Roof of Africa 2026 Day 2 Results Kabakchiev Takes The Win

Teodor Kabakchiev has won Day 2 of the Gold class at the 2026 Roof of Africa, edging Wade Young by just 32.7 seconds, while Manuel Lettenbichler finished third and Mitch Brightmore endured another difficult day in tenth.

The second day of racing has dramatically changed the picture heading into the final Gold race of the 2026 Roof of Africa.

Kabakchiev delivered the fastest overall time of 5:48:58.2, with Young only 32.7 seconds behind. Lettenbichler was a further 1:41.4 behind Kabakchiev, while Matthew Green completed the top four.

For Brightmore, however, the day went in the opposite direction. After showing the outright pace during the Gold Time Trial, the British rider could only manage tenth on Day 2, finishing 39 minutes and 29 seconds behind Kabakchiev.

With one major race remaining, the Roof of Africa is now set up for a fascinating final day.

Roof of Africa 2026 Gold Day 2 Results

Pos	Rider	Finish Time	Gap
1	Teodor Kabakchiev	5:48:58.2	—
2	Wade Young	5:49:30.9	+00:32.7
3	Manuel Lettenbichler	5:51:12.3	+02:14.1
4	Matthew Green	5:52:49.1	+03:50.9
5	Kyle Flanagan	6:04:04.7	+15:06.5
6	Luke John Walker	6:05:03.3	+16:05.1
7	Thomas Scales	6:16:07.8	+27:09.6
8	Matt Stevens	6:17:35.4	+28:37.2
9	Heinrich Aust	6:24:52.1	+35:53.9
10	Mitch Brightmore	6:28:27.3	+39:29.1

Official Day 2 Gold results supplied from Race Control.

Teodor Kabakchiev Takes a Huge Day 2 Victory

Teodor Kabakchiev has put himself firmly into the spotlight at the 2026 Roof of Africa with a superb Day 2 performance.

The Bulgarian rider completed the Gold course in 5:48:58.2, becoming the only rider to break the 5-hour-49-minute mark.

More importantly, the margin at the front was small.

Wade Young crossed the line just 32.7 seconds behind Kabakchiev, while Manuel Lettenbichler finished 2:14.1 behind the winner.

That means the leading three riders were separated by just over two minutes after a race lasting almost six hours.

That is a remarkably tight battle at the end of such a long day of Hard Enduro.

Kabakchiev's result is also significant because it shows that the Sherco rider has the pace and consistency required to challenge the established favourites when the race moves into its longest and most demanding stages.

Wade Young Comes Within 33 Seconds

Wade Young was arguably the biggest threat to Kabakchiev throughout Day 2.

The South African finished in 5:49:30.9, just 32.7 seconds away from victory.

That is a very small margin considering the length of the day's racing.

Young's result is particularly interesting heading into the final race because the Roof of Africa is being contested on terrain that demands far more than outright Time Trial speed.

Young has now demonstrated that he can maintain a very strong pace over a much longer Gold race.

With only Kabakchiev finishing ahead of him, Young goes into the final day with plenty of momentum.

The question now is whether he can turn that pace into the overall result when everything is decided.

Lettenbichler Keeps Himself in the Fight

Manuel Lettenbichler finished third on Day 2 with a time of 5:51:12.3.

He was 2:14.1 behind Kabakchiev and 1:41.4 behind Young.

On the surface, third place might not look like the headline result for the championship leader.

But in a race as demanding as the Roof of Africa, finishing inside the leading group remains extremely important.

Lettenbichler avoided the larger time losses suffered by several of his rivals and remains directly involved in the fight going into the final day.

His challenge now is simple in principle but extremely difficult in practice: find the extra pace needed to beat Kabakchiev and Young without making the mistakes that can cost huge amounts of time in Hard Enduro.

Matthew Green Continues an Impressive Roof of Africa

Matthew Green produced another strong performance to finish fourth.

His 5:52:49.1 was only 3:50.9 away from Kabakchiev, meaning the top four were all separated by less than four minutes.

Green's performance is one of the quieter stories of Day 2.

While much of the attention naturally falls on the championship contenders, Green has placed himself firmly inside the leading group and demonstrated that he can maintain a competitive pace over a full Gold race.

He now has the opportunity to finish the Roof strongly on the final day.

Flanagan and Walker Complete a Close Battle Behind the Leaders

Kyle Flanagan finished fifth with a time of 6:04:04.7.

The South African was 15:06.5 behind Kabakchiev, but the gap between Flanagan and sixth-placed Luke John Walker was less than one minute.

Walker completed Day 2 in 6:05:03.3, just 58.6 seconds behind Flanagan.

Both riders managed to complete a demanding Gold day inside six hours and five minutes, while maintaining a significant advantage over the riders further down the classification.

Thomas Scales and Matt Stevens Fight Through a Long Day

Thomas Scales finished seventh in 6:16:07.8.

Matt Stevens followed in eighth with 6:17:35.4, leaving just 1:27.6 between the two riders.

Scales had also featured inside the top ten during the Gold Time Trial, where he finished seventh.

His ability to remain inside the top seven after a much longer day is an important sign of consistency.

Stevens, meanwhile, finished less than two minutes behind Scales and maintained his position inside the top ten.

Mitch Brightmore's Roof of Africa Gets Even More Difficult

The biggest disappointment of Day 2 was undoubtedly Mitch Brightmore.

After producing the fastest raw second lap during the Gold Time Trial, Brightmore finished tenth on Day 2 with a time of 6:28:27.3.

That left him 39:29.1 behind Kabakchiev.

The contrast with the Time Trial is enormous.

Brightmore's raw second-lap time in the Time Trial was 24:11.99, the fastest time recorded by any Gold rider.

But after his five-minute penalty in that session, the British rider has now followed it with a substantial time loss during the second day of racing.

That makes the final day particularly important.

Brightmore clearly has the speed to compete at the front, but the Roof of Africa is not decided by a single fast section.

Over a long Hard Enduro, consistency becomes just as important as outright pace.

Why Day 2 Changes the Final Race

The most important thing about the Day 2 results is not simply who won.

It is the way the leading riders have positioned themselves heading into the final Gold race.

Kabakchiev has now produced the fastest overall Day 2 time.

Young was only 32.7 seconds behind him.

Lettenbichler was another 1:41.4 back.

And Green was less than four minutes away from victory.

That tells us that there is no single rider dominating the long-distance pace.

The leading group is extremely close.

That could make the final day a completely different race to the Time Trial.

The Final Day Could Come Down to Consistency

After seeing the results from the first two days, I think the final race is likely to be less about finding one spectacular section and more about avoiding a major mistake.

That's because the gaps between the leading riders are now small enough that a single problem could completely change the order.

Kabakchiev has shown he can win the long race.

Young has shown he can stay within seconds of him.

Lettenbichler has remained inside the leading group.

And Brightmore has already shown that he possesses exceptional outright speed.

The difference on the final day could therefore come down to who can maintain that pace while keeping the bike moving and avoiding major time losses.

Kabakchiev Has Given Himself a Major Confidence Boost

For Kabakchiev, winning Day 2 is about more than simply adding another race victory to his weekend.

He has shown that his pace translates from shorter Time Trial conditions into a race lasting almost six hours.

That is important.

Anyone can produce a fast lap.

Producing the fastest time after hours of demanding Hard Enduro is a different challenge.

Kabakchiev has now done exactly that.

Wade Young Could Be the Rider to Watch on the Final Day

Young's 32.7-second deficit is perhaps the most intriguing number in the entire Day 2 classification.

He was close enough to Kabakchiev that the victory was within touching distance.

With the final race still to come, that gives Young a strong platform to build from.

The South African also has extensive experience of the Roof of Africa and its demanding terrain, which could become increasingly important as the weekend reaches its conclusion.

If the leading riders remain close during the final stages, experience and consistency could become just as important as raw speed.

What Does This Mean for Manuel Lettenbichler?

Lettenbichler's third-place finish means he hasn't been able to match Kabakchiev's Day 2 pace, but he has avoided a major time loss.

That could prove important.

The KTM rider doesn't need to dominate every section of the event to remain in contention.

He needs to stay close enough to the leading riders while avoiding the sort of problem that could cost tens of minutes.

After Day 2, he is still right at the front of the Gold field.

That means the final race remains open.

Mitch Brightmore Needs a Big Final Day

Brightmore's situation is very different.

After finishing tenth on Day 2, he now needs a major turnaround if he is going to recover the ground lost over the opening stages.

But there is a reason not to write him off completely.

The Time Trial proved that he has the outright speed.

The problem is that the Roof of Africa rewards riders who can combine that speed with consistency over a much longer period.

Tomorrow's race will therefore be a major test of whether Brightmore can put those two things together.

If he can reproduce his raw Time Trial pace while avoiding the time losses that affected him today, he has the potential to move forward quickly.

If another major problem occurs, however, the time gap could become extremely difficult to recover.

My Analysis: The Roof of Africa Is Still Wide Open

After two days, I don't think the Day 2 results give us a simple story of one rider being clearly ahead of everyone else.

Instead, they show a leading group that is remarkably close.

Kabakchiev has the Day 2 victory.

Young is only 32.7 seconds behind.

Lettenbichler is just over two minutes away.

Green is less than four minutes behind the winner.

Those are small margins after nearly six hours of racing.

The biggest unknown is how those riders will handle the final race.

Tomorrow's result could be decided by a mechanical issue, a navigation error, a difficult technical section or simply which rider manages their energy best.

That is what makes the final Gold race so interesting.

And then there is Brightmore.

His Day 2 result is not what he would have wanted, but the fastest raw lap from the Time Trial is still relevant. He has already demonstrated that the speed is there.

The final question is whether he can produce that speed when it matters most without giving away the time he has lost during the opening stages.

Riders to Watch in the Final Roof of Africa Race

Teodor Kabakchiev

Day 2 result: P1
Time: 5:48:58.2

Kabakchiev has momentum after winning the second day and will enter the final race knowing he can maintain front-running pace over a long Gold stage.

Wade Young

Day 2 result: P2
Time: 5:49:30.9

Only 32.7 seconds separated Young from victory. He is one of the most interesting riders to watch when the final Gold race begins.

Manuel Lettenbichler

Day 2 result: P3
Time: 5:51:12.3

Lettenbichler remains inside the leading group and has avoided a major time loss. The final race gives him another opportunity to close the gap.

Matthew Green

Day 2 result: P4
Time: 5:52:49.1

Green was less than four minutes behind the winner and has quietly put together a strong Gold weekend.

Mitch Brightmore

Day 2 result: P10
Time: 6:28:27.3

The result doesn't reflect the outright speed Brightmore showed in the Time Trial. The final race is now an opportunity to recover some of the time lost during the opening stages.

What Happens in the Final Race?

The 2026 Roof of Africa now comes down to its final Gold race.

After the Time Trial and an extremely demanding second day, the leading riders have given us several different indications of what they can do.

Kabakchiev has won Day 2.

Young has shown that he can stay within seconds of him.

Lettenbichler has remained close to the front.

Green has continued to deliver a strong performance.

And Brightmore now has to find a way to turn his raw pace into a complete race performance.

That is what makes the final day so difficult to predict from the results alone.

The Roof of Africa isn't over yet, and with the leading riders separated by relatively small margins on Day 2, the final Gold race could provide the most important chapter of the entire 2026 event.

Roof of Africa 2026 Gold Day 2 Official Top 10

1. Teodor Kabakchiev — 5:48:58.2
2. Wade Young — 5:49:30.9 (+00:32.7)
3. Manuel Lettenbichler — 5:51:12.3 (+02:14.1)
4. Matthew Green — 5:52:49.1 (+03:50.9)
5. Kyle Flanagan — 6:04:04.7 (+15:06.5)
6. Luke John Walker — 6:05:03.3 (+16:05.1)
7. Thomas Scales — 6:16:07.8 (+27:09.6)
8. Matt Stevens — 6:17:35.4 (+28:37.2)
9. Heinrich Aust — 6:24:52.1 (+35:53.9)
10. Mitch Brightmore — 6:28:27.3 (+39:29.1)