The 2025/2026 FIM Super Enduro World Championship came to a thrilling conclusion in Douai, France on March 7th. Despite the absence of Prestige champion Billy Bolt, the French crowd brought incredible energy to the final round, creating an electric atmosphere for the championship's climactic night. And they witnessed history, Toby Shaw securing the Junior World Championship title with a season-defining campaign.

Junior World Champion: Toby Shaw

Toby Shaw headed into the final round in Douai carrying the red leader plate with 292 points and a championship within reach. His path to the title had been shaped by both his own exceptional performances and a tragic turn of events, main rival Milan Schmüser's season-ending broken leg that had sidelined the previously dominant rider.

Milan had been the force to beat throughout the season, claiming overall victories at nearly every round and establishing himself as the clear championship favorite. His injury at round 5 fundamentally altered the championship battle, opening the door for the rest of the field. While Toby's achievement stands on its own merit, the British rider would be the first to acknowledge that Milan's absence changed the dynamics of the title fight.

Race 1 saw Toby starting on the front row but encountering a challenging start that left him close to the back of the pack. Demonstrating the resilience that carried him through the season, Shaw did a great job to climb up to 4th by the end of lap 1. Putting good pressure on Gómez, Toby moved to 3rd after a mistake from Piazza, then pushed past into 2nd ahead of Gómez. Despite some small mistakes allowing Gómez to catch up. Toby finished in 2^nd, but couldn't call the championship win just yet.

"Not been looking at the points really," Toby shared between races. "Alright race, bad start. I'm going to go out and try to win the next one. The track is really good, not too many overtaking lines so the start is important. Very tough and demanding and tight and technical."

Race 2 brought the decisive moment. Starting from a reverse grid in 14th position on a freshly prepared track, Toby had his work cut out for him. But Shaw had a good start, sitting middle of the pack before taking a big chance over the big tyre jump to move up to 2nd. Having a good race and riding with excellent flow, Toby put pressure on Crayston in 1st before passing him on a corner line to take the lead.

And then it happened, Toby Shaw crossed the finish line in 1st position, securing the Junior World Championship title. The celebration was immediate and emotional, a brilliant finish to a season he can be proud of and will remember for a very long time.

Race 3, with the championship already secured, saw Toby starting on the front row for his final race with no pressure. After almost taking the holeshot and sitting in 3rd, a small mistake saw him go down and fall back to 8th. Some technical issues and small mistakes along the way resulted in a 9th position finish, but it didn't matter, the championship was won.

Toby finished the final round in 2nd position overall. More importantly, he finishes the 2025/2026 season as the FIM Junior Super Enduro World Champion.

"Lost for words," Toby shared after the championship was confirmed. "Hasn't sunk in yet. Best night of my life so far."

Looking back at his championship campaign, the defining moment came at Newcastle, where Toby delivered the performance of his career in front of his home crowd, sweeping all three races and becoming the first rider other than the dominant Milan Schmüser to claim an overall round victory. That perfect night gave Shaw the championship lead heading into the finale, and he never looked back.

Youth Championship: Connor Watson's Consistent Campaign

Connor Watson capped off an impressive season by finishing 2nd overall in the Youth World Championship with 291 points. The British rider's season was marked by resilience, aggression, and the ability to fight back when things went wrong.

In the final round in Douai, Connor delivered one of his best performances of the season. Race 1 saw a massive crash over the first tyre with the majority of the class going down, but Connor was very lucky to make it out safely behind Martinez. Racing aggressively and keeping pressure on Martinez, Connor capitalized when his competitor made a mistake to move into the lead. Building up a strong 15-second lead, Watson took his fifth win of the season.

Race 2, the final Youth race of the 2025/2026 season, brought Connor's first double win. With a really decent start straight to 2nd and then battling for 1st before the finish of the 1st lap, Watson engaged in a good battle with Martinez who went down, opening the door for Connor to move into the lead. Despite getting a bit hung up on back markers when lapping other riders, Connor rode so well and so consistently, building up a 10-second lead. He crossed the finishing line in 1^st, his first double win and overall round win. Big celebrations for the end of a season he can be very proud of.

Connor's season highlights included emotional victories in Spain (his first overall win that moved him to 2nd in the championship), consistent podium finishes despite setbacks, and the ability to recover from crashes and penalties, most notably his penalty heartbreak in Serbia and comeback from first-corner crashes.

Prestige: Marc Fernandez's Rookie Campaign

Marc Fernandez completed his first full season in the Prestige class, making the jump from Junior World Champion to competing against the world's elite. Despite missing rounds due to a hand injury and the learning curve of facing riders like Billy Bolt, Jonny Walker, and Mitch Brightmore, Marc showed steady improvement throughout the season.

In Douai, Marc delivered solid performances across all three races, finishing 8th in Race 1 (8 points), 6th in Race 2 (6 points) which was his best result and 7th in Race 3 (7 points). Overall he finished in 12th in the Prestige championship class in his first year banging bars with the world's best.

Throughout the season, Marc's progress was evident, from finding his feet in the opening rounds to declaring he "felt like himself again" at Newcastle. Finishing 12th overall in such a competitive field is a strong foundation for future seasons.

Diogo Vieira's season was impacted by injury, missing the final two rounds after his heavy crash with Jonny Walker in Serbia. He finishes his season in 11th in the Prestige championship despite the setbacks.

European Cup: Alessandro Azzalini

Alessandro Azzalini competed in select rounds of the European Cup classification throughout the season, delivering consistent performances. In the final round in Douai, Azzalini had a solid outing with 6th in both races, bringing his 2025/2026 European Cup campaign to a close with characteristic consistency.

A Season to Remember

The 2025/2026 FIM Super Enduro World Championship delivered drama, breakthrough performances, and unforgettable moments for Plews riders:

Championships Won:

Season Highlights:

The season showcased not just results, but character. Toby's resilience through challenging starts, Connor's ability to fight back from setbacks, and Marc's determination to prove himself against the world's best.

As the 2025/2026 season concludes, Plews Tyres celebrates a Junior World Championship title and a Youth runner-up finish. A testament to supporting talented riders with championship-proven equipment.

Toby Shaw's complete championship story, from opening round struggles to historic Newcastle sweep to title glory, will be featured in an upcoming special feature. Stay tuned!