Round five of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship brought the paddock to Abetone and Val di Luce for the Abestone Hard Enduro, and once again the Italian race delivered exactly what its reputation promises: heat, rocks, steep climbs and terrain capable of exposing even the smallest mistake.
For the Plews Tyres-supported riders, the weekend produced one of the strongest performances yet from James Moore, who finished fourth overall and won the Junior category, while Mario Roman recovered from Saturday bike problems to fight for the podium and finish fifth.
A Completely Reworked Abestone
The 2026 course was significantly different from the previous edition, with no section identical to last year. The most discussed obstacle was Minestrone, a section where line choice played a major role. Choose correctly and momentum stayed alive. Choose badly and the time loss was almost impossible to recover.
The weekend format featured a Saturday morning prologue, an afternoon sprint race, a Straight Rhythm elimination for the top 16 later in the day, and Sunday’s main race.
James Moore Starts P3 in the Prologue
Moore immediately put himself among the front runners by qualifying third in the Prologue. The rest of the Plews-supported riders finished:
- Mario Roman – P11
- Toby Shaw – P15
- Lenny Geretzky – P16
- Francesc Moret – P18
- Marc Fernandez – P19
- Matt Green – P20
- Connor Watson – P24
That result gave Moore an excellent starting position for Saturday afternoon’s Sprint Race.
Moore P2 in the Sprint
The Sprint Race was one hour plus one lap around a technical five-kilometre course, with high temperatures making an already physical race even harder. Moore was right at home.
He completed three laps and finished second overall, setting himself up perfectly for Sunday and securing his place in the Straight Rhythm. Mario Roman had a much more difficult afternoon. A problem with the bike’s power valve prevented him from riding at the level he wanted, and he finished eighth over three laps.
Matt Green also struggled with the conditions and finished P18.
Matt Green: “Tough day in the office. I suffered a lot. Super hot conditions, brutal track and many unanswered questions. Might be jet lag, might be heat, might be nothing, but I know today I did not ride like I can.”
Francesc Moret finished P14, Marc Fernandez P15, Lenny Geretzky P23 and Connor Watson P29. Toby Shaw reached checkpoint five but did not complete the lap.
A New Engine Changes Mario Roman’s Sunday
Roman and his team made a major call overnight: change the engine.The difference was immediate. On Sunday, Roman looked much more like himself, using his technical skill on the Italian hillclimbs to pass riders where others were losing time.
He spent much of the two-hour-plus-one-lap race fighting for the podium and eventually crossed the line fifth overall after six laps.
Moore Wins Junior and Takes P4 Overall
One of the best battles of the race came roughly one hour into the Final, when Moore and Roman found themselves racing directly against each other. Moore eventually came through in fourth overall, completing all six laps and taking the Junior class victory.
James Moore: “Man, I really do love this race. Battled for the overall podium and rode a race that I’m really proud of. P4 on the day and some good points for Juniors. The team was amazing as always and the fans were unreal.”
P4 overall. P1 Junior. Another major result in what is becoming a very serious Junior World Championship campaign.
Moret and Fernandez Keep Progressing
Behind the leaders, Francesc Moret finished P13 on five laps, while Marc Fernandez came home P15, also on five laps. Both riders continued their consistent progression through the championship. Green endured another difficult day and finished P20 on four laps.
Matt Green: “One of my favourite races on the calendar, which made it even harder not to race at my best, or even remotely close to that.”
Sometimes Hard Enduro does not give you an answer. It simply gives you another lap.
Geretzky Returns to the Race That Injured Him
Lenny Geretzky’s Abestone weekend carried some extra significance. At this same event one year earlier, he tore his ACL. In 2026, he returned and finished P21 on four laps, including some impressive saves through the castle section. That alone made his result more meaningful than the position suggests.
No Front Brake for Toby Shaw
Toby Shaw’s Sunday became even more difficult after he lost his front brake during the race. Hard Enduro without a front brake is already a fairly complete description of a bad afternoon. Shaw nevertheless continued and crossed the line P30 after three laps.
Connor Watson completed three laps to finish P33.
Championship Situation After Round 5
With five rounds completed, several Plews riders remain well placed in both championships.
HEWC Overall
- Mario Roman – P5
- James Moore – P7
- Matt Green – P10
Junior World Championship
- James Moore – P2
- Toby Shaw – P3
- Marc Fernandez – P4
- Lenny Geretzky – P7
Three rounds remain: Roof of Africa in Lesotho, Sea to Sky in Turkey and Hixpania in Spain. There is still plenty left to fight for.
