For those who love suspense, drama, and twists and turns, this very last day of the FIM Borilli EnduroGP World Championship 2020 was a dream! Heavy rain swept through the final day, the special tests increasingly degraded, and everything was set for a dantesque final.
And that's what we got in the premier class! Brad Freeman (GB - Beta) took the lead from the first tests of the day and seemed to be going all out for the crown. Just 4 points separated him and his great rival and team-mate, Steve Holcombe (GB - Beta) coming into the final day, and whoever beat the other would be in champion. Everything seemed to be falling perfectly into place for the 2019 EnduroGP World Champion as Josep Garcia (E - KTM) got in between the two Brits and allowed Freeman some breathing space. Holcombe had a day littered with mistakes and it seemed the title chances were slipping through his fingers… all until the last special test of the season! The riders were held for 30 minutes due to the national riders still completing the last test, and there were issues about the amount of fuel left in Freeman’s factory Beta!
This question was soon answered and, devastatingly, the Brit lost 1 minute and 20 seconds on the final Champion Enduro Test of the season to test winner Danny McCanney (GB - Honda). He had quite simply run out of petrol. This initially benefited Garcia, who was able to get his second victory of the year but more so Holcombe, who had lost all hope in the title, and suddenly found himself crowned 2020 EnduroGP World Champion! Despite the obvious heartbreak for Freeman, this highly dramatic end to the championship seemed somewhat fitting with what has been a tumultuous year. Danny McCanney finished 4th on the day, while the 5th position taken by Andrea Verona (I - TM) allows him to place Top 3 in the Championship.
In E2, it was Josep Garcia who won the day ahead of Steve Holcombe and Danny McCanney. Loïc Larrieu (F - TM) and Joe Wootton (GB - Husqvarna) completed the Top 5.
On the E3 side, Freeman’s setbacks did not prevent him from signing the perfect season and remaining undefeated.
The Youth 125cc category also gave us a lot of drama from the first lap to the last one. Championship leader, Jed Etchells (GB - Fantic) shockingly lost more than 20 minutes in the Cross Test due to mechanical problems. From then on his title dreams flew away and he was forced to let Sergio NAVARRO (E - Husqvarna) and Claudio Spanu (I - Husqvarna) fight it out for the crown as Etchells could only finish 2nd in the Championship.
It was a second crown in as many years for the UK’s Jane Daniels (GB - Husqvarna), who left no chance for her rivals on either day, winning by a huge margin and firmly cementing her place among the sport’s best riders!
What They Said:
Steve HOLCOMBE: “I’m so happy about this, even if I'm still struggling to understand it! This just proves that nothing is over until we have crossed the finish line… I struggled all day and I took advantage of Brad's setbacks on the last special test, but that’s racing. He gave everything to win this title, but so did I.”