The opening round of the 2026 Australian Enduro Championship in Roma sees Shop Yamaha Off Road Team’s Wil Ruprecht dominate the tests for victory.

A hot and humid day combined with a demanding course meant riders needed to bring their very best to minimise mistakes and endure a long day in the saddle. Across six lengthy special tests, the nation’s top enduro riders were forced to dig deep as Roma immediately showed why it is one of the toughest stops on the championship calendar.

Pro Enduro – Ruprecht in charge

The battle for the Pro Enduro outright honours at round one delivered another level of intensity and showcased the incredible depth of talent across the championship.

Wil Ruprecht stamped his authority on the field throughout the day, proving the rider to beat overall as he dominated the majority of the tests. His only interruption came in test six, where Korey McMahon surged late in the day to claim the fastest overall time.

Second outright was Jye Dickson, the newest addition to the KTM squad now managed by the outgoing champion, Daniel Milner. While victory eluded him on the day, his relentless consistency kept the pressure on Ruprecht and firmly established him as a serious contender for the championship.

Rounding out the podium was Korey McMahon overcame a challenging start to the day before finding his rhythm later in the event, highlighted by his outright test victory.

The next four positions in Pro Enduro were filled by E1 riders Cooper Sheidow, Deegan Graham, Ryan Hayward and Maximus Purvis, further proving the smaller capacity machines were more than capable of matching the outright pace on Roma’s technical layout.

Cooper Sheidow steps up for E1 victory

With defending champion Jonte Rynders sidelined through pre-season injury, the E1 category arrived in Roma wide open.

Launching out early, Cooper Sheidow (BluCru Yamaha) was flying, immediately putting 15 seconds between himself and the field in the opening test.

But he wasn’t going to have it all his own way. The following tests saw Deegan Graham and Maximus Purvis (Shop Yamaha Offroad Team) begin to show their hand, steadily eating away at the early advantage. Graham found strong form through the middle of the day, claiming victories in tests two, three and four.

Meanwhile, Ryan Hayward’s early consistency positioned him strongly in the podium fight as the demanding Roma circuit began to take its toll.

Sheidow maintained his impressive pace across the remaining tests, the Yamaha rider held strong to secure the E1 victory.

A late charge from Hayward across the final two tests wasn’t quite enough to overturn the order, with Graham holding him off the middle step.

Who else but Ruprecht for E2 win

Picking up from his dominant finish to the 2025 season, Wil Ruprecht wasted no time establishing himself as the rider to beat in E2.

From the opening test the Yamaha rider set the benchmark pulling a 15-second advantage over the field which he built on through the day to secure a dominant class win.

The consistency of Jye Dickson (KTM DM31 Racing Team) meant second in every test as he chased Ruprecht throughout the day. Despite gradually edging closer test by test, Ruprecht remained just out of reach.

Making his debut in the E2 class, the 2025 EJ champion Kogan Lock showed he belonged in the category placing third on his opening test and maintaining that pace throughout the day to secure a strong podium result.

McMahon wins E3

Quickly establishing himself as the benchmark in E3 was reigning champion Korey McMahon (KTM DM31 Racing Team).

Like the other class leaders in Roma, McMahon opened the day with a win and was never seriously challenged for the remainder of the event to secure victory.

Behind him, Max Midwinter found his rhythm early on the demanding course, opening the day with a solid second-place performance. With pressure building from the chasing pack, Midwinter held second overall ahead of Broc Grabham delivered a strong and consistent ride aboard the Stark electric machine.

Finishing third on the day, Grabham also achieved a milestone result — marking the first time an electric motorcycle has stood on the podium in a Pro class at the Australian Enduro Championship.

Gardiner yet again the pace-setter in Enduro Women

For Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha JGR Offroad Team), the plan heading into Roma was simple — start the 2026 season exactly the way she finished 2025.

With a strong pre-season behind her and conditions that suited her riding style, the reigning champion controlled the event throughout the day to secure a dominant victory in the opening round of the season.

Madi Simpson was widely expected to challenge at the front, but an early incident set her back during the opening stages of the event. Despite the setback, Simpson regrouped to secure second place on the day — and remains a rider capable of quickly returning to the fight.

Completing the podium was Emelie Granquist (Triumph Australia), who delivered a solid performance to begin her 2026 championship campaign.

Mason Phillips put Kawasaki on top in Juniors

With a new generation of riders stepping into the EJ category, tight racing was expected — and the opening round delivered exactly that.

Kai Austin fired the first shot, storming through the opening test to establish a near 10-second advantage over the field. Mitch Ford, Beau Tripcony and Mason Phillips followed closely behind, separated by just three seconds in a fiercely competitive start.

However, test two proved costly for Austin as a disagreement with a creek crossing cost him valuable time and opened the door for the chasing riders.

Phillips capitalised immediately, taking control and proving strongest, extending his lead across the final two tests to secure an impressive EJ victory. Marcus Nowland’s consistency paid off with second overall, while Tripcony completed the podium in third.

Following heavy overnight rain round two of the championship on Sunday was cancelled.

The Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship presented by MXstore series heads to Dungog, New South Wales on April 11–12 for Rounds 3 and 4.

More information: www.ausenduro.com.au

Images: Troy Pears