DOUBLE PODIUM RESULT FOR JOSEP GARCIA AT ENDUROGP OF ITALY

Rnd 1, EnduroGP 2023 – San Remo, Italy


After a difficult start to the GP of Italy, where Garcia placed 11th overall on the opening Friday night Super Test on the beach in Arma di Taggia, the KTM 250 EXC-F racer then suffered a crash early on Saturday, which saw him lose precious time to his rivals and also knocked his confidence. Initially struggling to find a good rhythm, Josep regrouped for the final lap of special tests to close in on the class leader and ultimately secure his second-place finish in the hotly contested Enduro1 class.

Carrying that speed and momentum into day two, Josep hit the ground running, opening up an early lead in E1 and going on to top the class in each of the 12 tests. Completing the day with an 97-second advantage at the head of the E1 class, Josep also finished fourth in the overall EnduroGP category, missing out on the podium by less than four seconds.

Leading the Enduro1 championship standings and lying fourth overall in EnduroGP, Josep now looks ahead to the second round of the series – the GP of Spain, held May 5-7 – where the 26-year-old will be hoping to claim EnduroGP honors on home soil.

Josep Garcia: “The weekend didn’t start well for me. My Super Test performance wasn’t perfect and then on the first lap on Saturday, I had a big crash in the enduro test. Although I didn’t lose too much time, the biggest effect it had was on my rhythm – I found it really tough to get comfortable again and push. For the final lap on Saturday I found some focus and was able to claw back some time to make sure I finished second in E1. I knew I had good speed, so I tried to carry that into Sunday. I think I did a good job, and I definitely gave it my all. To win E1 feels good, but I’m still a little disappointed to have missed out on the EnduroGP podium on Sunday. We head to Spain now, and there are a few things the team and I can work on before then, so hopefully I’ll be able to challenge for the overall win next time out.”

Results – 2023 FIM Enduro World Championship – Round 1, Italy

Day 1

Enduro 1
1. Zach Pichon (FRA), Sherco, 1:14:32.07
2. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 1:14:48.23 +16:16
3. Theo Espinasse (FRA), Beta, 1:16:04.51 +1:32.44
4. Thomas Oldrati (ITA), Honda, 1:16:06.67 +1:34.60
5. Jamie McCanney (IRL) Husqvarna, 1:16:22.39 +1:50.32

EnduroGP
1. Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta, 1:13:27.06
2. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 1:13:51.52 +24.46
3. Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 1:13:55.11 +28.05
4. Zach Pichon (FRA), Sherco, 1:14:32.07 +1:05.01
5. Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco, 1:14:35.99 +1:08.93
6. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 1:14:48.23 +1:21.17

Day 2

Enduro 1
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 1:05:52.80
2. Thomas Oldrati (ITA), Honda, 1:07:30.11 +1:37.31
3. Theo Espinasse (FRA), Beta, 1:07:46.48 +1:53.68
4. Zach Pichon (FRA), Sherco, 1:07:55.27 +2:02.47
5. Roni Kytonen (FIN), Honda, 1:08:27.93 2:35.13

EnduroGP
1. Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta, 1:05:23.86
2. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 1:05:40.05 +16.19
3. Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 1:05:49.16 +25.30
4. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 1:05:52.80 +28.94
5. Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco, 1:06:42.54 +1:18.68

Championship Standings (After Round 1)

Enduro 1
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 37 pts
2. Zach Pichon (FRA), Sherco, 33 pts
3. Thomas Oldrati (ITA), Honda, 30 pts
4. Theo Espinasse (FRA), Beta, 30 pts
5. Roni Kytonen (FIN), Honda, 20 pts

EnduroGP
1. Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta, 40 points
2. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 34 pts
3. Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 30 pts
4. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 23 pts
5. Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco, 22 pts

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