New Zealand’s Hamish Macdonald opened his 2025 EnduroGP campaign in Portugal at the weekend in strong form, securing a hard-fought Enduro3 class win and leading a Sherco 1-2-3 in the class.
The Canterbury man was fifth overall for the day.
The 2025 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship got underway in Fafe, Portugal, with Spain’s Josep Garcia making a triumphant return from injury to claim victory on day one of the opening round.
Despite only getting back on the bike five days ago following collarbone surgery, the Spaniard showed his class with a composed and determined ride to top the EnduroGP podium. Australia’s Kyron Bacon also made a strong start to his season, taking a hard-fought win in the ultra-competitive Junior category.
“It doesn’t feel real!” Garcia admitted. “One month ago, I was in the hospital having surgery on my collarbone, so I didn’t get on the bike until five days ago. My expectations weren’t this high so I’m very pleased … I’m really happy!”
Heavy rain on Friday night made for a slippery and unpredictable Super Test, which saw SuperEnduro rider Dominik Olszowy pull off a surprise win. Thankfully, conditions improved by Saturday as the riders tackled the full course through Fafe’s rugged, boulder-strewn terrain – scenery that always makes the Portuguese round a fan favourite.
Garcia wasted no time setting the pace, winning the opening Extreme Test by over two seconds. Britain’s Steve Holcombe responded with the quickest time in the first Cross Test, taking an early overall lead ahead of Spain’s Andrea Verona and French rider Zach Pichon, who quickly threw himself into podium contention.
The opening lap ended with Garcia closing the gap to Holcombe to just one second, thanks to a win on the Enduro Test. Garcia then retook the lead on the second run through the Extreme Test, while Pichon surged to second on the test, narrowly edging out Verona. The reigning Enduro2 champ Verona then responded with back-to-back test wins, giving him a seven-second lead at the end of lap two.
Heading into the final lap, Holcombe and Garcia were locked in a tight battle for second, just two seconds apart, while Pichon sat ten seconds adrift in fourth but clearly had more in the tank. The Frenchman found his groove late in the day, winning two of the final three tests and leapfrogging into second overall. Holcombe took a final test win to close out the day but had to settle for third.
“I had a difficult start to the day with a lot of mistakes,” Pichon said. “But I managed to bring it back by the end of the day and beat a lot of the top guys. I’m really happy to win Enduro2, and it’s my first overall EnduroGP podium ever, which is quite special.”
Holcombe, while happy with a podium finish, acknowledged it wasn’t a flawless day. “One big mistake set me back quite a lot. I definitely felt better on the last lap, and I was improving, so overall I’m happy.”
Verona’s two test wins weren’t enough to keep him on the box, finishing fourth overall, just over 10 seconds behind Holcombe. Behind him, Sherco Factory Racing’s Macdonald (pictured above, second from the left), from Christchurch, rounded out the top five, just under a minute behind the winner.
Macdonald also had plenty to smile about, leading Sherco’s podium lockout in the Enduro3 class, finishing ahead of team-mates Antoine Magain and Julien Roussaly. “I’m really happy with the E3 win, it’s a solid start to the championship!” Macdonald said. “The tests were relentless and I have no doubt tomorrow will be just as tough.”
Garcia also took the Enduro1 class win with a commanding margin of over one minute, ahead of Samuele Bernardini and Triumph’s Mikael Persson – an impressive debut for the British brand in EnduroGP.
Enduro2 proved to be the most tightly-contested class, with only 13 seconds separating the top three. Pichon took the win, followed by Holcombe and Verona.
In the Junior ranks, it was a hard-fought affair between Australian Bacon and Kevin Cristino, both taking three test wins. Ultimately, Bacon came out on top by just over two seconds. “It’s great to get a win at round one,” said the Tasmanian.
“My riding is a lot smoother, which has helped me make fewer mistakes. I’m looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow!”
Leo Joyon completed the Junior podium after winning the opening test of the day.
In the Youth class, Romain Dagna was dominant, taking seven of nine test wins to finish with a comfortable 30-second advantage. Alberto Elgari took second with two test wins, and Pietro Scardina rounded out the top three.
The newly-formed Expotrade FIM Junior Women’s Enduro World Cup made its debut in Fafe. Elizabeth Tett took the inaugural win after trading test victories with Lorna Lafont and Matilda Ahlstrom. Tett built a strong two-minute lead by day’s end.
“I had a great day,” said Tett. “It’s nice to be in a class with people more similar to my age, and I’m really happy to have taken the win!”
Meanwhile, Francesca Nocera dominated the Women’s Enduro World Championship class, winning five tests and finishing over a minute ahead of Rachel Gutish and Sherco’s Nieve Holmes.
“I’m super happy to be back on the top of the podium!” Nocera said. “It was a great day and I pushed hard the whole time, even though the tests were quite tough in the changing weather.”
With plenty of tight racing and standout performances across every category, day one of the EnduroGP season delivered in a big way. All eyes now turn to day two in Portugal as riders look to build momentum early in the championship.
Photo courtesy Sherco
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