Story: Noel Flatters - Editor, The Enduro Bureau
August 08, 2024

It was a relatively quiet week in the Enduro world, but it was still a great one with a spectacular EnduroGP Wales going off in Europe, and FMSQ rolling in New Brunswick, Canada. Add on some ISDE team announcement news, Sam Sunderland’s retirement, the release of the 2025 EnduroGP calendar, a potential Triumph enduro bike siting, and we definitely have some stuff to talk about!

EnduroGP Round 6 | GP Wales

It was a wild weekend in the EnduroGP class. Day 1 was huge for the British, with Steve Holcombe (Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro) taking the overall and Beta Factory Racing’s Brad Freeman taking P2 ahead of Championship leader Josep Garcia (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). The Brits were on a mission in front of the home crowd with Holcombe and Freeman winning 4/11 tests each, and only finishing outside of the top 3 on 2 tests each. Unfortunately for Freeman, his first test saw him finish in P28 with an 11.39 second deficit to test winner Garcia. If he’d managed to limit that deficit to 8 seconds, he would’ve had a good chance of taking the Day 1 overall, but that’s Enduro for you!

Day 2 saw a shuffle of the top 3 in the overall, with Garcia taking a very tight 0.15 second over Freeman in P2, with Holcombe finishing 5.44 seconds behind in P3. With GasGas Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona finishing P4 overall both days, Garcia extended his overall to 17 over the Italian, and Holcombe was able to reduce his points deficit to Verona by 6 points. Garcia sits in a strong position to take the overall in the final round in France, and Holcombe is within striking distance of Verona for P2 overall. It’s going to be a great finale!

Verona came into GP Wales with a 45-point cushion at the top of the Enduro 2 class and was looking to clinch the overall class win in Wales.  Spoiler alert, he did. Taking P1 in class both days, the Italian had effectively sealed the deal on Day 1 before making it mathematically official on Day 2. Verona has won every day of all rounds in Enduro 2, with the exception of Day 2 in Round 1 of GP Portugal where he finished P2.

In the Women’s Enduro Championship, Rieju Factory Racing’s Mireia Badia continued her winning ways by winning both days in Wales. With a 37-point overall lead ahead of teammate Rosie Rowett, Badia looks certain to win the overall barring disaster in France. American Rachel Gutish (Team KBS Sherco) needed a great weekend to bring herself back into contention for P2 overall, but a P4 on Day 1 after struggling in the deep mud holes of the Extreme test didn’t help her cause. She did bounce back on Day 2 with a great P2 finish, but she’ll need help in the final round to overcome her 8-point deficit to Rowett to take that second place overall.

One of the biggest stories of the weekend was the performance of Australian junior Angus Riordan (FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers) in his EnduroGP debut. Riordan, coming off a P2 overall finish at the Hattah Desert Race, a great first half of the GNCC and USSE seasons, and his recent selection to the Australian Junior World Trophy Team for ISDE, showed up and announced himself on the world stage in a BIG way.

Riordan started with a dominant performance in the Akrapovic Super Test, finishing P1 overall by nearly three seconds ahead of Josep Garcia. To follow that up he finished P1 in Junior on Day 1 with a 2.51 second gap to Championship leader Max Ahlin, winning 5/11 special tests in the process.

On Day 2 Riordan finished P2, just 0.48 seconds behind Ahlin and 1.00.15 ahead of Axel Semb who sits P2 overall in the Junior Championship. The young Aussie won 3/10 tests on the day, but crucially never finished outside of the top 3 on any test. It was a great day and weekend for him, and he has, announced himself to the world as a strong contender for ISDE Spain in October.

FMSQ Round 5 – Crabbe Mountain, New Brunswick

The 5th Round of the 2024 FMSQ Championship headed to the East coast of Canada and Crabbe Mountain in New Brunswick. This was going to be an interesting one to watch after a reshuffling of the Canadian ISDE Men’s and Junior Trophy Teams saw series contender Phil Chainé (KTM Canada / Fly Racing Canada) back on the Men’s team as Owen McKill (GasGas Canada / TLD / Riders Edge) moved to the Junior team to replace an injured Kenny Henderson (Sorry Bro Racing / Sherco). Men’s team member Ryder Heacock (Beta Racing Canada) had been having a tough season to date and was looking to show the pace he’s capable of through a full race.

Over a steep and rocky course, it was series leader and ISDE Trophy Team member Alexandre Gougeon (Husqvarna Canada / MVM Motosport) who took the win ahead of Loic Leonard (Kawasaki Canada / Evo Suspension) and Chainé. Heacock was able to get the ride he needed with a P5, while McKill had an up-and-down day to finish in P6.

Gougeon continues to lead the Overall with 119 points ahead of Chainé (101), Leonard (93), and McKill (85).

In the Women’s race it was Véronique Pellerin-Chainé (Sherco Canada / Fox Racing Canada / FC Suspension) taking the win out over recent ISDE Trophy Team addition Emma Sharpless (KTM Canada / Wheelsport / Motovan Inc.) and Catherine Desrochers (KTM).  Pellerin-Chainé had missed Round 4 after winning the first 3 rounds, which has tightened up the Overall standings. Desrochers sits in P1 overall with 103 points ahead of Sharpless (101 points), and Pellerin-Chainé (100 points). 

Sam Sunderland Retirement

It was a bittersweet moment for the Red Bull Factory Racing Rally program last week as 2x World Champion and 2x Dakar winner Sam Sunderland announced his immediate retirement from professional racing.

Sam Sunderland: “It is with gratitude, humility, a bit of sadness, but without regret, that I announce my retirement from motorcycle racing after having a career that I dreamed of once upon a time. From winning two world championships to my two Dakar victories, it’s been an incredible run. I would like to thank everyone that has been a part of this chapter and I’m looking forward to staying close to the team and playing a part in supporting their race efforts in the future.”

We’re looking forward to seeing Sam in his next role with the team, and wish him all the best as he moves on to the next stage of his life!

Team GB ISDE Team Announcement

Team GB announced their 2024 ISDE Trophy Team selections at EnduroGP Wales this past weekend. On the Men’s Trophy Team it will be Steve Holcombe (E2), Jack Edmonson (E3), Josh Gotts (E2), and Dan Mundell (E2).

The Women’s World Trophy Team is made up of Nieve Holmes (E1), Libby Tett (E1), and Emily Hall (E1).

The Junior World Trophy Team will see Harry Edmonson (E2), Max Ingham (E1), and Sam Davies (E1).

2025 EnduroGP Schedule  Release

Prime Stadium Eventos, promoters of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship, announced the provisional schedule for the 2025 Championship, which sees an expansion to eight rounds running from April to October.

Round 1: GP of Portugal – 4-6 April

Round 2: GP of Spain – 2-4 May

Round 3: GP of Sweden – 23-25 May

Round 4: GP of Romania – 20-22 June

Round 5: GP of Wales – 1-3 August

Round 6: GP of France – 12-14 September

Round 7: GP of Italy – 26-28 September

Round 8: GP of Germany – 17-19 October

Triumph Enduro Bike Sighting at EnduroGP?

In an interesting sidenote to GP Wales, there was an interesting Triumph bike sighting with a not yet released bike sitting under the Fast Eddy Racing tent. Could Triumph be putting a bike into EnduroGP competition next year after their MXGP and Supercross successes??  Fingers crossed for this one!