2023 EnduroGP Results: Garcia fights off the Beta boys on Day 2 in Finland

2023 EnduroGP World Championship day two results from the GP of Finland where Josep Garcia got the better of a three-way fight for the win with Brad Freeman and Steve Holcombe – the Red Bull KTM rider takes his first overall of the season.

2023 EnduroGP of Finland day two in a nutshell:

If Brad Freeman was dominant on day one in Heinola, the boys behind him got a shift on for day two and challenged the, until now, 100% winning record of the Beta rider.
Josep Garcia and Steve Holcombe were dogged in well-beaten tests which again proved a tough challenge for all riders and produced some huge gaps in time. Just like previous GP days this year, the top three were making the rest look like they were playing a slightly different game.
Freeman was still on it, after lap one he had a 10 seconds lead over Garcia with Holcombe less than a second behind in third. A mistake in his favoured enduro test on lap two dropped time and the fight was well-and truly on as the final lap began with Holcombe carrying a slender four seconds lead.
The final lap showdown saw Garcia fastest in the cross test for the third time, taking back the lead as Holcombe dropped seven precious seconds.
It looked like the enduro test next would be crucial with the top three separated by six seconds and all eyes were on the screen as each past through the beam: Brad went fastest first before Steve just pipped his teammate but it was Josep who nailed it, five seconds faster to crucially extend his overall time to eight seconds over Holcombe.
The gap proved impossible to beat in the final trip through the short extreme test and the Spaniard takes his first overall day win of the season, plus E1 class victory: “Overall I was riding good in the cross test and extreme test but I just a little bit in the enduro test on day one. After yesterday I walked the test again to see where I can carry more speed and today we did it. I feel so good on the bike and it is always nice when you take your first win in the season and with a new bike.”
Brad nicked second overall from his teammate (first rule in racing is to beat the guy next to you in the awning so Brad says), by 0.7 right at that final timing beam but wins E3 comfortably: “If I’m honest I’m disappointed with the way I was riding. I wasn’t riding like I have been all year. I went into the second enduro test telling myself, ‘this is the one’ and had a little crash, nothing big but I hit my head so hard on the ground. I nicked second off Steve in that last test but with the result I cannot complain. Congrats to Garcia, he rode better today.”
So close yet so far Steve Holcombe who will curse the time lost in the final cross test but says he is happy to be in the mix at times like these and extends his E2 points lead: “It’s a bit of a shame going into the last lap leading and coming out third but it’s racing, we were all pushing. Congrats to Josep, he had a really good enduro and cross test and it is a shame to lose third in the last extreme test. But that’s the way it goes, overall I’m really happy, pumped to be in the mix and happy with my result.”
Andrea Verona was off-colour this weekend, uncharacteristically outclassed by the top three and admitting he is missing something. The Italian World Champion claimed fourth but was almost a minute behind with Hamish Macdonald completing the top five.
Jed Etchells put in a repeat performance on day two for the Junior win for Fantic. Again looking at home in conditions very familiar to the Manxman, he claimed top spot ahead of Albin Norrbin and Max Ahlin who joined on the podium for the second day in a row.
Ditto the Youth class where Kevin Cristino took the second day in Finland by storm, his sixth day win from six this season. 35 seconds was the gap over French duo Leo Joyon and Thibault Giraudon who swapped places today on the podium.
The Women’s class saw a closer fight, not for the win, that was Jane Daniels’ all day long again, but behind here for the podium.
Day one podium finishers Jess Gardiner and Rosie Rowett had Francesca Nocera and Hedvig Malm for company but though Nocera took test wins, Daniels was on a different level in the very hard enduro test.
The winning margin was less but still an impressive 1:42 for Daniels ahead of Nocera and Malm third.
After a retirement on day one, Enzo Marchal took the Open class scratch win ahead of day one winner Aleja Ceballos-Escalera Lopez.