EnduroGP of Italy | Garcia leads Sicily opener as Freeman shines on Sunday

Round One – EnduroGP of Italy

The 2026 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship burst into life in Custonaci, Sicily, with the rocky, dusty and technical Italian opener immediately delivering a tight outright fight and clear early championship storylines across the classes.

Josep Garcia won day one and left Italy leading EnduroGP and Enduro1, Brad Freeman struck back on Sunday, Andrea Verona completed a perfect Enduro2 weekend on home soil, and Steve Holcombe marked his Sherco return with immediate front-running pace, while Junior, Women, Youth and the Open categories all added depth to a busy and significant first round.

EnduroGP

Garcia strikes first as Sicily launches the season

The 2026 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship opener in Sicily delivered the kind of opening round the series would have hoped for, with the dry, dusty and rocky terrain around Custonaci quickly producing a fiercely contested outright fight.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Josep Garcia

Josep Garcia came in as the defending champion and backed that status up on Saturday, but the weekend was never one-sided. Friday’s Super Test had already put Garcia on the front foot, and he carried that pace into day one by topping the opening Extreme Test, yet Steve Holcombe was immediately in the picture on his Sherco debut, winning the first Enduro Test and establishing himself as Garcia’s main challenger. By the end of lap one, Garcia had opened a lead of almost eight seconds, but the gaps remained small enough that nobody inside the top group could relax.

As day one wore on, the overall battle tightened exactly as the terrain roughened. Verona was fastest on the Cross Test at the end of lap two, cutting Garcia’s margin over Holcombe to just two seconds, while Antoine Magain and Theo Espinasse also stayed right in touch.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Steve Holcombe

The closing phase then became a straight Garcia-Holcombe duel. Holcombe won the penultimate Enduro Test and then beat Garcia again on the final Cross Test to keep the pressure on, but Garcia responded by winning the penultimate test of the day, and that proved decisive.

Holcombe was again quickest on the final Enduro Test, though not by enough to deny Garcia the opening-day victory. The Spaniard took the win, Holcombe finished runner-up first time out with Sherco, and Verona rounded out the podium after finally edging past Magain. Espinasse, only 0.11 seconds adrift of Magain, completed a tightly packed top five.

Freeman fights back on day two

Day two then flipped the script. Holcombe started strongly again and led after lap one, with Freeman, Morgan Lesiardo, Garcia and Verona all clustered just behind him. It was the Enduro Test that began deciding the order, and the critical moment came on the penultimate one when Holcombe crashed out of the lead.

That mistake opened the door for Brad Freeman, who had missed the entire 2025 season through injury and was clearly building into the weekend. Freeman set the fastest time there, jumped to the top of the leaderboard, and used his experience over the final two tests to secure victory by 4.92 seconds.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Josep Garcia

Verona took second, Garcia recovered late with the fastest time on the final two tests to claim third, and Magain and Holcombe followed close behind in fourth and fifth, with the top five split by only 12 seconds.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Garcia now leads Verona and Holcombe after round one

That combination of results leaves Garcia leading EnduroGP after round one on 35 points, with Verona second on 32 and Holcombe third on 28. It is a strong start for KTM, but just as importantly, the weekend confirmed Freeman’s return as a genuine outright factor and Holcombe’s immediate competitiveness with Sherco.

Enduro1

Garcia doubles up in Enduro1

Garcia may have had to work harder for the overall win than the raw results suggest, but in Enduro1 he still left Sicily unbeaten. On Saturday, Garcia topped the class while also taking EnduroGP honours, with Magain his closest rival and Morgan Lesiardo completing the podium in third. Lesiardo’s ride was one of the better home-soil performances of the weekend and gave Triumph a place inside the main E1 conversation without that class report needing to revolve around the brand.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Josep Garcia

Sunday was much tighter. Garcia actually trailed Magain by 0.4 seconds heading into the final test, so the second Enduro1 win of the weekend came down to one last push. He delivered, won the final test, and snatched victory from the Belgian by 2.34 seconds. Lesiardo again followed them home in third, which underlined his consistency across both days and kept the overall class picture clean and stable behind Garcia and Magain.

After the opener, Garcia leads Enduro1 on the maximum 40 points, Magain sits second on 34, and Lesiardo is third on 30.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Josep Garcia won E1, ahead of Magain and Lesiardo

Josep Garcia – P1

“The first race of the year is done and Saturday went perfectly. Today I was feeling really good, but I had a crash in the cross test where I twisted my ankle a little, and after that it was difficult to get back into my rhythm. Still, I’m happy to finish the day strong, take third overall, and secure another win in Enduro1. Leaving Italy with the overall lead is a great way to start the season, and I’m already looking forward to my home round in Spain.”

Jack Edmondson’s late call-up for Triumph also deserves a passing mention in the wider context, with the Brit opening eighth in the standings after a pair of eighth-place scores in difficult circumstances.

Enduro2

Verona perfect in Enduro2 on home soil

If Garcia owned Enduro1, Verona did the same in Enduro2. Racing his home GP in Sicily, the KTM rider produced a near-ideal opening weekend by winning the class on both days and finishing the round with the full 40 points. Saturday’s result was the more controlled of the two. Verona steadily built a margin through the day and won the class by 15 seconds over Zach Pichon, with Nathan Watson third. That was already enough to mark him out as the Enduro2 benchmark for the round, and it also fed directly into his third-place EnduroGP finish.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Andrea Verona

Sunday was more competitive. Watson pushed him much harder, Pichon again stayed close enough to matter, and the class win only really swung Verona’s way over the final two tests. That late strength gave him the second Enduro2 victory of the weekend, with Watson taking second and Pichon only another couple of seconds back in third.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Andrea Verona

The standings reflect that neatly. Verona leaves the opener on 40 points, while Watson and Pichon are tied for second on 32. Max Ahlin is fourth on 26 and Hamish Macdonald fifth on 22. For Australian interest, Kyron Bacon scored a pair of seventh-place results to begin the season ninth in Enduro2 on 14 points. Verona’s advantage after one round is useful, but not yet decisive. More than anything, Sicily showed he has slotted into KTM immediately and looks comfortable carrying both home-round pressure and title expectations.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Andrea Verona topped the E2 podium, ahead of Watson and Pichon

Andrea Verona

“We’ve completed the first weekend of the EnduroGP season, and it’s been really close from the first test to the last. Today I felt good on the bike and was able to improve compared to yesterday, making fewer mistakes and staying consistent throughout. The gaps were very tight, so I’m happy to come away with the Enduro2 win and second overall, just a few seconds from the victory. It’s a strong start to the season, and I’m looking forward to round two in Spain.”

Enduro3

Holcombe returns in force as Enduro3 takes shape

Enduro3 may have been the most satisfying class narrative of the weekend because it gave both Holcombe and Freeman a major result in a category that looks set to run deep all year. Holcombe’s Saturday success was especially notable. After losing 2025 to injury and arriving at round one with a new team around him, he was immediately quick enough to fight Garcia outright while also controlling his own class. He took the Enduro3 win over Espinasse, with Albin Norrbin third, and looked completely at home on the Sherco 300 SE. It was exactly the sort of opening statement he would have wanted.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Steve Holcombe

Holcombe’s own account of the weekend strengthens that reading. He described day one as positive and said the runner-up EnduroGP finish felt like a solid base after such a long layoff.  On Sunday, Holcombe again started strongly and led early before the crash on the third Enduro Test cost him crucial time. Even so, he still recovered to finish second in class, which limited the damage and ensured the weekend remained highly productive.

Freeman, meanwhile, turned Sunday into his own moment of return. His outright EnduroGP victory naturally dominated the headlines, but it also secured the Enduro3 win over Holcombe and Espinasse. So, within one weekend, the category produced a Holcombe day and a Freeman day, which feels about right for a class carrying two riders of that calibre. Espinasse’s 2-3 weekend kept him firmly in the frame too, while Norrbin quietly put together a strong opener with 3-4 results.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Steve Holcombe

The standings now show Holcombe leading Enduro3 on 37 points, Espinasse second on 32, and Freeman third on 31. Norrbin sits fourth on 28, with Matteo Cavallo fifth on 23. That five-point margin gives Holcombe the early edge, but Sicily also made it clear that this class is going to be one of the most volatile in the championship if Freeman and Holcombe both stay healthy and Espinasse keeps delivering.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Steve Holcombe

Steve Holcombe – P1 in E3

“It’s really good to be back in the EnduroGP paddock and back racing again after a tough year away last season. Day one started well and I was right in the fight at the front, battling with Josep which was positive. In the end I was only a few seconds off, but it felt good to be in the mix again. Sunday began strongly too, but unfortunately, I had a crash on the third enduro test. I was lucky to get away with it, and the bike wasn’t in too bad of a shape, so I could carry on and try to recover the time. With how tight the margins are, it was always going to be tough to claw back time, but I kept pushing until the end. Overall, it’s been a solid opening round and a good base to build from.”

Junior Enduro

Elgari sweeps Junior as Dagna keeps him honest

Junior produced a more tactical battle, but the quality at the front was still evident from the start. Saturday initially belonged to Manuel Verzeroli, who led after the opening Cross Test, with Romain Dagna second and Alberto Elgari third. But Elgari steadily worked his way forward and by the third Extreme Test had moved into the lead. Dagna stayed close enough to threaten, while Maxime Clauzier and Kevin Cristino remained involved behind them. The class then turned on the penultimate Enduro Test, where Verzeroli lost over a minute and fell away from contention. Elgari took advantage, won two of the final three tests, and secured the day-one win by seven seconds over Dagna, with Clauzier third.

2026 EnduroGP Round One – EnduroGP of Italy – Leo Joyon

Sunday followed a similar script, only with the margins even tighter. Elgari and Dagna again emerged as the main protagonists, and by the second Enduro Test, the lead was down to less than half a second. Elgari then created a little breathing room by taking six seconds out of Dagna on the penultimate Enduro Test, which proved just enough when Dagna fought back late. Dagna won the final two tests, but Elgari still held on by four seconds to complete a perfect weekend in Junior. This time, Leo Joyon took third, giving him a deserved first overall Junior podium of the new season.

That Joyon podium matters because it confirms he is a real factor in the class, but the bigger shape of the weekend belonged to Elgari. He leaves Sicily on the full 40 points in Junior, with Dagna second on 34. Joyon and Thibault Giraudon are tied on 24, while Kevin Cristino sits fifth on 22. In Junior1, Elgari leads on 40 and Joyon is second on 34, while in Junior2 Dagna has established early control on 40.

Australian William Dennett has opened the season fifth in Junior2 on 20 points after a solid start to 2026.

Leo Joyon – P3

“Sunday here in Sicily was much better than yesterday. I felt a lot more comfortable on the bike and my speed improved a lot, so I’m really happy with that. To finish second in class and third overall in Junior today is a great result, especially for my first race with the team. We’re heading in a really positive direction and I’m feeling confident, so now I’m looking ahead to the next round to keep improving and push for the overall Junior victories.”

Women’s Enduro

Martel makes her mark

The Women’s Enduro category produced one of the cleaner storylines of the weekend, with Justine Martel arriving in Sicily without a world championship race win and leaving with two. On Saturday, Martel worked her way into the lead by the end of lap one, then capitalised when Rachel Gutish was hit with a one-minute penalty during lap two. That reshaped the podium fight behind her, with Sara Traini moving into contention on home soil before Gutish recovered to second. Martel ultimately won by 48 seconds, Gutish took second, and Traini completed the overall podium while also securing Junior Women victory.

Sunday confirmed that Martel’s first win had been no fluke. She again moved clear after the opening Cross Test, again found Gutish as her nearest challenger, and again benefited when the American’s push was compromised by a late 30-second penalty. This time Marine Lemoine came through strongly for second, Gutish recovered to third with the fastest times on the final two tests, Brisebard was fourth, and Traini rounded out the top five while doubling up in Junior Women. Martel leaves Sicily with a perfect 40 points, Gutish has 32, and Traini sits third overall in Women’s Enduro on 26.

Junior Women

Traini stars at home in Junior Women

Junior Women essentially belonged to Sara Traini from start to finish. On Saturday she not only won the class, but did it while finishing third overall in the Women’s category at her home round, edging into the outright podium as the second-fastest Junior Women rider before holding strong to the finish. Lorna Lafont was second in Junior Women on day one.

Traini backed that up on Sunday by again winning Junior Women, this time while finishing fifth overall in Women’s Enduro. That gives the Italian the maximum 40 points after round one, with Lafont second on 34 and Charlene Boudon third on 30. For a support category, it was an excellent opening statement from Traini and one of the stronger home-rider stories of the entire weekend.

Youth Enduro

Youth category opens with a three-rider fight

Youth Enduro delivered a split weekend and a tight early championship picture. Saturday went to Pietro Scardina, who started only seventh, worked his way to fifth by the end of lap one, and then built from there to claim the opening win. Sunday swung the other way, with Riccardo Pasquato learning from day one, moving into the lead on the penultimate Extreme Test, and then winning the final two Enduro Tests to secure victory by 21 seconds over Simone Cagnoni. Valentin Mersin completed the podium on day two, while Scardina slipped back to fourth after leading earlier in the day.

The standings reflect how close the class already is. Pasquato leads Youth on 37 points, Scardina is second on 33, and Cagnoni is only one point further back on 32. That is one of the tightest championship tables anywhere in the paddock after Sicily, and it gives the class a strong angle heading into Spain.