Home hero Giraudon wins Junior overall at French EnduroGP, his first of the season
Thibault Giraudon claimed his first Junior overall victory of the season at the French EnduroGP in Saint-Agrève aboard the Fantic XE 300.
- 0.01 seconds
- 2 months
- 3rd
What Happened
The EnduroGP of France in Saint-Agrève saw Thibault Giraudon claim his first Junior overall victory of the season aboard the Fantic XE 300. To celebrate the home race of Théo Espinasse and Giraudon, the Fantic Factory Racing Enduro team ran a special livery on their XE 300 machines, matched with custom AXO riding gear inspired by the colours of official partner NILS – Experts in Lubricants. Italian team-mate Riccardo Pasquato wore the same look as he returned to Youth World Championship action after being sidelined with an arm injury.
The Saint-Agrève course was particularly technical and demanding, preceded by Friday evening's SuperTest in front of a huge crowd that once again highlighted France's deep passion for the sport. The race lap featured a long, fast and challenging Cross Test on hard-packed terrain, an Enduro Test winding through forest over roots and rocks, and a spectacular Extreme Test with artificial obstacles including logs and boulders.
SuperTest held in front of a huge crowd.
Giraudon wins both the Junior overall and Junior 2 classes.
Giraudon takes another Junior 2 win and finishes third in Junior overall, missing second place by one hundredth of a second.
Final round of the 2026 EnduroGP season in Rhayader, Wales.
Spurred on by the incredible support of the French fans, Giraudon enjoyed his strongest weekend of the season. He showed strong pace aboard the fuel-injected Minarelli engine, winning both Junior overall and Junior 2 on day 1. On day 2 he fought to the final special test, taking another Junior 2 win and finishing third in Junior overall, missing second place by one hundredth of a second. He remains third in the J2 World Cup standings.
Espinasse, fresh from his double victory in the French Enduro Championship, collected two fourth-place finishes in E3 and an overall top-10 on day two, sitting fifth in the E3 standings. Pasquato recorded sixth- and fifth-place finishes in Youth in his first GP back after two months, retaining fifth place. Valentin Mersin sits third overall after two fourth-place finishes aboard the Fantic XE 125.
“I live pretty close to Saint-Agrève, so racing here was a truly special experience. The support was incredible, and winning in front of my friends, family and everyone from my local club made it even more memorable. I would like to thank my team and Fantic for making it possible. Now my focus is on finishing the World Championship in the best possible way.”
Why this matters
The result gives Giraudon his first win of the season at a home race and keeps him third in the Junior 2 World Cup standings with one round left. It also shows Fantic's commitment to its racing programme, with a special livery and partner branding on display. The series finale in Wales on August 7–9 will decide the championships.
Terms in This Story
- EnduroGP
- A world championship series for enduro motorcycle racing.
- Junior 2 class
- A junior category within the EnduroGP World Championship.
- Cross Test
- A timed section of an enduro race, typically on a fast, motocross-style course.
- Extreme Test
- A timed section of an enduro race featuring artificial obstacles such as logs, rocks, and boulders.
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