Back in action and back on the top step of the EnduroGP podium, GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona has claimed an impressive win on day one at the EnduroGP Of Slovakia. Mastering the hot conditions and tough terrain, Andrea steered his EC 350F to a commanding victory on Saturday, before backing it up with a solid third-place podium on Sunday, missing out on second place by a mere half of a second!
- Verona secures EnduroGP win on day one in Slovakia
- Italian tops Enduro2 class both days
- GASGAS rider closes the gap to EnduroGP championship leader
The pace in Gelnica for round five of the 2024 FIM EnduroGP World Championship was as hot as the temperatures. That, combined with the demanding mixed terrain of the Slovakian tests, made for an extremely tough weekend of racing for all involved.
Opening his weekend in style by going fourth-fastest on the Friday night Super Test, Andrea maintained his speed and the pressure on his rivals by delivering nine more impressive test results on Saturday’s day one. Helped in part by claiming three test wins throughout the day, Verona opened up an early lead in the morning and continued to build on it through the afternoon. Arriving at the finish over 17 seconds ahead of second-placed Nathan Watson, Andrea secured his third EnduroGP class victory of the season.
Day two wasn’t quite as straightforward for the EC 350F racer. Fighting back from placing fourth on the first test, Andrea clawed his way back up into second overall by the end of the second lap. Completing the final cross test just less than eight seconds behind the winner was enough to drop down to third. And despite topping the timesheets on the very last test, Verona was forced to settle for third in EnduroGP.
With his 1-3 results, Andrea maintains his second-place position in the EnduroGP championship standings but has closed in on the leader by a further two points. Securing a double win in Enduro2, he extends his E2 class lead to an impressive 45 points with two rounds remaining.
Andrea Verona: “Overall it’s been a good weekend here in Slovakia. It was great to take my third overall win of the season on Saturday – I was riding really well and was able to push hard all day. On Sunday, I started off a little too calmly and paid for it on the first test. I knew I had to get a little more aggressive and on lap two, I was able to get back inside the top two overall. My pace was good, but everyone was riding really well here and I just missed out on second overall by half a second. It’s been a bit on an up and down day today, but a very positive weekend on the whole. I have made up a couple of points on the championship leader, so now I’m focused on giving it full gas for the last two rounds.”
Download images from the EnduroGP of Slovakia here.
Results: FIM EnduroGP World Championship, Round 5
Day 1 – EnduroGP
1. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 1:06:07.03
2. Nathan Watson (Beta) 1:06:24.07
3. Steve Holcombe (Honda) 1:06:29.4
4. Josep Garcia (KTM) 1:06:40.04
Day 2 – EnduroGP
1. Josep Garcia (KTM) 1:03:46.40
2. Brad Freeman (Beta) 1:04:04.91
3. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 1:04:05.41
Day 1 – Enduro2
1. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 1:06:07.03
2. Nathan Watson (Beta) 1:06:24.07
3. Wil Ruprecht (Sherco) 1:07:27.74
Day 2 – Enduro2
1. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 1:04:05.41
2. Nathan Watson (Beta) 1:04:16.70
3. Wil Ruprecht (Sherco) 1:05:21.48
Championship Standings (After Round 5)
EnduroGP
1. Josep Garcia (KTM) 177 pts
2. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 169 pts
3. Steve Holcombe (Honda) 154 pts
Enduro2
1. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 197 pts
2. Nathan Watson (Beta) 152 pts
3. Samuele Bernardini (KTM) 142 pts