Abestone Hard Enduro Day 2: Manuel Lettenbichler Dominates Weekend

Lettenbichler Does the Job Again at Abestone

Manuel Lettenbichler has turned another dominant performance into victory at Abestone, winning the main race of the fifth round of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider completed all six laps in 2:07:12.9, finishing more than six minutes ahead of Mitch Brightmore and more than seven and a half minutes clear of Teodor Kabakchiev.

Lettenbichler also recorded the fastest lap of the race at 18:33.1. That combination of outright pace and the ability to maintain it over six laps was ultimately the difference.

What impressed me most about this result is the way Lettenbichler separated himself from the field over the full race distance. This wasn't a victory built on surviving the final stages while everyone else struggled. He was consistently quick and was the only rider to finish all six laps without being caught by the brutal lap deficit that affected almost everyone behind him.

After already showing strong pace in Saturday's Gold Sprint, Lettenbichler has now converted that form into the result that matters most.

Mitch Brightmore Leads the Chase

Mitch Brightmore produced an outstanding ride to finish second and was the closest rider to Lettenbichler throughout the six-lap contest.

The X-Grip GASGAS Racing Team rider finished in 2:13:20.3, 6 minutes and 7.3 seconds behind the winner, with a best lap of 19:36.5.

That best lap is worth looking at. Brightmore was only just over a minute away from Lettenbichler's fastest lap, which suggests the gap was not simply a reflection of a lack of speed.

Over six laps, however, those small differences become enormous. Every difficult climb, technical section and recovery period adds to the clock, and Lettenbichler was able to turn that consistency into a sizeable winning margin.

For Brightmore, though, second place is arguably one of the biggest positives to come out of Abestone. He has shown once again that he belongs at the sharp end of the HEWC field.

Kabakchiev Returns to the Podium

Teodor Kabakchiev completed the overall Gold podium for Sherco Factory Racing after another strong long-distance performance.

Kabakchiev finished all six laps in 2:14:54.6, ending 7 minutes and 41.6 seconds behind Lettenbichler and just 1 minute and 34.3 seconds behind Brightmore.

His best lap of 20:33.6 was slower than the two riders ahead, but his ability to complete the full six-lap distance was crucial.

Kabakchiev's third place also gives Sherco a significant result heading into the next phase of the championship. The Roof of Africa is a completely different challenge, and experience in managing a long hard enduro could become particularly valuable there.

James Moore Continues His Breakthrough Weekend

James Moore was one of the biggest stories of the weekend and backed up his Saturday performance with fourth overall in the main race.

The AG Racing Beta Italy rider completed all six laps in 2:19:26.2, finishing 12 minutes and 13.2 seconds behind Lettenbichler.

Moore was also classified as Gold Junior, making his fourth-place finish particularly significant. He was the highest-placed Junior in the main race and finished ahead of several established Gold-class riders.

His best lap of 21:24.3 was not close to Lettenbichler's outright pace, but that is not the most important part of Moore's result. Completing six laps at Abestone while maintaining enough consistency to finish fourth overall is a serious statement.

After showing strong speed in the Gold Sprint, Moore has now demonstrated that he can carry that performance into the longer main event. That makes him one of the riders I would be watching particularly closely as the championship heads towards Lesotho.

Mario Román Rounds Out the Top Five

Mario Román completed the overall top five, also finishing all six laps.

The MR74 Racing Team rider recorded a race time of 2:21:43.5, with a best lap of 21:12.5.

Román's result is important because he brings a huge amount of hard-enduro experience into the final part of the season. While he couldn't challenge Lettenbichler for victory, finishing all six laps puts him in a much stronger position than several other major names.

Billy Bolt's 12th Place Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

Billy Bolt's 12th-place finish will immediately stand out on the results sheet, but I don't think the position alone tells the story of his Abestone weekend.

Bolt completed five laps and recorded a race time of 2:21:53.5, officially classified one lap down. His best lap was actually 21:11.5, almost identical to Román's fastest lap and considerably closer to the front-runners than his final position suggests.

That is an important distinction in Hard Enduro. A rider can have competitive outright pace but still lose an enormous amount of ground through difficult sections, fatigue, mistakes or the sheer accumulated punishment of the course.

Bolt therefore remains one of the riders I would be reluctant to write off heading into the Roof of Africa.

Abestone Was Brutal for the Field

One of the clearest messages from the results is just how difficult the Abestone main race was.

Only five riders in the Gold classification completed all six laps. From sixth position onwards, every rider was at least one lap behind the winner.

Lorenzo Gandola finished sixth after five laps, followed by Ashton Brightmore, Thomas Scales, Sonny Goggia and Eddie Karlsson. Alfredo Gómez and Billy Bolt also completed five laps.

The fact that riders of this calibre were unable to complete the full six-lap distance shows how much Abestone demanded from the field.

It also explains why I wouldn't read too much into the finishing gaps in isolation. Once riders start losing laps, the final classification can become heavily influenced by how much ground they were able to make through the checkpoints rather than simply their raw lap speed.

Abestone Main Race Results

What Abestone Means for the Championship

The official championship standings entering Abestone had Manuel Lettenbichler at the top on 88 points, with Mitch Brightmore on 75 and Teodor Kabakchiev on 68. Those standings already showed how important the fight between the three riders had become.

Abestone now gives Lettenbichler another major opportunity to extend his advantage. The exact championship points from the main race should be treated separately from the race classification until the official championship table is confirmed, but there is no question about the momentum created by a victory of this scale.

For Brightmore, second place keeps him firmly in the championship fight. Kabakchiev's third-place finish is equally important because he has prevented the gap to the two riders ahead from becoming unnecessarily large.

That makes the next round particularly interesting. Lettenbichler has the advantage, but Brightmore and Kabakchiev are still close enough to keep the title battle alive.

Next Stop: The Roof of Africa

The championship now heads to one of the most famous events on the entire Hard Enduro calendar: the Roof of Africa in Lesotho.

The official 2026 calendar lists the Roof of Africa for September 24–26, with the event taking place in Lesotho's Maloti Mountains. It is a three-day race known for its extreme altitude and unforgiving terrain.

That is why I think Abestone should be viewed as preparation rather than a perfect prediction for what happens next.

The Italian terrain has tested the riders' ability to maintain pace through a brutal multi-lap race. The Roof will ask different questions. Altitude, endurance, terrain management and the ability to survive a multi-day event can completely change the competitive order.

Lettenbichler will arrive with confidence after winning the Abestone main event, but he cannot afford to assume that the same formula will automatically work in Lesotho.

Brightmore is perhaps the rider with the most reason to be encouraged. His second place and strong lap pace show that he can stay close to Lettenbichler when the race becomes a long battle of attrition.

Kabakchiev is another major threat. His third place means the championship's top three have all shown the ability to complete the full six-lap distance at Abestone, and that experience could become valuable when the Roof starts taking its toll.

Prediction for the Roof of Africa

If I had to pick a favourite based purely on what we've seen at Abestone, Lettenbichler would be the obvious choice.

But I don't think he will have it easy.

Brightmore's performance has put him firmly into the conversation, while Kabakchiev has once again shown the consistency needed to remain in the championship fight.

I would also keep an eye on Billy Bolt. His 12th-place classification at Abestone looks disappointing, but his 21:11.5 fastest lap tells a different story. If Bolt can combine that speed with the consistency required to survive the full event, he could be a completely different proposition in Lesotho.

And then there is Mario Román. Fifth at Abestone and one of only five riders to complete all six laps, his experience could become increasingly valuable as the championship moves into its longer, more traditional hard-enduro events.

Abestone Changes the Shape of the Title Fight

The biggest takeaway from Abestone is that Lettenbichler has once again put himself in the strongest possible position, but the championship is far from being a one-rider story.

Brightmore remains within striking distance, Kabakchiev is still applying pressure, and the next round is one of the most demanding events on the calendar.

Lettenbichler leaves Italy as the man everyone has to beat.

The Roof of Africa will now decide whether anyone can stop him.