The twists and turns were numerous and the surprises just kept on coming, the first jolt of the night came during the Akrapovic SuperPole when Billy BOLT (GBR-Husqvarna) was once again beaten by Jonny WALKER (GBR-Beta). The Beta rider was ahead of his compatriot by just two hundredths of a second, but it gave him the edge heading into the races. However, as all SuperEnduro fans know. You can never rule out BOLT. Sure enough, at the start of Race 1 BOLT was quick on the gate drop and took his first Airoh Holeshot of the evening. WALKER was stuck in traffic and lost a few places on his main rival. Manuel LETTENBICHLER (GER-KTM) also got off to a good start and momentarily slotted into second behind BOLT, until WALKER fought back to take the spot. The German rider then suffered his first crash of the night while trying to chase the two riders ahead of him, this opened the door for Diogo VIEIRA (POR-GASGAS), and the Portuguese rider was in for a big night, moving into a strong third in the race and never looking back. At the front, Billy BOLT appeared to be on for a trouble-free run to the finish line but there was huge drama in store for the championship leader…
while the Brit was closing in to lap LETTENBICHLER, the KTM rider dropped his bike in the matrix. The triple World Champion had no choice but to spectacularly leap over the stricken German and his machine - providing one of the most dramatic images of the 2024 season! The factory Husqvarna rider scared himself by falling heavily on his already injured left leg, but both riders rejoined the race. Despite the pain, BOLT went on to win Race 1 ahead of WALKER and VIEIRA.
No Fluke for VIEIRA
Portugal’s VIEIRA, who is known in the paddock as ‘The Rockstar’ thanks to his long hair and laidback demeanour, came out fighting in Race 2. He snatched the Airoh Holeshot and remained at the head of the field for a decent length of time before Billy BOLT dislodged him and flew to another race victory. VIEIRA then had to battle against a feisty Dominik OLSZOWY (POL-Rieju) to secure second place. The Pole began to make mistakes, leaving VIEIRA to pursue his dream of an overall world podium! The big disappointment in Race 2 was felt by Jonny WALKER, who failed to climb higher than fifth position. Lacking rhythm and a victim of several falls, the 2023 Vice-World Champion was left feeling frustrated. His biggest rival, BOLT, won ahead of an increasingly happy VIEIRA and an impressive Mitch BRIGHTMORE (GBR-GASGAS), who had a superb race. WALKER crossed the line fifth and was at risk of losing second overall in the Hungarian GP…
In the final race of the night, Billy BOLT confirmed that his big fall and long-standing injury were not going to hold him back. This time out it was a rejuvenated Jonny WALKER who took the Airoh Holeshot in front of his compatriot and LETTENBICHLER. For Diogo VIEIRA the last attack of the night was disastrous, the Portuguese rider fell in the first metres of the race, and again in the matrix as he was trying to recoup. But with the idea of a maiden podium on his mind, he launched an incredible comeback. From last place he patiently overtook his opponents one by one and climbed back to a respectable sixth place. A position sufficient to guarantee him his first MotoZ FIM Enduro World Championship podium. Elsewhere, the last race was a little less eventful than the previous two, BOLT enjoyed another victory ahead of WALKER and LETTENBICHLER. It’s a fifth victory in five Grand Prix for the three-time World Champion who now has one hand on the title. The Husqvarna rider celebrated on the overall podium with Jonny WALKER and a euphoric Diogo VIEIRA.
In the championship standings, Billy BOLT is starting to build an insurmountable advantage, now 33 points ahead of Jonny WALKER. The Beta rider will have to mount a gargantuan comeback if doesn’t want to see his friend and rival crowned before the end of the season – but we know that SuperEnduro is always full of surprises! LETTENBICHLER consolidates his third place in the standings over Will HOARE who had a very tricky night with seventh overall.
Ashton BRIGHTMORE in his Brother’s Footsteps
Young Brit Ashton BRIGHTMORE (GBR-GASGAS) won his third GP of the season in the Junior category. He managed to get the better of Suff SELLA (ISR-KTM) despite the KTM rider constantly putting pressure on him. The fight remains close between the pair despite the latest overall victory for BRIGHTMORE. The 17-year-old Ashton would dearly love to follow in his elder brother, Mitch BRIGHTMORE’s footsteps, the 2023 Junior World Champion who now hones his craft in the Prestige class. After winning the first two races with relative ease, keeping his smooth and calm style over every obstacle, the GASGAS rider stuck bad luck in the last race, colliding with Milan SCHMUESER (GER-Sherco). The Brit and the German were pushed to the back of the field and were forced to fight their way through the other competitors to try to save their evening. Meanwhile, Suff SELLA finally felt comfortable on the fast and flowing track and the Israeli took victory in the final race. Incredibly, BRIGHTMORE made his way back up into second and Marc FERNANDEZ SERRA (ESP-KTM) claimed third. The overall result on the night was BRIGHTMORE ahead of SELLA and SCHMUESER. The Brit is now ten points ahead of the Israeli who will be keen to come back strong in Bulgaria in two weeks. Roland LISZKA (HUN-KTM) did not have the home GP he dreamed of, but he thrilled the 12,500 spectators at the MVM Dome and maintains third in the championship standings.
Xavier LEON SOLE – European Champion
As expected, Xavi LEON SOLE (ESP-GASGAS) managed to seal the first major title of his career by winning the SuperEnduro European Cup. LEON SOLE didn’t have the perfect ending to the season by winning both races in Hungary, but he did enough to enjoy the title in front of a huge crowd. After winning the first race and securing the crown, LEON SOLE was less riled up in Race 2, taking second place and allowing an increasingly strong Dustin MCCARTHY(USA-Beta) to win the race AND claim overall victory on the night. Hubert ZBIKOWSKI (POL-KTM) completed the podium in third. In the European Cup rankings, LEON SOLE won ahead of Alessandro AZZALINI (ITA-GASGAS) who saw his consistency rewarded. Poland’s Maciej WIECKWOSKI (GASGAS) won the bronze medal. The European Cup was a great success this season with the level of competitiveness clearly increasing.
After an electrifying Hungarian GP which proved the popularity and unpredictability of the MotoZ FIM Enduro World Championship, the Prestige and Junior riders will be back on track in two weeks’ time for the GP of Bulgaria in Sofia on February 24th.
What They Said:
Xavi Leon Sole: “I am very happy to become European Champion, I didn’t make too many mistakes, I kept my focus and I tried not to get nervous. It feels really nice to take home this title, especially in front of such a great crowd here in Hungary.”
Suff Sella: “I really needed a race win tonight, it was important for me to get one to keep the title fight close with Ash. It’s been a really tough day mentally because in the first two races I couldn’t get the feeling and I was really upset, I felt horrible and I had no flow to my riding. Despite getting one race win, I lost a lot of points today, so I need to work on my riding ahead of Bulgaria.”
Ashton Brightmore: “I didn’t make it easy for myself tonight; I made a few mistakes in the three races. The final race was pure carnage, the first two weren’t as chaotic but the last one had loads of crashes and loads of pile ups, it made it tough to keep focused and work my way through. I wanted three wins tonight but I couldn’t beat Suff in the last one. At least my points advantage is better after tonight.”
Billy Bolt: “I’m really struggling with my leg, it’s tough to even hold it out straight. It was feeling better at the start of the night, but I jolted it again during my collision with Mani (Lettenbichler) and then it started to hurt a lot more. Anyway, I’m pretty happy with tonight. I tend to get stronger as the track gets rougher and that worked out well for me again tonight. The arena is huge and it was so full of supportive fans having a great time so I really enjoyed the atmosphere – the sport is in a good place right now!”
Jonny Walker: “I felt good and I was happy with the track, but when it came to racing I just really struggled. The first race wasn’t too bad but it felt slippery like I was losing the front, and then I got a bit of armpump too. The second race was an absolute nightmare for me - I must have crashed four or five times and I had some collisions too. I turned it around a bit in the last race, but Billy was on fire again. Let’s see what happens in the next rounds.”
