The opening day of racing in the 2026 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia claim victory in Sicily.

• EnduroGP class win for Josep Garcia
• Debut Women’s Enduro victory for Justine Martel
• Spectators treated to stunning day of racing in Custonaci

Day one at the Italian Grand Prix saw the 2026 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship deliver fierce and closely contested racing. The dry, dusty and rocky terrain of Custonaci in Sicily put the 123 entered riders through their paces, with only a few seconds separating the majority of podium finishers after more than one hour of timed special test racing.

Garcia and Holcombe go head-to-head in EnduroGP

From winning Friday’s AKRAPOVIC Super Test, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia opened his day one account in Sicily with the quickest time in the first POLISPORT Extreme Test. The Spaniard led TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Zach Pichon by three seconds, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona third, and the Sherco Racing Factory duo of Steve Holcombe and Hamish Macdonald fourth and fifth, respectively. In all, the top 10 riders were separated by just under nine seconds, setting the tone for what would be a fiercely contested day of racing.

On the following GMOTO Enduro Test, Holcombe set the fastest time on his Sherco over teammate Antoine Magain. Back in the mix following a 2025 season curtailed by a serious knee injury, Holcombe was clearly on pace with his new team setting. The EXPOTRADE Cross Test saw Garcia close out lap one with another quickest time to establish a lead of almost eight seconds over Holcombe in second and Verona in third. Despite nursing a broken thumb sustained pre-season, Pichon was fighting hard in fourth, with Magain looking menacing in fifth, just 0.06 seconds behind the TM MOTO rider.

As they ended lap two with Verona fastest on the EXPOTRADE Cross Test, the overall standings tightened up once more. Garcia now held a slender two-second lead over Holcombe, while Magain in third was holding a two-second advantage over Verona in fourth. Fantic Factory Racing’s Theo Espinasse was firmly in the mix too, sitting just 0.45 seconds behind the KTM rider in fifth. The final five special tests would prove crucial.

Holcombe won the penultimate GMOTO Enduro Test and then beat Garcia on the final EXPOTRADE Cross Test to keep the pressure on the KTM rider. But the defending EnduroGP champ responded perfectly by winning the penultimate test of the day to extend his lead out to six seconds with just the final GMOTO Enduro Test remaining. Despite Holcombe setting the fastest time, Garcia had him covered, diminishing any hopes the Brit had of winning first time out with Sherco. 

Instead, Garcia took the victory, getting the defence of his EnduroGP crown off to a perfect start. Pleased with his efforts, Holcombe ended his day as runner-up, with Verona finally disposing of Magain in fourth to secure the final step of the podium with third. Finishing just 0.11 seconds behind Magain, Espinasse was fifth and looking rejuvenated with Fantic.

Holcombe off to winning start in Enduro3 with Sherco

In what proved to be an emphatic return from injury, Holcombe claimed a well-deserved victory in the Enduro3 class. Espinasse was second, with NSA Racing’s Albin Norrbin third.

In the Enduro1 class, Garcia took the victory on day one over Magain in second, with Triumph Italia Racing’s Morgan Lesiardo in third. 

Verona rode to a 15-second margin of victory in the Enduro2 category, with Pichon second. Beta Factory Team’s Nathan Watson completed the podium in third.

Debut Expotrade Women’s Enduro victory for Martel

The opening day of racing in Italy for the Expotrade FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship became one to remember for France’s Justine Martel (Beta), claiming her debut victory. From the off, the racing was close in the Women’s Enduro class on day one. France’s Lorna Lafont (Husqvarna) won the opening POLISPORT Extreme Test to take up an early lead over Martel in second, with France’s Charlene Boudon (Fantic) in third. 

Ending lap one, Martel had worked her way into the lead, with a five-second advantage over RIEJU Factory Team’s Rachel Gutish in second, with Lafont slipping back to third. Throughout lap two, Martel continued to lead, while a one-minute penalty for Gutish dropped her back to fourth, shaking up the leaderboard. With Lafont back up to second and leading the Junior Women’s class, Italy’s Sara Traini (Triumph) moved into third overall as the second-fastest rider in the Junior Women’s category.

With two tests remaining, Martel began to march clear to a debut win, as Traini and Gutish began to fight for second, pushing Lafont back to fourth. Exiting the final GMOTO Enduro Test, Martel sealed her first-ever world championship victory by 48 seconds as Gutish got the better of rookie Traini to finish second. Traini was rewarded with a debut podium on home soil, while also securing her first-ever Junior Women’s Enduro victory. 

Lafont ended her day in fourth overall while finishing second in Junior Women, with Britain’s Nieve Holmes (Sherco) closing out the top five in the Expotrade Women’s Enduro category on day one in Custonaci.

Elgari takes home win in Tsubaki Junior Enduro

The Tsubaki Junior Enduro class saw TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Alberto Elgari claim a remarkable victory over Team KTM Pro Sport Racing’s Romain Dagna. Both riders have stepped into the Junior Enduro class for the first time in 2026 and are immediately proving themselves as a force to be reckoned with.

On lap one, it was Elgari’s teammate Manuel Verzeroli who exited the opening EXPOTRADE Cross Test with the lead of 0.41 seconds over Dagna, with Elgari a further 3.11 seconds behind in third. At the end of the third POLISPORT Extreme Test, Elgari had fought his way into the lead, pushing Verzeroli back to second, with Dagna shadowing the TM MOTO duo in third. Beta’s Maxime Clauzier held fourth, ahead of NSA Racing’s Kevin Cristino in fifth.

The penultimate GMOTO Enduro Test proved decisive. Verzeroli lost over one minute to his rivals, slipping out of podium contention to ninth. A fastest time by Dagna moved him to within 0.83 seconds of Elgari. Needing to respond, Elgari did exactly that. Fastest in two of the final three tests, he managed to build his lead back out to seven seconds and take his debut Junior Enduro class win. With Dagna second, Clauzier completed the podium in third. Cristino and Fantic Factory Racing’s Thibault Giraudon completed the top five.

Putoline Youth Enduro win for Scardina

In the Putoline Youth Enduro category, TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team’s Pietro Scardina raced to victory. After starting his morning out in seventh, the Italian got to work, fighting his way up to fifth as they ended lap one.

Throughout lap two, it was Fantic Factory Racing’s Riccardo Pasquato who maintained the race lead, holding a slender advantage over Simone Cagnoni (KTM) in second, with WP Eric Ague’s Yago Dominguez third and Scardina now fourth.

Winning the penultimate POLISPORT Extreme Test and GMOTO Enduro Test, Scardina made further inroads into Pasquato’s lead. With the pressure on, Pasquato then made a major mistake on the final POLISPORT Extreme Test, losing 21 seconds. Scardina took over the race lead, controlling it to the finish to claim victory. Pasquato regrouped to take second, with Cagnoni third. Dominguez and Gabriele Melchiorri (TM MOTO) were fourth and fifth, respectively.

Josep Garcia (KTM): “I’m really happy to get the win today on the first day of racing. It was a great battle out there. It was close all day, but it worked out really well for me.”

Justine Martel (Beta): “It’s an amazing feeling to get my first race win. I kept pushing all I could and tried not to make any major mistakes. In the end I made it!”

Alberto Elgari (TM MOTO): “It was an unbelievable day for me. I struggled a little on the first lap, but then got better with each test. To win is amazing for my first time in Junior.”

Pietro Scardina (TM MOTO): “I started the day a little bit slow, with each test I found a better feeling and was able to take the win.”
 

For complete GP of Italy results: https://www.endurogp.com/2026-results/

2026 Information
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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