New Zealand’s Hamish Macdonald was crowned FIM Enduro3 World Champion on the opening day of racing at the GP of Germany in Zschopau at the weekend.
The Sherco Racing Factory rider from Christchurch clinched his maiden senior title in the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship with one day to spare, so it was Enduro3 title celebrations for Macdonald on day one in Germany
The seventh and final round of the 2025 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship got underway in earnest, with day one at the GP of Germany delivering excitement, drama and celebration in Zschopau.
Beginning his day with an 18-point lead in the Enduro3 title chase, Macdonald was focused on getting the job done on day one.
Throughout the day he was locked in a fierce battle with his closest rival and team-mate, Antoine Magain. Knowing that by beating Magain would secure him his first senior class world championship, the New Zealander did confidently by taking victory.
Returning to the paddock at the end of the day, Macdonald and the entire Sherco Racing Factory team celebrated in style. As the newly crowned FIM Enduro3 World Champion, Macdonald is now a three-time world champion and the first New Zealander to claim a senior class title.
In the fight for EnduroGP honours, eyes were on Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia. The championship leader had limped home from the previous round in Italy with multiple injuries, but firmly put them behind him with a statement ride on day one in Zschopau.
The Spaniard was masterful in the extremely tough and demanding conditions. From winning the opening GMOTO Enduro Test, he claimed six wins out of a total 13 special tests as he raced his way to a commanding 48-second margin of victory.
Giving chase, GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona won the opening Cross Test, but a major error on the second Enduro Test from the Italian allowed Garcia to build an advantage that would prove unattainable. Signing off with the fastest time in the final Extreme Test, Verona had to be content with second.
In the fight for third, it was Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team’s Samuele Bernardini who claimed his third EnduroGP podium result of 2025. Bernardini was involved in an intense battle with Team KTM Pro Racing Sport’s Max Ahlin, and the Sherco Racing Factory quartet of Macdonald, Magain, Theo Espinasse and Jeremy Sydow for the position.
In the end, Bernardini fended off Macdonald in fourth by seven seconds to finish on the podium, with Magain placing 16 seconds behind Macdonald in fifth. Just one second behind, Sydow took sixth, while Ahlin finished 0.25 seconds behind Sydow after almost one hour and 20 minutes of timed special test racing to finish seventh, proving just how competitive this year’s EnduroGP class is.
The Enduro2 category saw a big upset in the fight for this year’s championship between Verona and points leader, TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Zach Pichon.
With Verona powering ahead for the win, Pichon suffered his worst result of the season in fifth. Entering the final day of the season, Verona is the new championship leader, with a seven-point advantage over the Frenchman. Ahlin and Espinasse joined Verona on the podium in second and third, respectively.
In the Enduro3 class, we saw the crowning of Macdonald as the 2025 world champion. The New Zealander led home team-mate Magain in second to secure his 10th victory of the season. Julien Roussaly made it a Sherco 1-2-3.
Garcia was at his best in the Enduro1 category, winning by one minute and 34 seconds. Bernardini followed him home for second, while an on-form Sydow gave his home crowd plenty to cheer for with third.
Asserting herself as the champion elect of the FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship, RIEJU Factory Team’s Rachel Gutish claimed a commanding victory on day one in Zschopau. The American was in her element on the unforgiving terrain, riding clear to a one-minute-and-28-second margin of victory.
Behind her, it was HRC Honda’s Francesca Nocera who ended her day in second. The Italian fared well on the ACERBIS Cross Test, but had no answer for Gutish on the GMOTO Enduro Test. Gutish’s team-mate Rosie Rowett put in a strong ride to claim third, with Justine Martel (Beta) and Marine Lemoine (KTM) rounding out the top five.
The Expotrade Junior Women’s Enduro class saw Lorna Lafont (Sherco) take an important win over her championship rival, Electraction TM MOTO’s Elizabeth Tett in second. Poland’s Maja Kozolowska (KTM) completed the podium in third.
Hamish Macdonald (Sherco): “From winning in 2019 in Youth, 2020 in Junior and now, 2025 with the big boys in Enduro3, it’s unbelievable. I can’t complain! I mean, it’s been a lot of hard work to get here to this moment, but we did it. It’s hard to put these emotions into words.”
Photo supplied
Find BikesportNZ.com on FACEBOOK here
2026 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship:
Round 1: GP of Italy – Custonaci, Sicily – 10-12 April
Round 2: GP of Spain – Oliana – 1-3 May
Round 3: GP of Finland – Vierumäki, Salpausselkä – 22-24 May
Round 4: GP of Portugal – Fafe – 12-14 June
Round 5: GP of Portugal II – Fafe – 19-21 June
Round 6: GP of France – Saint-Agrève – 17-19 July
Round 7: GP of Wales – Rhayader – 7-9 August