EnduroGP Wales: Day Two report
By Team TMX on 10th Aug 26
The curtain came down on the 2026 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Wales with a day of high drama, landmark wins and a flurry of world titles decided at the Forsiteservices GP.
With Josep Garcia already crowned EnduroGP king, the Spaniard had one final target in his sights – and he delivered. The Red Bull KTM ace signed off his season in style with a controlled, clinical ride to secure his 50th career EnduroGP victory.
Fast from the off, Garcia stamped his authority on proceedings to lead by 12 seconds after lap one, with teammate Andrea Verona giving chase. Despite late pressure from both Verona and Zach Pichon as the tests cut up and conditions worsened, Garcia never faltered, managing the gap to perfection to bring up a half-century of wins in emphatic fashion.
Behind him, the fight for second doubled as a title decider – and it went right down to the wire.
Verona and Pichon went head-to-head for the Enduro2 crown, trading blows throughout the day before the Italian edged it by just six seconds at the flag. The result not only secured Verona the 2026 Enduro2 World Championship, but also marked his ninth world title – underlining his status as one of the sport’s modern greats.
Pichon was forced to settle for third on the day and second in the championship, while Britain’s Nathan Watson backed up his strong home GP form with fourth overall, just ahead of Morgan Lesiardo.
There was better news for the home crowd in Enduro3, where Steve Holcombe dug deep to secure yet another world title. The Sherco rider endured a nervy start but recovered when it mattered, doing enough to hold off Brad Freeman and claim his 10th world crown – and back-to-back titles for Sherco in the class.
In the Junior ranks, Alberto Elgari kept his cool to wrap up the Tsubaki Junior Enduro World Championship. The TM MOTO rider rode a measured race under pressure, bringing it home in fifth on the day – more than enough to secure his first world title. Up front, Leo Joyon continued his late-season charge with a dominant win, finishing well clear of Kevin Cristino and Manuel Verzeroli.
Over in the Expotrade Women’s Enduro class, Rachel Gutish ensured she ended her title-winning campaign on a high. The American was in control from the outset, winning the opening tests and never looking back as she powered to victory by 53 seconds.
Behind her, it was a proper scrap for the remaining podium places. Britain’s Rosie Rowett – a winner on day one – had to dig deep to fend off a charging Nieve Holmes, eventually securing second by less than nine seconds, with Holmes completing a strong British showing in third. The final championship standings mirrored the podium, with Gutish confirmed as world champion ahead of Rowett and Holmes.
In the Junior Women’s category, France’s Lorna Lafont took a commanding victory to secure the 2026 World Cup, finishing ahead of Charlene Boudon.
The Youth class rounded out the action, with newly crowned champion Pietro Scardina putting an exclamation mark on his season. The Italian controlled proceedings from lap one to take a convincing win, with Yago Dominguez second and Riccardo Pasquato third.
With titles decided, milestones reached and another season in the books, EnduroGP now signs off for 2026 – with the series set to return in April 2027 for the opening round in Spain.
