Josep Garcia of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing claimed a commanding victory on day two of the GP of Slovakia, extending his championship lead. Brad Freeman of Beta Factory Racing finished second, followed by day one winner Andrea Verona of GASGAS Factory Racing in third. In the Enduro Junior class, Kyron Bacon (Yamaha) repeated his feat from the previous day to take his second win of the weekend.
Garcia Unstoppable
Garcia set a blistering pace from the start, topping the MAXXIS Enduro Test to open the day and edging out Brad Freeman by seven seconds. The Spaniard continued his relentless charge in the first ACERBIS Cross Test, further extending his lead.
Freeman found his rhythm towards the end of the opening lap and took the win in the POLISPORT Extreme Test over JET Zanardo Husqvarna’s Matteo Pavoni. However, the gap to Garcia was already significant, with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider holding an eight-second advantage after the first lap.
Lap two saw Garcia take another test win, but new contenders emerged soon after. Nathan Watson of Beta Factory Racing, the EnduroGP runner-up on day one, claimed victory in the ACERBIS Cross Test.
Demonstrating consistency, Andrea Verona put in a string of top-three finishes before topping the timesheets in the POLISPORT Extreme Test on lap two. His impressive results moved him into second place overall ahead of Freeman after two laps.
The battle between Garcia, Freeman, and Verona intensified on the final lap, with each rider securing a convincing test win apiece. Garcia, fueled by his below-par day one result, emerged victorious, taking the race win by an 18-second margin. Less than half a second separated Freeman and Verona, with the Brit narrowly edging out the Italian to claim second place.
Watson Fourth, Holcombe Fifth
After a test win and multiple podium finishes, Nathan Watson steered his Beta to fourth place, while compatriot Steve Holcombe of Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team followed in fifth, just two-tenths of a second behind.
Garcia Dominates Enduro1
In addition to his overall victory, Garcia also secured his sixth Enduro1 class win of the season, finishing 30 seconds clear of second-placed Steve Holcombe. Theo Espinasse of Team Beta Oxmoto completed the E1 podium in third.
Verona Extends Enduro2 Lead
Andrea Verona notched up his eighth consecutive victory in the Enduro2 class, extending his lead to a remarkable 45 points over Nathan Watson, who finished second on day two. Sherco’s Wil Ruprecht rounded out the podium with a third-place finish in the ACERBIS Cross Test on lap two.
Bacon Triumphs in Enduro Junior
Kyron Bacon (Yamaha) dominated the Enduro Junior class with six test wins, taking his second victory of the weekend. Bacon emerged victorious from a close battle with championship leader Max Ahlin of Team KTM Pro racing Sport, with Ahlin claiming second place.
Kevin Cristino of Fantic Racing Team finished third, followed by Matej Skuta of KBS Team and Leo Joyon of Team Beta Oxmoto, with just twelve seconds separating the trio.
Verzeroli Doubles Up in Enduro Youth
Manuel Verzeroli (KTM) consolidated his Enduro Youth lead with a victory on day two of the Slovakia GP, extending his advantage to 42 points. Romain Dagna finished second, just eight seconds behind Verzeroli. An unfortunate injury for Alberto Elgari (TM Racing) ruled the Italian out of contention early on.
Pietro Scardina of Fantic Racing Team completed the podium, with Clement Clauzier (Beta) in fourth and Luca Colorio of JET Zanardo Husqvarna in fifth.
The FIM EnduroGP World Championship resumes in three weeks’ time with the ForSiteServices GP of Wales in Rhayader, taking place from August 2-4.