The 2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship resumes its run and, after a break of more than three months, this weekend our riders took on Friday 29, Saturday 30 September and Sunday 1 October, the long-awaited sixth round of the season on Portuguese soil at Valpacos, valid as the penultimate race of the 2023 season.
Words and Images by Jolly Racing
The GP of Portugal took place in a three-day event full of emotions under a typical summer sun with temperatures over 30° and in the presence of a large audience of fans who welcomed and supported the world enduro circus throughout the race weekend starting from the Super Test on Friday evening.
The race course of the Portuguese GP, designed by the Motoclub “Usprigozus Clube TT de Vilarandelo” in collaboration with Track Inspector Maurizio Micheluz, included in order: a very technical natural Extreme Test of 1. 7km characterised by challenging passages with typical Portuguese stones, followed by a technical and not very fast Enduro Test of 5.6km on mainly hard and friable terrain, and at the end of the lap a Cross Test inside the Motocross track of Valpacos, for a total of 4.6km.
The triumphal march of Jed Etchells in the Junior and Junior1 classes continues, in the Portuguese race weekend the British rider consolidated the leadership of the Junior1 class and is still leading the Junior class with a few points ahead of his direct opponent.
Jed Etchells’ weekend started immediately in the best way by winning the Super Test on Friday evening and recording several best times in class also on Saturday where the Fantic rider rode a perfect and consistent race. At the end of a long first day of racing Jed Etchells finished in first position in the Junior class and also took the top step of the podium in the Junior1 class.
On the following race day Jed Etchells was unable to be as incisive as on the previous day and had to settle for second place in the Junior class and first place in the Junior1 class. The British rider twice recorded the best class time on the first and third pass of the Cross Test.
Jed Etchells is currently leading the Junior and Junior1 classes and will play for the two world titles this weekend in Santiago do Cacem, the seventh and final GP of the 2023 season.
The Harry Edmondson also performed well, finishing eighth in the Junior1 class on Saturday, and on the following race day he improved his performance by finishing seventh in the Junio1 class and entering the Top Ten of the Junior class.
The next appointment with the 2023 EnduroGP World Championship is scheduled for next weekend, 6-8 October, in Santiago do Cacem, also on Portuguese soil, for the seventh and highly anticipated last round of the season, which will see the much-awaited and hard-fought FIM EnduroGP World Championship titles awarded.
Matthew Savi – Team Manager
“We are happy with the results of both riders, Jed Etchells is confirming himself as a mature, tenacious and determined rider and the wins this weekend and throughout the season confirm this. Harry Edmondson on the other hand is improving from race to race and is applying himself a lot.”Jed Etchells
Jed Etchells
“A good race weekend, Saturday was pretty much perfect while Sunday I suffered a bit in the Extreme and Enduro Test even though the times were good. Now we have to concentrate for the final rush.”
Harry Edmondson
“I am happy with this race and with how the season is going. In my first year in the Junior Class I have had a few good race days but I am learning a lot. Now I hope to finish the season in the best possible way.”
