In the Alestrem main event, Lettenbichler immediately established himself at the front of the field, moving into second place on lap one before taking control of the race on lap two. Settling into a strong rhythm, the German looked in command at the head of the field as he built a gap at the front. However, with conditions deteriorating rapidly following torrential rain, the race was shortened by one lap. Despite the challenging and unpredictable terrain in the closing stages, Mani managed the situation effectively to bring his KTM 300 EXC home in first place, securing a hard-fought opening victory of the season.
Following round one, Lettenbichler lies second in the championship standings, just one point behind first place in a tightly contested start to the season. The series now heads to Portugal for round two, Extreme Lagares, on May 1–3, where Mani will look to carry his early momentum forward.
Manuel Lettenbichler: “It’s a great way to start the season with the win at Alestrem. It was a really tough weekend with a lot of different conditions, and everything kept changing, especially in the main race after the rain came in. I felt good from the start and was able to control the race early on, but once the conditions got worse it became really tricky and you had to stay focused every single meter. In the end, I’m happy with how I managed everything, and it’s always nice to leave the first round with the win and good points for the championship. It’s just the beginning, but this is exactly the kind of start we wanted.”
1. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 3:40:50
2. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 3:41:38 +0:48
3. Teodor Kabakchiev (BUL), Sherco, 3:58:43 +6:49
4. Mario Roman (ESP), Husqvarna, 3:56:30 +4:36
5. Wade Young (RSA), KTM, 4:03:12 +11:18
Provisional Standings – 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship (after 1 of 9 rounds)
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 29 pts
2. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 28 pts
3. Teodor Kabakchiev (BUL), Sherco, 22 pts
4. Mitch Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS, 20 pts
5. Ashton Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS, 17 pts
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