Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia has earned a double Enduro1 class victory at his home event – the EnduroGP of Spain.
The KTM 250 EXC-F racer dominated the E1 class, topping the standings on both days by well over two minutes. The results extend Garcia’s advantage at the top of the Enduro1 standings to 25 points.
Josep hit the ground running on Friday night, topping the intense Super Test to the delight of his home fans. Despite overnight rain making conditions on Saturday extra challenging, Josep was in his element, successfully carrying his speed from the previous day into the long special tests.
After the first two laps, Garcia held a narrow advantage in the overall standings over a chasing Brad Freeman. But three small crashes were enough to cost Garcia the lead and ultimately the EnduroGP class win. However, the Spaniard’s pace was such that he won the Enduro1 class comfortably, going fastest on every test to finish the day with a near-three-minute winning advantage.
Day two in Lalin continued very much like the first, with the fierce fight between Garcia and Freeman going on right to finish. On over half the day’s nine tests, the two leaders clocked times less than a second apart. Giving his all, Josep ultimately completed the day as runner-up in the EnduroGP category and once again topped E1 by a huge margin.
Now, two rounds in to the FIM EnduroGP World Championship, Josep leads the Enduro1 standings and lies fourth in the EnduroGP. Next up, round three of the series will be held in Finland on May 26-28.
What Joesp Garcia had to say
“My goal here in Spain was to fight for the overall victory on each day. The Super Test on Friday went really well. I really felt the support from the home crowd, and I was able to take the win. Day one started off really well – I was leading the EnduroGP standings for over half the day, but them going into the final lap, I had three small crashes which cost me enough time to drop down to second. It felt good to be back on the podium and win E1 though. Today, on Sunday, the goal was the same, to battle for the victory. Brad (Freeman) and I were really pushing each other all day. It was incredible, on so many of the enduro and cross tests we would both finish on the same second. I felt good in the extreme test, but he was able to just edge ahead there by a couple of seconds. I’d not sure where I was losing out, but it’s something we’ll definitely look at before the next race. It’s a long championship, so I just need to stay focused, stay more consistent at every round, and keep on fighting.”
Results – 2023 FIM Enduro World Championship – Round 2, Spain
Day 1
Enduro 1
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 1:12:33.60
2. Matteo Pavoni (ITA), TM Racing, 1:15:27.95 +2:54.35
3. Zach Pichon (FRA), Sherco, 1:15:35.56 +3:01.96
4. Jamie McCanney (IRL) Husqvarna, 1:16:22.41 +3:48.81
5. Thomas Oldrati (ITA), Honda, 1:16:37.49 +4:03.89
EnduroGP
1. Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta, 1:12:22.05
2. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 1:12:33.60 +11.55
3. Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 1:13:17.11 +55.06
4. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 1:13:21.99 +59.94
5. Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco, 1:14:53.87 +2:31.82
Day 2
Enduro 1
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 1:06:31.35
2. Theo Espinasse (FRA), Beta, 1:09:02.35 +2:31.00
3. Jamie McCanney (IRL) Husqvarna, 1:09:13.14 +2:41.79
4. Matteo Pavoni (ITA), TM Racing, 1:09:21.98 +2:50.63
5. Thomas Oldrati (ITA), Honda, 1:10:07.62 +3:36.27
EnduroGP
1. Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta, 1:06:19.44
2. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 1:06:31.35 +11.91
3. Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 1:07:09.17 +49.73
4. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 1:07:40.65 +1:21.21
5. Nathan Watson (GBR), Honda, 1:08:28.01 +2:08.57
Championship Standings (After Round 2)
Enduro 1
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 77 points
2. Thomas Oldrati (ITA), Honda, 52 pts
3. Matteo Pavoni (ITA), TM Racing, 50 pts
4. Zach Pichon (FRA), Sherco, 48 pts
5. Jamie McCanney (IRL) Husqvarna, 48 pts
EnduroGP
1. Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta, 80 points
2. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 60 pts
3. Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 60 pts
4. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 57 pts
5. Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco, 39 pts
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