Cycle News Staff | September 12, 2023
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing backed Mani Lettenbichler topped the results of the Red Bull Outliers Hard Enduro in Canada for the second year in a row. The German had to fend off Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Billy Bolt on the final hill climbs to take his fourth FIM Hard Enduro win in four races so far in 2023. Canadian Trystan Hart had to recover from a bad start to fight his way onto the podium.
The weekend kicked off with a prologue event on a manmade course in downtown Calgary on Saturday and the results set the starting order for the Sunday main event. Two exciting qualifying rounds whittled the field down to the top 12 riders for prologue final. Jonny Walker, Bolt, Hart and Lettenbichler took the qualifying race wins. Lettenbichler took the prologue final win over Bolt and Hart.
The Outliers main event takes place in the Alberta, Canada, Badlands and it is known for massive hill climbs and dusty conditions that add to the difficulty if you are forced to follow other riders due to a bad start or when the top riders begin to lap the field during the multi-lap final. After two hours of racing, the “extinction” loop is opened for the pro riders and the riders have 30 minutes to complete this final section before the race is stopped.
Lettenbichler took the lead from the start with Bolt chasing from second position. There was a lot of carnage behind as riders battled to be in the front to avoid dust and get a clear run at the hill climbs. When things settled down, Sherco’s Mario Roman lead the pack chasing Lettenbichler and Bolt. Fellow Sherco rider Wade Young was in fourth place and Hart was keeping the Canadian fans on their feet as he tried to move up from fifth.
Lettenbichler led into the third and final lap with Bolt close behind after recovering from a big mistake that had opened the gap, but Bolt ultimately came up short. Lettenbichler had his own troubles with a big crash just before the finish that bent up his motorcycle but he successfully conquered the challenging final climbs to take the win, 41 seconds ahead of Bolt.
Hart worked his way into third place by the finish, one-minute and 38 seconds behind Lettenbichler. Roman held on for fourth place, seven minutes and 33 seconds behind first with his Sherco teammate four minutes and 14 seconds back.
Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev finished sixth on a KTM. South Africa’s Matthew Green was seventh on another KTM. Will Riordan, the Australian that now lives in the US finished eighth on his RPM KTM. The UK’s Walker finished ninth on a Beta and Austria’s Michael Walkner rounded out the top ten on a GasGas.
Lettenbichler said, “We had to fight hard for this one but we continue the wins with four out of four. Was a tough battle with the boys and I had a huge crash right before the finish and bent my handlebars pretty bad so it wasn’t easy to get it into the finish, but we made it happen.”
Hart was disappointed in his home race result. “Not the result I wanted to get here at my home race, but I have to be happy with a podium,” said Hart. “The prologue didn’t go my way—I made a few too many mistakes there, and today was the same. I got caught up in the mayhem early on and was chasing the whole way after that and it really took everything out of me. It’s great to get onto the podium in front of all my home fans, I just wish it was a couple of steps higher.”
Lettenbichler expanded his FIM Hard Enduro World championship points lead while Bolt overtook Hart for second only by one point. Two rounds remain in the championship with the Hixpania Hard Enduro in Spain next on the schedule, October 12-15.CN
Katie Leah-Hall Clinches Women’s Hard Enduro Performance Award
Round four of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Canada’s Red Bull Outliers saw Katie Hall-Leah take home the Women’s Hard Enduro Performance Award supported by GasGas.
Digging deep in the iconic hills of the Canadian Badlands, Katie pushed hard through the searing heat and slippery terrain to end the race as the best-placed female rider on her Sherco.
For Katie the award represents a remarkable three-year dirt bike journey that began in her hometown and evolved onto the Hard Enduro world stage at Red Bull Outliers.
In 2020, she acquired her first trail bike—a TE150—and quickly mastered the basic off-road riding skills. Prior to that she had a 150SX track bike. By 2021, Katie decided to take her passion for dirt biking to the next level and set her sights on racing.
Despite limited years of experience she learned fast and propelled herself forward. However, her journey has not been without setbacks. At the 2022 Red Bull Outliers, Katie suffered a torn ACL during the prologue. Despite the severity of the injury, she chose a path of recovery without surgery, relying on building her muscles to support her knee. Her dedication to rehabilitation paid off and after six months of intense training, Katie was ready to try again.
Returning to the Red Bull Outliers for 2023, she faced her toughest challenge yet. The event’s unique and challenging terrain, with limited traction, pushed her skills to the maximum.
But she wasn’t about to let her hard work go unrewarded and with a lot of determination she battled her way through the race. In recognition of her performance and resilience, Katie Leah-Hall was awarded the Women’s Performance Award at Red Bull Outliers 2023. This accolade holds deep significance for her, symbolizing her journey from injury to triumph.
Looking ahead, Katie has set her sights on participating in the Hard Enduro series in America and possibly exploring the European racing scene. Events like Red Bull Romaniacs are on her bucket list.
The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with round five at Spain’s 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro on October 13-15.
- Mani Lettenbichler (KTM)
- Billy Bolt (Hus)
- Trystan Hart (KTM)
- Mario Roman (She)
- Wade Young (She)
- Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM)
- Matthew Green (KTM)
- Will Riordan (KTM)
- Jonny Walker (Bet)
- Michael Walkner (Gas)