The woodland of Novalesa provided the backdrop for an intense and crucial weekend for the Italian Trial Championship. Despite the high grip provided by the large rocks on the course, the constant presence of dust made the sections extremely treacherous for all competitors.

Dominating the scene in the premier class was a monumental Matteo Grattarola: the rider from Lecco laid down the law on both Saturday (in Fast Race format) and Sunday (in EA format). This sensational one-two finish saw him crowned 2026 Italian Champion with one round to spare, securing the 17th title of his incredible career.
“Winning on both days meant I could clinch my seventeenth title with one round to spare. The bike performed well, the team did a brilliant job; now the focus is on the World Championship,” commented Grattarola.

Andrea Sofia Rabino also shone in the Women’s A category during the weekend in Piedmont. On Saturday, the champion secured a splendid victory, whilst on Sunday she was forced to ride a cautious, defensive race, hampered by sudden knee pain, focusing above all on gritting her teeth to get the bike to the finish line and pick up valuable points.
“Saturday went very, very well; I’m happy with how I rode. Unfortunately, on Sunday I had some knee pain that prevented me from racing at my best; I hope to recover soon,” said Andrea.

After a break lasting since mid-April, the 2026 Italian Enduro Championships revved up their engines again at Pianello Val Tidone (Piacenza) for the fourth round of the season. The local Moto Club set up a 55 km course of pure enduro: a 2.5 km man-made Extreme Test, a 4 km cross test packed with spectacular counter-slopes and a very long 7 km enduro test through the woods, making a total of 21 timed special stages spread over the two days and made all the more challenging by sweltering temperatures.

The Beta Factory Enduro Team placed all its riders in the top ten of the Overall class. Nathan Watson was the team’s standout performer, riding an extremely consistent and error-free race: on Saturday he narrowly missed out on the overall podium, finishing fourth and securing a fantastic second place in the Foreigners’ class. On Sunday, he reaffirmed his position at the top, rounding off the weekend with fifth place overall and fourth in his class.
“I rode a good race on Saturday and I’m pleased with the result. On the following day’s race, the final result was fifth place overall and fourth in the Foreigners’ class. Now it’s time to focus fully on the penultimate round of the World Championship in France,” explained Watson.

It was a more troubled weekend for Brad Freeman, though he rode with his usual immense tenacity. Having started strongly with the third-fastest time in Friday’s Super Test and excellent results on Saturday morning, the Englishman paid dearly for a few mistakes midway through the race, finishing Saturday in seventh place overall and fifth in the Foreigners’ class. On Sunday, hampered by fatigue and the heat, he was unable to perform at his best, finishing twelfth overall (seventh in class).
“Another race weekend with very high temperatures. I’m disappointed with the results because we were aiming for the overall podium, but I made too many mistakes and it cost me. Now it’s time to focus fully on the final stretch of the Italian Championship and the last two rounds of the World Championship,” concluded Freeman.

Dust and stifling heat also characterised the fourth round of the Spanish Championship at Pobladura de las Regueras (León), the first double-header of the season marked by the absence of Queralt Fontdevila due to injury.

In TR1, Jaime Busto produced a weekend for the history books to reclaim the championship lead. On Saturday, he dominated the premier class with just 10 penalty points, whilst on Sunday he came close to perfection, completing the entire race with an extraordinary score of zero penalty points – a flawless performance that propels him to the top of the overall standings with a 6-point lead.
In the same category, the heroic Gerard Trueba overcame a heavy blow to the chest sustained on Saturday to clinch a pair of invaluable fifth-place finishes, finishing ahead of his team-mate David Fabián. In the Cadet 125 class, it was a veritable Beta Trueba monopoly: Pau Giralt secured a spectacular one-two (winning on Saturday after a nail-biting play-off with his team-mate Víctor Del Blanco and repeating the feat on Sunday), thereby leaping to the top of the championship standings on his own. Excellent results over the weekend were also achieved by Jordi Parés, Lluc Gómez and the young Víctor Del Blanco (third on Sunday). Among the women in the Femenino TR1 class, Farners Fontdevila finished a whisker short of second place on Saturday, before literally dominating on Sunday and consolidating her lead in the championship. Finally, in the Junior class, Jon Amos Bilbao and Silvestre “Silver” Ginferrer both secured top-10 finishes on both days.

The weekend also brought great satisfaction on the international Extreme Enduro front, split between Africa and Asia.

At the famous IMPI Hard Enduro in South Africa, a mass-participation event with over 1,200 riders on the start line, James Moore literally dominated the home race. The young rider set an unsustainable pace on both days of the race, riding solo and controlling the race from the very start: “The bike was flawless and the team’s support made all the difference. This weekend has given me a lot of confidence; it’s the perfect way to prepare for the Red Bull Romaniacs,” commented Moore.

In Indonesia, the Indonesian Jungle Hard Enduro took place in Hiu Selatan, one of the most gruelling rounds on the Asian continent due to the deadly combination of mud and equatorial heat. Amidst rivers to fords and gruelling natural obstacles, Alfredo Gómez showcased all his experience, securing an excellent third place on the opening day, a fourth place on Sunday and fourth place in the grand final in front of a huge crowd.