Ryan Gilchrist and Raphaela Richter are crowned 2026 Enduro World Champions in Finale Ligure

The 2026 Enduro World Championship has crowned its new champions in Finale Ligure (Italy). Aussie Ryan Gilchrist and German Raphaela Richter have claimed the rainbow jerseys on a day marked by small differences among the favorites. A day earlier, the world titles for E-Enduro were also decided.

Ryan Gilchrist and Raphaela Richter conquer the 2026 Enduro World Championship

The best specialists in the world faced a demanding course of 76 kilometers this Sunday, October 18, with six timed specials and 2,131 meters of positive elevation gain.

In the men's category, Ryan Gilchrist has been crowned world champion after leading the competition from the first special. The Australian completed the six stages with a total time of 36:20.262, surpassing Canadian Elliot Jamieson by 4.860 seconds.

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The battle for medals remained open until the end. Jamieson overtook Richie Rude in the fifth special and managed to hold onto silver by just 0.265 seconds against the American, who ultimately had to settle for bronze.

The women's competition was even tighter. Raphaela Richter secured her first Enduro world title by just 1.575 seconds over Isabeau Courdurier. The Frenchwoman, world champion in 2024, won the last special and was very close to making a comeback, but the lead accumulated by Richter turned out to be sufficient. Italian Nadine Ellecosta completed the podium 3.897 seconds behind the winner.

In the junior categories, the new world champions have been Hugo Marti Montessinos and Nežka Libnik, who also triumphed over the six specials in Finale Ligure.

Results of the 2026 Enduro World Championship

Men's Elite

1. Ryan Gilchrist — 36:20.262
2. Elliot Jamieson — +4.860 s
3. Richie Rude — +5.125 s
4. Luke Meier-Smith — +7.782 s
5. Alex Rudeau — +22.271 s

Women's Elite

1. Raphaela Richter — 41:57.757
2. Isabeau Courdurier — +1.575 s
3. Nadine Ellecosta — +3.897 s
4. Mélanie Pugin — +14.229 s
5. Ella Conolly — +37.694 s

Adrien Dailly and Helen Weber, E-Enduro world champions

On Saturday, the E-Enduro World Championship took place, where Adrien Dailly successfully defended his world title. The Frenchman won with a lead of 35.920 seconds over Damien Oton, while Martin Maes took the bronze medal.

In the women's category, German Helen Weber dominated the competition by winning five of the six specials. Laura Charles finished second at 1:18.145 and Estelle Charles completed the podium.

Enduro faces a new stage in 2027

This World Championship also marks the end of an era for international Enduro. The UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery announced last August that Enduro will no longer be part of the MTB World Cup starting in 2027, although the World Championships will continue to be held and will become the main official event of the discipline.

However, there are already several initiatives underway to ensure that Enduro does not lack an international circuit. Crankworx has announced its intention to create a new world series in 2027, a project that has already sparked interest from organizers in 25 countries. At the same time, a group of promoters and professionals in the discipline has presented Enduro United, an initiative working on a circuit provisionally called the Enduro MTB World Tour. Both proposals are still in development, but reflect that Enduro is seeking to reorganize to maintain a top-level international competition beyond the UCI structure.