Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe has won the 2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship at the final round of the season in Santiago do Cacem, Portugal. Capping off a magical weekend for Steve, he also claimed the Enduro2 World Championship to increase his tally to nine world titles.
• Steve clinches the 2023 EnduroGP World Championship
• He also wins the Enduro2 world title
• Steve is now a nine-time enduro world champion
In what’s proven to be a fairy tale season, Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe has claimed the perfect ending to his 2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship by winning the EnduroGP and Enduro2 titles on his Beta.
Entering the seventh and final round of the season with a virtual grasp on both the EnduroGP and Enduro2 championships, Steve was ready for both an exciting, and nail-biting, race in Portugal. On day one, crashes on the first two special tests weren’t the start he was looking for, but it quickly got rid of his pre-race butterflies, allowing him to focus on the job in hand. Matching the pace of the front runners, he worked his way from outside the top 10 and up to third. Winning some tests along the way, he eventually placed third in EnduroGP and second in Enduro2.
Holding a relatively comfortable points lead as he started the final day of racing, Steve rode at a fast but manageable pace. Early on he was setting times inside the top three overall, but when the fight for the podium intensified, Steve began to focus on the bigger picture. Executing a perfect race, his fifth-place finish in EnduroGP and third in Enduro2 was more than enough to claim both titles and elevate him to being a nine time enduro world champion.
Steve Holcombe: “I’m a bit lost for words. To win both the EnduroGP and Enduro2 titles in the one year is just incredible. After a couple of difficult seasons with injuries I came into 2023 with the goal of staying healthy and building by confidence and speed back up. Little by little I chipped away at things and, well, it’s worked out amazingly. Once I got into the championship lead, I didn’t want to let it go. This weekend was tough with the nerves to be honest. It was in 2020 that I was last in this position. But thankfully it all came good – I won both titles. I never dreamt of having so much success, but somehow, it’s happened, and I’m blown away. I can’t thank my team, sponsors, and supporters enough. This is a title I certainly won’t forget in a hurry. For sure we’ll celebrate tonight!”
Foto Future7Media