Wil Ruprecht scores podium at EnduroGP of Slovakia

2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship
Round Five – Slovakia

The EnduroGP of Slovakia kicked off with Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe securing the day one overall win, after a difficult 24 hours for the EnduroGP paddock following the untimely passing of Jaroslav Diro in the previous day’s AKRAPOVIC Super Test.

Holcombe was joined on the podium by GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona and CH Racing Sherco’s Wil Ruprecht.

The final day of racing at round five went on to be a memorable one for GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona, the Italian securing victory.

After a difficult season for the defending EnduroGP champion, Andrea came good,  making the most of a technical issue suffered by Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe, to master the mud and rain and claim the overall win.

Holcombe placed a close second to take over the EnduroGP championship points lead while CH Racing Sherco’s Hamish MacDonald secured his debut EnduroGP podium with third.

Day One – Saturday

The POLISPORT Extreme Test marked an early wake up call for all riders. Setting the fastest time, GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona took an early lead ahead of Sweden’s Mikael Persson (Husqvarna), with CH Racing Sherco’s Wil Ruprecht close in third.

At over nine minutes in length, the ACERBIS Cross Test saw Verona continue to lead. It was clear the Italian had found his form again after a disappointing couple of rounds. But so too had Ruprecht. The defending Enduro2 champion charged, winning the test, just one-hundredth of a second adrift.

With Fast Eddy Racing’s Jamie McCanney and RedMoto Honda Racing’s Nathan Watson in third and fourth, things were proving very competitive. Drama struck Beta Factory Racing’s Brad Freeman with the EnduroGP points leader crashing out on the second test.

The JUST1 Enduro Test and Cross Pro Enduro Test were next up to close out lap one. Steve Holcombe (Beta) set an incredible time on the JUST1 Enduro Test that edged him into the lead. Verona answered back by topping the Cross Pro Test. Beginning lap two, Holcombe led by just nine hundredths of a second. Ruprecht was 23 seconds behind in third, but had Theo Espinasse (Beta), Watson, and now Hamish MacDonald (Sherco) in pursuit.

The race lead changed hands again on the second POLISPORT Extreme Test, before Holcombe won it back on the ACERBIS Cross Test. Topping the JUST1 Enduro Test and Cross Pro Enduro Test, he managed to gain some breathing room over Verona as he began lap two with a 12-second advantage.

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But the Italian refused to be outdone and closed that gap to nine seconds on the final POLISPORT Extreme Test. Knowing he needed to answer back, Holcombe turned up the heat. Fastest in the final three tests, he pulled clear to win by 27 seconds. For Verona, day one in Slovakia proved an incredible comeback following a tough couple of rounds. Runner-up today, he will aim to better that tomorrow.

Likewise, Ruprecht was a welcome return to the EnduroGP podium in third, following a slow start to his season. Continuing to string together a series of impressive results, Espinasse split the CH Racing Sherco duo of Ruprecht and MacDonald with fourth.

Wil Ruprecht (Sherco)

“It was devastating to learn the passing of Jaroslav Diro and he was in my thoughts all day. He was one of us and I send my condolences to his family. Despite the difficult circumstances, it is nice to be back inside the EnduroGP top three after a tough start to the year. The course was good today and I hope to carry my form into tomorrow.”

New Zealand’s Hamish Macdonald was fifth overall.

Daniel Milner recorded a DNF after an awkward high-side saw him strike his head. He tried to keeping going but his sense of balance had deserted him and thus he retired from the remainder of the event.

The Enduro1 class saw Espinasse claim his second victory of the season for Beta Oxmoto. McCanney enjoyed a strong ride for second. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia battled through his shoulder injury to keep his championship lead intact with third.

The Enduro2 class results were a carbon copy of EnduroGP with Holcombe winning from Verona and Ruprecht. MacDonald and Watson completed the top five. The shock departure of Freeman on special test two saw his unbeaten run of form finally end in Enduro3. Persson raced on to secure the win from Luca Fischeder (Sherco) and Antoine Magain (Sherco).

The GALFER FIM Junior Enduro World Championship saw Fantic’s Albin Norrbin ride clear to a comfortable victory. The Swede was on top form in the Slovakian mud and ruts. Jed Etchells (Fantic) placed 43 seconds behind in second, with Jeremy Sydow (Sherco) third.

There was a large upset in the Youth Enduro class with Thibault Giraudon (Sherco) taking victory for the first time this season. Leo Joyon (Beta) and Maxime Clauzier (Fantic) completed the podium. Championship leader Kevin Cristino (Fantic) had a tough day at the office for fifth – his first loss of the season.

Day One Results – Top 20

Day Two – Sunday

Showing signs of his pace of old on day one, Italian Andrea Verona looked ready to build on his impressive speed as he began day two in Gelnica. With CH Racing Sherco’s Hamish MacDonald fastest in the opening POLISPORT Extreme Test, Verona went quickest on the ACERBIS Cross Test, leaving the top three of MacDonald, Holcombe, and Verona separated by only two seconds.

The back-to-back JUST1 Enduro Test and Cross Pro Enduro Test would prove crucial to see who could gain advantage before the extreme weather conditions began to take their toll. Holcombe rose to the occasion by winning both. Moving into the lead as they began lap two, he held the upper hand, but not by a lot.

The second POLISPORT Extreme Test saw Fantic’s Lorenzo Macoritto (Fantic) best master the conditions. After a disappointing time, Holcombe was back up to speed and won the ACERBIS Cross Test to extend his lead to 10 seconds. But just when it looked like he was in control, the tables quickly turned. A technical issue on the JUST1 Enduro Test cost him over 30 seconds, putting Verona back into the lead.

As they began the final lap, Verona was 13 seconds to the good over a fast-recovering Holcombe. Crucially winning the final ACERBIS Cross Test, Verona pulled his advantage out to 20 seconds with both Enduro Tests to run. With both riders chasing victory, Verona hung on by two seconds to get the job done.

Andrea Verona (GASGAS)

“I’m really happy with that. It’s been a great day. It feels incredible to finally get an overall win. The conditions today were super tough in the mud and rain, but I think everyone was finding it tough, so I had to keep pushing and not panic about mistakes. These last few GPs were tough, so I want to thank everyone who helped me get this win.”

Despite a heroic effort on the final two special stages, Holcombe just fell short of victory. However, as runner-up to Verona, Holcombe did enough to head home from Slovakia as the new EnduroGP points leader.

Giving the leading duo a close fight during the first half of the day played dividends for MacDonald. With a comfortable cushion over the chasing pack, the new Zealander earned his debut EnduroGP podium. Coming into his own in the muddy terrain, Sweden’s Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) won the final POLISPORT Extreme Test to take fourth overall, with Fast Eddy Racing’s Jamie McCanney fifth.

Wil Ruprecht dropped to 15th.

Wil Ruprecht

“I found a good physical level and I was able to approach the race with a confidence that I lacked so far this season. I am happy to have won my first victory in the general classification of the year and to having been competitive in several stages. Sunday, I had an average start in the extreme, it was difficult to go fast in the mud when you can’t see the rocks that are hidden below. Afterwards, I set good times until the last lap. All in all, I took an important step in the right direction.”

That ride to fifth overall for McCanney set him up perfectly to win the Enduro1 class for the first time this season. Continuing to nurse an elbow injury, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia could be pleased with second, while Beta Oxmoto’s Theo Espinasse rounded out the podium.

Hamish MacDonald (Sherco)

“I’m really happy to get on the podium today. We came here with a new bike and it’s gone great. The conditions today seemed to suit me a lot. I kept chipping away at each test and managed to get my first EnduroGP podium.”

The Enduro2 victory belonged to Verona, with the Italian taking the top spot over Holcombe and MacDonald.

Steve Holcombe (Beta)

“It’s been a fantastic battle with Andrea today in the rain. The conditions were a bit wild out there, so it was a case of battling through. I had an issue on one of the enduro tests and lost a bunch of time. I gave it everything towards the end, but it wasn’t enough to win. Overall, it’s been a very good race for me, heading into this summer break I’m now leading the EnduroGP and Enduro2 classes, so it will be big motivation to keep working hard and be ready for the final two races in Portugal.”

Carding his second Enduro3 class win of the weekend, Mikael Persson moves to within four points of championship leader Brad Freeman (Beta). Antoine Magain (Sherco) and Luc Fargier (Beta) were second and third respectively.

As ever, the GALFER FIM Junior Enduro World Championship was a hotly contested affair. Rising to the occasion in the extreme mud and rain, Fantic’s Albin Norrbin secured his second victory of the weekend. Jed Etchells (Fantic) fought back hard on the final lap, but despite taking three of the four special tests, he had to settle for second. Max Ahlin (KTM) made it a Swedish 1-3, finishing eight seconds behind Etchells in third.

Albin Norrbin (Fantic)

“I’ve enjoyed these tough races and to come away with a double victory in Slovakia is perfect. I feel like I showed some good, consistent speed. With these wins, it brings a nice feeling heading into the summer break.”

The Youth Enduro class was an exciting affair, with a new winner emerging. The difficult conditions played havoc and it was Beta’s Leo Joyon who made the race his own to secure his first victory of the season. Winner yesterday, Thibault Giraudon (Sherco) was second today, with Clement Clauzier (Fantic) third.

With five rounds complete, the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship takes a much-welcomed extended summer break, before concluding with back-to-back rounds in Portugal, beginning September 29.

Day Two Results – Top 20

EnduroGP Standings

E1 Standings

E2 Standings

E3 Standings

FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship