Italy triumphs as Six Days celebrates its 100th edition

The 6DAYS FIM Enduro of Nations took place from 12 to 17 October, with Grândola in Portugal’s Alentejo region serving as the base for the competition.

First held in Carlisle, Great Britain, in 1913, Six Days has a history stretching back 113 years. However, 2026 marked its 100th edition, as the annual competition has experienced several interruptions over the years, including during both World Wars and, most recently, in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year’s event featured long liaison sections, sandy and rocky terrain and demanding special tests. Success required more than outright speed. Riders also needed the stamina and mechanical reliability to complete six consecutive days of competition.

Italy defend their World Trophy title

Italy established an early lead in the World Trophy and remained at the top of the standings throughout the week.

The Italian team consisted of Andrea Verona, Morgan Lesiardo, Samuele Bernardini and Matteo Cavallo. France emerged as their closest challenger, while Sweden, Spain and the United States battled for the remaining podium position.

Although Italy controlled the overall standings, the competition was far from one-sided.

Sweden produced one of the standout performances on Thursday, when Mikael Persson (Triumph), Max Ahlin (Honda), Albin Norrbin (Husqvarna) and Axel Semb (Husqvarna) combined to win the day’s World Trophy classification, finishing just 1.5 seconds ahead of Italy.

Going into Saturday’s final motocross races at Praia Vasco da Gama in Sines, Sweden held third place, with Spain and the United States still in contention.

The Americans mounted a strong challenge during the final day, but Sweden held on to secure bronze by a margin of just 24 seconds after six days of racing.

Italy successfully defended their title, with France taking silver. For Sweden, the bronze followed their silver medal in 2025.

Andrea Verona takes his first overall victory

Italy also had reason to celebrate in the individual competition. Andrea Verona claimed his first outright Six Days victory, finishing ahead of Spain’s Josep García and France’s Zach Pichon.

The individual class results included several closely contested battles. In Enduro1, García took victory ahead of Italy’s Morgan Lesiardo, while Sweden’s Max Ahlin finished third, just 23 seconds behind the runner-up.

Enduro3 produced one of the closest finishes of the entire event. Britain’s Brad Freeman defeated France’s Julien Roussaly by just four-tenths of a second after six days of racing. Sweden’s Albin Norrbin completed the podium in third place. Together with their World Trophy bronze, the two individual third-place finishes gave Sweden further reason to celebrate.

Dust adds to the challenge

Dust was one of the defining challenges of this year’s event.

Visibility became particularly difficult on Thursday, forcing organisers to shorten the day’s competition from two laps to one, with three special tests instead of the planned six.

The demanding conditions placed additional pressure on riders, who had to balance speed with concentration, endurance and the need to keep their motorcycles running throughout the week.

Italy complete a double victory

Italy’s success continued in the Junior World Trophy, where the defending champions secured another title ahead of the United States and Spain. The junior competition also demonstrated how quickly fortunes can change during a six-day event.

Sweden, represented by Alfons Lindström (Husqvarna), Robin Gunnarsson (Triumph) and Wiggo Lifvendahl (Husqvarna), had a promising start before encountering difficulties. The team was seventh after the opening day but dropped to ninth following a six-minute time penalty for Gunnarsson on Tuesday.

A strong performance on Thursday lifted the Swedes to sixth overall, but their recovery came to an abrupt end on Friday morning when Gunnarsson’s motorcycle failed to start. With only Lindström and Lifvendahl reaching the finish, Sweden ended the Junior World Trophy in 11th place. For Italy, however, victory completed an impressive double in the two main men’s national team categories.

United States claim a record seventh women’s title

The United States continued their dominance of the Women’s World Trophy, securing a record seventh title and their fourth consecutive victory.

Brandy Richards, Korie Steede and Rachel Gutish took the lead on the opening day and maintained their advantage throughout the competition. Australia finished second, with France completing the podium.

Richards also delivered an outstanding individual performance, winning the women’s classification by five minutes and 39 seconds ahead of Australia’s Danielle McDonald. Her American team-mate Korie Steede finished third.

A century of Six Days competition

The 100th edition represented an important milestone in the history of international enduro.

Since its beginnings in 1913, Six Days has evolved from an international reliability trial into one of the sport’s most prestigious competitions, bringing together leading riders and national teams from around the world. The anniversary was also marked by a collaboration with Ducati, which celebrates its own centenary in 2026. Five-time Enduro World Champion Antoine Méo took part as an ambassador.

Despite the changes in motorcycles, technology and competition formats, the central challenge remains much the same. For six days, riders must combine speed, endurance and mechanical reliability while representing their nations on the international stage.

Portugal’s historic edition provided plenty of memorable moments, from Italy’s double victory and Andrea Verona’s first overall win to the United States’ record-breaking success in the women’s competition and Sweden’s closely fought bronze medal.