Roberto de Matos has won the first FIM Hard Enduro Senior World Cup. The Portuguese rider raced at least six of the season's eight rounds, scored at every one of them, and had the title out of reach before the final round at the 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro in Aguilar de Campoo, Spain.
The Senior World Cup is new for 2026. It is open to riders aged 40 and over, whichever class they enter, and the best six of the eight rounds count towards the final ranking. De Matos raced exactly six, and made every one of them count.
Six rounds, every one counted
His season began with 21 points at the 24MX Alestrem Hard Enduro in France. At Extreme XL Lagares, his home round in Portugal, he added 27, finishing second among the Seniors in both the sprint and the main race.
He missed Silver Kings in the United States, then returned at Forza Orza in Sweden with the maximum 33 points, winning the prologue, sprint and main race among the Seniors. Abestone in Italy brought another 29, with a prologue win and second place in the sprint and the main race.
After missing the Roof of Africa in Lesotho, he scored 24 at Sea to Sky in Türkiye, on the Senior podium in all three races. Before Hixpania, he never scored fewer than 21 points at a round.
| Round | Event | P / S / M | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24MX Alestrem Hard Enduro, France | 1 / 7 / 13 | 21 |
| 2 | Extreme XL Lagares, Portugal | 1 / 9 / 17 | 27 |
| 3 | Silver Kings Hard Enduro, United States | Did not race | – |
| 4 | Forza Orza, Sweden | 3 / 10 / 20 | 33 |
| 5 | Abestone Hard Enduro, Italy | 3 / 9 / 17 | 29 |
| 6 | Roof of Africa, Lesotho | Did not race | – |
| 7 | Sea to Sky, Türkiye | 1 / 8 / 15 | 24 |
The favourite
Graham Jarvis started the season as the rider to beat. The multiple Red Bull Erzbergrodeo winner took the maximum 33 points every time he raced a full round, winning the prologue, sprint and main race among the Seniors at Alestrem, Lagares and Sea to Sky.
But unforeseen circumstances kept him out of the four rounds from Silver Kings to the Roof of Africa. In a class where six rounds count, even three maximums could not make up for four missed weekends.
That left the maths clear. De Matos arrived in Spain with 134 points from five rounds. Jarvis could reach no more than 132, even with a fourth maximum at Hixpania. Haukur Thorsteinsson, second in the standings, faced the same ceiling.
To the final round
With the title secure, De Matos lined up at Hixpania anyway for his sixth round of the year. In Friday evening's SuperEncierro, he was the second-best Senior behind Jarvis, adding two more points.
Second place is still to be decided between Thorsteinsson and Jarvis. The Icelandic rider has scored at seven rounds, more than any other Senior. He was also the only Senior to score at Silver Kings and the Roof of Africa, with a maximum 33 in Idaho. Rienk Tuinstra, who scored 32 at Abestone, and James Stearns, who scored at four rounds, complete the top five going into the final day.
A base to build on
Ten riders from nine nations scored Senior World Cup points in its first season. The class is open to every level of rider: Seniors race in the Gold, Silver or Bronze class and are ranked together, with finishers in the harder class placed above those in the easier ones.
Alestrem and Lagares, the first two rounds, had the most Senior points-scorers: nine in France and seven in Portugal. For the championship, this first season is the starting point. It shows where Senior riders come to race and what helps them commit to more rounds, and that will shape how the class develops.
The aim is a bigger Senior field in 2027, both for riders chasing an FIM World Cup title for the first time and for former champions who want to feel that again.
When the class was announced in February, HEWC Championship Director Ross Whitehead said: “Hard Enduro is a sport that rewards skill and consistency, qualities that don't disappear with age.” De Matos spent 2026 proving it.
The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is supported by official partners Plews Tyres, S3 and Factory Links.