The final round of the 2024 Hard Enduro World Championship culminated in an impressive victory for Billy Bolt and Manuel Lettenbichler’s fourth world title, in a race marked by challenging weather conditions in Aguilar de Campoo, Spain.
Bolt returns in style
In his second event after recovering from injury, Billy Bolt dominated the main event “El Camino Perdido” with an extraordinary performance. Although the rain made the course particularly treacherous, the Husqvarna rider proved to be back in top form, setting an overwhelming pace from the first laps of the sprint circuit.
With a multi-lap format that favors his riding style, Bolt managed to build up a significant lead by his fifth lap. In the final section of the quarry, he crossed the finish line with a comfortable seven-minute margin over Mario Roman, who finished in second place.
Lettenbichler: A title won at a cost
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler came into the final race of the championship with a 17-point lead and only needed to manage his position to secure the title. After a fourth place in qualifying, the 26-year-old German tackled the main event with determination, quickly rising to second position.
However, a crash in the middle of the race resulted in an ankle injury, forcing him to give up a position. Despite his injury, Lettenbichler showed his resilience by holding on to third place until the end of the two-and-a-half-hour race, thus securing his sixth podium of the season and, more importantly, the world title.
A dominant season
The 2024 season was a remarkable one for Lettenbichler, who started the year with victories in the Valleys Hard Enduro and the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo. After being forced to miss the Xross Hard Enduro Rally in Serbia due to a knee injury, the KTM rider made an impressive recovery, winning rounds four, five and six of the championship.
The podium in Hixpania, despite his injury, was the crowning glory of a season that demonstrated not only Lettenbichler’s exceptional talent, but also his determination and ability to overcome adversity, characteristics that have made him a worthy four-time Hard Enduro world champion.