Round one of the 2025 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship sparked into life at the Valleys Hard Enduro in hot, dry, and dusty conditions.
This is a press release/ race recap from KTM…
Red Bull KTM’s Manuel Lettenbichler picked up right where he left off with a commanding win ahead of Billy Bolt and Teo Kabakchiev.
Dry and dusty conditions in Wales still feel surprising, but that’s two years running now where the opening round of the Hard Enduro World Championship has run under a blazing sun. Dust became a defining feature of the weekend, starting with Saturday’s qualification laps on a short course to set Sunday’s grid, followed by a dusty EnduroCross shootout for the top 48 riders.
Elimination heats trimmed the field and established start rows for Sunday’s main race. Despite topping the timing sheets, Billy Bolt—like all others—had to fight through the knockouts to secure a front-row start.
Among the casualties was Mitch Brightmore, who hit the rocks hard during one of the shootout sections. Although he and brother Ashton wowed the crowd with their fearless line choices, Mitch’s chain came off in the crash, dropping him to a fourth-row start.
In the final shootout, a quick getaway proved essential — with the top two spots off the line crucial for visibility and safety. As Mario Roman put it, “It wasn’t worth the risk” to be anywhere else. Lettenbichler and Ash Brightmore nailed the start, ran clear, and finished one-two. Bolt’s hopes took a knock after a clash with Kabakchiev’s handlebars sent him to the ground. “My bottom lip came out,” he admitted after a disappointed 12th-place finish—but he still secured a front-row slot for Sunday.
Race Day: Classic Mani
The main race got underway at midday Sunday, and Lettenbichler repeated his holeshot from Saturday. In his trademark relentless style, he quickly built a lead and, with reduced bottlenecks on course, maintained a blistering pace. By lap two, his advantage was over a minute.
Behind him, Bolt and Kabakchiev resumed their duel, swapping positions several times. Bolt eventually pulled clear, using his technical precision to keep ahead of the taller Sherco rider, who struggled with dust in his vision and line choice.
By laps three and four, tougher alternate lines came into play, but the dry conditions meant the pace stayed high—more sprint than slog. Sandra Gomez flew the flag as the sole female competitor, while the rest of the field dug deep in the worsening terrain.
Had the promised rain arrived, the event could have unfolded very differently. Organizers had to plan for both extremes—a dry sprint or wet chaos.
Wade Young began strong but faded, while Mario Roman gained ground steadily. As the terrain toughened, the Spaniard’s momentum built, and he reeled in the front pack.
Lettenbichler, however, was untouchable. Fast off the line, ruthless through the rock gardens, and fit to the finish, he scaled the final climb alone—a carbon copy of last year’s win and a textbook Mani performance.
Click here for all the latest Hard Enduro Racing news.
