The 24MX Alestrem Hard Enduro near Ales, France kicked off the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship on April 17-19. Three days of competition culminated in the final event on Sunday. Unfortunately, extreme rain on Sunday caused some confusion as marshals re-routed the course midrace. Red Bull KTM’s Mani Lettenbichler was leading the event and did not get clear directions on what to do and continued the course while the riders behind were diverted back to the finish area. Husqvarna’s Billy Bolt was initially declared the winner but after further review, the FIM jury reverted to a prior checkpoint. That resulted in Lettenbichler taking the win. Bolt was credited with second, and Sherco’s Teodor Kabakchiev rounded out the podium.
The three days of competition started on Friday with Lettenbichler taking the top spot ahead of Bolt in the Prologue, which combined two runs on a short off-road loop. The UK’s Mitch Brightmore finished third ahead of Mario Roman and Kabakchiev rounded out the top five. The top three finishers were awarded 3, 2 and 1 points, respectively, toward the championship.
On Saturday, the riders competed in a three-round sprint race, and this time Bolt came out on top. Mitch Brightmore finished second ahead of his younger brother Ashton. Lettenbichler finished fourth, and Kabakchiev rounded out the top five. The top 10 riders were awarded championship points, with the winner earning 10 points.
On the third day of racing on Sunday, the racing format was planned for three loops with increasing difficulty. The riders would have mandatory three-minute pit stops between the loops, and they had up to four hours to complete the three loops and a special finish section. The first two days and Sunday morning featured hot and dusty conditions, but the heavy rain hit during the final race and completely changed conditions.
Lettenbichler took the lead after a Le Mans-style running start to get on their bikes. The KTM rider battled closely with Bolt for the first couple of laps and was leading on the third lap when the course marshal decided to shorten the course.
“It’s a great way to start the season with the win at Alestrem,” Lettenbichler said after the race. “It was a really tough weekend with a lot of different conditions, and everything kept changing, especially in the main race after the rain came in. I felt good from the start and was able to control the race early on, but once the conditions got worse, it became really tricky, and you had to stay focused every single meter. In the end, I’m happy with how I managed everything.”
Due to the points awarded for the Prologue and Sprint races, Bolt holds a one-point lead over Lettenbichler.
“It was a pretty chaotic race and not an easy one to manage,” Bold said. “I didn’t feel completely comfortable with the pace on the first lap, and Mani was riding really well, so I had to work hard to stay in the fight. Once the rain came, it changed everything. It made the track a lot more technical and slippery, which suited me better and allowed me to focus on riding clean and finding a good rhythm. On the final lap, I was pushing to get back to the front and felt like there was still more to come, but with the race being shortened, that opportunity was taken away a bit. Still, second place and the prologue win means we leave here leading the championship, which is a solid way to start the season.”
The next round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship will take place on May 1-3 for the Extreme XL Lagares in Portugal. CN
2026 FIM Hard Enduro Round 1 Results
Overall (Top 10)
- Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM)
- Billy Bolt (Hus)
- Teodor Kabakchiev (She)
- Mario Roman (Hus)
- Wade Young (KTM)
- Mitch Brightmore (GG)
- Ashton Brightmore (GG)
- Mathew Green (KTM)
- Toby Martyn (STK)
- Eddie Karlsson (STK)
