Adam Raga wins Santigosa 3 Días 2026 with just one penalty point over three days

The 54th edition of the 3 Días Trial de Santigosa — held April 3–5 in the Pyrenean village of Sant Joan de les Abadesses — produced a masterclass in precision riding from Adam Raga. The Sherco factory rider accumulated just one penalty point over the entire event, claiming back-to-back victories at one of the world's most prestigious traditional trial competitions.

First held in 1972, the 3 Días Trial de Santigosa is now in its 54th edition — making it one of the longest-running multi-day trial events in existence. Organised by Moto Club Abadesses in Sant Joan de les Abadesses, a medieval town nestled in the Catalan Pyrenees (Ripollès comarca, Girona province), it occupies a place in the sport comparable only to the Scottish Six Days Trial for its uncompromising traditional ethos. There are no artificial obstacles here: three days of pure, natural Pyrenean terrain, with the famous indoor zone in the village centre providing a spectacular finale each day. Past winners read like a who's who of trial royalty — Jordi Tarrés, Adam Raga, Dougie Lampkin and Takahisa Fujinami have all taken victory here. Demand consistently outstrips supply: over 300 applications received each year, with only 240 riders selected — a ratio that makes the start line itself a mark of distinction. The field draws competitors from across Europe and Japan alike, giving this small Catalan village a genuinely global stage.

Santigosa is no ordinary trial. With over 300 applications received and only 240 riders selected, admission itself is a mark of status in the trial world — an event often compared to the Scottish Six Days Trial for its uncompromising traditional format and the sheer difficulty of its Pyrenean terrain. This year, weeks of fierce winds exceeding 100 km/h had felled trees across the route, forcing the Moto Club Abadesses to adapt the course — yet the challenge remained fully intact.

Day 3: mud, climbs and maximum pressure

The final day proved the hardest of the three. Thirty-one zones featuring wet, muddy conditions, steep technical climbs and demanding step-ups produced the highest penalty counts of the entire event for many competitors. Despite the severity of the terrain, both Raga and Jorge Casales (TRRS) completed the day with zero penalties, preserving the gap built over the first two days: Raga with one point total, Casales on four.

Speaking after his victory, Raga was keen to contextualise his remarkable scoreline: he highlighted the genuine difficulty of the sections and the relentless mental pressure required to ride clean across three full days of natural terrain. He also pointed to Santigosa as his ideal preparation for the Scottish Six Days Trial — an event he narrowly missed winning last year and where he intends to return this year in full contention.

Podium and classifications

Marc Piquer produced the ride of the final day among the front-runners, staging a strong comeback to claim third overall with 12 points. Behind him, a three-way tie on 13 points separated Marc Riba (4th), Marc Freixa Jr. (5th) and Àlex Canales (6th) — Freixa Jr. having led the standings jointly after day one before doubling his Saturday score to fall off the podium. Sam Obradó finished 7th on 19 points.

British TrialGB competitor Ben Dignan impressed with a top-ten result in 8th, tying on 20 points with Japanese rider Shinya Hirohata in 9th. Eric Miquel rounded out the top ten with 23 points.

Category results

In Junior, Jin Kuroyama took the win on 29 points ahead of Oriol Garcia Campano (33) and Aniol Llamas (34). The Cadete class was won by Jon Amós Bilbao (63), ahead of Damià Solà (65) and Arnau Arias (81). In Juvenil, Pau Giralt topped the standings on 103 points, ahead of British rider Benjamin James (166) and Jou Becerra (201).

The Veterano A category was won by Francesc Recio (41) from Gabriel Reyes (48) and Álvaro Blázquez (49), with former world champion Dan Clark (GB) in 4th on 50 points and multi-world Biketrial champion Dani Comas in 5th. Veterano B went to former world champion Oscar Giró (63) ahead of France's Philippe Vaudey (73) and Italy's Andrea Buschi and Paolo Lazzaroni, tied on 74.

In the Féminas category, Trial GB Women's champion Alice Minta won convincingly with 79 points, ahead of Queralt Fontdevila (119) and Italy's Martina Gallieni (143).

Stories beyond the results

Finnish rider Pasi Pajunen fulfilled a lifelong dream by competing at Santigosa on his 60th birthday, inspired since childhood by the stories of Finnish world champions Yrjö Vesterinen and Tommy Ahvala. World Trial star Gabriel Marcelli attended as a special guest, adding to the festive atmosphere around the event.

There was one moment of concern: local rider Martí Escofet suffered a concussion after a fall in the indoor zone late on day three. He was taken to hospital, where tests ruled out any serious injury and he was discharged within hours.

The event concluded with widespread satisfaction among riders and organisers alike. The Moto Club Abadesses — now under new president Enric Losilla, who replaces the long-serving Joan Moncanut at the head of a renewed board combining experience and youth — was warmly praised for maintaining Santigosa's defining character: a pure, demanding, traditional trial that refuses to make concessions.

Source: Moto Club Abadesses ()