Lettenbichler
Tops Extreme
XL Lagares
Hard Enduro
M
anuel Lettenbichler, of the
Red Bull KTM Factory Rac-
ing Team, dominated the second
round of the 2026 FIM Hard
Enduro World Championship,
winning at Extreme XL Lagares
in Portugal and earning full
points for all three days.
Lettenbichler set the tone
early with a commanding win
in Friday's Endurocode Stage,
finishing the demanding 37-mile
course more than three minutes
ahead of his nearest rival.
Carrying that form into Satur
-
day's Extreme Penafiel race, Mani
proved untouchable again, mas-
tering the 75-mile route to grab
another decisive victory, this time
by more than eight minutes.
Sunday's Extreme XL Lagares
main race provided a much
closer contest, with a fierce
battle at the front throughout the
two-hour-plus-one-lap format.
Despite the intensity and pres-
sure, Lettenbichler maintained
his composure and delivered
when it mattered most, edging
out his closest challenger, Great
Britain's Mitch Brightmore, by
just under eight seconds at the
finish line. The result solidified a
clean sweep of wins across the
weekend and a maximum points
haul for the German.
Bulgaria's Teodor Kabakchiev
finished off the podium for Sher
-
co, just seven seconds behind
the GasGas rider Brightmore.
Spain's Mario Roman
(Husqvarna) and Great Britain's
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) completed
the top five overall.
With his dominant perfor-
mance in Portugal, Lettenbichler
now leads the championship
standings after two rounds,
holding a 15-point advantage as
he continues his bid for a fifth
consecutive World title.
"Full house this weekend, we'll
definitely take that," said Letten-
bichler. "To win all three days and
come away with maximum points
is exactly what we were aiming
for, and I'm very happy with how
everything came together here in
Portugal. I felt good on the bike
from the start and was able to ride
consistently across all the differ
-
ent stages, which was key with
how tough and varied the terrain
was. The main race was super in-
tense, especially towards the end,
but I stayed focused and pushed
right to the finish. Overall, I'm
really stoked with my riding this
weekend, and it's a great feeling to
take over the championship lead."
The series resumes with
round three at Silver Kings Hard
Enduro in the United States on
June 18-20, where Mani will look
to continue his winning form.
CN
OVERALL (Top 5)
1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 2:24:05
2. Mitch Brightmore (GG) +7.9
3. Teodor Kabakchiev (She) +4:27.2
4. Mario Roman (Hus) +5:19.4
5. Billy Bolt (Hus) +5:41.9
WIND
IN THE
P52
Manuel Lettenbichler was
unbeatable at the Extreme
XL Lagares in Portugal,
which was round two of
the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro
World Championship.
PHOTO: FUTURE7MEDIA
