Friday night Super Test results from round one of the 2024 EnduroGP World Championship season in Portugal where Red Bull KTM’s Josep Garcia clocked the fastest time to kickstart the season in style.

EnduroGP Rnd1 Super Test in a nutshell:

• The Enduro Women got the 2024 show on the road, taking the honour of opening the EnduroGP of Portugal officially on tonight’s Super Test.
• It wasn’t the most technical of tests adn therefore about right in severity you might say, but there were enough places a rider could get snagged to create caution and a ‘make sure’ approach rather than a ‘balls to the wind’ time attack.  
• With no ranking, despite her pedigree, Rachel Gutish was an early starter and quickly put herself on top of the Women class time sheets with a 2:11. That proved fastest of all and put the American EnduroCross Champion two seconds faster than Francesca Nocera and Rosie Rowett who went head-to-head last in class and posted near identical times of 2:13.
• The fizzing 125cc bikes went next with the usual promise of spectacular riding in the Youth category where the light bikes can often post very fast times. France has dished up some fast, young riders in recent years and Romain Dagna followed the pattern with a rapid 1:45 time early which was never bettered. Spanish duo Aleix Saumell and Alex Puey claimed P2 + P3 one second back, both on a 1:46 clock stop.
• The Juniors followed and finally the answered the ‘will they, won’t they double it?’ set of three jumps in front of the main crowd. It was a technique which proved fast as another young French rider, Antoine Alix, clocked a 1:44, narrowly faster than Max Ahlin and Leo Joyon third with a 1:45.
• When the seniors hit the track, landing that double was becoming the norm – although it looked more sketchy for some than others and a section of logs and rocks was getting slick. A succession of riders looked fast without actually posting faster times and Junior Alix’s 1:44 stood as a benchmark for a good while.
• Sherco’s Julien Roussaly blasted a 1:40 finally with teammate Zach Pichon and Beta’s Brad Freeman matching him on the clock.
• Steve Holcombe and Josep Garcia went last of all in their maiden duel in E1 class head-to-head and it was Holcombe who faltered first, slipping off in those slick rocks.
• Josep was faultless to put the Red Bull KTM fastest of all with a 1:38, two seconds faster than anyone: “It’s just the Super Test but it is always good to start the weekend with a good result and a good feeling with the bike. Let’s go for tomorrow.”
• As ever, we remind you, this is just the first test in a weekend of many and with a trio of tricky, long Cross, Enduro and Extreme tests on the cards (check out how the test look in the onboard track preview here), it will be a tough weekend.

EnduroGP of Portugal Super test results, overall (results are in class order):

Photo Credit: Future7Media | Andrea Belluschi