Lettenbichler Dominates GetzenRodeo to Secure Fifth Hard Enduro World Championship
Red Bull KTM factory rider Manuel Lettenbichler won the GetzenRodeo in Grießbach, Saxony, successfully defending his title in the Hard Enduro World Championship with one event to go.
Manuel Lettenbichler never left any doubt about his victory in front of his home crowd, both in the GetzenRace qualifying race on Saturday morning and in the GetzenChamp main race in the afternoon. Young German talent Felix Bähker (Beta) from Baden-Württemberg, with another very convincing performance in the iconic Saxon race, secured the runner-up title in the Junior World Championship behind South African James Moore (KTM).
The prologue on Friday determined the starting order for the GetzenRace on Saturday morning. The top three finishers also received prize money. The winner was then determined in the GetzenChamp on Saturday afternoon.
The rule is: unless something extraordinary happens, Billy Bolt wins the prologue. This was also the case at the GetzenRodeo, where the British SuperEnduro giant shone on his Husqvarna on Friday in front of the traditionally large and enthusiastic crowd in Saxony. Rain in the preceding days had softened the ground considerably, but Bolt held his own even in these conditions, winning ahead of fellow countryman Mitch Brightmore (GASGAS) and Bavarian Manuel Lettenbichler on his Red Bull KTM. Due to the muddy and dangerous conditions, the World Championship points for the prologue were awarded not on Friday, but on Saturday morning during the GetzenRace (Prologue 2).
The GetzenRace started at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and the 2.8 km circuit was peppered with sections that were not only technically challenging but also had memorable names: Bacon Rind, Top Heat, Spice Rack, and Hot Pipe – to name just a few. The GetzenRodeo is so popular with spectators not only because of its names but also because the circuit is designed so that all sections can be reached on foot during the race.
Lettenbichler set a breathtaking pace from the start. Like Bolt in SuperEnduro, Mani is virtually untouchable in Hard Enduro, especially in the forest. After one of the two hours of racing in the GetzenRace in the morning, the Bavarian already had a lead of almost five minutes over Brightmore, who could feel the Spaniard Mario Roman (Sherco) breathing down his neck. Roman overtook Brightmore in the second half of the race, confirming his solid form. After 11 laps, Lettenbichler took a comfortable victory, almost four and a half minutes ahead of Roman and a good eight minutes ahead of Brightmore. This secured him three World Championship points, Roman received two, and Brightmore one. Billy Bolt got stuck on a climb right after the start, dropped back to 14th place, and was unable to gain much ground over the remainder of the race.
The 20 fastest riders from the GetzenRodeo competed in the afternoon on the same course, but ridden in the opposite direction. Besides the change of direction, the X-Loop was another difference from the morning. This additional section had to be completed once by each rider, with the riders free to choose which lap. And once again, Lettenbichler piloted his KTM like a world champion over the technically demanding sections, pulling away from the start and finishing with a lead of almost 13 minutes over Roman. Only the southern German and Roman completed eight laps; Bolt had already completed one less.
According to the provisional World Championship standings after the sixth of seven races, Lettenbichler is 43 points ahead of Bolt. Since the Roof of Africa in Lesotho is a multi-stage event, a maximum of 43 points can be earned there. Even if Bolt manages to win, Lettenbichler would still be able to secure the title with more wins. The KTM star thus clinched his fifth World Championship title, his fourth in a row!
In the Junior classification, Felix Bähker (Beta) from veteran Alfredo Gomez’s team engaged in a fierce battle with South African James Moore (KTM). Moore had accumulated sufficient points before the final race of the Junior World Championship at the GetzenRodeo and finished the event ahead of Bähker with a win, preventing the young German from overtaking him.
Manuel Lettenbichler: “I’m speechless! The crowd at our home race is the best. All the other riders here will confirm that! Now we’ve already secured the world championship title — that’s amazing. Today we’re going to have a beer; we deserve it!”
Mario Roman: “I’m very happy, thanks to my team and especially the spectators in Germany. This is such a good event, and I’m proud to be on the podium at the GetzenRodeo for the fourth time. It’s very special, and it wasn’t an easy course again — certainly one of the most difficult all year. You can’t make any mistakes. Congratulations to Mani; he flew. I tried everything, but he was too fast.”
Billy Bolt: “That wasn’t my best race, and I had some issues, which I was able to mitigate in the second run, but not enough. I congratulate the two riders in front of me and Mani, who won the world title again at the GetzenRodeo. The atmosphere here is unique — the fans can follow everything, and it’s a great race. I hope we can continue to develop the sport in the direction that the GetzenRodeo continues to demonstrate. Kudos to the organizers for putting on an exemplary race.”
Results – Hard Enduro World Championship GetzenRodeo (Germany):
- Manuel Lettenbichler (D, KTM), 1:38.23 h
- Mario Roman (E, Sherco), +12:48.485 min
- Billy Bolt (GB, Husqvarna), +1 lap
- Mitch Brightmore (GB, GASGAS), +1 lap
- Matthew Green (ZA, KTM), +2 laps
- Teo Kabakchiev (BG, Sherco), +2 laps
- Alfredo Gomez (E, Beta), +2 laps
- Lorenzo Gandola (I, Husqvarna), +2 laps
- James Moore (ZA, KTM), +2 laps
- Wade Young (ZA, GASGAS), +2 laps
Provisional World Championship standings after 6 of 7 races:
- Manuel Lettenbichler (D, KTM), 166 points
- Billy Bolt (GB, Husqvarna), 123
- Mitch Brightmore (GB, GASGAS), 121
- Mario Roman (E, Sherco), 104
- Wade Young (ZA, GASGAS), 98
- Teo Kabakchiev (BG, Sherco), 68
- Matt Green (ZA, KTM), 68
- Alfredo Gomez (E, Beta), 67
- James Moore (ZA, KTM), 56
- Thomas Scales (ZA, Beta), 50