A spectacular EnduroGP of France in Saint-Agrève saw Thibault Giraudon claim his first Junior overall victory of the season aboard the Fantic XE 300. Théo Espinasse and Riccardo Pasquato also delivered solid performances in the E3 and Youth classes.
To celebrate Théo Espinasse and Thibault Giraudon’s home GP in France, the Fantic Factory Racing Enduro team unveiled a special livery on their Fantic XE 300 machines, matched with custom AXO riding gear inspired by the colours of the brand’s official partner NILS – Experts in Lubricants. The same look was worn by their Italian team-mate Riccardo Pasquato, who returned to Youth World Championship action after being sidelined with an arm injury.
The world’s best Enduro riders faced a particularly technical and demanding course in Saint-Agrève, preceded by Friday evening’s SuperTest, held 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, followed by an Enduro Test winding through the forest over roots and rocks, before concluding with a spectacular Extreme Test on compact ground with various artificial obstacles, including logs and boulders.
Spurred on by the incredible support of the French fans, Giraudon enjoyed his strongest weekend of the season. Aboard the Fantic XE 300 with a fuel-injected Minarelli engine, he immediately showed strong pace and claimed victory in both the Junior overall and Junior 2 classes on the opening day. On day 2, Giraudon delivered another outstanding performance, fighting for the overall right down to the final special test. He rounded off a memorable GP by taking another Junior 2 win and finishing third in Junior overall, missing second place by just one hundredth of a second. He remains third in the J2 World Cup standings.
Fresh from his double victory in the French Enduro Championship, Théo Espinasse collected two fourth-place finishes in the E3 class at his home GP, also securing an overall top-10 result on day two. He currently sits fifth in the E3 championship standings.
Riccardo Pasquato also delivered a positive performance, recording sixth- and fifth-place finishes in the Youth class in his first GP back after two months on the sidelines. He retains fifth place in the championship standings, while Valentin Mersin sits in third overall. Racing on home soil, the Team Specia Academy rider narrowly missed out on the podium with two fourth-place finishes aboard the Fantic XE 125.
With the French Grand Prix now done and dusted, the EnduroGP World Championship heads to its final and decisive round of the 2026 season, scheduled for August 7–9 in Rhayader, Wales.
Thibault Giraudon:
“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.”
