Home win for Verona at EnduroGP of Italy | Garcia tops D1

2024 FIM EnduroGP World Championship
Round Four – Italy

Racing kicked off at the EnduroGP of Italy, Round Four of the EnduroGP World Championship, over the weekend with Josep Garcia charging to victory on Day One, heading off Brad Freeman and Andrea Verona in the overall results, while Max Ahlin secured a commanding win in the Junior class.

Day Two saw Andrea Verona claiming a home victory in wet and wild weather, the Italian narrowly beating Steve Holcombe by half a second to secure the top step of the Polisport GP of Italy podium. And this time it was Morettini taking victory in Enduro Junior class.

Day One – Saturday

After the excitement of Friday’s Akrapovic Super Test being won by Hamish MacDonald, riders rolled out early Saturday morning for the first full day of racing at round four in Italy.

Greeted first with the Polisport Extreme Test, it was Andrea Verona who set the fastest time, much to the delight of his home crowd. On to the Maxxis Enduro Test, and this time it was Brad Freeman who topped the time sheets, with Josep Garcia right behind in second, meaning it was the Spaniard who moved into the overall race lead.

Completing lap one with the fastest time in the ACERBIS Cross Test, Garcia stretched his advantage out to 15 seconds over Verona, with Steve Holcombe just six-hundredths of a second adrift in third. With Freeman a further three seconds back in fourth, the racing was incredibly close.

On lap two, Freeman was impressive. Winning both the Polisport Extreme Test and Maxxis Enduro Test, he moved up to second and was now just seven seconds behind Garcia. At maximum attack, Garcia won the ACERBIS Cross Test and extended his lead back out to 10 seconds as they headed out for lap three.

A magical third lap from the Spaniard saw him win all three special tests, and with the final set of tests remaining, he was 22 seconds clear of his rivals. Despite renewed attacks from Freeman and Verona on the final lap, Garcia kept his cool. Managing his advantage, he cleared the 13th and final special test as the day one winner.

For Freeman, day one in Bettola marked the best day of his season so far. The Brit proved incredibly strong all day. Capping his ride off with two more test wins on the final lap for second overall.

Unfortunately, hopes of a home win didn’t materialise on day one for Verona. The Italian enjoyed a strong ride, but was ultimately hampered by his crash in the Akrapovic Super Test and never fully recovered, settling for third.

Always in the mix, but not quite in the hunt for victory, Holcombe rode a solid-but-steady day for fourth overall. Behind Holcombe, Nathan Watson completed the top five.

2024 Champions crowned at EnduroGP of France

September 16, 2024

Josep Garcia crowned 2024 FIM EnduroGP World Champion

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Will Ruprecht was just outside the top-20 in 21st for the day.

Enduro1

With Garcia racing to the EnduroGP win, he also comfortably topped Enduro1. Holcombe followed him home for second, with Zach Pichon beating Lorenzo Macoritto by eight seconds for third.

Enduro2

In Enduro2, it was Verona who secured the top step of the podium in Bettola, with Watson in second. Jed Etchells made it a day to remember, with the reigning Enduro Junior champ securing his first senior class podium with third. Ruprecht was eighth of the E2 riders.

Enduro3

Freeman was untouchable in Enduro3. The Brit raced to a very commanding one minute and 19 second victory over MacDonald. Matteo Cavallo completed the top three, securing a podium result in his home race.

Enduro Women

The Enduro Women saw a closely fought battle for victory between Mireia Badia and Rachel Gutish. Gutish had the early advantage on Badia having won the Akrapovic Super Test, but Badia kept the pressure on.

A costly mistake from Gutish on the final Polisport Extreme Test saw positions change, putting Badia into the lead. Managing her advantage, Badia hung on to claim victory over Gutish.

In the race for the final step of the podium, France’s Elodie Chaplot held off Britain’s Rosie Rowett by 15 seconds to secure her first top three of the year.

Enduro Women's Day One Podium — Enduro Women’s Day One Podium

Enduro Juniors

In the GALFER FIM Junior Enduro World Championship, Max Ahlin delivered a dominant performance. The young Swede was on a charge all day long. Clearly enjoying each of the special tests, he raced clear to a commanding one minute and 46 second margin of victory.

Behind him, and placings were much closer. France’s Thibault Giraudon held off Semb by 12 seconds to finish as runner-up. Manolo Morettini finished fourth on day one, with Leo Joyon rounding out the top five.

Aussie Kyron Bacon ended the day in eighth, behind Kevin Cristino and Matej Skuta.

Enduro Youth

Enduro Youth saw Manuel Verzeroli claim the only Italian victory on day one at the Polisport GP of Italy. By the narrowest of margins, the Team KTM Pro Racing Sport rider edged out Luca Colorio by just eight-hundredths of a second to take the win.

Denying Italy a clean sweep of the Enduro Youth podium, France’s Romain Dagna finished in third. Thirteen seconds behind him, Italy’s Pietro Scardina took fourth, with Maxime Clauzier fifth.

EnduroGP of Italy – Day One Top 20

Pos	Rider	Nat	Cat	Time/Gap
1	GARCIA Josep	ESP	E1	1:12:21.06
2	FREEMAN Brad	GBR	E3	+10.27
3	VERONA Andrea	ITA	E2	+26.76
4	HOLCOMBE Steve	GBR	E1	+44.88
5	WATSON Nathan	GBR	E2	+1:14.93
6	MACDONALD Hamish	NZL	E3	+1:29.38
7	CAVALLO Matteo	ITA	E3	+1:58.45
8	PICHON Zachary	FRA	E1	+2:15.42
9	MAGAIN Antoine	BEL	E3	+2:18.54
10	MACORITTO Lorenzo	ITA	E1	+2:24.14
11	ETCHELLS Jed	GBR	E2	+2:30.29
12	PAVONI Matteo	ITA	E2	+2:33.57
13	BERNARDINI Samuele	ITA	E2	+2:41.50
14	OLSZOWY Dominik	POL	E3	+3:00.65
15	LE QUERE Leo	FRA	E2	+3:01.00
16	LESIARDO Morgan	ITA	E3	+3:07.69
17	FISCHEDER Luca	GER	E3	+3:12.81
18	HERRERA Benjamin	CHI	E2	+3:13.23
19	ESPINASSE Theo	FRA	E1	+3:14.17
20	ROUSSALY Julien	FRA	E3	+3:17.22
21	RUPRECHT Wil	AUS	E2	+3:24.71

2024 EnduroGP of Italy, Day One Highlights

Day Two – Sunday

After scorching heat on day one in Bettola, Italy, day two was a contrasting mud bath. Heavy overnight rain ensured the dust of day one would be a distant memory as riders battled slippery special tests, littered with lots of mud holes.

With organisers opting to reverse the Polisport Extreme Test, riders faced an untimed run on lap one, before taking on the Maxxis Enduro Test, which would prove a crucial one for riders to get right throughout the day due to its testing conditions.

Steve Holcombe executed it perfectly on lap one, setting the quickest time, he held an early four-second advantage over Verona, with Freeman third. There was trouble for day one winner Garcia when he crashed in the trees and cost himself almost 50 seconds.

Quickly shaking it off, Garcia topped the Acerbis Cross Test to begin his charge back to the front as Verona overhauled Holcombe to end lap one of three as the race leader. Fastest on the following Polisport Extreme Test and Maxxis Enduro Test, before finishing second to Garcia on the Acerbis Cross Test, Verona ended lap two 18 seconds clear of Holcombe in second.

Garcia had made an incredible recovery and was up to third with one lap remaining. Freeman held fourth, while Antoine Magain was holding fifth. But with the rain returning hard for lap three, positions were about to change once more.

Holcombe won the final Polisport Extreme Test and then the Maxxis Enduro Test. Capitalising on a crash from Verona, he took over the race lead with just the final Acerbis Cross Test remaining. Could the Brit deny his Italian rival a home victory?

With it all to play for, Verona left it all on the line for his Italian fans. By the narrowest of margins, he fought back past Holcombe to secure the top step of the podium by an astonishing 46-hundredths of a second. For Holcombe it was a case of so close, but so far. Naturally disappointed, he had to settle for the runner-up result. Arguably one of the best recovery rides of the day went to Garcia in third.

Andrea Verona

“To win the overall on day two at my home GP is an unbelievable feeling! I put up a fight all day for the win and managed to make a decent gap. I nearly lost it when I crashed near the end of the day, but I went full gas on the final test and managed to get back on top! Saturday was an up and down day with some good results, but I just made too many mistakes. Overall though, I’m super happy to have won at home and the support of the fans has been incredible, it made all the difference.”

For Belgium’s Magain it was a day to savour, with the Sherco rider securing one of his best results in a long time with fourth. Magain headed a Sherco freight train, with Zach Pichon and Hamish MacDonald also taking fifth and sixth respectively.