Hard Enduro World Championship, Abestone: Lettenbichler wins prologue and sprint

Nestled in the heart of the Apennines, on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, the Val di Luce is home to the ‘Abestone Hard Enduro’. In winter, the region is a ski resort. Surrounded by mountains, forests, streams and alpine trails, it has become one of the best-known destinations for hard enduro in Italy.

The Hard Enduro World Championship follows a set structure: Prologue, Sprint and Main Event. In Italy, Abestone mastermind Michele Bosi has prepared a track which, in various variations, serves as the basis for all three races. The main difference between the variations is that additional sections are added for the Sprint and Main Event. The Prologue is therefore comparatively fast, the Sprint features some tougher and more technically demanding sections, whilst the Main Event offers the highest level of difficulty.

Lettenbichler shines in Italy

KTM superstar Manuel Lettenbichler won both the Prologue – by the narrowest of margins, less than a second ahead of Billy Bolt – and the Sprint race, thereby securing the maximum possible number of World Championship points: three for victory in the Prologue and ten for the Sprint race. The Brightmore brothers, Mitch and Ashton, from the X-Grip GASGAS Racing Team led by Benjamin Diesel, once again put in an impressive performance in Italy. With the points from the prologue and sprint, 20-year-old Ashton Brightmore has now overtaken Bulgaria’s Teo Kabakchiev (Sherco) in the overall Hard Enduro World Championship standings and sits in third place behind his brother Mitch.

SuperEnduro dominator Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) was initially among the frontrunners in the sprint race, but may have sustained an injury as the race progressed and was clearly unable to give 100 per cent. In the end, the giant from England could only manage seventh place. Bolt had only recently returned to racing after a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to injury.

Confusing rule regarding race duration

Confusion arose from the combination of a long lap time and a specific rule: the race lasted one hour plus one lap, but no longer than one and a half hours – a problematic situation when the lap time is correspondingly long. Although James, Mitch and Ashton crossed the finish line, the result was determined by the last checkpoint they had passed before the 90 minutes were up. This is why the result seemed confusing at first and was difficult to understand without precise knowledge of the specific rule.

In Sunday’s Main Event, Lettenbichler is expected to set the standard once again. Provided he avoids a crash or technical fault, he stands a very good chance of securing a further 20 points and thus taking home the maximum possible haul of 33 World Championship points from Italy. With Bolt struggling, it currently seems that only his compatriot Mitch Brightmore poses a serious threat to the serial winner from Kiefersfelden in Bavaria.

Manuel Lettenbichler: “Today’s sprint race was quite exhausting. The start was a bit hectic; I was in third place and then made a blocking manoeuvre on Mitch before the waterfall, because I knew Billy would be riding aggressively. I’m very happy with the win and surprised that the gap to second place is so big. I managed to build up this lead in the Minestrone section.”

Prologue results, Abestone (Top 10):

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (Germany, KTM), 6:59.14 mins

2. Billy Bolt (GB, Husqvarna), +0.79 s

3. James Moore (ZA, Beta), +5.08 s

4. Mitch Brightmore (GB, GASGAS), +5.23 s

5. Ashton Brightmore (GB, GASGAS), +8.51 s

6. Teodor Kabakchiev (BG, Sherco), +10.01 s

7. Lorenzo Gandola (I, Sherco), +15.38 s

8. Thomas Scales (ZA, Beta), +16.54 s

9. Eddie Karlsson (Sweden, Stark), +18.09 s

10. Robert Crayston (GB, KTM), +23.00 s

Abestone results, Sprint (Top 10):

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (Germany, KTM), 1:25:02 h

2. James Moore (ZA, Beta), +1 CP

3. Ashton Brightmore (GB, GASGAS), +2 CP

4. Mitch Brightmore (GB, GASGAS), +2 CP

5. Eddie Karlsson (S, Stark), +2 CP

6. Teodor Kabakchiev (BG, Sherco), +2 CP

7. Billy Bolt (GB, Husqvarna), +2 CP

8. Mario Román (E, Husqvarna), +3 CP

9. Lorenzo Gandola (I, Sherco), +3 CP

10. Thomas Scales (ZA, Beta), +3 CP