Cycle News Staff | October 11, 2022
Germany’s Manuel Lettenbichler takes the title after final-day showdown.
German Manuel Lettenbichler won the 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro in Spain to win the 2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in dramatic fashion.
Photography by Future7Media
The race for the 2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship came down to an exciting final round and final day in Aguilar de Campoo, a town in northern Spain. The three-day Red Bull 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro would decide the 2022 champion with several riders having a chance to claim the number-one plate, mainly, however, between Germany’s Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) and Spain’s own Mario Roman (Sherco). When all was said and done, no one could take down the points leader going into the race, Lettenbichler, but the title was never a lock until the KTM rider took the checkers at the end of the day.
The Hixpania Hard Enduro was broken up into three events over the weekend, starting with Friday’s downtown prologue, Saturday’s cross-country race and Sunday’s “Lost Roads” championship finale, taking place in the outskirts of the Spanish town famous for its medieval history.
Spain’s own Mario Roman was the chaser all day and kept the pressure on Lettenbichler for the win and championship. Roman had to settle for second on both counts.
GasGas’ Alfredo Gomez threw the first punch by winning the prologue’s SuperEncierro final well ahead of Lettenbichler, GasGas rider Taddy Blazusiak, Roman and Canada’s Trystan Hart (KTM).
Saturday’s race, the Campoo Xtreme Race, would decide Sunday’s important starting positions. Friday’s winner Gomez started on pole, but Lettenbichler quickly got around Gomez and set the early pace. Hart eventually pushed his way into second, while title hopeful Roman struggled with a mechanical.
While Roman was forced to stop due to an issue with his bike’s battery, fellow factory Sherco rider Wade Young sacrificed his result on the day to assist his teammate. The two finally got Roman’s bike running again, but Roman suffered another issue with the battery on the second loop. As a result, Roman finished a distant 18th and would have to start on the second row for Sunday’s championship decider, which isn’t what he wanted to do.
The veteran star, Graham Jarvis, was fifth on the day and third in the championship.
“I was running in second during the first half of lap one, but then my bike stopped,” Roman said. “I lost a lot of positions. With the help of Wade, I got going again and made up a couple of places on lap one. After service I carried some spare parts on lap two but unfortunately had some bike issues again. It’s put me back a lot, but I will give it everything I have tomorrow!”
Lettenbichler ended up taking the checkered flag ahead of Hart but was later assessed a time penalty for speeding on a section of the course that the racers were clearly warned about before the race. Hart was then awarded Saturday’s victory ahead of Lettenbichler, Sonny Goggia (KTM), Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) and Michael Walkner (GasGas).
“That was a good race,” Lettenbichler said. “I got into fourth and then pushed hard to hit the front. I knew the trail would be dusty, so I was keen to try and lead as soon as I could. On lap two I had pulled a decent gap over the guys behind me, so I just tried to keep it all together and bring it home safe. I’m excited for tomorrow, it’s all to play for!”
Canadian Trystan Hart won Saturday’s cross-country race and was fourth in Sunday’s final.
Lettenbichler acknowledged his speeding mistake, which did not harm him in the long run. With the start order for Sunday’s race based on the overall scores from Friday and Saturday’s racing, Lettenbichler still had done enough to earn himself the first starting position.
“It was up and down out there,” Hart said of his Saturday win. “The course wasn’t easy, with fast trails and tough sections. I really liked it a lot though, and I’m keen to end my race on a high tomorrow.”
Going into Sunday championship decider, Lettenbichler led Roman by just four points with Jarvis a distant third.
Lettenbichler held the advantage of starting first and wanted to make the most of it. Immediately into the lead, he set about putting as much distance as he could into rival Roman on lap one. With Roman starting ninth, he had work to do to catch Lettenbichler, but the Spaniard was fiercely determined to bring home the championship with a win on home soil.
Alfredo Gomez was the prologue winner. The Spaniard parlayed that into a podium finish on Sunday.
A strong opening lap saw Roman carve his way through traffic and was soon on the tracks of Gomez and Hart, running second and third, respectively. Needing a bit more time to get around Hart and then Gomez, Roman was up to second place.
With Lettenbichler holding a three-minute lead over Roman, the chase was on. The Spaniard fought to reel the German in, but Lettenbichler was able to control the gap. Entering the final Hixpania Hill out front, the title was within Lettenbichler’s grasp. Navigating the incredibly steep climbs, the German remained mistake-free to cross the finish line as the race winner and as the newly crowned 2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Champion.
Forced to concede defeat, Roman finished just under five minutes behind Lettenbichler in second to end his 2022 season as the runner-up. Gomez finished third on the day and fifth in the championship.
With a strong ride in the closing stages of the race, Hart battled past Jarvis to claim fourth. Finishing fifth, Jarvis cemented his position of third overall in the final championship standings.
“World Champion! I’m so stoked with that,” said Lettenbichler. “The pressure was on this morning. I was pretty nervous before the start. Getting away first I settled into the lead, but after the one-hour mark I was feeling pretty tired. I knew Mario was in second and only about two minutes behind me, so I had to keep focused. Once I got to the final climbs, I started to get excited about the title, knowing it was so close. It’s amazing to be the 2022 Hard Enduro World Champion. It’s been a crazy, good year. It’s been awesome battling the guys, but I’m ready to celebrate now!”
Lettenbichler celebrates winning the world championship.
“Starting in ninth I knew it would be an uphill battle to catch Mani,” said Roman, “but I gave it my best shot. I passed around five riders pretty quickly, but it took some time to pass Alfredo and Trystan. My pace was good, but Mani was matching it, and I couldn’t quite get close enough to him. It’s frustrating to lose the title. I gave it my best all year. Congratulations to Mani.”
The veteran superstar, Jarvis, was happy with third in the championship. “It’s been a good weekend and good day today,” he said. “To finish third overall in the championship is brilliant. I started out this season with my own team and also coming back from injury. But we made the podium straight away in Israel and then won Red Bull Romaniacs. For an old guy, I think we’ve done pretty good, and I’ll be back for more!” CN
OVERALL
- Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM)
- Mario Roman (She)
- Alfredo Gomez (GG)
- Trystan Hart (KTM)
- Graham Jarvis (Hus)
- Wade Young (She)
- Michael Walkner (GG)
- Suff Sella (KTM)
- Matthew Green (KTM)
- Francesc Moret (GG)
