The fifth round of the SuperEnduro World Championship saw the presence of 17,000 people at the MVM Dome in Budapest, who witnessed another great performance by Billy Bolt, who emerged as the winner once again. It was a day with some surprises, and Diogo Vieira shone by finishing on the podium.
In the first race, Bolt (Husqvarna) finished first, followed by Walker (Beta), while the Portuguese star Diogo Vieira (GASGAS) came in third, beating Mitchell Brightmore (GASGAS) and Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM).
In the second race, Bolt was once again the winner, with Vieira finishing in second place, while Brightmore made it to the podium, with Lettenbichler in fourth and Walker in fifth.
As they say, “third time’s a charm,” Bolt won again, with Walker coming in second, and Lettenbichler achieving his first podium finish. Brightmore was fourth, with Eddie Karlsson (Husqvarna) in fifth.
In terms of the overall championship standings, Bolt leads with 301 points, 33 more than Walker. Lettenbichler is third with 193.
Stay tuned for a general overview of how the action unfolded:
There were many twists and turns, and surprises kept coming. The first shake-up of the night occurred during the SuperPole, when Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) was once again beaten by Jonny Walker (Beta). The Beta rider was ahead of his compatriot by only two hundredths of a second, but that gave him the advantage for the races.
However, as all SuperEnduro fans know, Bolt can never be ruled out. Indeed, in the beginning of Race 1, Bolt was quick off the start and secured his first holeshot of the night. Walker got stuck among other riders and lost some positions to his main rival. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) also had a good start and momentarily held second place behind Bolt, until Walker fought to take the position. The German rider then suffered his first crash of the night while trying to chase down the two riders ahead, which opened the door for Diogo Vieira (GASGAS), and the Portuguese rider had a great night, moving up to a strong third place in the race and never looking back. Up front, Billy Bolt seemed to be on his way to a trouble-free race until the finish line, but there was a big drama reserved for the championship leader…
As the British rider was closing in on Lettenbichler, the KTM rider dropped his bike in the matrix. The three-time World Champion had no choice but to spectacularly jump over the German and his machine – providing one of the most dramatic images of the 2024 season! The Husqvarna factory rider was startled as he crashed heavily on his already injured left leg, but both riders returned to the race. Despite the pain, Bolt won Race 1 ahead of Walker and Vieira.
In the last race of the night, Billy Bolt confirmed that his big crash and long-standing injury would not stop him. This time, it was a rejuvenated Jonny Walker who made the holeshot ahead of his compatriot and Lettenbichler.
For Diogo Vieira, the final assault of the night was disastrous, as the Portuguese rider crashed in the first meters of the race, and again in the matrix while trying to recover. But with the idea of a first podium in mind, he launched an incredible comeback. Starting from last place, he patiently overtook his opponents, one by one, and climbed up to a respectable sixth place. A position sufficient to secure his first podium in the World Championship.
The last race was slightly less eventful than the previous two, as Bolt secured another victory ahead of Walker and Lettenbichler. It is the fifth win in five Grand Prix for the three-time world champion, who now has one hand on the title. The Husqvarna rider celebrated on the overall podium with Jonny Walker and an ecstatic Diogo Vieira.
Prestige Overall
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 62 points
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 48 pts
3. Diogo Vieira (POR), GASGAS, 42 pts
4. Mitchell Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS, 41 pts
5. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 40 pts
Prestige Race 1
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 12 laps, 7:17.091
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 12 laps, 7:29.898
3. Diogo Vieira (POR), GASGAS, 12 laps, 7:43.224
4. Mitchell Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS, 12 laps, 7:55.692
5. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 11 laps, 7:20.187
Prestige Race 2
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 6:35.545
2. Diogo Vieira (POR), GASGAS, 11 laps, 6:55.507
3. Mitchell Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS, 11 laps, 6:58.254
4. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 10 laps, 6:39.761
5. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 10 laps, 6:47.852
Prestige Race 3
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 12 laps, 6:55.701
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 12 laps, 7:08.635
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 12 laps, 7:12.845
4. Mitchell Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS, 11 laps, 6:52.802
5. Eddie Karlsson (SWE), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 6:58.692
Championship Standings (After Round 5)
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 301 points
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 268 pts
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 193 pts
4. Will Hoare (GBR), Rieju, 171 pts
5. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 157 pts
