Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia has claimed yet another Enduro2 class win, this time on the 12th and final day of the series, in France. The newly crowned E2 Champion was still in with a mathematical chance of claiming the overall EnduroGP title and gave his all on the final day of racing. Placing third overall on the day, Josep secured second place in the 2021 EnduroGP standings, bringing his highly successful 2021 season to a positive end.
Despite another cold start to the day in France, Josep Garcia was fired up after clinching the E2 title the day before and ready to fight for the EnduroGP World Championship. Trailing the EnduroGP class leader by 13 points, winning the title was a tall ask, but Josep was determined to fight to the end. Third on the first test, the KTM 350 EXC-F rider went into the second test hoping to make up time on the day’s leader but unfortunately a crash midway through ended up costing Garcia around 20 seconds, and resulted in him playing catch-up for the rest of the day.
Another crash on the second cross test didn’t dampen the 24-year-old’s spirits, and in true champion’s fashion he got his head down and attacked. Topping the timesheets on three of the last five tests, Garcia ultimately finished third in EnduroGP, securing his second-place in the final championship standings.
After returning to the FIM EnduroGP World Championship after three years away, Josep proved to be immediately competitive, building his speed and consistency as the year went on. Over the last four days of competition, Garcia won three, concluding an incredible year that saw him take the overall win at the International Six Days Enduro, claim the Enduro2 world title, and finish as runner-up in EnduroGP. Heading into the winter break, Josep is already looking forward to the 2022 season.
Josep Garcia: “After winning the E2 Championship yesterday, I knew I still had a lot of work to do today, and my goal was to try and get the very best result I could. I started off well, but then had a big crash in the first enduro test that cost me a lot of time, and I hurt myself too. I was able to carry on, but then in the next cross test, I had another crash that put me behind even further. After that, I re-focused for the rest of the day and won three of the last tests. After losing time early on, to take third in EnduroGP and win Enduro2 today is really good. It’s frustrating not to take the EnduroGP title this year, but after being away from the series for three years, I’m really pleased that I came back and took these results.”
“The beginning of the year was tough for me – it took me a while to get up to speed and of course the level is very high. After making a few mistakes in the first couple of rounds, I knew I had to change my mindset and the way I raced. It all came together at the ISDE this year, and after winning that, I was a lot more confident coming into the final rounds of the world championship. I’m pleased with second in EnduroGP, and of course to win my second title in Enduro2 is great, but I know I have the speed to win, so I’m looking forward to next year already.”
Robert Jonas – Vice President Motorsports Offroad: “We are really proud of what Josep and the team have achieved this year after we stepped back into the FIM EnduroGP World Championship. We know how capable he is and winning another title was always our goal, but we knew, like always, it would be a challenge. I’d like to thank Josep for his hard work and dedication – he is an incredibly talented rider that has put together a fantastic season aboard his KTM 350 EXC-F. He has not only won the Enduro2 World Championship, but was also battling for the EnduroGP title until the final round and we also should not forget his incredible overall victory at the ISDE. It’s been a great season – and now we will enjoy this moment celebrating Josep and the team’s success.”
Results – 2021 FIM Enduro World Championship – Round 6, France
Day 2
Enduro 2
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 57:09.52
2. Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 57:32.77 +23.25
3. Nathan Watson (GBR), Honda, 57:43.98 +34.46
4. Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco, 57:44.78 +35.26
5. Wil Ruprecht (AUS), TM, 58:03.66 +54.14
EnduroGP
1. Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta, 56:46.57
2. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 56:58.42 +11.85
3. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 57:09.52 +22.95
4. Jaume Betriu (ESP), KTM, 57:15.48 +28.91
5. Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 57:32.77 +46.20
2021 Championship Standings (After Round 6, Day 2)
Enduro 2
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 221 points
2. Wil Ruprecht (AUS), TM, 185 pts
3. Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 170 pts
4. Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco, 155 pts
5. Joe Wootton (GBR), Husqvarna, 102 pts
EnduroGP
1. Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta, 217 points
2. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 199 pts
3. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 157 pts
4. Wil Ruprecht (AUS), TM, 146 pts
5. Davide Guarneri (ITA), Fantic, 125 pts