Jamie McCanney produced a dominant E2 performance to win both days of the FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Portugal at the weekend.

Having won two separate days in the previous two rounds of the series, the Outsiders Yamaha Official Enduro Team rider chopped class leader Josep Garcia’s advantage to six points with two rounds remaining.

Living up to everyone’s expectations, the GP of Portugal proved to be a great physical and mental challenge for all competitors.

Contested under extremely hot temperatures, it featured a technical extreme test and more two long and challenging special tests that tested riders’ stamina and physical strength.

Getting the best out of a physically demanding event at Castelo Branco, McCanney hardly put a wheel wrong in the 250cc class and is now well in contention for the E2 title with final rounds at Hawkstone Park, Shropshire, on September 23 -24 and Zschopau, Germany one month later.

’Things couldn’t have gone any better,’ admitted the 23-year-old. ’Taking a double victory in my class and also topping the outright standings on Sunday has been a huge confidence booster.

’On day one I got a small gap from the first special test, which I managed to extend during the day to 23 seconds. Trying to avoid mistakes I could control my pace and also save some energy for Sunday.

Winning five of the second day’s tests, yet taking things cautiously on the extreme test, McCanney was a fraction under 12 seconds ahead of Garcia at the close.

’I really gave everything I had for the win on Sunday,’ he said. ’Today was really tough, I felt like I couldn’t ease off at all, not even in one corner. Like so many times this year things were so tight between myself and Garcia - it was certainly intense.

’I was a little too cautious in the extreme test but, yeah, we pushed each other really hard right the way to the end of the day and I’m so pleased I was able to get the win - my first double.

’All the team did an excellent job and that gave me the extra motivation to keep pushing. I’m hoping I can repeat this performance on what is technically home ground in England. With two more rounds to go anything can happen.’

Jamie is currently a close second to Steve Holcombe in the provisional classification: for the Mika Ahola ’Brave One’ Trophy based on enduro test times throughout the series. Holcombe has 134 points and McCanney 133. The Manxman was first and second overall in the enduro tests at Castelo Branco.

His brother Daniel did not have such a wonderful weekend and, after tweaking his knee on day one, had to settle for a brace of seventh places in the same class on his Rockstar Energy factory Husqvarna.

Jamie is contesting round three of the French Enduro Championship in Gye sur Seine this weekend.