Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia will begin his assault on the 2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship this weekend as he takes on the opening round of the series, held in San Remo/Arma di Taggia, Italy. The two-time Enduro2 World Champion will switch category for this year, racing in Enduro1 on the KTM 250 EXC-F.
Garcia completed the 2022 EnduroGP season by fighting back from a mid-season injury. Putting in incredible performances at the final two rounds in Hungary and Germany, he secured four hard-fought, back-to-back EnduroGP class wins. While his dominance wasn’t quite enough for the Spaniard to clinch either the EnduroGP or Enduro2 class titles, he was able to finish as runner-up in both categories and end his season on a high.
Looking for further motivation, Josep, along with his Red Bull KTM team, made the decision over the off-season to switch to Enduro1 and ride the exceptional KTM 250 EXC-F – the same model that he won his first world title on, back in 2017. That decision already seems to be paying off, with Garcia dominating the opening two rounds of the 2023 Spanish Enduro Championship on his 250cc 4-stroke.
Now, heading into the first stop of the seven-round 2023 EnduroGP World Championship, Josep will undoubtedly be aiming to carry his impressive speed and winning momentum into the series and get both his E1 and EnduroGP campaigns off to a strong start.
Round one of the 2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship kicks off with the Akrapovic Super Test, held in San Remo on Friday, March 31, which is then followed by two full days of classic enduro racing in the mountains of the region on April 1-2.
Josep Garcia: “This year I’ve made a really good pre-season, switching to the KTM 250 EXC-F and the Enduro1 class. The bike is amazing. KTM have made a really strong engine and I feel like I can do whatever I want with the bike – I feel really comfortable in all conditions. I’ve worked so hard with my training, both on and off the bike, and I really feel good right now. The goal heading into EnduroGP is definitely to aim for that top step of the podium at every event. I’ve raced the first two rounds of the Spanish championship so far this year and my speed has been really good and consistent, so I’m confident heading into the world championship. As always, I’ll give 100% and do whatever it takes to claim the title this year – I can’t wait to get started.”