If Saturday belonged to the next generation, Sunday belonged to the establishment. Manuel Lettenbichler won the Abestone Hard Enduro by more than six minutes to take maximum points from Round 5 of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, and the Val di Luce course delivered exactly the kind of attrition that separates the very best from the rest.
Six Laps, Six Minutes, No Answer
Only five Gold riders completed the full six laps, and Lettenbichler was never troubled at the front of them. The Red Bull KTM rider stopped the clock more than a minute quicker than anyone else managed on their best tour of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.
Mitch Brightmore was the only rider to stay within touching distance, taking second for X-Grip GASGAS. It was a controlled ride from the Brit, who has now finished on the podium at four of the five rounds run so far.
The Battle for the Final Step
The real racing was behind them. Teodor Kabakchiev, James Moore and Mario Román spent the day trading positions for the last place on the box, and it was the Bulgarian who found the extra gear when it counted. Kabakchiev brought his Sherco home third, holding off Moore by more than four and a half minutes on a course that punished every mistake.
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Moore’s fourth place was the standout ride of the Gold Junior contingent, and Román completed the group of six-lap finishers in fifth for MR74 Racing.
A lap down, Lorenzo Gandola led the rest home in sixth ahead of Ashton Brightmore, Thomas Scales, Sonny Goggia and Eddie Karlsson. Billy Bolt finished twelfth — his best lap was the third quickest of the entire Gold class, a reminder that the speed is back even if the race distance is still building.
Juniors: Moore Piles On the Pressure
Moore’s result carried serious weight in the FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Championship. The South African took maximum Junior points at Abestone to move onto 147, closing to within seven points of Ashton Brightmore, who leads on 154. Toby Shaw remains third on 87, with Marc Fernandez Serra, Thomas Scales and Luke John Walker covered by just two points behind him.
Silver and Bronze
Conor Hennessy made it a perfect weekend in Silver, backing up his Qualification win with victory in the final at 1:38:54.3 from Adam Giles and Jamie Rowntree. In Bronze, Daryoush Ghorbani and Franco Schiavi were the only riders to complete six laps, finishing first and second, with Gabriele Frangioni third and Beta Australia’s Ebony Nielsen fourth overall and the leading woman in class.
Three Rounds, One Championship
Lettenbichler leaves Italy on 150 points, 24 clear of Mitch Brightmore on 126. Kabakchiev sits third on 94, just three ahead of Ashton Brightmore, with Bolt, Román, Moore and Karlsson still in range of the top five. With three rounds and 99 points still on the table, the title is far from settled.
Round 6 is the Roof of Africa in Lesotho on 24-26 September, where extreme altitude and the Maloti Mountains historically reshuffle the order. Sea to Sky in Turkey and the 24MX Hixpania finale in Spain follow in October. Full points at the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship standings.
Results
Words by FIM HEWC – Images courtesy of macphtos
