Garcia strikes back to deny Verona in Finland finale
By Team TMX on 25th May 26
The EnduroGP of Finland delivered another last-lap thriller on day two, as Josep Garcia edged out Andrea Verona by just over a second to level the score in a brutal Finnish showdown.
After losing out on Saturday, Garcia came out swinging and this time, he made it stick.
A rapid start saw Garcia stamp his authority early, opening up a six-second gap straight out of the first Extreme Test. While Brad Freeman and Steve Holcombe initially gave chase, it didn’t take long for Verona to force his way back into contention.
By the end of lap one, the Italian was up to second and applying pressure but unlike day one, Garcia had answers.
Managing the gap through lap two, the KTM rider stretched his advantage to seven seconds heading into the final loop. Crucially, he kept things clean—no late mistakes, no openings.
Verona, as expected, threw everything at the final Cross Test, clawing back six seconds in a last-ditch charge but Garcia had done just enough.
The final margin: 1.31 seconds.
Behind the leading duo, Holcombe delivered one of his strongest rides of the season to secure third overall, eventually breaking clear of a tight fight with Freeman and Zach Pichon.
Freeman showed improved pace to take fourth, with Pichon rounding out the top five.
Holcombe capped a solid weekend by doubling up in Enduro3, backing up his day one result with another win ahead of Freeman and Albin Norrbin.
Despite missing out on the overall, Verona still topped Enduro2, while Garcia maintained his perfect run in Enduro1 - six wins from six starts in 2026.
The support classes delivered fresh winners across the board.
In Junior, Kevin Cristino finally converted his speed into results, taking his first win of the season with a commanding late charge.
Meanwhile, the Youth class saw a breakthrough ride from Yago Dominguez, who capitalised on late drama to secure his first-ever world championship victory.
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