Based in San Juan, Argentina, the 97th edition of the iconic International Six Days Enduro saw over 340 competitors from 30 countries take on the dusty, rocky Argentinian terrain. With temperatures in the region touching 40 degrees, the 2023 event proved incredibly challenging, right from day one.
Despite the severity of the weather, and the grueling special tests, Garcia immediately felt comfortable racing in the heat and, after a steady start on day one, got his head down and won five of the six tests to secure an early lead in the overall individual timings.
Day two didn’t quite go the way of the Spaniard. A number of crashes cost him several valuable seconds and Garcia was forced to settle for second place, finishing just over 16 seconds behind closest rival Andrea Verona.
But on day three, Josep was back on top, taking the win by just over 17 seconds. Further wins on days four and five saw Garcia increase his advantage over Verona to just over one minute – a healthy cushion going into Saturday and the last day of competition.
The final day’s motocross went perfectly for Garcia. Taking an early lead on lap one, he was able to stay ahead of the chasing pack and out of the dust raised by the 38 riders behind. Managing much of the race perfectly from the front, Josep was passed on the penultimate lap by FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Dante Oliveira but ultimately brought his Red Bull KTM home safely in second place. In doing so he secured a hat-trick of overall individual ISDE wins.
Josep Garcia: “It’s been a dream come true once again. It feels amazing to take my third overall win at the ISDE. Of course, I’m sad for team Spain, we weren’t able to do it this year, but for myself, I’m super happy. The whole week has been great, and I’ve had some really close battles with Andrea (Verona). And then in the final motocross, I hit the holeshot with the 250 – I didn’t expect that at all with the other, bigger bikes on the line. Then I was able to stay out front for most of the moto, but Dante (Oliveira) on his 450 was able to get past. After that, I just tried to keep calm, finish the race, and take the overall win. Now it’s time to relax and celebrate with the team – it’s been a really tough week.”
The hotly contested World Trophy category went to the United States, helped in part by the FMF KTM Factory Racing trio of
Taylor Robert,
Dante Oliveira, and Johnny Girroir. The three Americans also delivered excellent results in the individual standings, with Oliveira finishing on the podium in third, Robert just over one-minute behind in fourth, and Girroir completing the top five.
The United States team dominated the Women’s World Trophy too, with experienced KTM racer Brandy Richards leading the efforts. Richards also topped the women’s individual class, taking the win by over 10 minutes despite carrying an injury for the final two days of racing.
Along with Garcia, Oliveira and Robert also brought home the Manufacturer’s Team Award for KTM, capping off a highly successful ISDE for the KTM factory teams.
For 2024, the FIM International Six Days Enduro heads to Spain where, on home soil, Garcia will be aiming to make it an exceptional four individual ISDE wins in a row.
Results – FIM International Six Days Enduro 2023
Overall individual classification
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 3:59:29.67
2. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 4:00:39.37
3. Dante Oliveira (USA), KTM, 4:05:38.11
4. Taylor Robert (USA), KTM, 4:06:49.31
5. Johnny Girroir (USA), KTM, 4:07:44.03
Other KTM
8. Loic Larrieu (FRA), KTM, 4:10:48.99
10. Leo Le Quere (FRA), KTM, 4:11:27.94
Enduro 1
1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 3:59:29.67
2. Theophile Espinasse (FRA), Beta, 4:11:35.89
3. Jed Etchells (GBR), Fantic, 4:12:58.14
4. Samuele Bernardini (ITA), Honda, 4:13:45.25
5. Antoine Alix (FRA), Beta, 4:16:17.71
Enduro 2
1. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 4:00:39.37
2. Dante Oliveira (USA), KTM, 4:05:38.11
3. Taylor Robert (USA), KTM, 4:06:49.31
4. Johnny Girroir (USA), KTM, 4:07:44.03
5. Jamie McCanney (GBR), Husqvarna, 4:08:48.21
Enduro 3
1. Loic Larrieu (FRA), KTM, 4:10:48.99
2. Benjamin Herrera (CHI), GASGAS, 4:12:41.82
3. Julien Roussaly (FRA), Sherco, 4:14:20.92
4. Morgan Lesiardo (ITA), Sherco, 4:14:52.14
5. Nicolas Kutulas (ARG), KTM, 4:21:08.16
Enduro Women
1. Brandy Richards (USA), KTM, 4:42:15.83
2. Danielle McDonald (AUS), Yamaha, 4:52:26.47
3. Jessica Gardiner (AUS), Yamaha, 4:54:20.93
4. Korie Steed (USA), KTM, 4:58:44.89
5. Tanja Schlosser (GER), Beta, 5:00:55.17
World Trophy Team
1. United States (Robert, Girroir, Oliveira, Martinez)
2. France (Espinasse, Le Quere, Larrieu, Roussaly)
3. Great Britain (Snow, Watson, Etchells, McCanney)
Junior World Trophy
1. France (Giraudon, Alix, Joyon)
2. United States (Oliveira, Aiello, Davis)
3. Sweden (Norrbin, Semb, Ahlin)
Womens World Trophy
1. United States (Richards, Steede, Gutish)
2. Australia (Gardiner, Jones, McDonald)
3. FIM LA (Neves, Gonzales, Rodriguez)
Manufacturers Team Award
1. Red Bull KTM (Garcia, Robert, Oliveira)
2. Honda (Bernardini, Watson, Martinez)
3. Beta (Espinasse, Joyon, Alix)
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