Lettenbichler wins Alestrem Hard Enduro as Bolt leaves France leading HEWC

2026 Hard Enduro World Championship Round One

24MX Alestrem Hard Enduro Results

The 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship got underway in France with a dramatic opening round at 24MX Alestrem, where Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler took the overall win, but Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt left Alès with the early championship lead.

Set against the iconic backdrop of the Pôle Mécanique Alès Cévenne, this year’s April running of Alestrem brought a different complexion to the famous event. The terrain initially offered drier conditions and more grip than the colder winter editions traditionally associated with the race, but that changed as the weekend unfolded and the main event was hit by worsening weather.

Billy Bolt – It started out dry and dusty, but Sunday brought the rain

Lettenbichler ultimately finished 48 seconds clear of Bolt after officials cut the main event short and called the results at the end of lap two.

The muddy run to the finish line on Sunday

Sherco’s Teodor Kabakchiev completed the podium. Husqvarna’s Mario Román was fourth, while KTM-mounted Wade Young completed the top five.

Lettenbichler gets the win, Bolt takes the points lead

Lettenbichler was strong throughout the weekend. The reigning champion topped Friday’s Xtrem Test to get his campaign off to a fast start, then backed it up with another solid showing in Saturday’s Minerva Prologue before delivering in the main event.

Lettenbichler won the Xtrem Test ahead of Bolt and Mitch Brightmore

In Sunday’s feature race, the German quickly established himself near the front, moved into the lead on lap two and looked to have the race under control as conditions became increasingly difficult.

When torrential rain hit and the course rapidly deteriorated, Bolt worked hard to close the gap to Mani and was reeling the German in, but ultimately, the race was shortened by one lap, giving Lettenbichler a hard-earned opening victory.

Bolt, meanwhile, had put together an equally impressive weekend. After finishing a fraction off the top in Friday’s Xtrem Test, the British rider dominated Saturday’s Minerva Prologue to secure maximum points from that segment and the best possible starting position for the main race.

Billy Bolt won the prologue in an all Brit podium that included the Brightmore brothers

His Sunday, however, was more complicated.

Bolt admitted he did not feel completely comfortable with the pace on the opening lap, while Lettenbichler settled quickly into a strong rhythm at the front. But once the rain arrived and conditions became more technical and slippery, Bolt began to come on strongly and closed back onto the German late in the race.

Manuel Lettenbichler opened his 2026 HEWC campaign with victory at 24MX Alestrem in France.

That late charge is what gives the result an extra layer.

Bolt said the worsening conditions actually suited him better, allowing him to focus on riding clean and building rhythm, and he felt there was still more to come as he chased Lettenbichler down. But with the race shortened by one lap, that final opportunity disappeared, leaving him second overall rather than with a chance to attack for the win.

The result still worked well for Bolt in the title race. Thanks to his prologue victory and runner-up finish in the main event, he leaves France with 29 points and a one-point lead over Lettenbichler, who sits on 28.

Kabakchiev on the podium, Román and Young close behind

Teodor Kabakchiev opened his 2026 campaign with a strong podium finish in third for Sherco, the Bulgarian continuing to establish himself as one of the championship’s genuine front-runners.

Mario Román followed in fourth for Husqvarna, only 19 seconds further back, while Wade Young rounded out the top five on his KTM.

The Brightmore brothers also made a solid start to their campaigns, with Mitch Brightmore taking sixth and Ashton Brightmore seventh for GASGAS. South African KTM rider Matthew Green was eighth.

Electric bikes make their mark

Electric machinery also had a notable weekend in France, with Stark riders Toby Martyn and Eddie Karlsson finishing ninth and 10th respectively to put two electric bikes inside the top 10 at the opening round of the championship. Graham Jarvis also brought his Jarv-E machine home 26th, giving the Alestrem opener an interesting electric subplot. They were not a factor in the battle for victory, but two Stark top-10 finishes at one of hard enduro’s toughest events was still a significant result.

Bolt leads after round one

So while Lettenbichler won the race, Bolt emerged from France leading the points.

Billy Bolt

“It was a pretty chaotic race and not an easy one to manage. I didn’t feel completely comfortable with the pace on the first lap, and Mani was riding really well, so I had to work hard to stay in the fight. Once the rain came, it changed everything. It made the track a lot more technical and slippery, which suited me better and allowed me to focus on riding clean and finding a good rhythm. On the final lap, I was pushing to get back to the front and felt like there was still more to come, but with the race being shortened, that opportunity was taken away a bit. Still, second place and the prologue win means we leave here leading the championship, which is a solid way to start the season. The atmosphere was incredible all weekend. The fans in France were amazing, and you could feel the energy the whole way around the course. It’s been a tough race, but a good one to build from heading into the next round.”

Billy Bolt finished second at Alestrem but left the opener leading the championship standings.

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.”

Manuel Lettenbichler

Kabakchiev sits third in the standings on 22, with Mitch Brightmore fourth on 20 and Ashton Brightmore fifth on 17.

Next stop: Lagares

The series now moves on to Extreme XL Lagares on May 1-3, with round one having already delivered the sort of shifting conditions, physical punishment and tactical complexity that defines hard enduro at world championship level.  The 2026 HEWC calendar spans nine rounds across Europe, North America and Africa.

Mani Lettenbichler and Billy Bolt have proved to be the two dominant Hard Enduro riders in recent years. Bolt traditionally has the upper hand in the more closed-course SuperEnduro events, while Mani has traditionally ruled in the forests and mountains

2026 24MX Alestrem Hard Enduro Results

2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Standings

2026 FIM HEWC Calendar

The 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is set to span nine rounds across Europe, North America and Africa.

• Round 1 – 24MX Alestrem Hard Enduro
  France | April 17-19
• Round 2 – Extreme XL Lagares
  Portugal | May 1-3
• Round 3 – Silver Kings Hard Enduro
  United States (Idaho) | June 18-20
• Round 4 – Abestone Rodeo Miravalle
  Italy | July 10-12
• Round 5 – Forza Orza
  Sweden | August 20-22
• Round 6 – Wildwood, Genoa
  Italy | September 11-13
• Round 7 – Roof of Africa
  Lesotho | September 23-26 (TBC)
• Round 8 – Sea to Sky
  Turkey | October 8-10
• Round 9 – 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro
  Spain | October 23-25