On Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th April, the doors of the 2024 FIM Enduro GP World Championship officially opened on Portuguese soil. The town of Fafe, about 50 km from Porto, was the scene of the inaugural event of the season with a masterfully raced organized for the occasion by the Motoclub Natureza Alternativa.

The Portuguese GP race weekend kicked off on Friday 5 April with the traditional parade through the streets of the city of Fafe followed in the evening by the long-awaited Super Test packed with spectators which officially kicked off the weekend of race and the 2024 Enduro GP season.

The race route of the first round of the 2024 season, in which our riders battled, included a 4.8 km Cross Test on hard and at times muddy terrain, followed by a 6 km long Enduro Test with hard mixed with stones and an Extreme Test at the end of the lap that is as spectacular as it is treacherous due to its classic rocks and stones typical of Portuguese races for a total length of 1.5 km. Three laps to complete on each day of competition for a total of eighteen special tests during the entire weekend.

Great performance for Matteo Cavallo at the opening GP, the Piedmontese driver has expressed his potential since the Super Test on Friday evening and in the two days of competition he achieved a third and a second place in the E3 class. Currently in the E3 class Matteo Cavallo occupies second position in the provisional ranking.

In the E1 class Lorenzo Macoritto in Portugal achieved two seventh places. The Friulian driver ran a regular race, although slowed down by an intestinal problem which stopped several riders. What remains is the satisfaction of a great performance in the Super Test on Friday evening where he recorded the third best time in his class.

Leo Le Quere’s score is two tenths in the E2 class. The French rider is recovering from a wrist injury that kept him out of action for six weeks and arrived in Portugal not in his best physical condition.

A world debut for Alberto Elgari in the Junior class, where he was not intimidated by the race or his opponents. On both days he always fought for the top positions. Unfortunately on Saturday the chain of his bike fell in the second extreme test denied him the final podium, ending the day in sixth position. On Sunday he started off strong straight away, then some errors slowed him down, but in the end he recovered and left no room for his rivals, going on to win his first World Championship race. A day that, both for him and for the Team, will be unforgettable.His two teammates still recovering from injuries were absent.

Deny Philippaerts: “He worked well this winter and I imagined he could do well, but not like this straight away!!. He surprised us all with the coolness with which he faced this race. It’s a shame about Saturday, but he immediately showed character and determination!! Excellent work. Keep going. We hope to recover his two teammates soon too.”

Jarno: “Bitter/sweet start to the Championship. Very satisfied with the boys’ commitment and Cavallo’s results. Unfortunately for Leo it will still take some time to recover 100% from his hand injury, but as a real tough guy he finished the race. Macoritto, after a first day with some ups and downs, suffered from an intestinal virus on Sunday which also affected others. We know that we can collect more. However, I cannot fail to praise their dedication and commitment. Now let’s look at the next weekend.”

The Enduro Circus does not stop and having archived the first Portuguese stage of the 2024 season, it is already on the move to reach Valpagos, still on Portuguese soil, where the second round of the 2024 season will take place next weekend 13 and 14 April.