DIRT NEWS
TIGHT AT THE TOP OF ENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
It ’ s tight at the top of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship after the fourth round in Italy . With the first half of the championship now behind them , just four points separate the top three riders with Husqvarna ’ s Billy Bolt holding on to a tight two-point lead over KTM ’ s Manuel Lettenbichler . Sherco ’ s Mario Romain isn ’ t far behind them with 58 points to his name , too . The fourth round of the championship , Red Bull Abestone , saw KTM rider Lettenbichler notch his third straight win of the season following on from his triumph at the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo last month . Saturday ’ s racing action began with a morning special test style qualifier , followed by an evening ’ s straight rhythm shootout . Enjoying both of the fast-paced enduro tests , Lettenbichler clocked some competitive times to finish his morning ’ s work in a solid second place . Riding smart and avoiding taking any chances , he took the straight rhythm battles one heat race at a time to finish third , setting him up with a strong starting position for Sunday ’ s main event .
LETTENBICHLER Lettenbichler ’ s main competition and the biggest threat to his streak was Husqvarna ’ s Billy Bolt , who set the pace on Saturday . Enjoying the fast-paced terrain , Bolt pushed hard to put his name at the top of the standings . Fastest in each of the tests , he took a commanding 45-second margin of victory heading into the evening ’ s straight rhythm shootout . Fighting his way through a series of knockout heats , the Husqvarna rider easily reached the final , before winning that to end his day as the top qualifier . For the main event at Abestone , riders faced a seriously tough 62 kilometres of riding split into two 31-kilometre laps . With the course filled with numerous signature sections , the Tuscan heat would play a factor in the closing stages as riders began to fade . With riders flagged away in 30-second
KIWI RIDER 17