204 riders, 105 Challenger entries, several titles on the line and an Elite S1 championship still refusing to deliver its final verdict. At Villars-sous-Écot on 12–13 September, the French Supermoto Championship reaches its final mainland round of 2026. Steve Bonnal wins in S1, Romain Seranon takes S2 honours and Anthony Ecuyer retains the Challenger Trophy by just two points. Yet reducing Villars to a collection of podiums would miss the bigger picture: behind the results are the riders who have defined the season, those refusing to give up their place, and those already beginning to shape 2027. More than a finale, a changing of the guard.
Villars, a finale that is not quite a finale
Sunday evening approaches and, for much of the paddock, there will be no next round. S2, S2 Junior, S3, S4, Veterans, Women and Challenger all reach their conclusion in the Doubs. Only Elite S1 still has one more journey to make, with La Réunion waiting on 21–22 November. Two more months to separate the season’s leading contenders.
On track, Steve Bonnal reminds everyone why he carries the number one plate. Second in the opening race and winner of the second, the 2025 French champion takes the overall victory ahead of Sylvain Bidart and Ferran Cardus Gonzalez. In the standings, he also stretches his advantage before the final trip of the year: 41 points now separate him from Bidart.
Because this 2026 S1 season is defined less by outright domination than by the collision of three very different trajectories. Bonnal confirms his status. Cardus, third in last year’s championship, wins at Albi after taking the opening final by less than three tenths. Between them, Sylvain Bidart continues to extend a career already carrying eight national titles. At 41 at the start of the season, he remains capable of winning and even arrives at Villars as the provisional championship leader.
Different generations. No clear dividing line between them.
The next generation is no longer waiting
While the established S1 names continue to trade blows, Djamal Juste Watt is building a very different kind of season. The Suzuki rider splits his year between S2, the new S2 Junior category and international commitments. At Lohéac, that means missing the domestic round to compete on the world stage. Yet at Villars he immediately returns to the sharp end, finishing second behind a flawless Romain Seranon.
Seranon eventually takes the championship advantage, but Juste Watt leaves a different impression: that of a rider already capable of moving between the national scene and international competition without disappearing from the front.
Beyond the result itself, his season says something about what 2026 is gradually putting in place. The next generation is no longer simply preparing for the future in the shadow of the intermediate classes. It wins, recovers, travels and already takes the fight to the established names.
French Supermoto is not short of young riders. It is starting to give them room.
Challenger: two points that change what comes next
Nowhere is that transition towards the future more tangible than in Challenger. Before Villars, Anthony Ecuyer and Julien Bracquemond are separated by just two points. Behind them, more than 100 riders line up for the final round. In a field that deep, one mistake can be enough to reshape an entire season.
The verdict arrives on Sunday. Kilian Lambrichts wins the event, Bracquemond finishes ahead of Ecuyer, yet the gap refuses to move and remains at two points.
But here, the standings mean more than a trophy. The top five Challenger riders move onto the national notoriety list and must compete in Elite S1 for the following two seasons. Ecuyer and Bracquemond will be joined by Maxime Marquez, Patrick Serodio and Alexis Delong. Five names leaving Villars with more than a result, they are moving up a level.
Courtesy of David Hirschmiller
2027 starts before 2026 is over
Perhaps this is where Villars tells the story of the season most clearly. Bonnal defends his position. Bidart refuses to let experience become a synonym for decline. Cardus keeps applying pressure. Juste Watt establishes himself. Behind them, five Challenger riders are already preparing to step into Elite S1.
The calendar, however, has not completely stopped turning. S1 still has almost 9,000 kilometres to travel to La Réunion before its champion is crowned. One final round. A few more lines still to be written.
Courtesy of David Hirschmiller
