In France, the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship kicked off with the Alestrem Hard Enduro, a race marked by high levels of difficulty and unpredictability, mainly due to changing weather conditions.
Throughout the weekend, the event drew a large crowd who followed the performances of the top riders, including Francesc Moret and Eric Miquel from the Rieju Factory Team, competing on their MR 300i machines.
On Friday, under high temperatures, riders faced the Xtrem Test, a short and technical track packed with obstacles that generated heavy dust. The session was run in two attempts, allowing Francesc Moret to place inside the top ten, while Eric Miquel finished 17th in a highly competitive field.
On the second day, riders competed in the Minerva Prologue to secure a good starting position for Sunday’s main race. The SuperEnduro-style circuit saw Miquel finish 16th, while Moret placed within the top twenty, both earning favorable starting positions.
During Sunday’s main race, a major weather shift impacted the event, as a heavy storm made the terrain especially challenging, particularly on the final climbs, leading to the race being shortened by one lap.
In these demanding conditions, Francesc Moret, starting from the second row, managed to overcome the toughest sections and adapt to the changing terrain, finishing in 12th place overall. Eric Miquel, meanwhile, secured 23rd place in a race where only 44 riders managed to complete two laps.
The second round of the championship will take place at Extreme Lagares in Portugal, from May 1st to 3rd.
Francesc Moret:
“First round of the Hard Enduro World Championship, a three-day race. On Friday, we had the Xtrem Test where I finished 10th, and on Saturday, in the SuperEnduro-style prologue, I qualified for the final, which was our main goal. I started from the second row on Sunday; the race was tougher than expected due to the heat, but after about an hour and a half, it started raining heavily, which made things even more difficult, although it actually suited me since I wasn’t feeling comfortable before. The changing conditions allowed me to recover from 17th position up to 12th. I think we can be happy; we did a great job throughout the weekend. If we keep working like this, we can aim for better results. It will be a tough season with a very high level of competition, but we’ll keep pushing race by race. In 15 days we have the second round in Portugal, and we’re more motivated than ever.”
Eric Miquel:
“The competition went really well overall. In Friday’s Xtrem Test, we finished 18th; it was a shame to start from so far back, I’m not sure why since there were non-FIM riders ahead, but still, it was a solid result for a World Championship race. In the second run, I improved my position to 16th, although a rider crashed in front of me and I lost some time; otherwise, we could have been close to the top ten. Still, I’m very happy with the pace.
On Saturday, in the SuperEnduro-style prologue on a technical and demanding track with a lot of dust, you had to stay focused. In the qualifying heats, I finished fourth and secured my place. In the final, I had an issue at the start as riders ahead crashed, forcing me to come from the back through the dust and work my way into the top ten, securing a spot in the main final. I had very good feelings racing against strong riders, got a good start and moved into the top 14, but had a small crash on the last lap and finished 16th. Still a good result considering the high level.
On Sunday, I had a strong start, leading the second row, but as expected, some top riders passed me. I was riding closely with Moret around 13th–14th positions until the rain came. It affected me negatively because I didn’t have the right mousse setup for those conditions, so I struggled with traction, lost positions, and couldn’t find the right feeling. I even had a crash, but despite everything, we gave it our all and secured 23rd place, which is a good result considering our objectives.”
