EnduroGP Wales: Day One report
By Team TMX on 10th Aug 26
Josep Garcia continued his EnduroGP masterclass with another dominant victory on day one of the season-ending Forsiteservices GP of Wales, while Britain’s Rosie Rowett delivered on home soil and Pietro Scardina wrapped up the FIM Youth Enduro World Championship.
With the 2026 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP titles already in his pocket, Garcia arrived in Wales with the pressure off – and rode like it. The Red Bull KTM star was immediately on the pace, striking first on the POLISPORT Extreme Test before edging clear of TM MOTO’s Zach Pichon and Sherco’s Steve Holcombe on the opening lap.
From there, it was clinical. Fastest again on the GMOTO Enduro Test and EXPOTRADE Cross Test, Garcia steadily stretched his advantage and was never seriously threatened, eventually storming to victory by a commanding 34 seconds. The win marked his 49th career EnduroGP success – leaving him perfectly poised to hit the half-century on the final day.
Behind him, Pichon rode a measured race to secure second, twice topping the Cross Test but unable to bridge the gap to the flying Spaniard. The result lifts the Frenchman to second in the championship standings heading into the decider.
The battle for third was where the real drama unfolded. Home hero Holcombe looked set for a podium for much of the day, only for Beta’s Nathan Watson to mount a late charge. Chipping away at a nine-second deficit, Watson snatched third on the final Cross Test – denying Holcombe by a razor-thin 0.29 seconds. Andrea Verona completed the top five.
Holcombe did at least give the home crowd something to cheer about in Enduro3, powering to a convincing class win by 41 seconds ahead of Theo Espinasse and Brad Freeman.
In Enduro2, Pichon struck again with a vital victory over Watson and Verona – slashing the Italian’s championship lead to just a single point and setting up a winner-takes-all showdown on day two.
Garcia, unsurprisingly, also topped Enduro1, edging ever closer to a perfect season. Morgan Lesiardo and Jeremy Sydow rounded out the podium.
Over in the Expotrade Women’s Enduro class, it was Britain’s Rosie Rowett who stole the spotlight. The RIEJU rider was in control from the off, mastering the dry and dusty Welsh terrain to claim a commanding win by over a minute.
Defending champion Rachel Gutish fought back from a slow start to take second, ending the day strongly with late test wins, while Nieve Holmes ensured a double British presence on the podium in third. Mauricette Brisebard and Justine Martel completed the top five, as Elizabeth Tett claimed victory in the Junior Women’s category.
The Tsubaki Junior Enduro class also remains wide open heading into the final day. Triumph’s Leo Joyon kept his title hopes alive with a strong win, finishing 19 seconds clear of championship leader Alberto Elgari. The Italian couldn’t quite wrap up the title but, with an 18-point cushion, still holds the upper hand. Manuel Verzeroli completed the podium, while Romain Dagna took fourth and secured the Junior2 Enduro World Cup.
In the Youth ranks, the celebrations belonged to Pietro Scardina. The TM MOTO youngster rode a smart, controlled race to finish second on the day – more than enough to clinch the Putoline Oil FIM Youth Enduro World Championship. Valentin Mersin took the day win, with Yago Dominguez third.
With titles decided, rivalries intensifying and Garcia chasing a landmark 50th win, all eyes now turn to day two in Wales for one final blast to close out the 2026 season.
More like this…
Enduro Events August 2026
Find endure events near you with our what's on guide for August.