2024 EnduroGP World Championship day one results at the final GP of the season in Brioude, France where Red Bull KTMs Josep Garcia has claimed his first outright world title winning in style from rival Steve Holcombe – Brad Freeman, Max Ahlin and Mireia Badia also become world champions.

EnduroGP Rnd 7, France Day 1 in a nutshell:

• Sometimes, when a rider has a points lead in a championship and the title is in sight, they err on the side of caution. Ride well but do enough to be safe and bring it home. Not Josep Garcia.
• The Spaniard entered the final EnduroGP of the season with a 17-point lead and could easily have taken a top five position and brought the title home. Not this guy and that why we love him as he laid out his stall from the first test to win and win it in style.
• The maths was easy: finish first and you are world champion and Josep duly nailed that by leading for the entire day, only finally easing off with a test to go but claiming the win by 12.4 seconds.
• “It’s a dream come true.” Said Josep. “I have been fighting these last few years with injuries and bad moments but this moment is unforgettable. I achieved my dream to become EnduroGP World Champion, I did it on the first day by winning the overall – I think it’s a good way to become a champion by winning the race.”
• Amazingly, that is Josep’s first overall win and KTM’s first since Antoine Meo almost a decade ago.
• Steve Holcombe was the nearest of Garcia’s rivals today and clearly did not want to give up his world title without a fight. Holcombe was also second in E1 class to Garcia but the title chase is still on there, albeit with a nine point gap heading into tomorrow: “Josep rode better, it’s that simple”, said Holcombe “I can’t say I was overly happy with how I was riding today but ultimately it is what I was able to do. I got through the couple of moments I had and happy to get second overall and second in E1 class. It’s not over till it’s over so I’m looking forward to tomorrow and getting after it.”
• Nathan Watson had a big one today, crashing heavily in the final test off a jump and reportedly has a shoulder injury which, sadly for the Beta rider, forced him to retire. 
• Backing up his Super Test win last night, Zach Pichon was on fire and fuelled by his home crowd. The Frenchman didn’t quite sustain his speed as the going got tougher and both Andrea Verona and Brad Freeman came on stronger in the afternoon.
• The final podium place eventually went to Verona on the GASGAS after a solid final lap with Freeman nudging into fourth, leaving Pichon to battle for best Frenchman honours with Theo Espinasse for fifth and sixth respectively.
• Disappointed to not grab a better result overall on the day, Brad Freeman is the 2024 E3 World Champion, his 10th title no less: “It’s 10 years since I raced here in Brioude and got my first GP win in the 125s so to be here 10 years later and have 10 titles is pretty surreal.”
• Garcia wasn’t the only world champion crowned today, not even the only Spaniard to take a title. Mireia Badia becomes the 2024 Enduro Women’s World Champion and Max Ahlin is the new overall Junior World Champion.
• A narrow second place for the Swedish rider Ahlin, behind Thibault Giraudon, was enough to secure the EJ crown: “It feels so good but I am overwhelmed right now. The day was nerve-wracking but I was able to focus on the times and the test results and finally I had a good last lap but it was so nerve-wracking. The last long transfer was about one hour but it felt like five!”
• In Enduro Women, American Rachel Gutish finally got back on the top of the podium following her first round win and after conquering a tough day for the women (on day one at a GP they run the same amount of tests as the men).
• The KBS Sherco rider closes in on second place in the points after Rosie Rowett finished third today – mistake from the Rieju rider in the final Enduro test cost her second place and means Gutish closes to within three points with one race day remaining.
• Meanwhile Having a relatively steady day for third most of the day, and finally second, Badia becomes the second Spaniard to be crowned world champion today, the second female to win the Women’s title after Laia Sanz. The diminutive Rieju factory rider definitely got the most raucous welcome of any champion returning to her RFME truck and has been the standout rider this season: “When you are little you always dream of this and I’m so happy. I have been on the podium all season, which was my goal and have taken wins, it was a perfect season and a dream come true.”
• Almost forgotten in all the title noise, Pietro Scardina won the Youth 125 class by over a minute ahead of Gabin Allemand and Sam Hughes, the French and British riders respectively taking their first world championship podiums.

2024 GP of France Day 1 results, scratch EnduroGP overall:

E1 class:

E2 class:

E3 class:

Junior overall:

Youth 125 class:

Enduro Women:

Open class scratch (top 25):

Photo Credit: Future7Media | Andrea Belluschi