New Zealand’s Hamish Macdonald is fourth overall after the 2025 EnduroGP world series kicked off with round one in Portugal at the weekend.
The Canterbury man (pictured here) was fifth overall on day one and sixth overall on day two.
Meanwhile, on day two of the opening round of the 2025 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Portugal, the son of former motocross world champion Mikael Pichon, Zach Pichon, clinched his first-ever EnduroGP overall victory, making a significant early mark on the championship.
Andrea Verona narrowly missed out on the win, finishing second, with Josep Garcia completing the podium in third, while Aussie Kyron Bacon impressed again with another dominant Junior class win.
After a solid third-place finish on Saturday, Steve Holcombe came out firing on day two. Holcombe set the fastest time in the first Extreme Test, more than five seconds quicker than day one winner Garcia, before going on to top the next two tests.
By the end of lap one, Holcombe had built a 20-second lead over Pichon, with Garcia close behind. Verona was in fourth, four seconds further down.
Garcia, determined to catch Holcombe, managed to win his first and only test of the day on lap two, slowly closing the gap. However, Pichon, finding his rhythm after several top-three results, claimed the fastest time in the Cross Test, narrowly edging out Holcombe for the win.
By the second Enduro Test of the day, Holcombe had built an impressive 30-second lead over Pichon, who had overtaken Garcia to sit in second. But a crash on the test left Holcombe nursing a knee injury, forcing him to retire and promoting Pichon into the overall lead.
Nathan Watson made a strong push, moving up to fourth after a series of solid results. Samuele Bernardini was close behind, battling for the same position.
The final Extreme Test saw New Zealand’s Macdonald emerge as the winner, with Antoine Magain just over a second behind. Verona pushed hard in the final two tests, winning both, but it wasn’t enough to dethrone Pichon, who took his first-ever overall EnduroGP victory.
Pichon edged out Verona by two seconds, with Garcia securing third.
Reflecting on his debut victory, Pichon said it was a tough day, but staying focused and putting in strong times clearly paid off.
“We’ve worked really hard this winter training and getting the bike set up perfectly, and as soon as I got on the bike this weekend, I felt the difference,” he said. Although surprised to win, he admitted his speed and fitness were right up there with the top guys.
“This win has been a few years in the making, since I stepped up from Junior, so I’m really happy and feeling confident,” he added.
Second-placed Macdonald said he was happy to get another strong finish in Enduro3.
“I struggled a bit this morning but found my groove in the afternoon and managed to push for some good overall times,” he explained. Feeling positive about his riding, he added, “We’ve made some small changes to the bike which have worked well. I’m stoked!”
Garcia lamented his third-place performance. “Today was a really tough day for me,” he admitted. “I pushed a bit too hard yesterday and used up a lot of my energy. I’m not 100% yet, and I did suffer a bit with my shoulder today.”
Still, he fought until the end and was proud of the result, considering his recovery from injury. “Now, it’s time to put the work in to get back to full fitness, and I can’t wait for my home GP in Spain,” he added.
Watson finished fourth, while Bernardini rounded out the top five. Macdonald secured sixth, just four seconds ahead of Mikael Persson in seventh.
In the FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship, Francesca Nocera backed up her day one victory with another win on day two. She narrowly beat Rachel Gutish by two seconds, showing how tight the competition was.
Gutish had a strong start, but Nocera topped every test on lap two to secure the win. Nieve Holmes continued her solid form, securing another podium result.
Reflecting on her win, Nocera said she struggled a bit on the first test and lost some time, but was determined to fight for the win again and go home as the championship leader. “I felt really comfortable with the bike and was able to find my rhythm, so it has been a perfect start to the season,” she said.
In the FIM Junior Women’s Enduro World Cup, Elizabeth Tett emerged victorious again, beating Lorna Lafont by 40 seconds. Matilda Ahlstrom, of Sweden, finished third.
Tett shared her thoughts on the weekend, saying the racing was a lot closer, but she was really happy to take the win again. “The weather definitely helped today, as well as doing one less lap,” she explained.
“I was only hoping for a podium coming into the first round, so to come away with two wins is amazing. The next round is a home race for me in Rhayader, and I can’t wait!”
Despite finishing third overall, Garcia demonstrated his dominance in the Enduro1 category, taking the win ahead of Bernardini. Persson rounded out the podium, marking a successful debut weekend for the team.
Pichon, who claimed the overall victory, also secured the Enduro2 win, beating reigning champion Verona by two seconds. Watson completed the top three in Enduro2.
Verona reflected on his performance, saying day two was a lot better, finishing second overall and second in Enduro2, just two seconds off the win.
“I came up a bit short on the extreme tests, but I brought it back on the other tests so I know what I need to work on now,” he said. “It was a tough fight all day long, but of course I want to win and I’m looking forward to going again in Spain in a few weeks.”
Macdonald made it two wins in two days in Enduro3, with team-mate Magain taking second, just four seconds behind. Julien Roussaly finished third.
In the Junior class, Bacon triumphed once again, proving his consistency with three test victories and three runner-up finishes. Bacon won by nearly 16 seconds, setting himself up as the championship frontrunner. Leo Joyon finished second, while Kevin Cristino had to settle for third after a costly mistake.
Bacon reflected on his successful weekend, saying, “I’ve had a really good start to the championship and it’s great to get two wins this early on. It’s a long season and anything can happen, but the bike feels great and I’m really happy with my riding.”
Staying consistent all day and reducing mistakes allowed him to crack the top 10 overall on a few of the tests. “I’m looking forward to the next round already,” he added.
In the Youth category, Alberto Elgari dominated day two, claiming victory with a 28-second lead over Pietro Scardina. Romain Dagna, day one victor, completed the podium in third.
The 2025 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship continues next month with the GP of Spain in Oliana from May 2–4.
Photo courtesy Sherco
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