Mitch Brightmore Wins in Douai as SuperEnduro 2025/2026 Ends in Style

The 2025/2026 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship came to a spectacular close in Douai, France, with Mitch Brightmore taking his first overall Grand Prix victory in the Prestige class. In the Junior category, Britain’s Toby Shaw secured the world title, while Connor Watson topped the Youth Cup on the night.

After six high-intensity rounds across Poland, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Serbia and the United Kingdom, the final stop in France delivered exactly what the season deserved — tight battles, new winners, and a dramatic finish in front of a fired-up crowd.

Karlsson makes history in SuperPole

Stark Future’s Eddie Karlsson set the tone early by taking the fastest time in SuperPole. The Swede was superb on the technical Douai course, going 0.396 seconds quicker than the rest of the field. It was not only his first SuperPole win in SuperEnduro, but also the first ever for an electric bike.

Behind him, Ashton Brightmore and Mitch Brightmore made it a strong start for X-Grip Racing in second and third, with Toby Martyn, Manuel Lettenbichler, Marc Fernandez, and Jonny Walker completing the top seven.

Final 1 – Mitch takes control late

Karlsson grabbed the holeshot in the opening Prestige final and immediately pulled away, with Ashton Brightmore and Lettenbichler close behind. As the race settled, Mitch Brightmore worked his way into second and began closing in on the Stark rider.

With just over two minutes left, Mitch was right on Karlsson’s rear wheel. After several attempts, he finally made the pass stick and rode clear to take his first Prestige race win. Karlsson finished second, while Lettenbichler held off late pressure from Ashton Brightmore to secure third.

Final 2 – Walker answers back

The second final saw Jonny Walker fire into the lead and quickly build a solid gap. Mitch Brightmore gave chase and gradually reeled him in, setting up one of the best battles of the night.

The two traded positions in the final laps, and with the race decided only on the run to the line, Walker managed to hold on and take the win by less than a second. Lettenbichler delivered another strong ride for third, while Karlsson and Martyn followed in fourth and fifth.

Final 3 – Brightmore seals the overall

Karlsson took the final holeshot of the season, with Martyn making it a Stark 1-2 in the early running. But Mitch Brightmore wasted no time, pulling off a double overtake to jump from third to the lead in one decisive move.

Martyn followed through into second, before Walker charged forward and moved past both Stark riders with four laps to go. By then, Mitch was already gone. The Brit controlled the race from the front and powered to a comfortable victory. Walker finished second, Karlsson third, with Lettenbichler and Ashton Brightmore rounding out the top five.

First overall win for X-GRIP’s Mitch Brightmore

With two race wins and a second place, Mitch Brightmore secured his first overall SuperEnduro Grand Prix victory in the Prestige class. Walker edged Karlsson on tie-break to take second overall, while Lettenbichler’s consistency gave him fourth on the night. Martyn completed the top five.

Final championship standings

Although absent in France, Billy Bolt had already wrapped up the 2025/2026 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship title at the previous round in the UK. The battle behind him stayed tight until the very end, with Walker finishing as vice-champion by just three points ahead of Mitch Brightmore.

Karlsson and Martyn closed out the season in fourth and fifth overall, while Stark Future’s combined performances earned the manufacturer the Manufacturer Award for the season.

Photo credit: Sport UP Agency