Garcia and Rowett dominate EnduroGP of Wales
By Team TMX on 5th Aug 25
A huge crowd of enthusiastic fans witnessed two days of world-class enduro action at Cwmythig Hill and neighbouring Saintswell as the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship returned to the UK for round four.
The Forsiteservices GP of Wales kicked off with Friday night’s AKRAPOVIC Super Test where Spain’s Josep Garcia laid down an unbeatable time and continued into a gripping weekend of racing that saw dominant performances from Garcia along with victory for home favourite Rosie Rowett.
The Super Test served up a fantastic opening spectacle under clear skies, with wildcards, Juniors, and factory stars pushing the limit. Australian wildcard Angus Riordan (KTM) impressed early on, topping the timesheets for much of the evening until Daniel McCanney (Beta) and Davide Soreca (Kawasaki) raised the bar. But it was TM MOTO’s Zach Pichon and ultimately Red Bull KTM’s Josep Garcia who stole the show, the Spaniard snatching victory with a commanding run, beating Pichon by 1.23 seconds.
The Women’s class provided one of the tightest Super Test battles, as Nieve Holmes (Sherco) edged out Rachel Gutish (RIEJU) by just 0.10 seconds, while Elizabeth Tett (TM MOTO) took third. Riordan held on for the Junior class win, while Romain Dagna (KTM) topped the Youth class.
On Saturday, Garcia showed no signs of letting up, setting the pace from the outset. Winning the opening ACERBIS Cross Test, POLISPORT Extreme Test, and later the GMOTO Enduro Test, he built a 20-second advantage and managed the lead perfectly across all nine special tests to claim a dominant day-one win.
Behind him, Andrea Verona (GASGAS) and Zach Pichon scrapped for second. After a tough opening lap, Pichon responded brilliantly, topping multiple tests in the second half of the day to beat Verona by five seconds. Mikael Persson (Triumph) enjoyed his best result of the season in fourth, ahead of Samuele Bernardini (Honda).
In the class battles, Garcia comfortably won Enduro1, Pichon took Enduro2 with a brilliant late charge, and Hamish Macdonald (Sherco) claimed Enduro3, leading a clean sweep for Sherco alongside Antoine Magain and Julien Roussaly.
The Women’s class saw a breakthrough moment for Britain’s Rosie Rowett (RIEJU), who claimed her maiden GP win after a tense showdown with teammate Gutish. Despite mistakes late on, Rowett stormed the final Cross Test to snatch the win. Francesca Nocera (Honda) completed the podium.
In the Junior ranks, Kevin Cristino (Fantic) finally got the win he’s been chasing all season, leading from the front to beat Leo Joyon (Beta) and Axel Semb (Fantic). Romain Dagna also won Youth honours, holding off Alberto Elgari (TM MOTO) by five seconds.
Sunday brought rain and more drama. Garcia stayed cool despite the slippery conditions, trading times with Pichon all morning. But on the penultimate GMOTO Enduro Test, Pichon faltered, handing Garcia the breathing room he needed to secure his second overall victory of the weekend. Pichon still finished second, with Bernardini fending off Persson for third.
Garcia made it eight wins from eight in Enduro1. In Enduro2, Pichon took the win after Verona crashed in the early going, allowing Max Ahlin (KTM) to slip into second for a career-best finish. Enduro3 once again went to Macdonald, making it seven wins in 2025.
In the Women’s Enduro class, Rowett backed up her Saturday win with another masterclass. After an early test win by Gutish and a brief lead for Holmes, Rowett pulled ahead and stayed there, closing the weekend with back-to-back victories on home soil. Gutish and Nocera rounded out the podium.
Lorna Lafont (Sherco) took the win in the Junior Women’s category on day two, while Tett and Wales’ own Delun Davies joined her on the podium.
In Juniors, Cristino completed the double, while Dagna continued his fine form in Youth to also go 1-1 in Wales.
The EnduroGP paddock now shifts to Vila de Rei, Portugal for round five on September 12-14, where Garcia looks to keep his winning streak alive and the title fights enter a crucial stage.
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