In Rhayader, Wales, Albin Norrbin put the fuel-injected Fantic XE 300 with Minarelli engine on the E3 podium. Axel Semb secured top 3 finishes in the Junior2 class on both days, also achieving third place in the overall Junior classification on day 2. In the Youth class, Fantic Junior Racing Enduro’s Pietro Scardina climbed the third step of the podium twice during the Welsh weekend.
The EnduroGP of Wales made a welcome return to the calendar following a 15-year absence, as round 6 marked the penultimate race of the 2024 season. Rhayader, a small village with a rich enduro history, welcomed a large crowd for the occasion, making the Welsh GP a truly spectacular event.
The high-level race course featured three technical and demanding special tests repeated three times a day, plus a fourth Cross Test, totaling twenty special tests over the weekend. The course included a challenging 4.8 km Cross Test over hard and dusty terrain on the Cwmythig Hill motocross circuit, a technical 4.6 km Enduro Test with tricky muddy spots, and a 1.3 km Extreme Test located inside the Saintswell motocross track.
It was a positive weekend for Albin Norrbin in the E3 class, as he finished fifth on the opening day. A consistent second day of racing on the fuel-injected Fantic XE 300 with Minarelli engine saw the Swede climb the third step of the podium.
British rider Jed Etchells, the 2023 Junior World Champion, was fully motivated to compete in front of his home crowd. A solid performance on his Fantic XEF 250 allowed him to finish twelfth overall and sixth in the highly competitive E2 class on Saturday. On Sunday, he had to be content with eighth place after a few unfortunate mistakes in the Enduro Test.
In the Junior class, Axel Semb was back on form. On Saturday, he finished fourth overall and third in Junior2. On Sunday, the Swedish rider led the way on his Fantic XEF 310 for the majority of the day. Unfortunately, a mistake at the last Enduro Test cost him time, and he had to settle for third places in both the Junior overall and Junior2 classes.
Kevin Cristino experienced some bad luck in Wales. After securing second place in J1 and fifth in the Junior class overall on day one, the Italian suffered a problem on Sunday that prevented him from fighting for valuable points.
Fantic Junior Racing Enduro’s Pietro Scardina scored two third places on the Fantic XE 125 in the Youth class. He also sits third in the riders’ standings. His teammate Riccardo Pasquato just missed out on the top 10 on Saturday but managed to work his way up to ninth on the second day of racing.
With the penultimate round of the 2024 EnduroGP Championship now done and dusted, Brioude in France will stage the season finale on September 13th to 15th.
Albin Norrbin:
“I am happy with the podium after a consistent day on Sunday. Now we fully focus on the final round in France.”
Axel Semb:
“It was not easy to get a good result; it was a challenging race. I am happy with my podium finishes and especially my performance on Sunday. The mistake in the final Enduro Test was a pity, as it didn’t allow me to fight for the win until the very end. In France, I will give my best for the last GP of the 2024 season.”
Pietro Scardina:
“I am happy with the two podiums I scored here in Wales. I brought home two third places, but the result on Sunday was somehow bittersweet, as I lost second because of some mistakes.”
