Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler has extended his lead in the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship after securing second overall at the Roof of Africa in Lesotho. Battling across three demanding days in the Maloti Mountains aboard his KTM 300 EXC, Lettenbichler consistently challenged for the overall win and ultimately claimed the runner-up result at the sixth round of the series.
Lettenbichler began the event strongly on Thursday, posting the second-fastest time in the Time Trial. With each rider completing two laps and their fastest lap determining the result, Mani’s effort placed him just 15.74 seconds behind the benchmark time and secured a strong starting position for Friday’s Mountain Race.
Friday’s 110-kilometer Mountain Race saw Lettenbichler remain firmly in the fight at the front. Battling through the demanding Maloti Mountains, he completed the stage in third position, with his combined time from Thursday and Friday placing him third heading into Saturday’s decisive Main Race.
Starting Saturday’s two-lap Main Race with everything still to play for, Lettenbichler delivered a strong ride to finish third on the day. Crucially, he closed the gap to Wade Young by 38.4 seconds during the final stage, securing second overall by just one tenth of a second once the combined times had been calculated.
The result sees Lettenbichler maintain his position at the top of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship standings, with his championship advantage now sitting at 29 points with two rounds remaining. The series next heads to Türkiye for round seven, Sea to Sky, taking place from October 8-10.
Manuel Lettenbichler: “I’m really happy to finish the Roof of Africa with another second overall. The final day was pretty good, it was a bit shorter and more intense, which was actually really cool. There was less navigation and more technical riding, so I could really focus on my riding and felt like I rode pretty well. I started third and was by myself for the whole first lap. I couldn’t catch Wade [Young] and Teo [Kabakchiev], but I was happy with my position. Then James [Moore] caught me because he was on fire today, so we pushed really hard on the second lap and caught Wade. For me, that was perfect because I had less navigation to worry about and could really focus on my riding. It was also a really good day for the championship, so I’m really stoked with the result.”
Provisional Results – 2026 Roof of Africa
1. Teodor Kabakchiev (BUL), Sherco, 9:59:46
2. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 10:02:33.1 +2:46.9
3. Wade Young (RSA), KTM, 10:02:33.2 +2:47
4. Matt Green (RSA), KTM, 10:34:12. +34:26
5. James Moore (RSA), Beta, 10:37:57 +38:11
Provisional Standings – 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship (after 6 of 8 rounds)
1. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 160 pts
2. Mitch Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS, 131 pts
3. Teodor Kabakchiev (BUL), Sherco, 104 pts
4. Ashton Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS, 95 pts
5. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 76 pts