Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler endured a dramatic end to the 2025 Hixpania Hard Enduro in Spain, where a late ruling saw him classified in fourth place despite finishing the demanding two-day race as runner-up on track. Lettenbichler maintains his overall lead in the championship standings with three rounds left to race.
Saturday’s qualifying prologue featured a free practice lap followed by two individual timed runs through a tight and technical course on rocky terrain close to the town of Aguilar de Campoo. Taking time to find the perfect set-up on his KTM 300 EXC, Lettenbichler put in a strong but calculated performance to secure a top-three seeding time heading into the main event.
Sunday’s main race delivered a true test of hard enduro grit with riders facing two hours of punishing terrain, followed by an additional extreme X-Loop and final hill climb showdown for the top 10. However, prior to the start of the race, it was agreed by the riders not to contest the X-Loop on safety grounds, due to overnight rain.
Right from the start, Lettenbichler and Bolt engaged in a gripping battle that saw the pair exchange the lead multiple times throughout the race. Despite not feeling 100 percent, Lettenbichler kept his head down and stayed strong. Taking the fight to Bolt all the way to the end of the multi-lap segment, he completed the two-hour race distance in second.
However, confusion regarding the inclusion of the X-Loop followed after the majority of riders had already completed their race without it, as originally agreed. With two riders deciding to ride it, the final event classification saw Lettenbichler drop from second to fourth. Crucially, both of those riders are not registered in the FIM HEWC championship, therefore the revised result does not affect Lettenbichler’s points haul or series lead.
Manuel Lettenbichler: “The race was pretty good for me. I passed Mitch (Brightmore) early on and then rode together with Billy for the rest of the race. I was out front, then he was out front – I think we swapped positions about 10 times through the race. I think he was stronger for half the course, with me riding a little stronger on the other half. At the end, he was able to open up a bit of a gap and I just didn’t quite have what I needed to challenge for the win. I’ve been feeling a little bit sick all week, so all in all I’m really happy with how I rode. I think me and Billy are riding so well at the moment, there really is very little to separate us. I’ve got a strong position in the championship, so we’ll see what happens in the next few rounds.”
Provisional Results – 2025 Hixpania Hard Enduro
- Graham Jarvis (GBR), KTM, X-Loop
- Sonny Goggia (ITA), Sherco, X-Loop
- Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 2:04:38.62
- Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 2:04:54.32
- Mario Roman (ESP), Sherco, 2:08:24.17
Provisional Standings – 2025 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship (after 4 of 7 rounds)
- Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 107pts
- Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 89pts
- Mitch Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS 73pts
- Wade Young (RSA), GASGAS, 62pts
- Mario Roman (ESP), Sherco, 54pts
Photographer – Future7Media
