From Freeman’s success in Sicily to the sand challenges in Sardinia: the Beta Racing round-up.
That’s how racing goes: sometimes it carries you to victory on the top step of the podium; other times, it puts you to the test on the toughest and most gruelling terrain in the world. The weekend we’ve just left behind perfectly illustrates this dual nature of motorsport. On the one hand, the EnduroGP kicked off with a bang on the rocky terrain of Sicily; on the other, the gruelling battle against the deep sand of Sardinia in the Motocross World Championship. Here are the results from the track.
The 2026 EnduroGP World Championship got underway in Custonaci (Trapani), offering a technical, spectacular and treacherous course amid rocks and loose earth. The weekend for Brad Freeman (riding his Beta RR 300) was a real crescendo of excitement. After a Friday and Saturday complicated by a few too many mistakes (finishing 5th in the E3 class), the English champion found his stride. Sunday was a perfect solo performance: Freeman swept aside the competition, claiming first place in both the E3 class and the prestigious EnduroGP Overall standings. “A weekend of ups and downs. I didn’t manage to perform at my best on Saturday, but I made up for it on Sunday, where I won the class and the overall”, said Brad at the finish line.
Consistency and solidity were the watchwords for Nathan Watson. The Englishman rode a clean and extremely effective race: on Saturday he finished in the EnduroGP top 10 (8th) and 3rd in E2, whilst on Sunday he raised the bar even higher, taking home a fantastic 3rd place overall and 2nd in the E2 class. “On Sunday I battled for the top positions all day long. A good race weekend, without making any serious mistakes”, he commented with satisfaction. Also worth noting is the splendid performance of Alex Pichaud (Beta RR 430 Race), who dominated to take victory in the Open 4s category.
The Beta Enduro Factory Team now sets its sights on Spain: the next round is in Oliana from 1st to 3rd May.
The fourth round of the Motocross World Championship took the riders to the gruelling sands of Riola Sardo, universally recognised as one of the most physically demanding tracks on the entire world championship calendar. In the MXGP class, Jago Geerts (Beta RX 450) fought hard, finishing in 17th position in Race 1. Unfortunately, in Race 2, a heavy crash forced him to retire, fortunately without any physical consequences. “In the second race, the riding felt good but I was the victim of a crash. Luckily, I’m fine”, the Belgian rider reassured everyone.
It was an even tougher outing for Rick Elzinga, who is still not in peak physical condition following his recent injury. The extreme track showed no mercy, forcing the Dutchman to retire from both races. “It was really tough here at Riola. The track is demanding even when you’re at your best; for me, as I’m working to get back to full fitness, it was truly difficult”, he admitted with great honesty.
It was also an uphill struggle for Alexis Fueri (Beta RX 250 2T) in the EMX250 European Championship: hampered by stiff forearms in Race 1 (19th) and a crash at the start of Race 2, which forced him into a gruelling fightback from the back of the field (26th). “Let’s put this race behind us and focus on Arco”, concluded the Frenchman.
The Beta MRT Racing Team has no time to rest: the trucks are already on their way to Pietramurata for the upcoming Trentino Grand Prix.
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Busy weekend for Beta: race results
