According to the organiser, the Baja Castelo Branco, held from 13 to 15 November 2026, is the final round of the Portuguese Todo-o-Terreno championship (Campeonato Nacional de TT) for motorcycles. Micael Simão (KTM) leads the standings and, according to Escuderia Castelo Branco, is the big favourite for the title. If he succeeds, it would be the second of his career, following his championship title in 2025.
The event is organised by Escuderia Castelo Branco in the city of the same name, the capital of the Beira Baixa region. Alongside the national championship, it also counts towards the FIM Bajas Cup (Taça FIM de Bajas) for motorcycles, quads and SSVs. The cars are contesting the penultimate round of their championship in parallel.
The Situation in the Motorcycle Class
Simão took the lead in the standings with his win at the 40th Baja Portalegre 500 in mid-October. According to Motojornal, the Santag Racing rider on his KTM 500 EXC-F fought a duel with Gustavo Gaudêncio (Honda) over the entire 280-kilometre final-day stage, which was only decided by a serious crash for Gaudêncio a few kilometres from the finish. Bernardo Megre (KTM) was second, 5 minutes and 6 seconds behind, with Nelson Cunha (Kawasaki) third.
The motorcycle federation Federação de Motociclismo de Portugal (FMP) published the standings after Portalegre:
- 1st: Micael Simão, 105 points
- 2nd: Bruno Santos, 81 points
- 3rd: João Duarte, 53 points
- 4th: Gustavo Gaudêncio, 52 points
- 5th: Bernardo Megre, 50 points
Simão therefore goes into the finale with a 24-point lead over Bruno Santos. Whether that lead is already mathematically sufficient cannot be determined from the sources consulted, as they do not state the points awarded for Castelo Branco.
335.8 Kilometres Against the Clock
According to the organiser, the Baja covers 335.8 timed kilometres in all categories. This includes a prologue and two selective sections, that is, special stages, of 190 and 140 kilometres. That leaves roughly 5.8 kilometres for the prologue by calculation; the announcement gives no separate length for it. Motorcycles, quads and SSVs race over three days, the cars only on Saturday and Sunday.
- Friday, 13 November: Prologue for motorcycles, quads and SSVs at the Parque de Desportos Motorizados de Castelo Branco. A symbolic start in front of the town hall (Câmara Municipal) follows at 20:15.
- Saturday, 14 November: First selective section west of the city in the Pinhal Interior, in the municipalities of Castelo Branco, Oleiros, Proença-a-Nova and Sertã. The motorcycles ride the longer section of 190 kilometres on this day.
- Sunday, 15 November: Second selective section, 140 kilometres for the motorcycles.
Sérgio Sequeira, clerk of the course for motorcycles, quads and SSVs, promises varied tracks. The aim, he said, was to “create conditions so that the teams encounter different circumstances along the tracks”. The route will include both “narrow and technical tracks in the middle of the forest” and “wider and faster areas” (quotes translated from Portuguese).
Postponed After Storms
The Baja Castelo Branco was originally scheduled for the start of the year. According to Escuderia Castelo Branco, it had to be postponed because of storms that caused severe damage in the region. Eight months later, the organiser says the conditions for holding the event are in place.
The event also counts towards the Mini Baja championship (Campeonato de Mini Bajas), in which young riders aged between 8 and 16 race over 60 timed kilometres. According to the organiser, all three age classes are still open: in the Infantis, the top two are separated by seven points, in the Iniciados by four, and in the Juvenis the two leaders are level on points.
Sources and Photo Credits
- Escuderia Castelo Branco: Castelo Branco no centro das decisões do TT nacional (press release, 3 November 2026)
- Motojornal: CNTT Baja Portalegre 500: Vitória para Micael Simão que assume liderança do campeonato (19 October 2026)
- Federação de Motociclismo de Portugal (FMP): 40 anos de emoções em Portalegre (19 October 2026)
- Photo 1: Micael Simão (KTM) at the 2026 Baja Portalegre 500. Photographer not named; original source: FMP, published on 19 October 2026
- Photo 2: Bernardo Megre (KTM) at the 2026 Baja Portalegre 500. Photographer not named; original source: FMP, published on 19 October 2026