Brad Freeman puts the Beta Factory Team back on top of an EnduroGP with victory at 2026 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship season opener in Sicily, 574 days since his past victory at the final round of the 2024 season.

Make no mistake about it, 2025 was a year to forget for the entire Beta Factory Team in the EnduroGP World Championship. Literally limping into the opening round 12 months ago, Brad Freeman was out before it started.

As a team they exited the championship mid-July with Nathan Watson also sidelined, both with knee injuries. It was almost unprecedented to not have the factory team at the races.

Fast forward to the 2026 season opener in Sicily and it was a very different story. The Beta Factory Team were back winning ways on day two thanks to Freeman, with Watson pushing him all the way for a result to silence any critics.

For 10-time world champion Freeman, that victory proved a major milestone in his recovery from injury but also a psychological hurdle overcome to prove he still had what it takes. As a rider so familiar with winning, 574 days was a long time to wait from his last EnduroGP win at the 2024 season-ending GP of France.

“When you’re sitting at home, it makes you wonder if you can still do it”

A majority of the time since that last win was spent on rehabilitation following ACL, LCL and meniscus surgery to his left knee. But being forced to stop like that and watch the racing continue on without you is tough, too. Jumping back into the mix and picking up where you left off in terms of pace, competitiveness and resilience takes some doing.

Brad trains with some of the best in the world, and has two Italian Enduro Championship rounds under his belt this year. But to line-up alongside Josep Garcia, Andrea Verona and Steve Holcombe is something else.

“I’ve had some good years in my career. Winning 10 titles in eight years was a good run. But then suddenly injuries add up and they force you to stop,” reflects Freeman.

“When you’re sitting at home, it makes you wonder if you can still do it, especially when you see the other guys winning. But I’ve always believed I could, even if I had to prove it to myself again, I think. The hardest part of today [day 2 in Sicily] was not throwing it away.

“This feels like one of my best performances, simply because I’ve been out of racing for so long. Getting back into this, and finding that race rhythm again is hard. You have to tell yourself that you can do it - that you’re still quite fast.”

That fight for victory worked itself into a two-way battle between Freeman and Watson. With only 10 seconds separating the duo with two special tests remaining, the pressure was on.

Ultimately, Freeman would control the victory while a time penalty would knock Watson off the podium. But at that moment, the Beta Factory Team controlled the narrative.

“Yeah, the pressure was on in those final two tests,” admits Freeman. “Nathan was ripping and I know he’s strong at the end of day when he’s flowing like that.”

For Watson, also sidelined in 2025 with a knee injury, returning to the sharp end of the results felt good. “Honestly, I did not expect to be fighting for the EnduroGP podium at round one, so this day has been a real confidence boost,” Watson says.

“Last year I only made it to three races before getting injured in July. In August, I had surgery on the ACL in my knee and I didn’t get back on a bike until February. But once I rode again, I felt good straight away. I just knew my fitness needed improving. With how Sicily has gone, I feel like 2025 can be resigned to the past.”

“We leave on a high”

“I think both riders were a bit stressed for this race, especially after such a difficult season last year,” says team manager Fabrizio Dini, during Sunday evening celebrations. “But we can leave Sicily on a high and focus on staying at the front. Last year we were sitting watching others ride, this year we want to be sat at the front!”

The Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship continues with round two in Oliana, Spain, on 1-3 May.

Photo Credit: Future7Media | Andrea Belluschi + Nicki Martinez + Mastorgne