Day one at Polisport EnduroGP of Spain marks home win for Josep Garcia

Day one at the Polisport GP of Spain, round two of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship, saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia claim victory on home soil.

• Victory for Josep Garcia in EnduroGP
• Rachel Gutish secures win in Expotrade Women’s Enduro
• Debut victory for Romain Dagna in Tsubaki Junior Enduro

The opening day of racing at round two of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Oliana, Spain, kept riders on their toes with mixed weather conditions. While never enough rain to create heavy mud, the light rain resulted in unpredictable levels of grip on the slippery terrain.

Garcia takes EnduroGP home win in Oliana

Starting day one motivated by his Friday night AKRAPOVIC Super Test win, Garcia was keen to strengthen his lead in the Polisport GP of Spain. However, slippery conditions for the opening EXPOTRADE Cross Test of the day saw many of the early starters caught out in the rain. That worked in Sherco Racing Factory’s Julien Roussaly’s favour, with the Frenchman leading early on, ahead of Garcia and TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Zach Pichon.

As they ended lap one, Beta Factory Team’s Brad Freeman led Garcia by just 0.35 seconds and was hungry to add to his win tally from the GP of Italy. Sherco Racing Factory’s Steve Holcombe held third, with Pichon fourth and Freeman’s teammate Nathan Watson holding down the remainder of the top five.

After lap two of three, Freeman had stretched his advantage out to a very healthy 16 seconds, thanks to a sizable win on the GMOTO Enduro Test. Entering the final lap, it would be all to play for between the top riders.

With Sherco Racing Factory’s Hamish Macdonald edging out Garcia and Pichon to win the final EXPOTRADE Cross Test, mistakes by Freeman saw his lead reduced to 10 seconds. On the following GMOTO Enduro Test, the leading positions changed once more. A crash by Freeman lost him almost one minute, dropping him down the leaderboard to eighth.

Garcia now led by 32 seconds over Holcombe, with Macdonald up to third but chased hard by Verona, Pichon and Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team’s Samuele Bernardini. With the POLISPORT Extreme Test closing out day one, Garcia claimed the overall EnduroGP win.

Mechanical troubles robbed Holcombe of a potential second-place result, allowing Macdonald to step forward and secure the runner-up position – a best-ever result for the New Zealander. Verona finished just 1.55 seconds behind Macdonald in third, with Pichon taking fourth ahead of Bernardini in fifth.

Macdonald celebrates with debut Enduro2 class win

It was a day to celebrate for Macdonald with the New Zealander claiming his first win in the Enduro2 class. Verona was unable to get the better of the Sherco rider and had to settle for second. Pichon completed the top three.

Adding to his day one win tally, Garcia topped the Enduro1 category. Bernardini held off KR69 World Enduro Team’s Axel Semb in the battle for the runner-up spot to take second. Semb, the 2025 Junior Enduro World Champion, has shown he’s found his feet in the senior ranks to secure his maiden podium with third.

Despite an end of day injury, Freeman was still able to finish day one and take the Enduro3 class win. Sherco Racing Factory’s Julien Roussaly was second, with TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Matteo Cavallo on the podium in third.

Winning ride for Gutish in Expotrade Women’s Enduro

The Expotrade FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship saw RIEJU Factory Team’s Rachel Gutish claim her first victory of the season with a win on day one in Spain. After a tough season opener for the defending world champion in Sicily, the American made no mistakes this time around to top the podium.

Behind her, it was her teammate Rosie Rowett who claimed second to make it a memorable day for the RIEJU Factory Team in what is their home Grand Prix. Rowett put in a strong ride, claiming multiple special tests wins on her way to second place, showing that she is now getting back to top form following her off-season knee injury.

Behind the top two, it was ET James Sherco UK’s Nieve Holmes who completed the podium in third. Holmes edged out France’s Marine Lemoine (KTM) by just 1.46 seconds to secure her first top three result since the GP of Portugal II last year.

With the support of her home crowd behind her, Spain’s Maria San Miguel (RIEJU) beat France’s Lorna Lafont (Husqvarna) by 0.63 seconds to claim fifth. Although missing out on a top five result, Lafont would still be pleased by ending her day with the Expotrade Junior Women’s Enduro class win.

Dagna secures debut Tsubaki Junior Enduro victory

Claiming his debut victory in the Tsubaki Junior Enduro class on day one in Oliana, Team KTM Pro Racing Sport’s Romain Dagna has firmly cemented himself as a top contender in the category. In what is only his rookie season in the category, the Frenchman hardly put a foot wrong all day. Taking two fastest times in the EXPOTRADE Cross Test, while not slipping outside of the top four, saw the 2025 FIM Youth Enduro World Champion win by 1.39 seconds.

Fighting hard all day with Dagna were the Italian duo of NSA Racing’s Kevin Cristino and TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Alberto Elgari. Cristino was eager to make amends for his ill fortune at round one, while Elgari – another class rookie – was hungry to add to his win tally from Sicily. In the end, it would be Cristino who placed as runner-up to Dagna, with Elgari finishing six seconds behind Cristino in third.

Behind the top three, WP Eric Ague’s Alex Puey put in a superb ride in what is his home race. Following his AKRAPOVIC Super Test win on Friday evening, the Spaniard ended day one in fourth. Triumph Factory Racing’s Leo Joyon completed the top five, finishing three seconds behind Puey.

Comfortable victory for Scardina in Putoline Oil Youth Enduro

The Putoline Oil Youth Enduro class saw TM MOTO Costa Ligure’s Pietro Scardina claim his second victory of the season on day one at the Polisport GP of Spain. The young Italian had the measure of his classmates, riding clear to a very healthy 27-second margin of victory.

Fantic Factory Racing’s Riccardo Pasquato put in a consistent ride to finish as runner-up behind Scardina, with WP Eric Ague’s Yago Dominguez completing the top three. Team KTM Pro Racing Sport’s Simone Cagnoni was fourth, with Fantic Factory Racing’s Valentin Mersin fifth.

Josep Garcia (KTM): “It’s always an incredible feeling to win at home like this. My feeling on the bike was really good, but in the first two laps I made many mistakes. So on the last lap I knew I needed to push. I was enjoying the battle with Brad (Freeman), until he crashed, so I wish him a speedy recovery and I look forward to going again tomorrow.”

Rachel Gutish (RIEJU): “I’m super happy to be back on the top step of the podium after a disappointing start to the season in Sicily. I had the speed there to win, but was held back with some problems. Today, everything was under control and I got the win.”

Romain Dagna (KTM): “I was close in Sicily to the victory, so to take it today is fantastic. It got really close at the end, with the gap just 1.5 seconds, but my first victory in Junior Enduro is so nice, and I will keep pushing tomorrow.”

Pietro Scardina (TM MOTO): “The conditions were not so easy. I made some mistakes, but came back well to finish strong with the win.”

Polisport GP of Spain complete results: https://www.endurogp.com/2026-results/

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

2026 Expotrade FIM Women’s Enduro 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 Portugal – Fafe – 12-14 June
Round 4: GP of Portugal II – Fafe – 19-21 June
Round 5: GP of Wales – Rhayader – 7-9 August