Lettenbichler lands fifth HEWC title
By Team TMX on 27th Oct 25
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler clinched his fifth FIM Hard Enduro World Championship crown in front of a wild home crowd at GetzenRodeo in Germany – and did it in emphatic style. The 27-year-old was untouchable on his KTM 300 EXC, taking the win by a country mile and wrapping up the title with a round still to go.
The two-day GetzenRodeo festival of mud and madness kicked off on Friday with the traditional Prologue, where Mani laid down the third-fastest time – just seven seconds off the win – to bag a prime start slot for Saturday’s main show.
When the real racing got underway on Saturday morning, the reigning champ wasted no time stamping his authority on home soil. In the GetzenRace qualifier, he cleared off at the front, building a monstrous lead to win by over four minutes, banking a few handy championship points along the way.
By the time the big one rolled around – the GetzenChamp – the atmosphere was electric, the crowd rammed, and the local hero had only one thing on his mind. Mani blasted off the line, grabbed the holeshot, and from there it was pure domination. Lap after lap, he kept the hammer down, eventually lapping most of the field and finishing 12 minutes clear of the next best.
That’s not just a win – that’s a statement.
The victory rounds off another incredible season for the German ace, who’s barely put a wheel wrong all year. Wins at The Valleys, Silver Kings and Sea to Sky, plus podiums at Abestone and Hixpania, mean he’s been the benchmark all season.
With five world titles now to his name – and four of them consecutive – Lettenbichler is firmly in Hard Enduro’s hall of fame. But there’s still one race left on the calendar: the legendary Roof of Africa in Lesotho (November 20-22), where the newly crowned champ will look to put the cherry on top of another unforgettable year.
“So that’s GetzenRodeo done and what a crazy day it’s been,” enthused Lettenbichler. “In the quali race this morning I had a really good pace and I was pushing a lot, so I managed to just keep building on my lead to win that with over four minutes to spare which was really cool.
“The main race was go-time for me. I really wanted to win it in front of my home crowd, and I honestly wasn’t even thinking about the championship at all. It’s so special to win the championship here at Getzen, the crowd was insane and I’m honestly speechless at how motivating they were.
“I felt like I was at my best today, and it paid off. I’m really proud of the whole Red Bull KTM team, they have worked so hard all year so to clinch the title with one round to spare is incredible. I can’t believe we have done this for four years in a row now!”
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