Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt has claimed a memorable win at the Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy. Forming round three of the 2025 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, Bolt dominated the two-day event on his TE 300, securing his first victory of the season in style.

From his runner-up result at the prestigious Red Bull Romaniacs to winning the Red Bull Tyne Ride in his hometown of Newcastle, UK, Bolt arrived at the Italian hard enduro in Tuscany brimming with confidence and eager to fight for the top step of the podium.

Across the two days of racing, Billy looked comfortable in the tough mountainous terrain and was determined not to settle for anything less than victory at the third round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.

With the Abestone Hard Enduro kicking things off with a one-hour hard enduro race on Saturday, Billy was immediately at his best. Fast and smooth, he controlled the pace from the off. Racing his way through a course that was filled with rocky river beds, steep slippery climbs, and fast open mountain sections, Billy led the way throughout.

Arriving at the final X-Loop section, he had built up a comfortable lead. Quickly mastering the 500-metre X-Loop, staged within the ski resort town of Abetone, he took the win on Saturday. Securing the three championship points on offer, it also earned him pole position for Sunday’s main event.
With a similar format to Saturday, Sunday’s Gold Class Final would be two hours long before finishing off on the X-Loop once again.

A solid start on his TE 300 saw Billy claim an early lead in the main event. Out front and out of trouble, he set about distancing himself from the rest of the field.

After almost managing to do so, he faced a close head-to-head battle with championship leader Manuel Lettenbichler. With the duo setting a pace no one else could match, they battled back and forth throughout the two hours, arriving wheel-to-wheel at the final X-Loop section.

One last big push from Billy saw him get the better of Lettenbichler at a critical moment inside the X-Loop. Providing him with the breathing room needed, he raced ahead to take a well-deserved victory.

Billy Bolt: “It’s been a great weekend. To win Saturday’s race and now win the main race on Sunday is brilliant. I can’t ask for much better than that. I’m really happy. To be honest, all weekend I never felt overly comfortable with the track. But it is the sort of terrain that tends to push you out of your comfort zone a lot. I worked hard and tried to limit mistakes, which really paid off here. In the main race I was charging the whole time. I was doing what I could to stay in front as much as possible. I’m happy to get the win after an amazing battle with Mani.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler has delivered another exceptional performance in his 2025 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship campaign, finishing as runner-up at the Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy. Racing his KTM 300 EXC, Mani battled through the steep and technical terrain of Tuscany to secure the second step of the podium at round three and maintain his championship lead.

Held in the mountains of Tuscany, close to the town of Abetone, Saturday’s Sprint Race determined the start order for Sunday’s main event. The Gold class riders face a one-hour hard enduro that delivered a variety of terrain including forest tracks, river beds, and challenging rocky climbs.

After one hour, riders within 15 minutes of the leader then had to take on the X-Loop section – a punishing 500-meter course located in the ski resort itself. Lettenbichler followed home closest rival Billy Bolt to take second place and ensure a favorable start position for Sunday’s main event.
The Gold Final on Sunday followed a similar format to the sprint, but challenged riders for a grueling two hours before directing them into the X-Loop section. With multiple laps of tough natural terrain ahead of him, Lettenbichler started strong, slotting in behind Bolt for the opening couple of laps before moving ahead and opening up a narrow advantage.

What then followed was a battle between the two championship contenders that went right down to the wire. With the lead swapping multiple times in the forest, the race was ultimately decided in the X-Loop section where Bolt got the upper hand, despite a last-minute attack by Mani.
Coming away with a hard-fought second-place result, Lettenbichler continues to lead the 2025 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship with four rounds left to contest.

Manuel Lettenbichler: “What a race! We were swapping the lead at the front so often, and Billy rode really well, so congrats to him. I haven’t enjoyed a battle like this for a long time. I almost had him at end, we ran into each other when I tried to make a block pass, but it wasn’t quite enough. I think it’s clear by the lead that the two of us opened up over the rest of the field that we’re both at the top of our game. If this carries on for the rest of the season, with the two of us fighting this hard for the top step of the podium, it’s going to make the championship very exciting.”

Provisional Overall Results: Abestone Hard Enduro, FIM HEWC Round 3

1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 12 laps, 2:18:23.178

2. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 12 laps, 2:18:27.192

3. Mitch Brightmore (GASGAS) 8 laps, 2:14:29.326

4. James Moore (KTM) 7 laps, 2:01:40.134

5. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 7 laps, 2:06:45.056