Following months of speculation and with the new year now underway, one of the biggest rider moves in world enduro has finally been made official, with Steve Holcombe confirmed as a Sherco Factory Racing rider for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Sherco announced the signing following a strong 2025 campaign that saw the manufacturer claim the Enduro3 World Championship with Hamish Macdonald, and the arrival of the nine-time Enduro World Champion is viewed as a major step in pushing the factory programme to an even higher level.
Holcombe, one of the most successful riders in modern enduro history, will return to the Enduro3 category aboard the Sherco SE 300 two-stroke — the same model that dominated the class in 2025. The move marks a fresh chapter for the British star after a difficult, injury-affected season, with both rider and team aligned on a clear goal of returning to the sharp end of world competition.
Sherco Factory – CH Racing Team manager Fabrizio Azzalin said the partnership had been a long time coming, explaining that while discussions had taken place in the past, the timing had never quite aligned until now. He said it was “a great pleasure” to finally welcome Holcombe to the team and added that the Brit’s experience would be “extremely valuable for the rest of the team”, with further rider announcements to follow in the coming days.
Sherco Factory Team Manager Jordan Curvalle echoed those sentiments, saying the signing had been under consideration for several years. He noted that everything aligned perfectly this time to make the deal a reality and said the focus now shifts to preparation, with the 2026 EnduroGP season shaping up to be “extremely exciting and competitive.
For Holcombe, the move represents both a reset and a renewed challenge. The 31-year-old will contest the FIM EnduroGP World Championship as his primary focus in 2026, alongside the Italian Enduro Championship, the ISDE in Portugal and the iconic Trèfle Lozérien. Subject to scheduling, he is also expected to line up at selected UK enduro events, with details to be confirmed later.
Bike testing is scheduled to begin in early January, with Sherco confirming the entire factory squad is highly motivated to begin this new phase of the programme.
Holcombe said the opportunity to join Sherco and return to a 300cc two-stroke was a major source of motivation, describing the project as exactly the kind of challenge he was looking for at this stage of his career. He said he was excited by the SE 300 platform and eager to work closely with the team to start the season strongly and push for the results they are all chasing.
The British rider brings an extraordinary résumé to the Sherco line-up. Born on 16 May 1994, Holcombe is a nine-time FIM Enduro World Champion, including four EnduroGP overall titles in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2023. He has also claimed three Enduro3 World Championships (2016, 2018 and 2019) and two Enduro2 titles (2020 and 2023), cementing his status as one of the most versatile and accomplished riders of his generation.
The 2026 EnduroGP World Championship is scheduled to run across seven rounds, beginning in Italy before heading to Spain, Finland, a double-header in Portugal, France and Wales. With Holcombe now locked in and returning to Enduro3 on proven machinery, Sherco enters the new season with a clear intent: fight for wins from the opening round and remain firmly in the EnduroGP title hunt all year long.
