Zach Pichon Prevails in the Rocks to Win Day One at Swedish EnduroGP

Zach Pichon was the standout performer on a gruelling opening day at the Polisport EnduroGP of Sweden, round three of the 2025 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship, mastering the challenging terrain to take a commanding victory in both the EnduroGP and Enduro2 classes.

The Swedish stop of the championship dished up exactly what riders expected, a punishing mix of rocks, roots and ruts that demanded both technical precision and physical grit. With crashes and mistakes plaguing many throughout the day, those who kept it clean reaped the rewards.

Zach Pichon hit the ground running, clocking the fastest time in the opening GMoto Enduro Test ahead of Andrea Verona and Josep Garcia. Although Garcia topped the first Acerbis Cross Test, only 0.57 seconds separated the trio as they closed the first lap. Sweden’s own Mikael Persson gave the local crowd something to cheer about by winning the final test of the lap, marking a historic first EnduroGP special test win.

But it was Pichon who took over the lead heading into lap two. He once again topped the GMoto Enduro Test, extending his advantage over Garcia, while Sherco’s Hamish Macdonald climbed to third. Persson held fourth, with Verona slipping to fifth. Pichon was relentless, and by the final lap he had swept all four Enduro Tests, building a near-minute lead.

He eventually crossed the line with a dominant 48-second margin over Garcia, describing the performance as nearly flawless. “I’m really happy with my day and my riding to get this win,” said Pichon. “I felt great on the Enduro Test and didn’t really make any mistakes. That was the key to today. With the rocks and roots, it was tricky. Hopefully, we can repeat this again tomorrow.”

Garcia, who has been nursing injuries since his GP of Spain crash, still found reason to smile with second place. “Today feels like a win,” he admitted. “I haven’t been able to ride properly after my crash… Honestly, I’m happy with this result.”

Hamish Macdonald secured third by less than two seconds over Verona after a gritty ride that had him right in the mix all day. “I’ve been working so hard to get to this moment and this EnduroGP podium,” said Macdonald. “I feel comfortable in the stones and my preparation really helped. Honestly, I’m over the moon and lost for words.”

Persson narrowly missed a podium at home by less than four seconds, settling for fifth but showing real promise aboard the Triumph. Only 16 seconds separated second to fifth overall.

Class Results:

In the Enduro1 class, Josep Garcia maintained his perfect season despite pressure from Persson, who won all three special tests on the final lap to finish just 16 seconds adrift. Samuele Bernardini was a distant third.

With the EnduroGP win under his belt, Pichon also claimed his fourth Enduro2 victory of the year, while Andrea Verona and Nathan Watson rounded out the podium.

In Enduro3, Hamish Macdonald capped off his standout ride with a class win, making it four from four in 2025. Antoine Magain made it a Sherco 1–2, while Leo Le Quere prevented the sweep, finishing third for TM Moto Boano Factory Enduro Team.

In the Juniors, home hero Axel Semb shrugged off a shaky Super Test to dominate the opening seven special tests. The Fantic rider was untouchable early, building a lead of over a minute. A late crash in the final Cross Test wasn’t enough to rattle him as he secured the class win. “I got a good feeling in the tests straight away and pulled a big gap on lap one,” said Semb. “Unluckily, in the final Cross Test I had one crash and lost some time. But it’s been a great day, with lots of home support.”

Kyron Bacon returned to form after illness sidelined him in Spain, finishing second. He improved steadily throughout the day and will be eyeing a stronger start tomorrow.

The Australian admitted he struggled to find his rhythm early on, saying, “I started the day off really slow and lost a lot of time to the front guys and couldn’t get in a nice flow! After that, I felt good and put in some solid times and got back up to 2nd. New day tomorrow, ready to go.”

Fantic’s Kevin Cristino edged out Leo Joyon by just three seconds for the final podium spot, courtesy of a late push in the final GMoto Enduro Test.

TM Moto Boano’s celebrations continued in the Youth category with Alberto Elgari grabbing the win. The Italian fired out of the gate, topping the first two tests and building a solid lead. By the third lap, Romain Dagna had closed the gap to just four seconds, but Elgari lifted his pace and rode clear to win by 20 seconds. “From lap two until the finish, I found my groove and was able to increase my rhythm and take the win,” said Elgari. “It’s my second win of the season and the feeling on the bike is getting better all of the time.”

A last-lap charge from Pietro Scardina saw him snatch second from Dagna, with the Frenchman having to settle for third.

It was a bruising but brilliant start to the Swedish GP – and with more punishing terrain and close battles promised for day two, fans can expect another thrilling showdown tomorrow.