Josep Garcia

BACK ON TOP! 

Sensational Spaniard Josep Garcia – KTM returned to a 250cc four-stroke machine this year and duly returned to the top of the title standings when he raced to the 2023 FIM E1 Enduro World Championship. 

Following three seasons on the Austrian manufacturer’s 350cc four-stroke which saw him collect the 2021 E2 crown, after narrowly missing out on successfully defending his title last season the twenty-six-year-old Catalan went back to the machine that carried him to his first FIM Enduro World Championship in 2017 before the capacity classes were reshuffled. 

Finishing second on the opening day of the 2023 campaign at Arma di Taggia/San Remo in Italy, Garcia picked up the pace on day two with a victory he replicated on both days of competition in Spain and Finland and on the opening day of the second event of the Scandinavian double-header in Sweden. 

A crash on day two in Skovde resulted in a no-score that allowed his rivals to dramatically close, although just before the summer break he posted solid three-two finishes in Slovakia to maintain his series lead. 

With the final two rounds and four scoring days being staged on consecutive weekends in Portugal, Garcia travelled to his neighbouring nation with a third FIM Enduro World Championship clearly in his sights and he consolidated his series lead with a dominant double win at Valpaços that put the title within his grasp. 

With the seventh and final round of competition playing out with the EnduroGP of Portugal at St Andre/Santiago do Cacem, Garcia ensured he signed off in style by securing the title with victory on the opening day before putting the seal on a highly successful season by completing his fourth double win of the season on day two. 

PALMARES 

FIM E1 Enduro World Champion: 2023
FIM E2 Enduro World Champion: 2017, 2021 

TITLE NUMBER TWO!

A wildly talented all-rounder, twenty-four-year-old Josep Garcia (KTM) has tried his hand at many two-wheeled disciplines, but it is in the World of enduro where he excels.

He initially started out racing motocross and even spent a season road racing before deciding to commit to enduros where he has carved out a hard-won reputation as being doggedly determined and, of course, super-fast.

Following his E2 title in 2017, the Catalan moved his focus to hard enduro events with considerable success before returning to the Borilli FIM Enduro World Championship at the tail end of 2020 with two wildcard rides that saw him claim a couple of day wins.

This set him up for a full-time return in 2021 where his form in the final two-thirds of the series carried him to the E2 title by an extremely comfortable thirty-six points.

At the season-opening EnduroGP of Portugal Garcia posted solid second and third-placed finishes to end the event third behind Britain’s reigning champion Steve Holcombe (Beta) and Austrian rider Wil Ruprecht (TM) and he matched his first-round performance at round two – the EnduroGP of Italy – the following weekend at Edolo.

From here he hit his stride and claimed a double win at the EnduroGP of Estonia three weeks later and backed this up with a second and a win in Sweden.

The series then took a summer break before it concluded with the second EnduroGP of Portugal in early October and the EnduroGP of France one week later at Langeac.

Garcia raced to a double win at Santiago do Cacem and then took the title with victory on day one in France before claiming his seventh win of the series on day two.

DEBUANT GARCIA CLAIMS E2 TITLE

Josep García (KTM) made his name as the next big star of Enduro in 2017, completing a dream first season at senior level as he stormed to the FIM E2 Enduro World Championship title. Despite being unable to ride for a month following a car accident prior to the opening round of the season in Finland, García's talent was obvious from the start as he finished his first ever senior class outing on the podium with a strong second place behind last year's FIM E1 World Champion Eero Remes (TM).

The 20-year-old battled for the remainder of the season with Remes and 2015 FIM Junior Enduro World Champion Jamie McCanney (Yamaha), who took his first win in Hungary, with the Spaniard and the Brit separated by just thirteen points going into the final round in Germany. A crash on Friday night’s Super Test put Garcia on the back foot but the young Spaniard held his composure to claim the runner-up position ahead of McCanney, securing the title with fifth place on the final day despite a fifth victory for his rival.

García was born into a family of bikers – his father and uncle both raced competitively – and he began racing motocross and enduro at the age of seven, going on to compete in Catalan and national championships before making his debut in the MX World Championship. Having raced in Metrakit 80cc championships in 2008, in 2011 the talented youngster again tried his hand at circuit racing, scoring several points finishes during a season in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup before successfully turning his attention back to the dirt.