Steve Holcombe wraps up EnduroGP & E2 titles in Portugal

Steve Holcombe 2023 EnduroGP Champion

Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe won the 2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship at the final round of the season in Santiago do Cacem, Portugal, capping off a magical weekend with the Enduro2 World Championship to increase his total tally to nine world titles.

Entering the seventh and final round of the season with a grasp on both the EnduroGP and Enduro2 championships, Steve was ready for both an exciting, and nail-biting, race in Portugal.

On day one, crashes on the first two special tests weren’t the start he was looking for, but it quickly got rid of his pre-race butterflies, allowing him to focus on the job in hand.

Matching the pace of the front runners, he worked his way from outside the top 10 and up to third. Winning some tests along the way, he eventually placed third in EnduroGP and second in Enduro2.

Holding a relatively comfortable points lead as he started the final day of racing, Steve rode at a fast but manageable pace. Early on he was setting times inside the top three overall, but when the fight for the podium intensified, Steve began to focus on the bigger picture.

Executing a perfect race, his fifth-place finish in EnduroGP and third in Enduro2 was more than enough to claim both titles and elevate him to being a nine time enduro world champion.

Steve Holcombe

“I’m a bit lost for words. To win both the EnduroGP and Enduro2 titles in the one year is just incredible. After a couple of difficult seasons with injuries I came into 2023 with the goal of staying healthy and building by confidence and speed back up. Little by little I chipped away at things and, well, it’s worked out amazingly. Once I got into the championship lead, I didn’t want to let it go. This weekend was tough with the nerves to be honest. It was in 2020 that I was last in this position. But thankfully it all came good – I won both titles. I never dreamt of having so much success, but somehow, it’s happened, and I’m blown away. I can’t thank my team, sponsors, and supporters enough. This is a title I certainly won’t forget in a hurry. For sure we’ll celebrate tonight!”

2023 EnduroGP Championship Final Standings

Pos	Rider	Nat	Bike	Total
1	HOLCOMBE Steve	GBR	Beta	222
2	GARCIA Josep	ESP	KTM	210
3	VERONA Andrea	ITA	GASGAS	209
4	FREEMAN Brad	GBR	Beta	169
5	MACDONALD Hamish	NZL	Sherco	143
6	WATSON Nathan	GBR	Honda	122
7	PICHON Zachary	FRA	Sherco	108
8	ESPINASSE Theophile	FRA	Beta	103
9	MCCANNEY Jamie	GBR	Husqvarna	97
10	PERSSON Mikael	SWE	Husqvarna	86
11	BERNARDINI Samuele	ITA	Honda	67
12	CAVALLO Matteo	ITA	TM RACING	45
13	MAGAIN Antoine	BEL	Sherco	41
14	MILNER Daniel	AUS	TM RACING	40
15	RUPRECHT Wil	AUS	Sherco	32
16	PAVONI Matteo	ITA	TM RACING	30
17	OLDRATI Thomas	ITA	Honda	22
18	FISCHEDER Luca	GER	Sherco	17
19	CHARLIER Christophe	FRA	Husqvarna	16
20	LESIARDO Morgan	ITA	Sherco	13
21	ELOWSON Albin	SWE	Husqvarna	12
22	BETRIU Jaume	ESP	KTM	8
23	KYTONEN Roni Markus	FIN	Honda	7
24	FARGIER Luc	FRA	Beta	5
25	SANS SORIA Marc	ESP	Yamaha	4
26	HERRERA RIED Benjamin	CHI	GASGAS	3
27	ROUSSALY Julien	FRA	Sherco	2
28	MACORITTO Lorenzo	ITA	Fantic	1

2023 Enduro2 Championship Final Standings

Pos	Rider	Nat	Bike	Total
1	HOLCOMBE Steve	GBR	Beta	260
2	VERONA Andrea	ITA	GASGAS	247
3	MACDONALD Hamish	NZL	Sherco	188
4	WATSON Nathan	GBR	Honda	178
5	BERNARDINI Samuele	ITA	Honda	153
6	MILNER Daniel	AUS	TM RACING	115
7	KOUBLE Krystof	CZE	Husqvarna	102
8	RUPRECHT Wil	AUS	Sherco	98
9	SANS SORIA Marc	ESP	Yamaha	82
10	KUTULAS Nicolas andres	ARG	KTM	46
11	ELOWSON Albin	SWE	Husqvarna	39
12	BLANJOUE Hugo	FRA	KTM	33
13	BOLT Billy	GBR	Husqvarna	19
14	BURUD Kevin	NOR	KTM	18
15	POHJOLA Eemil	FIN	Honda	17
16	MARTINI Gianluca	ITA	GASGAS	16
17	LINDHOLM Casper	SWE	Husqvarna	12
18	LJUNGSTROM Oskar	SWE	Beta	12
19	NELSON Oliver	SWE	KTM	10
20	SILVA Renato	POR	Beta	8
21	LOFQUIST Franz	SWE	Yamaha	6
22	BIGIARINI Alessio	ITA	Husqvarna	5
23	MEISOLA Ville	FIN	Kawasaki	2