Manuel Lettenbichler Wins Sea to Sky Mountain Race 2026
Manuel Lettenbichler has won the 2026 Sea to Sky Mountain Race after a commanding ride to the summit, with Mario Román classified second and James Moore third following Teodor Kabakchiev’s disqualification. The result gives Lettenbichler a 32-point championship lead over Mitch Brightmore, but the title fight is not quite over heading into the final round at Hixpania.
The Sea to Sky Mountain Race has delivered a dramatic conclusion to the Turkish event, with Lettenbichler recovering from a difficult start to the weekend to claim the biggest result of the final day. The Red Bull KTM rider started from the third row and worked his way through the field before pulling clear on the demanding route towards the summit.
Behind him, the race produced a major shake-up. Kabakchiev was initially second on the mountain, but a penalty following assistance to remove a wire caught in his rear wheel was upgraded to disqualification after a protest. That decision promoted Román to second, with Moore taking third and British rider Mitch Brightmore finishing fourth.
With the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship now heading to Spain for its final round, Lettenbichler is firmly in control of the title race. But with a maximum of 33 points available at Hixpania and a 32-point gap to Brightmore, there is still a narrow mathematical route for the British rider to turn the championship around.
Lettenbichler Delivers When It Matters Most
Lettenbichler completed the Mountain Race in 3:40:01.78, finishing more than four minutes ahead of Román in the adjusted classification. It was a statement ride from the German, particularly after a frustrating Forest Race that saw him lose time and receive a penalty.
The Mountain Race presented a different challenge. Riders faced a 64-kilometre route with 16 checkpoints, climbing towards the summit of Mount Tahtalı at approximately 2,365 metres. Starting from the third row meant Lettenbichler had work to do from the opening stages, but he quickly moved towards the front.
His early pace was strong, although Román mounted a serious challenge through the middle of the course. The Spaniard made up time in the canyon and remained competitive over several sections, but Lettenbichler responded where the terrain became most demanding. The final rock garden and long climb proved decisive, allowing the KTM rider to secure a clear victory.
My take: This was arguably the response Lettenbichler needed after an event that had not gone entirely to plan. He finished fifth in the Beach Race and was pushed down the Forest Race classification by a penalty, but he did not allow those setbacks to dictate his final day. Rather than simply protecting his championship lead, he attacked the mountain and won the race outright.
That ability to reset after a difficult stage is a major part of what separates championship contenders from race winners. Lettenbichler has shown that even when a weekend starts badly, he can still deliver when the most valuable points are on offer.
Mario Román Takes Second After Dramatic Disqualification
Mario Román finished second in the official Mountain Race classification with a time of 3:44:12.88, 4 minutes and 11 seconds behind Lettenbichler. His ride was particularly impressive given his difficult start to the race.
Román was well down the order in the opening sector but fought his way back into contention, producing a strong pace through the canyon. Although he could not match Lettenbichler across the final sections, his performance was enough to put him on the provisional road podium before the decision involving Kabakchiev changed the classification.
Kabakchiev had been running second on the course, around 11 seconds ahead of Román, when a wire became caught in his rear wheel shortly before the finish. Officials initially applied a 10-minute penalty after determining that outside assistance to remove the wire was unauthorised. Following a protest, that penalty was upgraded to disqualification, removing Kabakchiev from the official Mountain Race classification and costing him the points from the event.
It was a brutal outcome for the Sherco rider, particularly after he won Friday’s Forest Race. His pace on the mountain suggested he was capable of another strong result, but in hard enduro, the final classification depends on more than speed alone. Riders must also navigate the regulations and make decisions under pressure when problems arise on the course.
The decision has major implications for the championship standings, where Kabakchiev had been a key challenger. It also underlines how quickly a promising race can unravel in a discipline where mechanical issues and the rules surrounding assistance can have decisive consequences.
James Moore and Mitch Brightmore Finish on the Podium
James Moore inherited third place with a time of 3:54:27.97, finishing 14 minutes and 26 seconds behind Lettenbichler. It was another valuable result for the South African rider, who has shown competitive form throughout the Sea to Sky weekend.
Moore’s result also adds to an encouraging season in which he has been able to challenge established names in the sport. The mountain race is a different test from the beach and forest stages, and a podium finish on the final day is a strong way to close out the event.
Mitch Brightmore finished fourth in 3:56:22.79, 16 minutes and 21 seconds off the winner. The British rider began Sea to Sky in outstanding form, winning the Beach Race, before finishing third in Friday’s Forest Race. Although he could not repeat his opening-day victory on the mountain, his fourth place still provides valuable championship points.
Brightmore’s overall weekend shows both his potential and the challenge of fighting Lettenbichler across a multi-stage event. He has the speed to win individual races, as his beach performance demonstrated, but the championship leader again found a way to deliver when the most demanding stage arrived.
For Brightmore, the key now is to carry that speed into Hixpania. He needs an exceptional final round — and a rare mistake or zero-score from Lettenbichler — if he is to deny the German another world title.
Sea to Sky 2026 Mountain Race Results
| Pos. | Rider | Race time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manuel Lettenbichler | 3:40:01.78 | — |
| 2 | Mario Román | 3:44:12.88 | +4:11 |
| 3 | James Moore | 3:54:27.97 | +14:26 |
| 4 | Mitch Brightmore | 3:56:22.79 | +16:21 |
| 5 | Thomas Scales | 3:58:52.70 | +18:50 |
| 6 | Ashton Brightmore | 4:02:50.44 | +22:48 |
| 7 | David Cyprian | 4:14:25.54 | +34:23 |
| 8 | Alfredo Gómez | 4:19:34.78 | +39:33 |
| 9 | Danila Chernyaev | 4:31:25.69 | +51:23 |
| 10 | Dieter Rudolf | 4:35:34.46 | +55:32 |
| 11 | Graham Jarvis | 4:45:48.10 | +1:05:46 |
Note: This table reflects the adjusted official classification supplied for the Mountain Race. Kabakchiev is excluded following disqualification.
2026 Hard Enduro World Championship Standings
Sea to Sky was the penultimate round of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, leaving the 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro in Spain as the final event of the season. Following the Mountain Race and championship points corrections, Lettenbichler leads Brightmore by 32 points.
| Pos. | Rider | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manuel Lettenbichler | 197 |
| 2 | Mitch Brightmore | 165 |
| 3 | Teodor Kabakchiev | 133 |
| 4 | Ashton Brightmore | 123 |
| 5 | James Moore | 120 |
| 6 | Mario Román | 96 |
The points correction matters. Earlier provisional figures circulated after the Forest Race, but the latest reported standings put Lettenbichler on 197 points and Brightmore on 165, with Kabakchiev third on 133. These are the figures to watch as the championship heads to its finale.
Can Mitch Brightmore Still Win the World Championship?
Yes — but the situation is extremely difficult. Lettenbichler leads Brightmore by 32 points, while a rider can score a maximum of 33 points across a championship round. That means Brightmore’s title hopes remain mathematically alive, but only under a very specific set of circumstances.
Brightmore would need to take the maximum available points at Hixpania, while Lettenbichler would have to leave Spain without scoring. Anything less from Brightmore, or any points at all for Lettenbichler, would put the title beyond the British rider’s reach under the reported standings and scoring structure.
In practical terms, the championship is now Lettenbichler’s to lose. He needs only two more points to secure the title, according to the latest reported calculations. Given the German’s performance on the Sea to Sky mountain, he will head to Spain with confidence, knowing that a measured ride could be enough to seal another championship.
Brightmore, however, has no reason to approach the final round cautiously. He will need to attack from the outset and hope that the unpredictable nature of hard enduro gives him an opening. A strong result would also be a fitting end to a season in which he has repeatedly shown that he can challenge the established names.
Why Hixpania Could Still Deliver a Dramatic Finale
The final round takes place at 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro in Spain from 23–25 October. It is the last opportunity for the field to score championship points in 2026, and while Lettenbichler is the clear favourite to take the title, the battle behind him remains important.
Kabakchiev’s disqualification at Sea to Sky has reshaped the points picture, while Ashton Brightmore and James Moore are separated by only three points in the reported standings. That makes the fight for third another storyline to follow in Spain.
Moore has shown he can recover from setbacks and produce strong results, while Ashton Brightmore remains a consistent contender. Mario Román will also be looking to turn his strong mountain performance into a bigger result at the season finale.
Hixpania will be a different challenge from Sea to Sky, but the same hard enduro fundamentals will apply: speed matters, consistency matters, and one mistake can change an entire weekend. The championship leader has a substantial advantage, but the final round still offers plenty of sporting intrigue.
My Verdict: Lettenbichler Has Control, but the Title Is Not Officially Sealed
Lettenbichler’s Sea to Sky Mountain Race victory was a reminder of why he remains the benchmark in hard enduro. He recovered from a difficult weekend, attacked from the third row and pulled away when the course became most demanding.
Román’s second place and Moore’s third were strong results, while Mitch Brightmore’s fourth keeps him in the championship fight — albeit with very little margin for error. Kabakchiev’s disqualification was the biggest twist of the day, turning a strong ride into a costly setback and changing the points picture ahead of the finale.
My prediction is that Lettenbichler will secure the 2026 world title at Hixpania. He has the points advantage, the experience and the momentum after winning the mountain race. Brightmore can still make the numbers work, but he needs a perfect weekend and a rare disaster for the championship leader.
Until the final points are secured, though, the title is not officially decided. Hixpania now becomes the final test — and the last chance for Brightmore to produce a major upset in the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.