, it’s Josep Garcia who has taken control of the EnduroGP points lead. The Spaniard has racked up five wins so far in 2025, and as a result, arrives in Portugal with a 24-point lead over Pichon in second place.
The Frenchman was twice second last time out in Wales, challenging Garcia all the way. Knowing how critical the GP of Portugal will be to close down Garcia’s lead, Pichon needs to find a way to beat the Spaniard to keep his EnduroGP title hopes alive.
Sitting five points behind Pichon in third, GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona will also be thinking the same thoughts heading to Vila De Rei. Verona has a race win under his belt this season, but hasn’t had the measure of Garcia’s consistency to keep this points gap close. With Verona over 30 points clear of fourth place, it’s Garcia, Pichon and Verona who remain firm EnduroGP title contenders at this stage in the season.
Sherco Racing Factory’s Hamish Macdonald arrives in Portugal holding fourth overall in EnduroGP. The New Zealander is enjoying his best season to date and will look to build on that this weekend. Triumph Factory Racing Enduro Team’s Mikael Persson closes out the top five. The Swede has steadily increased his pace as the championship has progressed, carding a pair of fourth-place finishes last time out in Wales. Further results like that could see him move within striking distance of Macdonald.
Sherco Racing Factory’s Antoine Magain, Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team’s Samuele Bernardini, Fantic Factory Racing Team’s Albin Norrbin and Team KTM Pro Racing Sport’s Max Ahlin have all got the pace to challenge for a place inside the top five too.
Garcia aiming to keep Enduro1 win streak alive
At the head of the Enduro1 class, Garcia leads the way having won every round so far in 2025. The KTM rider would like to keep that win streak alive in Portugal. The fight for second sees Bernardini and Persson tied on points. Both riders are having an exceptional season so far, leaving little to separate them.
The Enduro2 class sees Pichon lead Verona by 10 points entering round five. The Frenchman has tallied six wins to Verona’s two. Verona will need to fight back at round five in order to keep the defence of his world title on track. Norrbin holds a small four-point advantage over Ahlin in the battle for third.
The Enduro3 category is beginning to go the way of Macdonald, who is building towards his debut senior world crown. The New Zealander is 18 points clear of his teammate Magain in second. As the only rider to beat Macdonald so far in 2025, Magain will be going all-out in Portugal to do so again. TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Leo Le Quere is third. Currently preventing a Sherco Racing Factory lockout of the top three championship positions, Le Quere leads Julien Roussaly by four points.
Francesca Nocera heads three-way title fight
As we enter the penultimate round of the Expotrade FIM Women’s Enduro Championship, the title fight is proving exceptionally close, with just six points separating the top three. HRC Honda’s Francesca Nocera will look to consolidate her points lead in Portugal. The Italian was a double race winner at the season opener in Portugal, but racing in Wales with a knee injury saw her unable to fight for the win.
Hot on her heels are the RIEJU Factory Team duo of Rachel Gutish and Rosie Rowett in second and third, respectively. Gutish has yet to win in 2025, with four runner-up results so far. We know the American would love to get a race win under her belt. As the penultimate round, the GP of Portugal is the perfect time for her to strike.
Meanwhile, Rowett had a breakthrough performance at the Forsiteservices GP of Wales, capturing her first career victory and sweeping both race days. Now in serious title contention, she knows she must maintain her momentum and continue battling for the top step of the podium to remain in the fight for the 2025 world title.
In the Expotrade FIM Junior Women’s Enduro World Cup, it’s Electraction TM MOTO’s Elizabeth Tett who tops the standings, thanks to three race wins from four starts. In Wales, we saw Lorna Lafont (Sherco) break Tett’s win streak by securing her debut victory on day two. With confidence high, Lafont will be hoping to win again.
Semb heads a Fantic 1-2 in Junior Enduro
In the FIM Junior Enduro World Championship, it’s Fantic Factory Racing Team’s Axel Semb who leads the way by 14 points. The Swede claimed four wins in Spain and Sweden to put himself out front in the standings, but in Wales, it was Fantic Factory Racing Enduro Team Specia’s Kevin Cristino who did the winning.
Those victories lifted the Italian up to second overall ahead of OX Moto Beta’s Leo Joyon and into the title fight. Now riding a high wave of confidence, Cristino will look to chip away at Semb’s advantage during round five.
Dagna leads the way in Youth Enduro
A dramatic Forsiteservices GP of Wales saw the FIM Youth Enduro World Championship turn on its head. With a perfect scorecard, while capitalising on faults of his closest rivals, Team KTM Pro Racing Sport’s Romain Dagna not only moved from third to first in the standings, but picked up a 14-point lead too.
The French youngster knows that both TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Alberto Elgari and Fantic Factory Racing Enduro Team Specia’s Pietro Scardina will look to bounce back in Vila de Rei, so he can’t take anything for granted. However, if the Frenchman can win again, it will further dampen the spirits of Elgari and Scardina.
Round five of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship will take place in Vila de Rei, Portugal, on 12-14 September.
EnduroGP Championship Standings (after round 4 of 7)
1. Josep Garcia (KTM) 149pts; 2. Zach Pichon (TM MOTO) 125pts; 3. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 120pts; 4. Hamish Macdonald (Sherco) 90pts; 5. Mikael Persson (Triumph) 81pts; 6. Antoine Magain (Sherco) 76pts; 7. Samuele Bernardini (Honda) 72pts; 8. Nathan Watson (Beta) 53pts; 9. Albin Norrbin (Fantic) 38pts; 10. Max Ahlin (KTM) 37pts…
Expotrade Women’s Enduro Championship Standings (after round 2 of 4)
1. Francesca Nocera (Honda) 70pts; 2. Rachel Gutish (RIEJU) 68pts; 3. Rosie Rowett (RIEJU) 64pts; 4. Nieve Holmes (Sherco) 52pts; 5. Justine Martel (Beta) 44pts…
Words and Images by EnduroGP
