Enduro21 Notebook – EnduroGP Portugal Rnd1 analysis
Top talking points from the Enduro21 notebooks at the 2025 EnduroGP round one in Portugal – all served up fresh for your Monday fix.
There was never any doubt about Zach Pichon’s talent on a motorcycle. Since switching from MXGP to enduro, he quickly established himself as a star in the making. A Junior World Championship followed, along with an outright Junior win at the ISDE.
A Frenchman on a French motorcycle should have been a match made in heaven, but there were clear issues in Pichon’s former Sherco camp. The promise of a future EnduroGP World Champion seemed to be waning.
It was a bold move, then, for the TM Boano team to sign Zach. Since Wil Ruprecht claimed them an E2 World Title, the close-knit Italian team had been searching for a talisman.
Since jumping on the TM 300 four-stroke, it’s looked like the right move for all concerned. Zach immediately clocked solid results by winning round one of the Italian Enduro Championship — a traditional pre-season testbed.
That speed and confidence carried into the first GP of the season. He was best of the GP elite with second place in the Friday Super Test, just 0.11s behind SuperEnduro specialist Dominik Olszowy.
On day one, in challenging conditions, Pichon posted second overall and first in E2, just under five seconds behind the winner, Josep Garcia. On day two, after early leader Steve Holcombe was forced to retire (more below), Zach needed no second invitation to take control of his inherited lead, fending off former champion Andrea Verona and Garcia to claim a maiden overall GP victory.
“It was a long day, and Steve was fast this morning,” Zach explained. “But after he went out, I saw maybe there was the opportunity to be on the top. I kept focused and did the job until the last test — really, really happy. We worked a lot this winter at home with my dad, with my trainer and also with the team, so we did a great, great job.”
Speaking about switching back to a four-stroke, Pichon said he’s more comfortable and the bike has helped him take the next step: “I used to ride a four-stroke in motocross, so when I stepped on the TM it felt natural. On tests like today, when conditions are fast and big like the enduro test, the bike is amazing and the engine is a lot better.
“As soon as I got on it, I could see the difference. I also improved myself. Coming into this weekend, I knew my speed and physical condition were good. It’s a surprise to win, but I knew I could run with those guys.”
The transition from Junior to senior ranks is never easy, but this maiden overall win delivers on the promise: “It was two or three years of coming, coming, coming… and now I’m up here. I think the step I needed came with the bike, so I’m really happy.
“The first Italian race was good, but we need to stay focused — it’s only round one. Spain’s next in a few weeks, and now we’ll keep working on the bike, and myself, and I’ll be ready.”
Cruel twist for Holcombe
As Pichon mentioned, the result was shaped in part by a relatively innocuous incident with big consequences for Steve Holcombe. The Honda RedMoto rider was leading by 20 seconds after five tests on Sunday when disaster struck on a rutted uphill section in the long enduro test. One of his dabs twisted his left knee — and he knew instantly something wasn’t right.
Holcombe didn’t crash but rode back to the test finish where they made the call to retire. At the time of writing, the longer-term diagnosis is not yet known but a PR from Steve says: Initial information suggests that Steve has not damaged any of the major ligaments in his knee. Steve will see a knee specialist on Wednesday, in Italy, and undergo further scans and examinations.
Injuries are part of the game
Just ask the man wearing the number one plate this year. Josep Garcia is no stranger to the surgeon’s table. After having a plate removed from his collarbone in January, he crashed and broke the same bone just a month before round one — and had it re-plated.
Enduro21 spoke to Josep just before the season opener, and it’s fair to say he surprised everyone — including himself — by winning day one.
The Portuguese hills dished out their usual tough conditions, with a brutal enduro test especially hard at this elite pace. Everyone was crashing, Garcia included, but while major rivals lost chunks of time, the KTM rider stayed close enough to capitalise.
“One month ago I was in hospital having surgery on my collarbone,” Josep said. “I didn’t get on the bike until five days ago. My expectations weren’t high, so I’m very pleased. I know I can do better — I still made a lot of mistakes today.”
On day two, Garcia admitted things were tougher. He felt sore and the lack of training showed. Still, he claimed P3 overall and heads to his home GP with a 1–1 scorecard in E1.
Brad’s out for the season
Knee problems appear to be a recurring theme for British world champions. Brad Freeman arrived in Portugal after a very quiet off-season, already limping and sporting a knee brace.
The knee injury kept the Beta rider away from all pre-season racing. He gave it a go, but it was clear from day one the knee was hampering him badly. Fourth in E3 may not seem remarkable, but for a rider who’s dominated the class — often while injured — it spoke volumes.
Freeman was unable to start day two and will now undergo surgery. That’s likely to sideline him for several months and almost certainly rules him out of the championship fight this year.
250, 350, 450 GASGAS for adaptable Verona
Not everyone looked at Andrea Verona’s switch to the GASGAS EC450F and thought it was a smart move. There’s a recent trend toward smaller bikes in world enduro — one partly started by Verona himself when he won a world title in 2022, and continued by Garcia on the 250F.
But Verona and the Farioli team defied convention. On day one, he was leading on scratch times before a big mistake on the final lap dropped him to fourth (third in E2). On day two, he fought to the wire, losing out by just 2.75 seconds.
The bigger bike has clear strengths in faster sections but is harder to handle on technical Extreme Tests: “Day two was a lot better for me, 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 made it up on the others. Now I know what to work on. It was a tough fight, but I’m looking forward to going again in Spain.”
It’ll be fascinating to see how the different capacities play out across the season as the terrain varies.
A.O.B – three is better than none
Three Shercos on the E3 podium on both days was a sight to behold — something not seen since the glory days of KTM’s mega factory team. It speaks volumes about a change in strategy: letting riders choose bikes that suit them, rather than mandating specific models.
Racing is marketing, and there’s no better advert than multiple bikes on the podium.
British flags waving
Under the radar, Nathan Watson deserves a mention for his P4 on Sunday. The British flag also flew high thanks to the Triumph Racing Team, making its world championship debut.
Led by Paul Edmondson and featuring seasoned riders Mikael Persson and Jamie McCanney, the team impressed despite both riders returning from injury layoffs. The fight for top-10 places is tight — and Triumph are right in it.
Double delight for MGR Kawasaki
Anyone who’s watched Kyron Bacon ride knows he’s a talent. Now with a full-time ride for MGR Kawasaki, the Australian claimed both day wins in the fiercely contested Junior category. It’s great to see faith placed in him for a full season — and even better to see a green bike on top.
Impossible to pick a winner in Youth 125
Despite winning margins of nearly 30 seconds on both days, the Youth 125 class had two different victors: France’s Romani Dagna on Saturday and Italy’s Alberto Elgari on Sunday. Unpredictable as always!
Enduro Women showcase
This was a tough weekend — and the inaugural Junior Enduro Women’s class had a baptism of fire. Elizabeth Tett topped the new category with two wins for TM UK.
Back to her best, Francesca Nocera pushed hard, chased by Rachel Gutish and Nieve Holmes. Honda, Rieju, and Sherco filled the senior Women’s podium — showing the pace is still fierce, even in the absence of reigning champion Mireia Badia (now retired).
Results from the EnduroGP of Portugal in our separate stories:
2025 EnduroGP of Portugal Results: Super-competitive day 1 – Garcia on top
2025 EnduroGP of Portugal Results: Zach Pichon victorious, Holcombe goes out on day 2
Photo Credit: Future7Media | Andrea Belluschi
