Mani Lettenbichler lays down the law at Abestone
By Team TMX on 7th Sep 26
Manuel Lettenbichler is turning the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship into a very familiar-looking affair.
The reigning champion put another sizeable dent in the opposition at Italy's Abestone Hard Enduro, sweeping every available championship point before disappearing into the distance in Sunday's Main Race to win by a staggering six minutes.
Aboard his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 300 EXC, Lettenbichler was untouchable all weekend.
He started Saturday by topping the Prologue to bank three championship points before carrying the same momentum into the one-hour Sprint Race. From the moment the Gold-class race started, Mani was at the front and that's where he stayed, taking another 10 points and completing a perfect Saturday.
That meant the German headed into Sunday's two-hour Gold Final with maximum points already in the bag – and he wasn't about to start handing any back.
Starting from the sharp end, Lettenbichler immediately established control and quickly began to stretch the gap. Lap after lap, the reigning champion piled on the pressure as the Italian terrain took its toll on the chasing pack.
By the chequered flag, there was six minutes between Lettenbichler and his nearest challenger.
It was his fourth HEWC victory of the season, and more importantly, it extends his championship advantage to 24 points with three rounds remaining.
Not even a late wobble could derail him.
“I had a small crash in the river towards the end when I was pushing a little too hard and trying to extend the gap to Mitch [Brightmore], but thankfully it didn’t cost us,” admitted Lettenbichler.
For a rider who had already banked every available point on Saturday, the sensible option would perhaps have been to manage the advantage.
But sensible isn't really Mani's style.
The German instead kept pushing until the finish, leaving Abestone with another victory, another maximum haul and another warning to his rivals.
He was also full of praise for the Italian crowd, who turned out in force to line the notoriously brutal course.
“What a great championship round,” he said. “The crowd here in Italy was amazing, and it felt like there were even more people than last year. It’s really cool to see the sport continuing to grow in Italy and internationally.
“The event and the track were both great, and the track was actually really raceable, which made for an intense but enjoyable race. It was tough on the body, but I think we managed the weekend really well.
“It’s pretty insane to take another win here, especially with such a strong gap at the finish.”
Next stop is Lesotho for the legendary Roof of Africa, where Lettenbichler will arrive with a 24-point championship cushion and three rounds still standing between him and another HEWC crown.
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