Garcia On Top EnduroGP
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia returned to FIM EnduroGP World Championship action in style at the GP of Portugal for round five of the 2025 series. Racing in Vila de Rei, the Spaniard claimed the overall win on day one and backed it up with second overall on day two, while once again proving unbeatable in Enduro1 all weekend.
Arriving in Portugal fresh off the back of his record-breaking fifth consecutive individual victory at the 2025 6DAYS® FIM Enduro of Nations, Josep carried that momentum into Friday’s Super Test, where he delivered a blistering ride to top the timesheets. His third Super Test win of the season gave him the early advantage and set the tone for a strong weekend ahead.
Day one saw Garcia deliver an enduro masterclass across the Portuguese special tests. Winning six of the nine and never placing outside the top three, he dominated the Enduro test in particular, going fastest on all three laps. Comfortable in the tough conditions, the KTM 250 EXC-F rider claimed the victory by 18 seconds overall and stormed to a commanding Enduro1 win, where he won every test in class to finish one minute and 16 seconds clear of his nearest rival.
On day two, Josep was once again the rider to beat. Leading the overall standings all day and carrying a narrow one-second advantage into the final test, a small mistake ultimately cost him the overall win, forcing the Spaniard to settle for second place. The day’s racing was also cut short to just two laps after a forest fire broke out near the course, meaning Garcia didn’t have the chance to reclaim the lead he lost. Despite the setback, he remained untouchable in Enduro1, taking the victory by 40 seconds.
Another double victory in class extends Garcia’s unbeaten streak in Enduro1 to all 10 race days this season, further increasing his class lead to 48 points. In EnduroGP, the KTM ace continues to hold the championship lead with a 29-point advantage at the top of the standings.
The 2025 FIM EnduroGP World Championship continues with round six in Darfo Boario Terme, Italy, on September 26-28, just weeks after Josep’s historic ISDE success in the same region.
Josep Garcia: “It’s been a great weekend! The racing has been super close both days with Andrea [Verona] and Zach [Pichon], so even a small mistake could make a big difference to the result. I’ve enjoyed the fight, though! Today, I lost too much time in the second enduro test, which made it hard to get the lead back. I’m really happy with my riding though, and to come away with the win on Saturday and in Enduro1 both days is amazing for myself and the team. I’m looking forward to the Italian GP!”
GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona has put in an incredible ride at round five of the FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Vila de Rei, Portugal. The Italian placed second on day one in EnduroGP before racing to victory on day two, while also dominating both days of the Enduro2 category.
After leading his country to victory at the FIM 6DAYS Enduro of Nations in Italy, Verona was eager to carry on that winning momentum at the fifth stop of the world championship in Portugal on his EC 450F.
Dry, dusty, and hot conditions were the order of the weekend for all in Vila de Rei, but the Italian was unfazed and was determined to put in a memorable ride. A strong start in the Friday Super Test saw Andrea secure the third quickest time, setting up a good position to attack from on day one.
Winning the opening special test on Saturday morning, Andrea was clearly on top form. Mastering the dust and never dipping outside of the top four on all of the day’s nine special tests, he finished a healthy runner-up in EnduroGP, while also claiming a well-deserved win in the Enduro2 class.
With more to give for day two, Verona again positioned himself in the battle for the overall win. A close fight with rivals Josep Garcia and Zach Pichon saw them separated by only four seconds at the end of lap one of two.
The GASGAS racer won the critical Cross Test on his EC 450F as they began lap two to close in on the overall lead. With the outcome of the day boiling down to the final Enduro Test, Verona won it by an incredible six seconds to ultimately take the EnduroGP victory, while also making it two wins from two starts in Enduro2.
That performance now sees the Italian jump up to second overall in the EnduroGP standings, along with moving to within four points of the championship lead in the Enduro2 class ahead of his home GP in Italy in two weeks’ time.
Andrea Verona: “It’s been a really strong weekend for me in Portugal. My feeling on the bike was very good and I could fight at the front a lot. The dry and dusty conditions seemed to work well for me and I was able to keep a good rhythm on both days. To get the victory in EnduroGP is mega, and it moves me back up to second in the championship. With two wins in Enduro2 I have been able to close the gap in the title fight a lot ahead of my home round in Italy, which of course, I’m looking forward to!”
Provisional Results – EnduroGP of Portugal, Day 1
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 1:03:09.70
2. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 1:03:28.16 +18.46
3. Zach Pichon (FRA), TM Moto, 1:03:36.97 +27.27
4. Hamish Macdonald (NZL), Sherco, 1:04:13.91 +1:04.21
5. Morgan Lesiardo (ITA), Triumph, 1:04:25.96 +1:16.26
Enduro1 – Day 1
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 1:03:09.70
2. Morgan Lesiardo (ITA), Triumph, 1:04:25.96 +1:16.26
3. Jeremy Sydow (GER), Sherco, 1:04:47.76 +1:38.06
4. Samuele Bernardini (ITA), Honda, 1:04:57.99 +1:48.29
5. Mikael Persson (SWE), Triumph, 1:05:19.36 +2:00.66
Provisional Results – EnduroGP of Portugal, Day 2
1. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 40:14.76
2. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 40:21.36 +6.60
3. Zach Pichon (FRA), TM Moto, 40:32.80 +18.04
4. Hamish Macdonald (NZL), Sherco, 40:56.50 +41.74
5. Mikael Persson (SWE), Triumph, 41:00.55 +45.79
Enduro1 – Day 2
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 40:21.36
2. Mikael Persson (SWE), Triumph, 41:00.55 +39.19
3. Morgan Lesiardo (ITA), Triumph, 41:02.76 +41.40
4. Jeremy Sydow (GER), Sherco, 41:39.68 +1:18.32
5. Jamie McCanney (GBR), Triumph, 41:54.64 +1:33.28
Championship Standings (After round 5)
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 186 pts
2. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 157 pts
3. Zach Pichon (FRA), TM Moto, 155 pts
Enduro1
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 200 pts
2. Mikael Persson (SWE), Triumph, 152 pts
3. Samuele Bernardini (ITA), Honda, 145 pts