Hixpania Hard Enduro 2025: Bolt vs. Lettenbichler Ends in Chaos, Jarvis “Official” Winner

Round 4 of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in Aguilar de Campoo, Spain, had all the ingredients for another classic Bolt vs. Lettenbichler showdown. Instead, it ended in controversy, confusion, and a result sheet that will be argued about for a long time.

Saturday – Bolt Sets the Pace

Qualifying prologue featured a practice lap and two timed runs through a rocky, technical course. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) looked unstoppable, topping the times by over 17 seconds. Mitch Brightmore, Manuel Lettenbichler, and Will Riordan followed, with James Moore completing the top five. Bolt’s win gave him pole for Sunday’s feature race.

Sunday – Race to the Quarry

The main event was a two-hour multi-lap battle, finishing with the notorious Hixpania X-Loop and final hill climb for the top 10. But overnight rain left the added obstacles dangerously slick.

Before the race, the riders collectively agreed not to contest the X-Loop, calling it unsafe and rushed — “an extra uphill nobody had walked.” The plan was to end the race at the quarry, with Bolt leading Lettenbichler by roughly 20 seconds, Mario Román in third, and the rest far behind.

And what a battle it was:

• Bolt and Lettenbichler swapped the lead up to 15 times.
• The two separated themselves from the field by over four minutes.
• Bolt finally edged clear, reaching the X-Loop first and celebrating what looked like back-to-back Hard Enduro wins.

Chaos at the Finish – Jarvis Strikes

But then the confusion began. While Bolt, Lettenbichler, and Román staged a symbolic ride up the hill together for the fans, Graham Jarvis and Sonny Goggia arrived later and rode the full marked course, including the X-Loop.

By FIM rules, that meant Jarvis was declared the official winner, Goggia second, and Bolt relegated to third — despite being more than an hour ahead on the actual track. Lettenbichler was pushed to fourth.

Graham Jarvis:

“Nobody spoke to me about this before. When they told me, ‘if you ride this final hill you’re the winner,’ I just rode the course and got on with it. I don’t care, I won [laughs].”

Rider Reactions

Billy Bolt:

“The race was pretty good. In the end it was drier than expected, which made it tight between me and Mani. We probably swapped the lead 15 times, the biggest gap was maybe 20 seconds.

We all agreed not to do the X-Loop — it was dangerous after two hours of racing, and nobody had walked it. We stuck together as riders and made a stand. Unfortunately, confusion followed, but I still got maximum championship points, which is what I came here for.”

Manuel Lettenbichler:

“It was a good race. I overtook Mitch [Brightmore] early and then had an awesome battle with Billy. I didn’t feel so strong, but he’s stepped up a lot and now we’re on the same level. He was a little better at the end.

About the finish — we asked for changes, but the organisers didn’t want to listen. Riders need more respect. This is Hard Enduro, but it should still be a race where you ride the bike, not push it for TV. In the end, the result doesn’t matter too much — I keep the championship lead.”

Mario Román:

“I arrived with Billy and Mani at the finish and stopped with them. It was important to show solidarity with the riders. The track was already extreme enough.”

Championship Situation

• Bolt leaves Spain with maximum championship points, despite being listed third.
• Lettenbichler officially classified fourth, but still holds the series lead with three rounds to go.
• Jarvis gets his name in the books again, proving the “old dog” still knows how to grab headlines.

Next stop: Sea to Sky, Turkey (October 9–11), where Bolt and Lettenbichler will no doubt resume their duel under hopefully less confusing circumstances.

HIXPANIA HARD ENDURO 2025 RESULTS

Sources: Enduro21 • KTM