Just five days after the last round of the 2023 season was staged on Portuguese soil, the last act of the season took place this weekend, 6-8 October, again in Portugal, and more precisely in Santiago do Cacem, in the presence of a large and festive crowd of fans who on this occasion, as in the 2021 GP, demonstrated the historical tradition and passion that is felt in this area for enduro racing.
Words & Images by Jet Fantic Racing
The Motoclub Motorsport St.Andrè put together a high-level race both from a technical point of view, designing a course that was as treacherous and difficult as it was spectacular, and from a logistical point of view, placing two of the four special tests in the immediate vicinity of the Paddock.
A weekend marked by a climate with summer temperatures of over thirty degrees that kicked off on Friday evening with the Super Test packed with spectators, which was followed by two days of racing on a course over 60 km long that saw our riders tackle three laps per day in the following order the extreme special test, as spectacular as it was demanding, 1.2 km long on hard terrain mixed with rocks, followed by the very fast Enduro Test 1 with sandy terrain, and then after the CO at the Paddock, a long (4. 2km) and very fast on hard and dusty terrain, and finally the second Enduro Test, 2.4km long, on hard and dusty terrain and set in a very picturesque location at the foot of a castle.
Jed Etchells was crowned world champion in the Junior class after a season in the lead. The British rider over the Portuguese weekend wisely managed his advantage over his direct competitor and on Sunday took the Junior class title and also the Junior 1 class title.
A weekend to forget for youngster Harry Edmondson, the British rider failed to shine as he has throughout the season and never found the right feeling in the four special stages. In the final classification of the Junior 1 class Harry Edmondson managed to move up one position and finish in fourth place.
In Santiago do Cacem the women of the Woman class also took to the track and Jane Daniels took the title with a day to spare, thus collecting her fourth title in the Woman class.
The GP of Portugal in Santiago do Cacem closed the 2023 season of the EnduroGP World Championship and after the winter break the Enduro Circus will return to the track in Spain in April for the first race of the 2024 season.
Matthew Savi – Team Manager
“We are happy because we won two world titles in the Junior class with Jed Etchells and with Jane Daniels in the Woman class, and we also won the Junior 1 class with Jed Etchells. I would say a perfect year.”
Jed Etchells
“This has been a long, hard-fought season and every win and podium finish has been hard fought. Now we are world champions in the Junior class and we also have the Junior 1 class title in the bag.”
Harry Edmondson
“I am not happy with my end of the season, I started the season with the idea and the goal of improving from race to race and that was the case until this weekend. I am disappointed with this weekend but I am happy to have finished fourth in the Junior 1 class.”
Jane Daniels
“I managed to win my fourth world title and my second in a row in Fantic colours. Even this year it was not easy to win the title because my rivals are improving year by year.”
