Andrea Verona backed up his EnduroGP overall win by also taking the Enduro2 class victory after a dramatic late charge to beat Josep Garcia.
The opening day of round three of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Finland delivered a breakthrough win for Andrea Verona, who charged to victory in Vierumäki, Salpausselkä for his first EnduroGP class triumph of the season.
The Salpausselkä UNESCO Global Geopark played host to 122 competitors from 15 nations, with the 59-kilometre lap tackled three times across a physically demanding day. The sandy terrain broke down rapidly with each pass, making conditions increasingly rough and technical as the day wore on.
Verona and Garcia locked in EnduroGP battle
After a rain-affected AKRAPOVIC Super Test, Josep Garcia set the early benchmark by going fastest in the opening POLISPORT Extreme Test, leading Zach Pichon by 0.78 seconds. Just behind, Sherco Racing Factory’s Steve Holcombe and Verona sat third and fourth, both within three seconds.
Garcia then extended his control on the opening GMOTO Enduro Test, moving three seconds clear of Verona in second, with Pichon slipping to third. He backed it up again on the EXPOTRADE Cross Test, stretching his advantage to 8.72 seconds over Verona heading into lap two.
Verona began to find rhythm on the second GMOTO Enduro Test, topping the special by 0.3 seconds over Pichon and cutting Garcia’s lead to six seconds. But Garcia responded again on the penultimate EXPOTRADE Cross Test, pushing seven seconds clear as the pair headed into the final lap.
The final POLISPORT Extreme Test proved pivotal, with Verona striking back to set the fastest time and slash Garcia’s lead to just 0.36 seconds. After the final GMOTO Enduro Test, the gap was down to 0.23 seconds heading into the last Cross Test, setting up a dramatic finish.
Steve Holcombe secured Enduro3 victory in Finland with a strong and consistent ride to open his account for the 2026 season.
In the deciding test, Verona delivered when it mattered most, going fastest to snatch victory by just 0.85 seconds over Garcia. Pichon completed the podium in third, 47.84 seconds back, with Holcombe fourth and Sherco teammate Hamish Macdonald fifth.
Verona said he was pleased to finally break through after a close fight all day, explaining: “I’m really happy with today, my first EnduroGP victory of the season, but also my first win on KTM. It was a big fight all day long with Josep (Garcia). He was a bit faster than me during the first half of the day, but in the last half I found my pace and flow and that got me the win.”
Morgan Lesiardo secured a hard-fought Enduro1 runner-up finish in Finland after edging out Antoine Magain by just 3.91 seconds in a tight battle behind dominant class winner Josep Garcia.
Holcombe tops Enduro3 as Verona doubles up in Enduro2
Holcombe’s strong ride also earned him Enduro3 class honours, taking his first win of the season since round one in Italy. He led Albin Norrbin in second and Brad Freeman in third.
Verona’s overall victory also secured him the Enduro2 win for the fourth time in 2026, finishing 48 seconds clear of Pichon in second, while Macdonald rounded out the podium in third. Aussie Kyron Bacon finished fifth in Enduro2 and twelfth outright.
“Some small mistakes that we can handle better tomorrow, but definitely a new step in the right direction for Kyron and all the team crew!” Bacon’s team reported.
In Enduro1, Garcia was dominant, taking victory by a commanding two minutes and two seconds. Behind him, the battle for second was tight, with Morgan Lesiardo edging out Sherco Racing Factory’s Antoine Magain by just 3.91 seconds.
Romain Dagna delivered a controlled ride in Finland to claim his second Tsubaki Junior Enduro victory of the 2026 season, building a strong mid-race lead before managing pressure from Kevin Cristino to seal the win.
Dagna takes Junior Enduro win
In the Tsubaki Junior Enduro class, Romain Dagna claimed his second victory of the season with a controlled ride in Finland.
Dagna set the tone early by topping the opening POLISPORT Extreme Test, moving into control of the lead ahead of Thibault Giraudon and Alberto Elgari.
At the end of lap one, Dagna led Kevin Cristino by just one second, with Elgari in third. By lap two, Dagna had stretched that margin to 26 seconds and looked in control.
A costly mistake from Elgari on the final GMOTO Enduro Test dropped him to fifth, while Cristino moved into second. From there, Dagna managed the final Cross Test cleanly to secure victory ahead of Cristino and Giraudon.
Leo Joyon narrowly missed the podium in fourth by just 0.21 seconds, with Elgari recovering to finish fifth.
Dagna reflected on a mixed but ultimately successful day: “It was a good day for me. I started fast on the first lap, but my last lap was not too good. The Extreme Test was getting difficult, lap by lap, but I’m happy to get this win and will try again for tomorrow.”
Kyron Bacon delivered a solid Day 1 at the EnduroGP of Finland, finishing fifth in Enduro2 and 12th overall after a consistent ride in warm conditions despite a few small mistakes, setting himself up for another push on Sunday.
Mersin strikes in Youth Enduro
The Putoline Oil Youth Enduro class produced a new winner in Finland, with Valentin Mersin taking victory after a strong comeback through the day.
Despite finishing second in the AKRAPOVIC Super Test, Mersin slipped to seventh early after the opening POLISPORT Extreme Test, already 13 seconds behind Pietro Scardina, who led the early stages.
Scardina led lap one ahead of Yago Dominguez and Gabriele Melchiorri, with Mersin in fourth. By the end of lap two, however, Mersin had surged into the lead as Scardina dropped back after a crash.
Melchiorri briefly hit the front in the closing stages, but Mersin responded strongly to retake control and secure victory by 11 seconds. Scardina recovered to finish second, with Melchiorri completing the podium in third.
Mersin said the bike and conditions suited him perfectly, adding: “The bike was perfect today. The Cross Test was so nice, it was fast and suited me. It’s a dream result for me to get this win. Thank you to my family and team for the support.”
Day two continues tomorrow to complete round three.