Fantic's Giraudon Wins J2 in Portugal; Mersin Takes Two Seconds in Youth Class
Thibault Giraudon bounced back from a sixth-place finish on Saturday to win the Junior 2 class on Sunday at the Portuguese round of the EnduroGP World Championship.
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What Happened
The Fantic Factory Racing Enduro team ended the back-to-back Portuguese rounds on a high note. Thibault Giraudon claimed his second Junior 2 victory of the 2026 season on Sunday after a sixth-place finish on Saturday. In the Youth class, Valentin Mersin of Team Specia Academy secured two runner-up finishes, while Théo Espinasse, weakened by food poisoning, managed a fifth-place finish in E3 on Sunday after retiring on Saturday.
Giraudon finishes 6th in J2; Espinasse retires due to food poisoning; Mersin finishes 2nd in Youth.
Giraudon wins J2 and finishes 3rd in Junior overall; Espinasse finishes 5th in E3; Mersin again 2nd in Youth.
“Saturday started well, but the final stages of the race did not go as planned. We bounced back on Sunday and I am really happy to have secured a podium finish in the Junior class and victory in J2. A big thank you to the entire Fantic Factory Racing Enduro team for all their hard work. These have been two intense but very positive weeks!”
“After last week's victory, I could not wait to get back racing. Unfortunately, I started feeling unwell and was unable to complete the opening day. On Saturday evening, I went to the hospital for an IV drip and we did everything possible to make sure I could race again on day two. I managed to finish fifth, which was not the result we were hoping for, but given the circumstances, it was the best I”
Why this matters
The results boost Fantic's standings, with Giraudon securing his second J2 win of the season and Youth rider Valentin Mersin moving to third in the provisional championship.
Terms in This Story
- Junior 2 (J2)
- A class in enduro racing for junior riders on 250cc two-stroke or 450cc four-stroke bikes.
- E3 class
- A class for enduro bikes over 250cc four-stroke.
- EnduroGP World Championship
- The premier global enduro racing series.
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