An incredible final showdown at the EnduroGP of France saw Kevin Cristino and his Fantic XEF 250 crowned champions, clinching the J1 title on day two in Brioude through a display of grit and determination. In the Youth class, Pietro Scardina dominated both race days, finishing the season as the runner-up in the championship.
Over the weekend of 14-15 September, the 2024 FIM EnduroGP World Championship came to a thrilling conclusion in France, with the final round taking place in Brioude, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Organized meticulously by the Motoclub Brioude and overseen by Track Inspector Maurizio Micheluz, the event featured a technical and demanding course, designed in line with the classic French enduro tradition, combining technical challenges with spectacular scenery.
The weekend’s action kicked off on Friday, 13 September, with the much-anticipated Super Test, which drew a large crowd of enthusiastic fans, officially marking the beginning of the final showdown of the 2024 EnduroGP season.
The French GP course tested riders over 75km of high-level trials, beginning each day with a 5.4km Cross Test through a traditional French meadow and forest undergrowth. This was followed by a long, demanding 6.8km Enduro Test through soft, root-laden forest terrain. Each lap ended with the Extreme Special Test, a 1.8km course that combined natural obstacles with short, artificial sections, pushing competitors to their limits.
At the end of an incredible weekend of racing, Kevin Cristino was crowned the new Junior1 champion. Entering the final round in France in third place in the provisional standings, the Italian rider secured third place on Saturday, despite picking up a foot injury halfway through the day. Digging deep on Sunday, Cristino delivered a stellar performance on the Fantic XEF 250, winning day 2 and marking his fifth J1 victory of the season. With previous wins in Valpaços and Fafe in Portugal, along with a double win in Romania, this latest triumph allowed him to clinch the title by a single point over his closest rival. In the overall Junior class, Cristino also notched remarkable fourth and second-place finishes.
His teammate Axel Semb, aboard the new Fantic XEF 310, secured a solid third place on the opening day and followed it up with a seventh-place finish on Sunday in the Junior2 class.
Meanwhile, Jed Etchells delivered a consistent performance at the French GP, claiming two strong fifth-place finishes in the highly competitive E2 class, also riding the new Fantic XEF 310. In the E3 class, Albin Norrbin had a challenging weekend, finishing ninth on Saturday and improving to seventh on Sunday.
It was a memorable weekend on French soil for Fantic Junior Racing Enduro, with Pietro Scardina securing his first victories in the championship. The Italian rider, aboard his Fantic XE 125, dominated the Youth class on both days. Riccardo Pasquato delivered solid performances, finishing seventh and eleventh, while Valentino Corsi made his long-awaited return to competition after an injury at the start of the season. Corsi marked his comeback with a tenth and 14th-place finish across the two days.
KEVIN CRISTINO:
“What an incredible weekend. I fought with everything I had to win this title, which seemed almost lost – and I managed to pull it off. Unfortunately, I injured my foot on Saturday, but we never gave up. It was a tough day, but we avoided mistakes and in the end, we made it happen. I was in third place going into the final round, and I won the championship by just one point. I want to thank everyone who supported me and contributed to this success – my mechanic, my entire team, Fantic, the sponsors, my family, and everyone who came to cheer for me here in France. I am extremely happy, and now I want to finish the season strong at the Assoluti.”
PIETRO SCARDINA:
“I am very happy with the double victory here at the French GP, my first wins at world championship level. I also managed to set strong times in the special tests, and secured second place in the final championship standings.”
