Nieve Holmes delivered another consistent weekend of racing at round three of the 2026 Expotrade FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship in Fafe, Portugal, securing fourth-place finishes on both days to maintain second overall in the championship standings. Racing for ET James Sherco aboard her Sherco SEF 250 4T, Holmes once again demonstrated her speed and consistency during the opening weekend of the Portuguese double header.
After recording fifth place in Friday night’s Super Test with a clean and mistake-free ride, Holmes carried that momentum into Saturday’s racing. Conditions proved extremely demanding, with high temperatures, heavy dust, and a challenging Extreme Test that saw the Women’s class given the opportunity to ride it untimed on the opening lap to safely learn lines through the toughest sections. Nieve rode consistently throughout the day, avoiding major mistakes and placing inside the top four on four of the eight tests. Her steady approach paid off with fourth overall at the finish and another valuable haul of championship points.
Sunday brought improved conditions after overnight rain reduced the dust and made temperatures more manageable during the opening laps. Now fully familiar with the tests, Holmes enjoyed an even stronger day and held third overall for much of the event. Running in podium contention throughout, she looked set for another top-three finish before small mistakes in the closing stages caused her to slip to fourth overall after the final two tests. Despite narrowly missing the podium, the weekend provided plenty of positives heading into the second Portuguese round.
Following round three, Holmes remains second in the Expotrade FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship standings thanks to her consistent 4-4 scorecard. However, with just two points separating her from third place, every championship point will prove crucial as the series enters its penultimate round. The championship returns to Fafe this weekend, June 19-21, for GP of Portugal II, where Holmes will look to strengthen her hold on second place ahead of the season finale in Wales this August.
Nieve Holmes: “Overall it’s been another solid weekend and I’m pleased to come away with two consistent results and good championship points. Friday’s Super Test went well with a clean run and no mistakes, which gave me confidence heading into the weekend. Saturday was really tough with the heat and dust, and the Extreme Test was one of the hardest we’ve faced this season, but I managed to stay consistent all day. Sunday felt even better and I was in the podium positions for most of the day, so it was disappointing to lose out in the final tests. Still, there are lots of positives to take away and I’m happy to still be second in the championship. We’re back here again in a few days, and I’m feeling confident that we can fight for the podium again.”