In our second In Conversation interview we speak to Josep Garcia (KTM). The overall fastest rider at this years FIM International Six Days of Enduro, Josep will soon head back to EnduroGP competition looking to add the coveted Enduro2 World Championship title to his six days success. With just five points separating the Spaniard from current E2 class leader Will Ruprecht (TM), we asked Josep for his thoughts on his season so far…

Congratulations on being the fastest outright rider and winning with Team Spain at the 2021 ISDE. When you think about the race now, the work that went into it, your daily performances, the final result, what are the most powerful memories, and what are you happiest about?

“Winning the six days was a real dream come true. To achieve a goal like this is really very special. There is so much work that goes into a race like the ISDE, a lot of things that no one considers, but all things that are essential for getting a good result. Also, I crashed in training two weeks before the race and this meant I needed to go to hospital, which is never a good preparation for a big race like the six days. To overcome all this and win is very special.”

Some riders were worried about getting injured at the ISDE, was that a concern for you?

“Every rider sets their own goals and I like to have more than one goal for each season. This year my goals are to claim not only the EnduroGP and Enduro2 titles, but also the ISDE. I think that if you are going to get injured, it can happen at any time. Just like it almost happened to me right before the ISDE. You have to follow your passion, enjoy your racing, and not worry too much about what might or might not happen.”

Now that it’s time for the final rounds of EnduroGP, are you feeling ready to go after the E2 title?

“I’m really looking forward to these final rounds. I feel good, I’ve been working hard, and I feel that nothing is over just yet, so I want to give my all for both the E2 and EnduroGP titles. Let’s see how things go, but I’m focused and ready for these last races of the championship.”

Looking back on the four rounds of the season so far, where do you think you were at your best and where do you think things weren’t as good as they could have been?

“So, after four rounds and eight days I’ve experienced some good days and some not so good days this year. Before the first round I was really sick. I was taking antibiotics for two weeks and I also had to have a tooth removed. I then injured my back, so I arrived at the first race having not ridden for over two weeks. Finally, my back was ok, but I was not close to being 100% for that race. Also, at the second race in Italy, I wasn’t at my best and crashed too much. For Estonia and Sweden, I tried to change things, and I made some improvements and my results were better. Like some other riders, I didn’t have so much time to recover between those first two rounds. Now things are improving, my confidence is good, and I’ve had time to prepare well for the last races.”

Do you think you’re a better rider now, compared to the start of the season? Has it taken a little while to adjust to EnduroGP after a few years away from the series?

“I always knew that my speed was good, but it’s not enough when you have been away from a championship for three years. I think I needed some time to get some races under my belt. Being fast and being consistently fast are two different things, and in EnduroGP you need to be consistently fast throughout each day. This is what took a little time to find. I never lost my speed, but now, I think I am a more complete enduro rider.”

It’s often said that confidence is the most important thing, after your ISDE win your confidence must be higher than ever?

“Yes, confidence is one of the most important things when you are racing. It’s a hard thing to get when you don’t have it and an easy thing to lose, if you get injured or have some bad results. At the start of the season I didn’t have the confidence that I do now, so yes my confidence is much higher than it was.”

The Josep Garcia most people know is an aggressive, hard riding enduro racer – does that remain for the final rounds, or will you ride with a little more caution?

“My style is to always be aggressive and really push the limits. I don’t think that is something that I’ll be able to change as a rider. But I have tried to be more consistent and make less mistakes. I’m always pushing the limits to be as fast as I can. I’m always full gas.”

What are your thoughts about going to a new race in Portugal, and a second race in Portugal this season?

“I’m happy to be racing in Portugal again. I like racing there and the races are always good, so I can’t wait to head back there for the next round of the series.”

Winning the Enduro2 title must be the priority, but what about EnduroGP, do you think that’s asking a little too much now with Brad being more than 20 points ahead?

“For sure the goal at the start of the season was to fight for both titles, but I’m a little way away from lead in EnduroGP. But, like I said, anything can happen and there’s still a lot of points available. You never know, you have to keep pushing to the end of the last day of the championship.”