Roof of Africa Results 2026, Kabakchiev Takes Overall Victory
Teodor Kabakchiev has taken the overall victory at the 2026 Roof of Africa, holding off Manuel Lettenbichler and Wade Young after a dramatic final day in Lesotho.
James Moore produced the fastest performance of Day 3, winning the final Gold-class stage by more than five minutes, but it was Kabakchiev who emerged at the top of the unofficial overall classification after three days of racing.
The final standings could hardly have been closer behind the winner. Manuel Lettenbichler finished second overall with a total time of 10:02:33.1, while Wade Young was just 0.1 seconds further back in third.
Matthew Green completed the overall top four, while Moore's exceptional final-day performance moved him into fifth overall despite finishing Day 3 more than five minutes ahead of Kabakchiev.
James Moore Wins the Final Day
Moore saved one of his strongest performances of the Roof of Africa for the final day.
The AG Racing Beta Italy rider completed the two-lap Day 3 course in 3:39:25.8, comfortably clear of Kabakchiev's 3:44:37.0. The winning margin of 5 minutes and 11.2 seconds was the biggest gap at the front of the Day 3 classification.
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | Day 3 Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Moore | Beta | 3:39:25.8 | - |
| 2 | Teodor Kabakchiev | Sherco | 3:44:37.0 | +5:11.2 |
| 3 | Manuel Lettenbichler | KTM | 3:46:03.1 | +6:37.3 |
| 4 | Wade Young | KTM | 3:46:41.5 | +7:15.7 |
| 5 | Ashton Brightmore | GASGAS | 4:00:34.4 | +21:08.5 |
| 6 | Mitch Brightmore | GASGAS | 4:06:28.9 | +27:03.1 |
| 7 | Thomas Scales | Beta | 4:10:05.9 | +30:40.1 |
| 8 | Matthew Green | KTM | 4:14:15.3 | +34:49.5 |
| 9 | Matt Stevens | - | 4:15:47.2 | +36:21.3 |
| 10 | Kyle Flanagan | - | 4:16:45.3 | +37:19.4 |
Moore's result is particularly significant when viewed alongside his overall position. The Beta rider had already demonstrated his outright speed by setting the fastest time in the Gold Time Trial, and he backed that pace up with the fastest time again on the final day.
However, the Roof of Africa is decided over the complete three-day event, and the time lost earlier in the race meant Moore could not turn his Day 3 victory into the overall win.
Kabakchiev Does Enough to Take the Roof of Africa
While Moore was attacking the final day at the front, Kabakchiev's priority was different: protect his position at the top of the overall classification.
The Sherco Racing Factory rider finished second on Day 3, 5 minutes and 11.2 seconds behind Moore, but his performance was more than enough to secure the overall victory.
Kabakchiev's final overall time was 9:59:46.2, giving him a margin of 2 minutes and 46.9 seconds over Lettenbichler.
That makes the final classification particularly interesting because the eventual winner did not need to win the final day. Instead, Kabakchiev had built enough of a buffer during the opening stages to absorb Moore's late charge and still finish the three-day event at the top.
Lettenbichler and Young Separated by Just 0.1 Seconds
The battle for second place produced arguably the closest finish of the entire Gold classification.
Manuel Lettenbichler completed the Roof of Africa with a total time of 10:02:33.1.
Wade Young finished on 10:02:33.2.
That means just 0.1 seconds separated the two riders after three days of extreme hard enduro.
| Pos. | Rider | Overall Time | Gap to Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teodor Kabakchiev | 9:59:46.2 | - |
| 2 | Manuel Lettenbichler | 10:02:33.1 | +2:46.9 |
| 3 | Wade Young | 10:02:33.2 | +2:47.0 |
| 4 | Matthew Green | 10:34:12.9 | +34:26.7 |
| 5 | James Moore | 10:37:57.7 | +38:11.5 |
| 6 | Thomas Scales | 10:54:48.2 | +55:02.0 |
| 7 | Luke John Walker | 10:55:15.7 | +55:29.5 |
| 8 | Kyle Flanagan | 10:56:21.6 | +56:35.4 |
| 9 | Ashton Brightmore | 10:58:39.8 | +58:53.6 |
| 10 | Mitch Brightmore | 11:04:08.2 | +1:04:22.0 |
For Lettenbichler and Young, the final result underlines just how little separated the two riders across an event lasting almost ten hours of race time. They finished on the same second, with the KTM riders split by only a tenth of a second in the unofficial overall classification.
Moore's Roof of Africa Tells Two Different Stories
Moore's final result is one of the most interesting aspects of the 2026 Roof of Africa.
The Beta rider was the fastest competitor in the Gold Time Trial and then won the final day. Yet his overall time placed him fifth, 38 minutes and 11.5 seconds behind Kabakchiev.
That contrast shows why outright speed is only one part of the Roof of Africa equation.
Across a three-day hard enduro such as this, a rider can demonstrate the pace required to win individual stages but still lose substantial ground through an earlier time deficit. Moore's final-day performance demonstrates that his raw speed was never in question; the overall classification instead reflects the accumulated result of the complete event.
His final-day victory should therefore be one of the biggest talking points to carry into the next phase of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.
Brightmore Brothers Both Finish Inside the Overall Top 10
Ashton Brightmore finished fifth on Day 3 with a time of 4:00:34.4, while his brother Mitch Brightmore was sixth at 4:06:28.9.
Ashton finished ninth overall in 10:58:39.8, while Mitch completed the event tenth overall in 11:04:08.2.
The two X-Grip GASGAS Racing Team riders therefore both finished inside the overall Gold top 10, although the final classification shows a significant gap between them and the riders fighting at the sharp end.
Thomas Scales also produced another consistent performance, finishing seventh on Day 3 and sixth overall. His 10:54:48.2 total put him just 27.5 seconds behind fifth-placed Moore's overall time.
What the Roof of Africa Means for the Championship
The Roof of Africa was Round 6 of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, with the championship now moving to Turkey for Sea to Sky. The official FIM calendar lists Sea to Sky as Round 7 on October 8-10, followed by the 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro season finale in Spain on October 23-25. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
That makes the result in Lesotho particularly important because there are now only two championship rounds remaining after the Roof of Africa.
The supplied Roof of Africa classification gives us the overall event result, but it does not include the championship points table. It is therefore not possible to state from these results alone exactly how many points separate the riders in the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.
What the race does show is that Kabakchiev, Lettenbichler, Young and Moore arrive at the next round with very different stories from Lesotho.
Kabakchiev: Confidence From Winning the Roof
Kabakchiev leaves Lesotho as the overall Roof of Africa winner after controlling the final day rather than needing to win it outright.
That is an important result heading into Turkey. Sea to Sky presents a very different challenge, so the ability to combine speed with consistency will once again be tested.
With only two championship rounds remaining after Lesotho, every major result becomes increasingly valuable in the title fight.
Lettenbichler: Two Minutes and 47 Seconds From the Winner
Lettenbichler's second-place overall finish puts him firmly among the riders to watch in Turkey.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider finished only 2:46.9 behind Kabakchiev across the complete Roof of Africa and was just 0.1 seconds ahead of Young.
His Day 3 time of 3:46:03.1 was also less than two minutes behind Kabakchiev and less than seven minutes behind Moore, showing how competitive the front group remained on the final day.
Young: The Smallest Margin in the Top Three
Young's third-place overall result is arguably one of the most frustratingly close classifications of the event.
The Rigo Racing KTM rider ended the Roof only 2.7 minutes behind Kabakchiev and a tenth of a second behind Lettenbichler.
His Day 3 performance was also extremely close to Lettenbichler, with just 38.4 seconds separating the pair.
Moore: The Biggest Question Mark Heading to Turkey
Moore is perhaps the rider with the most obvious momentum coming out of the final day.
He was fastest in the Gold Time Trial, then fastest again on Day 3. The problem for Moore was that the overall classification is determined by accumulated race time, and the deficit from earlier in the event could not be recovered despite his final-day charge.
Sea to Sky could therefore provide a very different opportunity. A strong performance over the complete event would allow Moore to convert the pace shown in Lesotho into a much stronger overall result.
Why Sea to Sky Could Change the Championship Picture
Sea to Sky takes the championship from the high-altitude, multi-day challenge of Lesotho to a completely different style of hard enduro in Kemer, Türkiye.
The event is scheduled for October 8-10, with the FIM listing it as Round 7 of the 2026 World Championship. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
The event is famous for its progression from the coast towards the mountains, culminating in the demanding Mountain Race. The 2026 event is set to take place in Kemer, Antalya, with the final mountain challenge heading towards Tahtalı at an altitude of around 2,365 metres. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
That change of environment is important.
The Roof of Africa rewards riders capable of surviving a long and physically demanding three-day event, while Sea to Sky places a different emphasis on technical ability, climbing, line choice, endurance and the ability to deal with rapidly changing terrain.
For the championship contenders, that means the Roof of Africa results cannot simply be carried over to Turkey as a prediction of what will happen next.
Instead, the biggest question is whether the riders who showed the strongest overall consistency in Lesotho can maintain that form when the championship moves to a very different type of hard enduro.
The Championship Fight Moves to Turkey
There are now only two rounds remaining on the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship calendar after the Roof of Africa: Sea to Sky in Turkey and the 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro in Spain. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
That gives the final two events enormous importance.
Kabakchiev leaves Lesotho with the confidence of an overall victory, while Lettenbichler and Young demonstrated just how close the leading group remains. Moore, meanwhile, has shown the outright pace to win stages and will be looking to turn that speed into a complete overall result in Turkey.
The Roof of Africa has therefore done more than produce another race winner. It has set up an intriguing final phase of the championship, with the next round taking the riders from the mountains of Lesotho to the coastline and steep mountain terrain of Kemer.
Roof of Africa 2026 Day 3: Gold Top 10
- James Moore – 3:39:25.8
- Teodor Kabakchiev – 3:44:37.0
- Manuel Lettenbichler – 3:46:03.1
- Wade Young – 3:46:41.5
- Ashton Brightmore – 4:00:34.4
- Mitch Brightmore – 4:06:28.9
- Thomas Scales – 4:10:05.9
- Matthew Green – 4:14:15.3
- Matt Stevens – 4:15:47.2
- Kyle Flanagan – 4:16:45.3
Roof of Africa 2026 Overall Classification
- Teodor Kabakchiev – 9:59:46.2
- Manuel Lettenbichler – 10:02:33.1
- Wade Young – 10:02:33.2
- Matthew Green – 10:34:12.9
- James Moore – 10:37:57.7
- Thomas Scales – 10:54:48.2
- Luke John Walker – 10:55:15.7
- Kyle Flanagan – 10:56:21.6
- Ashton Brightmore – 10:58:39.8
- Mitch Brightmore – 11:04:08.2