Manuel Lettenbichler Takes Fourth Straight Red Bull Erzbergrodeo Title as South African Riders Impress in Austria
The 2025 edition of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, the second round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, saw Germany’s Manuel Lettenbichler deliver a near-perfect ride to claim his fourth consecutive victory at the world’s toughest one-day hard enduro race. The KTM Factory Racing star is now just one win away from tying Taddy Błażusiak‘s record of five Erzbergrodeo titles.
Taking place in Austria’s historic Eisenerz iron mine—aka the “Iron Giant”—this year’s Erzbergrodeo welcomed over 1,000 riders from 43 countries. The brutal 35km course featured towering climbs, massive rock gardens, and relentless terrain that once again delivered a staggeringly low finish rate: only 14 riders completed the race within the four-hour cut-off.
Lettenbichler’s Flawless Ride
After qualifying 11th in the Iron Road Prologue, Lettenbichler launched into Sunday’s main event with laser focus. Despite a fierce challenge from Britain’s Billy Bolt, it was at checkpoint 10, just before “George Avenue,” that the German made his decisive move. From there, he never looked back, maintaining a commanding lead even as heavy rain created slick, unpredictable conditions.
Lettenbichler crossed the finish line in 2h 49m 17.58s, over 12 minutes ahead of Bolt, who finished second in 3h 1m 57.56s. Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev secured his first Erzbergrodeo podium in third, clocking in at 3h 13m 44.94s.
“Nothing in hard enduro is guaranteed. I felt a lot of pressure coming in, but the track was amazing, and the fans were next level. That’s four wins now—I’m chasing Taddy’s record!”
said Lettenbichler
South Africa Represented Strongly: Wade Young & Matthew Green
South Africa had plenty to cheer about as top riders Wade Young and Matthew Green delivered standout performances, both finishing inside the top 15—a remarkable feat given the course’s unforgiving nature.
- Wade Young (GasGas): 11th place – 3h 46m 5.31s
The experienced rider showed his grit, navigating treacherous terrain and wet conditions to stay in contention throughout. - Matthew Green (KTM): 12th place – 3h 48m 14.15s
Green continues to rise through the international ranks. His clean and consistent riding style helped him edge out more seasoned competitors in the final hour of racing.
Their performances further solidify South Africa’s growing presence in global hard enduro, with both athletes now well-positioned heading into the rest of the 2025 Hard Enduro World Championship season.
Iron Road Prologue & Notable Highlights
- Spanish EnduroGP champion Josep Garcia topped the Iron Road Prologue, blazing to the summit on his KTM 250 EXC-F.
- Dakar Rally champion Daniel Sanders and offroad star Seth Quintero joined the mountain action with showrun performances, adding a dash of rally flavor to the hard enduro weekend.
- Canadian Trystan Hart, a podium hopeful, was forced to settle for fifth after encountering a minor technical issue late in the race.
- Graham Jarvis, the legend of the sport at age 49, showed once again why he’s a fan favorite, finishing eighth after another gutsy ride.
Top 14 Finishers – Red Bull Erzbergrodeo 2025
- Manuel Lettenbichler (GER) – KTM – 2h 49m 17.58s
- Billy Bolt (GBR) – Husqvarna – 3h 1m 57.56s
- Teodor Kabakchiev (BUL) – Sherco – 3h 13m 44.94s
- Mitch Brightmore (GBR) – GasGas – 3h 13m 46.89s
- Trystan Hart (CAN) – KTM – 3h 18m 32.64s
- Jonny Walker (GBR) – Triumph – 3h 26m 53.83s
- Mario Roman (AND) – Sherco – 3h 29m 17.32s
- Graham Jarvis (GBR) – KTM – 3h 39m 39.21s
- Will Riordan (AUS) – Sherco – 3h 42m 3.37s
- Alfredo Gómez (ESP) – Beta – 3h 44m 55.81s
- Wade Young (RSA) – GasGas – 3h 46m 5.31s
- Matthew Green (RSA) – KTM – 3h 48m 14.15s
- Francesc Moret (ESP) – KTM – 3h 51m 53.70s
- Dieter Rudolf (AUT) – GasGas – 3h 58m 1.03s
Looking Ahead
With Lettenbichler inching closer to rewriting Erzbergrodeo history, and South Africa’s elite proving their prowess on the world stage, the 2025 Hard Enduro season is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling yet. Round 3 will only raise the stakes as the world’s best prepare to tackle new terrain, with all eyes on the man they now call “King of the Iron Giant.”
