After an intense day of racing across three action-packed knockout-style races, Manuel Lettenbichler has been crowned Red Bull TKO champion at round five of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in Tennessee, USA.
Lettenbichler topped the timesheets in the third and final race ahead of Trystan Hart in second and Wade Young in third to extend his overall championship lead to nine points.
Kicking off the action on Sunday morning, Knockout Race #1 saw riders take on the long course at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie for the first time, with the top 30 finishers advancing to Knockout Race #2. Making his intentions clear from the off, Mani Lettenbichler claimed victory in the opening race and secured his spot in Knockout Race #2. However, Sherco Factory Racing’s Teodor Kabakchiev didn’t make it easy for the reigning world champion and fought for the win the entire race, ultimately finishing just four hundredths of a second behind Lettenbichler. In third was 2022 Red Bull TKO winner Trystan Hart, who used his experience to his advantage.
Narrowed down to the 30 fastest riders, Knockout Race #2 saw competitors set off onto the long course for the second time on Sunday in five groups of five or six, with the top four in each advancing to the third and final knockout race. It was Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev who topped the timesheets both overall and in his group, with Ryder LeBlond in second. Despite going fastest in his group, Mani Lettenbichler was forced to settle for third overall in Knockout Race #2, safe in the knowledge that the third and final race was the most important.
The final knockout race provided no shortage of exciting competition, with the fastest 20 riders tackling the pro short course in a 35-minute-plus-one-lap final race. With the 2024 Red Bull TKO crown on the line, Trystan Hart led from the start with every intention to add another TKO victory to his collection. Teammate Lettenbichler had other ideas though, claiming the lead on lap two and maintaining it until a costly mistake on a Hillclimb with just two laps to go allowed the Canadian to overtake him. The pair battled wheel-to-wheel until Mani regained the top spot on the final lap and managed to pull a five-second lead on his teammate to claim the victory in Tennessee.
“I had a great battle with Trystan today, he was riding unbelievably well!” Lettenbichler said. “I was struggling a little bit as I was sick last week, so at some points I found it hard to get the speed up and stay at the super-high intensity needed for this race. It wasn’t easy, especially as I’m not used to this kind of heat, but we made it. I used my head to pick some fast lines which saved me some energy, and I made some good overtakes. I’m stoked to take the win here for the second time.”
Trystan Hart was satisfied with second but admitted to being a little off the pace.
“The race win was my goal today, but Mani is such a great rider that to beat him, you have to be on point all the time,” Hart said. “I was just a little bit off the pace today and I struggled with arm pump near the start of the day which didn’t help. In the last race, everything was almost perfect. I got the holeshot, and passed Mani multiple times but unfortunately, I was the last one of the two of us to make a mistake on the hill which just allowed him to get past. I’ll be back for more next year to get my fourth TKO win!”
Third overall was Wade Young, who finished just over a minute behind the leading duo. As the second-fastest HEWC rider, the South African claimed 17 valuable championship points.
“This race was so fun, super intense as always but I paced myself and found a good rhythm,” Young said. “I made a few mistakes in the beginning but as soon as I got going and started catching people, it really motivated me. It’s my second podium here and I always enjoy coming. A huge thanks to GASGAS USA for the support out here!”
Finishing fourth overall in Knockout Race #3, Teodor Kabakchiev rounded out the HEWC podium in third. In what has been a standout performance over the entire weekend, British youngster Ashton Brightmore put in an excellent ride to claim fifth overall.
Making it four wins from five starts in 2024 after being forced to miss round three due to injury, Lettenbichler extends his championship lead to nine points over second-placed Wade Young. The battle for third place is equally as exciting, with just two points separating Mario Roman and Teodor Kabakchiev who lie in third and fourth, respectively. With two rounds left to contest, it is still all to play for in the 2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.
The 2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with round six in Turkey for Sea to Sky on October 10-12.
Provisional Results: FIM HEWC Round Five, Red Bull TKO
Final Knockout Race
1 Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 47:53.39
2 Trystan Hart (KTM) 47:58.52
3 Wade Young (GASGAS) 49:21.45
4 Teodor Kabakchiev (Sherco) 50:17.17
5 Ashton Brightmore (Husqvarna) 50:51.07
Provisional Championship Standings (After round five)
FIM HEWC
1 Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 90 Points
2 Wade Young (GASGAS) 81 Points
3 Mario Roman (Sherco) 74 Points
4 Teodor Kabakchiev (Sherco) 72 Points
5 Mitch Brightmore (Husqvarna) 60 Points
