Tsubaki FIM Junior Enduro World Championship Mid-Season Report

The battle for honours in the Tsubaki FIM Junior Enduro World Championship heats up as the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship approaches the midway point of the season.

With the first three rounds of FIM EnduroGP contested in Italy, Spain and Finland, and four rounds remaining, it’s Team KTM Pro Racing Sport’s Romain Dagna who heads a two-way fight with TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Alberto Elgari in this year’s Tsubaki FIM Junior Enduro World Championship.

Both class rookies for 2026, the duo have claimed the majority of race wins between them, with Dagna currently holding a slender three-point lead over Elgari. However, with a resurgent NSA Racing’s Kevin Cristino stealing a race win at the GP of Finland, things look set to develop into a three-rider title fight.

When the opening round of the 2026 EnduroGP season began in Sicily in early April, it was Elgari who hit the ground running with a double race win in the Tsubaki Junior Enduro category. Despite it being filled with many seasoned favourites, Elgari topped the podium each day in his class debut.

At round two he kept momentum high, finishing third on day one before winning on day two. Mixed fortunes in Finland saw his championship lead slip away with a 5-3 scorecard, but with three race wins already in the bag, he will look for more as the Portuguese double header of rounds four and five approaches next week.

For 2025 FIM Youth Enduro World Champion, Dagna, his pace in the Tsubaki Junior Enduro class has been a match of Elgari’s, but it’s his added consistency that’s seen him take over as the new points leader ahead of round four in Portugal.

Although finishing twice as runner-up to Elgari in Sicily, the young Frenchman got his first win of the season on day one at the Polisport GP of Spain. Second on day two in Spain kept the pressure on his TM MOTO rival, but it was in Finland where he gained an advantage. A win on day one backed up with a fourth-place finish on day two put him to the top of the leaderboard.

While rookies Dagna and Elgari appear to have caught everyone off guard with their consistency and pace during the first two rounds, in Finland we saw NSA Racing’s Kevin Cristino begin to make inroads to them. Cristino, vice-champion in 2025, didn’t get off to the best of starts at his home Grand Prix in Italy and then struggled to put a full weekend together in Spain. But at round three, the pace many expected of him began to shine through.

Runner-up on day one, the Italian raced to a very strong 28-second margin of victory on day two. That win has delivered a much-needed boost of confidence for the Husqvarna rider, who commented that he felt his season was back on track and the comeback was on. These next two rounds in Fafe, Portugal should prove telling for Cristino as he focuses on closing an 18-point deficit to Dagna.

Behind the top three, it’s Triumph Factory Racing’s Leo Joyon who holds fourth overall. The Frenchman is enjoying a strong season to date, reaching the podium twice while placing inside the top-five four times. Although needing a little more pace to bridge the gap to the top three on a regular basis, Joyon is well-positioned to capitalise on any mistakes they make.

Fantic Factory Racing’s Thibault Giraudon completes the top five in fifth. A non-score on day two in Spain hurt his points tally, but thanks to a podium result on day one in Finland, the Frenchman knows he has the speed to chase down Joyon.

Australia’s Will Dennett will be one to watch during the next two rounds. The Johansson MPE rider only joined EnduroGP full-time in 2026, but is proving to be a fast learner. Sixth on day one in Italy, fourth on day two in Spain and now, runner-up on day two in Finland shows he’s quickly moving in the right direction, and is a competitor the leading riders will need to have on their radar.

In the FIM Junior1 Enduro World Cup, Elgari leads by 12 points over Joyon, with France’s Clement Clauzier (Beta) rounding out the top three.

In the FIM Junior2 Enduro World Cup, Dagna tops the standings by a sizable 20 points. Cristino holds second, with Giraudon in third.

The seven-round Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship continues with round four in Fafe, Portugal, on 12-14 June.

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