Bolt Survives the Chaos in Belgrade – Title in Sight as Lettenbichler Returns and Junior Drama Strikes

Round five of the 2026 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Belgrade, Serbia delivered one of the most dramatic nights of the season. A packed arena, a flowing and technical track build, relentless racing in the Prestige class, and heartbreak in Juniors made it a round to remember.

At the centre of it all once again was Billy Bolt.

Bolt Battles Bad Starts for Another Perfect Night

It may have been Serbia’s first SuperEnduro World Championship round, but the atmosphere suggested otherwise. A large, enthusiastic crowd and a fast, flowing layout gave riders more line options than recent rounds, creating some of the best racing of the season.

Bolt, however, did not have things entirely his own way. Poor starts became the theme of his night — but the outcome remained the same.

SuperPole – Five from Five

Returning rider Manuel Lettenbichler was first out in SuperPole, setting the early benchmark. Toby Martyn and Eddie Karlsson posted near-identical laps, Mitch Brightmore looked strong but crashed late, and Jonny Walker briefly topped the times.

Then Bolt delivered.

A 34.0-second lap — more than a second faster than Walker — secured his fifth SuperPole win in five rounds and three more championship points.

Moto 1 – Pure Commitment

Mitch Brightmore grabbed the holeshot while Bolt found himself mid-pack after another poor launch. But where others hesitated on the obstacles, Bolt attacked.

He literally jumped his way into contention and soon into the lead.

A late mistake on the slippery logs allowed Brightmore, Walker, Martyn and Karlsson to close in, setting up a tense final two laps with five riders nose-to-tail. In the end, Bolt held firm to win ahead of Brightmore and Walker.

Moto 2 – Drama Unfolds

Race two delivered maximum SuperEnduro chaos.

Alfredo Gomez and Dominik Olszowy led early before Walker and Bolt stormed through. Bolt once again pieced the track together and passed Walker for the lead, but the Triumph rider stayed glued to him.

Then came the decisive moment. As Bolt lapped Diogo Vieira, a mistake directly in front of Walker caused a collision that took Walker down and left him with a hand injury. Bolt escaped unscathed and controlled the remainder of the race.

Karlsson capitalised to take second, with Martyn completing a strong night for Stark. Brightmore finished fourth, Walker fifth.

Moto 3 – Business as Usual

Toby Martyn grabbed the final holeshot before Karlsson took over. Another messy start for Bolt saw him delayed in turn one, but once again his pace over the obstacles proved unmatched.

Within laps he was back at the front and never looked back.

Behind him, Brightmore, Karlsson, Martyn and Walker fought fiercely for the remaining podium positions. Brightmore’s hard work paid off with second on the night, Karlsson third.

Bolt completed another 63-point maximum haul and now holds an 85-point championship lead. Newcastle next weekend presents a genuine opportunity to secure the title on home soil.

Lettenbichler Solid on Return

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler made his return to SuperEnduro competition in Belgrade, delivering a consistent 6-6-6 scorecard for sixth overall in the Prestige class.

After qualifying into SuperPole and securing sixth gate pick, Mani settled into a steady rhythm across all three races.

In race one he battled closely with Ashton Brightmore to claim sixth, finishing just 12 seconds off the win. In race two he charged from deep in the pack to sixth, and in the final race he briefly ran fourth before settling back into sixth to cap a determined return performance.

Manuel Lettenbichler said:
“It feels really good to be back racing. Overall, I’m happy with how the night went – three times sixth place, which is pretty decent. The pace was there, and the gaps to the front weren’t too big, especially considering I haven’t ridden much SuperEnduro recently. There’s definitely room to improve, but this was a solid step in the right direction.”

Junior World Championship – Schmuser Injury Shakes the Title Fight

The biggest shock of the night came in the Junior category.

Championship leader Milan Schmuser suffered a broken tibia during practice after an unfortunate heavy dab, ruling him out of the event and dramatically reshaping the title race.

Toby Shaw stepped up in his absence, delivering consistent performances and taking over the virtual red plate (joint on points with Schmuser) heading into his home round next weekend.

Manuel Gomez secured the overall victory on the night by one point from Shaw, with Frasier Lampkin completing the podium.

Youth World Championship – Walczak Edges Closer

In the Youth 125 class, Wotjek Walczak capitalised on a difficult night for Connor Watson to take maximum advantage in the title race.

Watson led in moto two but made a late mistake on the final lap, handing Walczak another victory and putting the Polish rider within touching distance of the championship ahead of Newcastle.

Championship Picture After Round Five

Prestige Standings:

1. Billy Bolt – 312 points
2. Jonny Walker – 227 points
3. Mitch Brightmore – 216 points
4. Eddie Karlsson – 197 points
5. Toby Martyn – 138 points
6. Manuel Lettenbichler – 89 points

With two rounds remaining, Bolt remains unbeaten in 2026 and now heads to Newcastle with a chance to wrap up the world title in front of a home crowd.

Belgrade delivered drama, injuries, comebacks and championship momentum — and the season is far from over.