2025 FIM EnduroGP Round 1 Results

Cycle News Staff | April 7, 2025

The 2025 FIM EnduroGP Championship got underway, April 5-6, in Fafe, Portugal. Two winners emerged, with Red Bull KTM’s Josep Garcia taking the overall EnduroGP victory on Saturday and TM Moto’s Zach Pichon winning the overall on Sunday.

Josep Garcia at 2025 EnduroGP of Portugal — **Josep Garcia came out of the gate swinging, winning day one despite a recent broken collarbone.**

The first day of the competition featured a four-way battle involving Garcia, Steve Holcombe, Pichon and Andrea Verona. All four competitors won tests throughout the day, but it was Garcia who prevailed, topping the leaderboard by just five seconds over Pichon, followed closely by Holcombe and Verona, who missed the podium by 10 seconds. Sherco’s Hamish MacDonald rounded out the top five.

Garcia’s opening-day win was impressive, considering he had surgery to repair a broken collarbone just 30 days earlier. “It doesn’t feel real,” he said. “One month ago, I was in hospital having surgery on my collarbone, so I didn’t get on the bike until five days ago. My expectations weren’t this high, so I’m very pleased. I know I can do even better, as I still made a lot of mistakes today. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, as I’m feeling better on the bike with every hour I ride. I’m really happy!”

Zach Pichon at 2025 EnduroGP of Portugal — **TM’s Zach Pichon topped day two for his first career EnduroGP victory.**

Runner-up Pichon said, “I had a difficult start to the day with a lot of mistakes, but I managed to bring it back by the end of the day and beat a lot of the top guys.”

“Today was a bit difficult, and one big mistake set me back quite a lot,” said Holcombe of the Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team. “I would have liked to have finished higher, but getting a podium on the first day of the season is a good position to be in. I definitely felt better on the last lap, and I was improving, so overall, I’m happy and looking forward to tomorrow.”

Day two looked to be all Holcombe’s. The Brit jumped out to an early lead, building a 30-second gap between him and Pichon. Unfortunately for the Honda rider, he fell in a test and injured his knee, forcing him out of the race.

Steve Holcombe, 2025 EnduroGP round 1 — **Steve Holcombe saw his 2025 EnduroGP World Championship aspirations take a serious hit on day two after he was forced to retire from the lead following an injury to his left knee.**

After enjoying his maiden podium on Saturday, Pichon went on to win day two, his first EnduroGP victory of his career. He edged out Verona by a scant two seconds.

Day-one winner Garcia admitted feeling a little fatigued on Sunday but still got on the podium with third. Beta’s Nathan Watson was fourth and Honda rider Samuele Bernardini rounded out the top five.

Andrea Verona. at EnduroGP round 1 — **On the second day, Andrea Verona was second overall and second in Enduro2, just two seconds off the win.**

“That was a tough day,” Pichon said. “I stayed focused all day and put in some good times, which clearly paid off. We’ve worked hard this winter training and getting the bike set up perfectly, and as soon as I got on the bike this weekend, I felt the difference. I was surprised to win, but I know that my speed and fitness are up there with the top guys now, which is exciting. This win has been a few years in the making since I stepped up from Junior, so I’m happy and feeling confident.”

“Day two was a lot better for me,” said Verona. “Finishing second overall and second in Enduro2, just two seconds off the win. I came up a bit short on the extreme tests, but I brought it back on the other tests, so I know what I need to work on now. It was a tough fight all day long.”

Garcia said, “Today was a tough day for me. I pushed a bit too hard yesterday and used up a lot of my energy. I’m not 100 percent yet, and I did suffer a bit with my shoulder today. I fought until the end, and overall, I’m proud of my results this weekend, considering I’m coming back from injury. Now, it’s time to put the work in to get back to full fitness, and I can’t wait for my home GP in Spain!”

In the EnduroGP Championship, Pichon is the leader by two points over Garcia, 37-35. Verona is third with 30.

Rachel Gutish at 2025 EnduroGP of Portugal — **American Rachel Gutish fought for the win in the FIM Women’s Enduro division but finished second overall on her new Factory Rieju ride.**

American Rachel Gutish had a strong showing in her debut on the Rieju Factory Racing Team. Gutish finished second in the Women’s Enduro World Championship division, both times behind double-winner Francesca Nocera on the HRC Honda. Gutish finished under a minute behind Nocera on Saturday and just missed winning on Sunday, finishing just two seconds in back of Nocera.

“The EnduroGP round in Portugal was quite good, with variable weather conditions, from torrential rain to bright sunshine,” Gutish said. “Both the rally and the special stages were tough and challenging; it was real enduro. Overall, I am happy with my results, finishing second on both days. Given that we only planned to race EnduroGP two weeks ago and that the Rieju is still new to me, I think it’s a good result. Of course, second place won’t be enough to win the championship, so I still have a lot of work ahead of me before Wales! But I’m really looking forward to it, and I really appreciate all the help and support from Rieju, who make this EnduroGP season possible.”

Round two, the GP of Spain, is May 2-4 in Oliana, and the next round for the FIM Enduro Women’s World Championship is August 1-3 at the GP of Wales in Rhayader. CN