Tasmania’s Matthew Phillips has become the first-ever EnduroGP world champion after claiming the title in Cahors, France yesterday. Phillips held a comfortable points lead entering the final two days of 2016 Enduro World Championship competition and kept a cool head to bring home the Championship in dry and dusty conditions.
The 23 year old from Wynyard, Tasmania has delivered Sherco their first Enduro World Championship in the best possible way. Riding a Sherco 300SEF-R, Phillips has taken on the world and beaten the best in the newly-created EnduroGP class which covers all riders across all classes. Enduro World Championship titles have traditionally been awarded across three capacity classes determined by the size of the particular motorcycle competitors ride. However, 2016 saw the introduction of the EndruoGP class to determine the outright, overall fastest rider across all classes.
“This is as big as it gets in Enduro,” stated Sherco Australia’s Stephen Tuff. “Matthew has just won a world championship and he’s done it comfortably on a bike that has dominated the competition. EnduroGP leaves no doubt about who is the best and what bike is the fastest across all brands and all capacities. We knew Sherco had the best bike, we just needed Matthew to prove it for us.”
In the process of claiming the EnduroGP win, Phillips also won the E2 class title.
“Matthew had the eyes of the off-road racing world watching him this weekend,” Tuff continued. “Track conditions were very dry and dusty and the crowds were huge. I can’t imagine the pressure of that situation when an Enduro World Championship is within striking distance. But in typical Matthew Phillips fashion he just got on with the job, rode a smart race and showed the world what a Sherco motorcycle can do.”
Matthew Phillips now enters the history books at the first EnduroGP champion and has become Australia’s newest motorsport legend.
RESULTS
1. Matthew Phillips. Aust. Sherco 300SEF-R
2. Mathias Bellino. France. Husqvarna
3. Steve Holcombe. UK. Beta
4. Eero Remes. Finland. TM
5. Nathan Watson. UK. KTM
