Steve Holcombe caps off strong GP of Italy with Enduro1 victory
Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team’s Steve Holcombe has enjoyed an Enduro1 victory at round four of the FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Bettola, Italy – a home GP for Steve’s Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team.
• Enduro1 win for Steve on day two in Italy
• Honda mounted Holcombe placed 4-3 in EnduroGP
• Steve achieved three podium results at his team’s home round
Feeling fresh and confident heading to Bettola, Steve was immediately up to speed on his Honda-RedMoto CRF 250RX Enduro, placing third in the Friday super test. A strong opening lap on Saturday morning saw him locked in a tight battle for third overall. Pushing hard throughout the day, Steve just missed out on an EnduroGP podium with fourth but placed as runner-up in Enduro1.
The hot and dusty conditions on Saturday gave way to mud and rain on Sunday. A fast start saw Steve lead the way after the opening enduro test. Treating the unpredictable conditions with respect, Steve consistently placed inside the top five during lap two of three.
With some further changes to his bike, he was able to increase his pace and won the final extreme test and enduro test, to lead the race heading into the final test of the day. Despite giving it everything, he missed out on the EnduroGP victory by an agonising 46 hundredths of a second. His performance, however, still saw him win Enduro1 by over 22 seconds.
The EnduroGP World Championship now heads to Gelnica in Slovakia on July 12-14 for round five.
Steve Holcombe: “It’s pretty frustrating to miss out on an EnduroGP win by such a tiny margin, but I guess that’s racing sometimes! I’m really pleased with how I rode on Sunday. I feel we made some gains overnight and really got into the mix more. Overall, it’s been a solid race in Italy. Winning Enduro1 on day two was awesome too. My pace is there, I know I’m riding strong, so I’ll try to bring that momentum and mindset into round five in Slovakia in three weeks.”
Results: FIM EnduroGP World Championship, Round 4
EnduroGP – Day 1
1. Josep Garcia (KTM) 1:12:21.62; 2. Brad Freeman (Beta) 1:12:31.89; 3. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 1:12:48.38; 4. Steve Holcombe (Honda) 1:13:06.50…
EnduroGP – Day 2
1. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 42:11.34; 2. Steve Holcombe (Honda) 42:11.80; 3. Josep Garcia (KTM) 42:33.81…
Enduro1 – Day 1
1. Josep Garcia (KTM) 1:12:21.62; 2. Steve Holcombe (Honda) 1:13:06.50; 3. Zach Pichon (Sherco) 1:14:37.04…
Enduro1 – Day 2
1. Steve Holcombe (Honda) 42:11.80; 2. Josep Garcia (KTM) 42:33.81; 3. Zach Pichon (Sherco) 43:11.91…
Championship Standings (After round 4)
EnduroGP
1. Josep Garcia (KTM) 144pts; 2. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 134pts; 3. Steve Holcombe (Honda) 128pts…
Enduro1
1. Josep Garcia (KTM) 151pts; 2. Steve Holcombe (Honda) 145pts; 3. Zach Pichon (Sherco) 112pts…
