The Enduropale du Touquet marked the start of the season for Bud Racing’s newest recruit, Fran Garcia. The young Spaniard had no prior experience with sand racing before taking on the legendary race in Northern France in the Juniors category. More importantly, he hadn’t competed since his knee injury, which required surgery last July.
After a few weeks of preparation on his 250 KX, the Enduropale became his first race under his new colors. Curious yet determined to perform well, Fran started 138th from the waiting area (out of 200 riders). Making his way up to the first row at the starting line, he took off in 9th position before climbing to 4th by the end of the first lap.
A solid race
A collision with another rider in the first lap cost him some time before he found his rhythm again. In the end, after a strong race where he lacked only experience, Fran secured 3rd place and earned a spot on the final podium. The overall outcome is very positive—discovering the discipline and achieving an impressive result for his first participation.
The goal is to return next year and fight for victory. In the meantime, the Andalusian is focusing on the opening round of the French MX2 Championship this weekend in Lacapelle-Marival,
followed by the first round of the EMX250 European Championship on March 16th in Castilla de la Mancha (Spain).
Fran Garcia:
“I had a lot of fun in my first Touquet. It felt like I was doing a completely different sport, but I gained a lot of experience and truly enjoyed it. I had a great feeling with the bike, and my knee feels fantastic. I’m really happy to be racing again, and I feel great within the team. I’m already looking forward to the next race in Lacapelle next weekend.”
Stéphane Dassé:
“We didn’t really know what to expect when we arrived, as Fran was new to this discipline. Of course, we would have loved to leave with the victory, but for a first attempt, he did really well. Now that he has gained some experience, we hope to come back next year and go for the win.”
Another podium finish for Bud Racing colors—Tim Lopes secured 3rd place in the Espoirs category. The Bud Academy rider kicked off his season in style in his first official race under his new colors. Lastly, three young female riders at this 2025 Enduropale delivered a strong performance as Bud Racing support riders. Thelma Boudier won the Espoirs girls’ category, followed by Sarah Leroy, who claimed victory in the Juniors category ahead of Léa Chaput,
all three riding Kawasakis. Congratulations!
Watch the “Inside” video of the event on our YouTube channel >
https://youtu.be/qP_VtLGBoEg?si=2zeBOOicMTldQMQh
