JOSEP GARCIA STRENGTHENS ENDUROGP TITLE CHARGE WITH PERFECT WEEKEND IN PORTUGAL
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia has delivered a flawless performance at round five of the 2026 FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Fafe, Portugal, claiming the overall EnduroGP and Enduro1 victories on both days of competition. Teammate Andrea Verona also enjoyed a strong weekend aboard his KTM 450 EXC-F, securing an EnduroGP podium and an Enduro2 class win as the championship enters its closing stages.
Saturday’s opening day proved extremely challenging, with hot, dry, and dusty conditions making visibility difficult throughout the tests. Garcia got off to the perfect start by winning the opening Extreme Test and immediately taking control of the overall rankings. Remaining calm and consistent while many of his rivals struggled with mistakes in the technical conditions, the Spaniard claimed two test wins and finished inside the top three on five further occasions. That consistency ultimately earned him the EnduroGP victory by eight seconds, while also extending his unbeaten Enduro1 run with another commanding class win.
Garcia carried that winning momentum into Sunday and once again proved untouchable. Fastest in the opening Enduro Test allowed him to take the overall lead after lap one, before a dominant second lap saw him top two of the three tests and extend his advantage to almost 30 seconds. By winning the final test of the day, Garcia sealed his seventh EnduroGP victory of the season by an impressive 31-second margin. The result also marked his 10th Enduro1 victory from 10 days raced in 2026, underlining his complete control of the category.
Verona showed excellent speed on Saturday despite the demanding conditions. The Italian won two of the opening three tests and ended the first lap in second overall, separated from Garcia by little more than one second. Consistently posting top-three times throughout the day, Verona remained firmly in contention for victory and pushed hard on the final lap in an attempt to close the gap. He ultimately secured second in EnduroGP to complete a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing one-two, while claiming his sixth Enduro2 victory of the season.
Sunday proved more difficult for Verona. A challenging opening lap left him eighth overall, but the reigning Enduro2 world champion responded strongly, improving his pace and climbing to fifth by the end of lap two. Despite continuing to fight through the final lap, a mistake in the Extreme Test cost him valuable time and prevented any further progress. Verona finished fifth overall and third in Enduro2, extending an extraordinary streak that has now seen him finish on the class podium at every day of EnduroGP racing for more than seven consecutive years.
After five rounds, Garcia has significantly strengthened his position at the top of the EnduroGP standings. His perfect weekend in Portugal sees him extend his championship lead to 34 points with just two rounds remaining, while his unbeaten Enduro1 campaign has yielded a maximum 200 points and a commanding 43-point advantage in class. Verona remains second overall in the EnduroGP standings with a healthy 17-point cushion over third place, while continuing to lead the Enduro2 championship by 13 points.
The 2026 FIM EnduroGP World Championship continues on July 17-19 with the GP of France in Saint-Agrève, the penultimate round of the season.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia has delivered a flawless performance at round five of the 2026 FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Fafe, Portugal, claiming the overall EnduroGP and Enduro1 victories on both days of competition. Teammate Andrea Verona also enjoyed a strong weekend aboard his KTM 450 EXC-F, securing an EnduroGP podium and an Enduro2 class win as the championship enters its closing stages.
Saturday’s opening day proved extremely challenging, with hot, dry, and dusty conditions making visibility difficult throughout the tests. Garcia got off to the perfect start by winning the opening Extreme Test and immediately taking control of the overall rankings. Remaining calm and consistent while many of his rivals struggled with mistakes in the technical conditions, the Spaniard claimed two test wins and finished inside the top three on five further occasions. That consistency ultimately earned him the EnduroGP victory by eight seconds, while also extending his unbeaten Enduro1 run with another commanding class win.
Garcia carried that winning momentum into Sunday and once again proved untouchable. Fastest in the opening Enduro Test allowed him to take the overall lead after lap one, before a dominant second lap saw him top two of the three tests and extend his advantage to almost 30 seconds. By winning the final test of the day, Garcia sealed his seventh EnduroGP victory of the season by an impressive 31-second margin. The result also marked his 10th Enduro1 victory from 10 days raced in 2026, underlining his complete control of the category.
Verona showed excellent speed on Saturday despite the demanding conditions. The Italian won two of the opening three tests and ended the first lap in second overall, separated from Garcia by little more than one second. Consistently posting top-three times throughout the day, Verona remained firmly in contention for victory and pushed hard on the final lap in an attempt to close the gap. He ultimately secured second in EnduroGP to complete a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing one-two, while claiming his sixth Enduro2 victory of the season.
Sunday proved more difficult for Verona. A challenging opening lap left him eighth overall, but the reigning Enduro2 world champion responded strongly, improving his pace and climbing to fifth by the end of lap two. Despite continuing to fight through the final lap, a mistake in the Extreme Test cost him valuable time and prevented any further progress. Verona finished fifth overall and third in Enduro2, extending an extraordinary streak that has now seen him finish on the class podium at every day of EnduroGP racing for more than seven consecutive years.
After five rounds, Garcia has significantly strengthened his position at the top of the EnduroGP standings. His perfect weekend in Portugal sees him extend his championship lead to 34 points with just two rounds remaining, while his unbeaten Enduro1 campaign has yielded a maximum 200 points and a commanding 43-point advantage in class. Verona remains second overall in the EnduroGP standings with a healthy 17-point cushion over third place, while continuing to lead the Enduro2 championship by 13 points.
The 2026 FIM EnduroGP World Championship continues on July 17-19 with the GP of France in Saint-Agrève, the penultimate round of the season.
