Round two of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship delivered three days of punishing racing at Extreme XL Lagares in Portugal, where Manuel Lettenbichler put on a masterclass performance to claim a clean sweep of victories and seize control of the championship.
The German set the tone from the outset on Friday, dominating the 60-kilometre Endurocross stage to win by more than three minutes and immediately stamp his authority on the weekend. Carrying that momentum into Saturday’s gruelling 120-kilometre Extreme Penafiel race, Lettenbichler once again proved untouchable, stretching his advantage to over eight minutes in what is widely regarded as the most physically demanding part of the event.
By Sunday’s main race, however, the fight tightened. The two-hour-plus-one-lap finale around the unforgiving Lagares terrain produced a far more intense battle at the front, with Lettenbichler pushed all the way to the finish. Despite the pressure, the German remained composed, edging out his closest challenger by just 7.9 seconds to complete a perfect weekend.
“Full house this weekend, we’ll definitely take that,” Lettenbichler said after wrapping up the overall victory. “To win all three days and come away with maximum points is exactly what we were aiming for, and I’m really 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 different stages, which was key with how tough and varied the terrain was. The main race was super intense, 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.”
Pushing Lettenbichler all the way on Sunday was rising British talent Mitch Brightmore, who came within seconds of pulling off a breakthrough win. Brightmore ultimately settled for second overall, just 7.9 seconds adrift after more than two hours of racing.
Teodor Kabakchiev delivered another strong and consistent performance to secure third, finishing over four minutes behind the lead duo but comfortably clear of the rest of the field. The Sherco rider’s result keeps him firmly in the hunt in the early championship standings.
Behind him, Mario Roman claimed fourth for Husqvarna after a solid ride through the demanding conditions. At the same time, teammate Billy Bolt rounded out the top five in what was one of the grittier performances of the weekend.
Arriving in Portugal carrying a hand injury, Bolt faced an uphill battle from the outset. After using Friday’s prologue and SuperEnduro-style racing to settle in, the Brit fought through Saturday’s brutal long-distance race to finish seventh, before digging deep again in Sunday’s shorter main event to climb to fifth overall.
“Coming here to Portugal with a hand injury, I knew this race would be a matter of survival and simply trying to salvage points,” Bolt explained. “I’m pretty made up with fifth place to be honest. Like I said, I genuinely came just to score as many points as I could. Along with taking seventh yesterday, it’s been a job well done for me. The focus now is on healing up and getting healthy.”
With two rounds complete, Lettenbichler’s flawless weekend sees him move to the top of the championship standings on 61 points, opening up a 15-point advantage over Kabakchiev, while Bolt remains third overall despite his injury setback. Brightmore’s runner-up finish elevates him into fourth, just one point behind Bolt, with Roman completing the top five.
The championship now shifts focus to one of the sport’s biggest events, the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo in Austria from June 4–7, before the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship resumes with round three at Silver Kings in the United States later in June.
FIM HEWC Round 2: Extreme XL Lagares
Main Race
1 Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 2:24:05
2 Mitch Brightmore (GASGAS) 2:24:13
3 Teodor Kabakchiev (Sherco) 2:28:32
4 Mario Roman (Husqvarna) 2:29:24
5 Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 2:29:47
FIM HEWC Standings (After round two)
1 Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 61 points
2 Teodor Kabakchiev (Sherco) 46 points
3 Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 44 points
4 Mitch Brightmore (GASGAS) 43 points
5 Mario Roman (Husqvarna) 35 points
