The 2025 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship kicks off this weekend with round one in Fafe, Portugal, from April 4-6, the first of seven rounds on this year’s calendar.

With Triumph and Kawasaki now officially in the mix, the World Enduro Championship can boast 11 different manufacturers and 136 riders entered for round one the EnduroGP season this weekend in Fafe.

Eagerly anticipated, the opening round of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship again lands in the northern Portuguese city where teams are already setting up and riders have begun the process of walking the tests.  

Triumph Motorcycles will be officially welcomed into the EnduroGP paddock with a full unveiling of their all-new TF 250-E and TF 450-E enduro motorcycles on Friday and with Jonny Walker, 2025 SuperEnduro Vice-Champion, and five-time World Champion Ivan Cervantes, taking to the track for a demo ahead of Friday’s Akrapovic Super Test, the first timed special of the season.

Tough Portuguese terrain

Well-known for its distinctive, rugged landscape, Fafe and its surrounding mountains offer a true test of enduro terrain to open the championship once again. 

After the Akrpovic Super Test on Friday evening, riders will take on a 56-kilometre course on both Saturday and Sunday with three laps scheduled for EnduroGP, Junior and Youth categories, while Women, Junior Women and Open will complete two laps.

Each lap will feature three special tests: ACERBIS Cross Test, GMOTO Enduro Test and the POLISPORT Extreme test. A test of outright speed, the ACERBIS Cross Test offers riders a chance to show their pace, while the GMOTO Enduro Test requires a balance of technical ability and speed to master.

Always a spectacular sight in Portugal due to its gigantic boulders, the POLISPORT Extreme Test will push the rider’s technical skills to the maximum as they battle to deliver a mistake-free run under intense pressure.

Garcia begins title defence

At the head of the EnduroGP class, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia arrives to Fafe as the defending champion. A formidable racer, the Spaniard just recently recovered from a collarbone injury and round one will mark his first time in competitive action since winning Bassella Race in February.

Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team’s Steve Holcombe will look to capitalise on any weakness in Garcia. A race-winner in Fafe in 2024, Holcombe’s pace is strong, and having moved from Enduro1 to Enduro2, and onto a CRF300X Enduro, the nine-time world champion will want to open his 2025 account with a victory.

Check out what Steve had to tell Enduro21 in an interview: 5 minutes with…Steve Holcombe talks CRF300RX and 2025 EnduroGP season incoming

Verona on a 450

So too will GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona who had one of the more notable changes during the offseason as the Enduro2 World Champion moves capacity, not class, to the GASGAS EC 450F.

Beta Factory Enduro Team’s Brad Freeman is another rider coming off the injury list heading into round one, and there was some doubt if he would make it following a knee injury.

The 10-time world champion ended 2024 with an overall win but has had a quiet offseason which hasn’t included contesting the Italian Enduro Championship for the Beta team due to that injury. That said, the E3 Champion will always be one to watch in Fafe along with teammate Nathan Watson has an unchanged programme from 2024.

Pichon gels with TM Racing

Zach Pichon was one of the high-profile rider transfers during the offseason. Moving from Sherco Factory Team to TM Moto Boano Factory Enduro Team, the Frenchman has immediately looked happy and fast on the TM 300 4T, this could be the move Pichon needs to become a title contender in the senior ranks.

New Zealand’s Hamish MacDonald leads the challenge in E3 class for Sherco Factory Team. The French manufacturer has one of the best represented teams in the EGP series with Jeremy Sydow (Enduro1), Theo Espinasse (Enduro2) and Antoine Magain (Enduro3).

First-time Women’s Enduro World Champion

In the four-round Expotrade FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship, the way is cleared for a first-time champion after 2024 winner, Mireia Badia, called time on her racing career.

A competitive field of women are entered including America’s first woman, 2024 vice-champion Rachel Gutish who starts as the early favourite. Now Rieju-mounted, Gutish claimed three wins in her rookie season in EnduroGP and starts ’25 in a much stronger place.

Chasing her hard will be Rieju Factory Team’s Rosie Rowett. The Brit ended 2024 in third overall, and would love to race for the world title. After a season curtailed by injury, Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team’s Francesca Nocera returns hungry to fight for the title that slipped from her grasp. Finishing on the podium in Fafe 12 months ago, she is certainly a title contender.

Add in Maria San Miguel (Rieju), Nieve Holmes (Sherco), Justine Martel (Beta) and Marie Holt (KTM) and we have a hotly contested top five.

New EW Junior class

New for 2025 is the addition of the Expotrade FIM Junior Women’s Enduro World Cup. Running alongside the four-round senior women’s category, it provides a prefect stepping stone for riders under the age of 23 to compete at world championship level enduro.

In total, there are five riders from France, Germany, Great Britain and Sweden entered. Lorna Lafont (Sherco), Lea Meier (Sherco), Elizabeth Tett (TM MOTO), Delun Davies (Fantic) and Matilda Ahlstrom (Husqvarna) will all aim to become the first race winner of the category this weekend.

Junior category fiercely contested

The FIM Junior Enduro World Championship is always a difficult category to predict with Fantic riders, flying Frenchmen, the upcoming 2024 youth champ and an Aussie are all title contenders.

Second and third in 2024, plus on the back of super-competitive ISDE’s, the Fantic pairing of Axel Semb and Kevin Cristino will start as hot favourites to take over from last year’s champion, Max Ahlin (who moves up to the seniors).

Thibault Giraudon (Sherco), a race winner in 2024, and Leo Joyon (Beta), will be riders to watch for, alongside Alex Puey (Rieju) are also ones to watch for this opening round podium.

After a double victory at the GP of Slovakia, Australia’s Kyron Bacon joins the championship full-time in 2025 with MGR Kawasaki and is a serious contender with a strong pedigree.

As to is the FIM Youth Enduro World Champion, Manuel Verzeroli joins Junior with TM MOTO BOANO Factory Enduro Team.

Youth class look to shine in Fafe

Also looking super-competitive, the Youth class sees 20 riders from nine nationalities headed by title favourites Pietro Scardina (Fantic), Romain Dagna (KTM) and Alberto Elgari (TM MOTO).

The opening round of the 2025 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship takes place in Fafe, Portugal, from 4-6 April. Racing begins on Friday evening with the AKRAPOVIC Super Test. 

Official rider pre-entry list for 2025 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship Rnd1: 2025 EnduroGP World Championship: Official entry list for Rnd 1, Portugal

2025 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship Schedule:

Round 1: GP of Portugal - Fafe - April 4-6

Round 2: GP of Spain - Oliana - May 2-4

Round 3: GP of Sweden - Skövde - May 23-25

Round 4: GP of Wales - Rhayader - August 1-3

Round 5: GP of France - Réquista - September 12-14

Round 6: GP of Italy - Darfo Boario Terme - September 26-28

Round 7: GP of Germany - Zschopau - October 17-19

2025 Expotrade FIM Women's Enduro World Championship Schedule:

Round 1: GP of Portugal - Fafe - 4-6 April

Round 2: GP of Wales - Rhayader - 1-3 August

Round 3: GP of France - Réquista - 12-14 September

Round 4: GP of Germany - Zschopau - 17-19 October

Photo Credit: Future7Media + TM Boano Racing + Kawasaki