Billy Bolt will return to competition this weekend as a wildcard entry at the 2026 EnduroGP of Wales, ending more than three months away from the bike.
The Husqvarna Factory Racing rider will compete in the Enduro3 class aboard his TE 300 at the championship finale in Rhayader, held from August 7–9. It will be Bolt’s first race since the hand injury that forced him to pause his Hard Enduro World Championship campaign.
From another world title to three months off the bike
Bolt started 2026 by winning his sixth consecutive SuperEnduro World Championship title. He then finished second at Alestrem before fighting through the hand injury to take fifth at Extreme XL Lagares. Recovery took much longer than expected, leaving the British rider off the bike for over three months.
“I’m very happy to be back on the bike after such a long time away. It’s been a tough few months with my hand taking much longer to heal than we were expecting, so I’ve missed a lot of time and actually had more than three months off the bike.
“I’m really excited to use this weekend to have some fun, enjoy the home crowd and get the ball rolling again.”
Bolt had already used sprint enduro races in Wales as part of his training earlier in the season, making a home EnduroGP a fitting place to restart his campaign.
TE 300 chosen over the FE 450
Husqvarna initially considered entering Bolt in the E2 class aboard the four-stroke FE 450. However, the team decided that racing the TE 300 in Enduro3 made more sense. It is the same motorcycle Bolt will use when he returns to the remaining Hard Enduro races this season.
“We originally considered racing the FE 450 in E2, but we decided the TE 300 in E3 made more sense as it’s the same bike he will use for the remainder of the season of Hard Enduro,” explained team manager Fabio Farioli.
“He won’t be at 100 percent straight away, so there is no pressure in terms of results, but knowing Billy, I’m sure he will still follow his racing instinct!”
Friday evening’s Super Test could be the part of the weekend that feels most familiar. Short, technical and against the clock—it sounds like a good way for the SuperEnduro champion to shake off the rust.
No pressure on the result—officially
Bolt admits that he has not had enough classic enduro training to fight for the best possible result. The main goals are to enjoy racing again, rebuild confidence and prepare for the rest of the Hard Enduro season.
“I would have loved to have come here fit and with some classic enduro training to push for the best result possible, but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be this year. I’m extremely motivated and working hard to be back winning races in the second half of the year. See you in Wales!”
Officially, there is no pressure. Unofficially, telling Billy Bolt not to race the stopwatch might be the hardest test in Wales.
