The 2023-2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship got underway in France, November 25, where defending champ Billy Bolt picked up where he left off.
Photos by Future7Media
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna factory rider, Bolt, dominated throughout the event. The Brit topped the Akrapovic SuperPole and then rocketed into the lead at the start of the first of three motos, leaving everyone else to fight for the scraps.
Even the reversed starting grid of the second feature race didn’t seem to faze the Husqvarna rider, as he quickly worked his way to the front and won again.
Race three was all but a formality for Bolt who led the whole way for the race win and overall victory. No one would have noticed, but Bolt said he felt a little rusty at the beginning of the racing.
“I’m happy with my night, but especially with the last race where I picked some good lines and avoided any mistakes,” he said afterward. “I felt like I got better as the night went on, which might be due to the fact we’ve started the SuperEnduro season right after finishing the hard enduro season. It’s a different level of intensity here in the stadiums, so I felt a bit rusty at the start but got into it.”
Beta-mounted Jonny Walker was Bolt’s nearest competitor. The Brit, who just finished the AMA EnduroCross Championship in second place, went 2-2-2 on the night, taking the checkers approximately 20-plus seconds behind Bolt in all three races.
“I’m honestly happy because I had a good gap on third place each time tonight,” Walker said. “I felt like I had good pace and got close to Billy out front a few times, but I always ended up making a few small mistakes. I didn’t feel that ready coming into the weekend, but as soon as I got on track, that changed, and I settled into it. Billy’s riding as well as ever, and he’s solid, but I’m going to try everything to be closer to him. I think the layout and surface might suit me better next time out in Poland.”
Twenty-five-year-old Will Hoare made himself known as a top contender by placing third overall. It was the Beta rider’s first podium on the world stage, and he had to qualify just to get into the evening program, unlike many of the elite racers.
Fourth overall went to Dominik Olszowy on the Rieju and fifth overall went to his Rieju teammate Alfredo Gomez.
FIM Hard Enduro Champion Manuel Lettenbichler (Red Bull KTM) had a quiet night, carding 4-8-5 on the night for sixth overall.CN
2023-2024 FIM SuperEnduro Round 1 Results
OVERALL
- Billy Bolt (Hus)
- Jonny Walker (Bet)
- Will Hoare (Bet)
- Dominik Olszowy (Rie)
- Alfredo Gomez (Rie)
Click here for all the latest Off-Road Racing news.
Click here to read the 2023-2024 FIM SuperEnduro Round 1 story in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
