Manuel Lettenbichler is the first ever winner of Forza Orza, taking victory in Round 4 of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Orsa Grönklitt. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider completed the two-hour-plus-one-lap main race in 2:20:41, but the win was anything but straightforward.
Drama at the Front
Once Lettenbichler hit the front, the only real obstacles left were the riders he was lapping, until he stalled in a technical section and could not restart. For a moment it looked as though the race had turned. Instead, after a deep breath, some vocal encouragement from the crowd and instructions from his mechanic, he bump-started the KTM and got going again. Even with that drama, Mitch Brightmore could not close the gap, the X-Grip GASGAS rider taking second in 2:24:17.
Ashton Brightmore completed the podium in 2:27:58, and the younger Brightmore's weekend was outstanding: victory in the Junior classification and a third place overall against the sport's very best. Home hero Eddie Karlsson took a superb fourth, driven on by a Swedish crowd that cheered him through every lap.
Bolt, Gandola and a Breakout Ride for Scales
Billy Bolt, winner of Friday's sprint race on his return from injury, finished fifth ,a result that flattered to deceive, as losing his bike during the race cost him time he could not recover. On this form, a podium is not far away. Mario Roman took sixth.
James Moore was seventh on nine laps, with Lorenzo Gandola eighth, the Italian, dubbed rookie of the year by super fan Peter Schulter, again showing pure grit. Behind them, Matthew Green and Thomas Scales went at it neck and neck all day, Green taking ninth and Scales rounding out the top ten in a genuine breakout ride.
Points and World Cups
Across the full round, Lettenbichler banked 29 points to Mitch Brightmore's 27 and Ashton Brightmore's 24, with Bolt on 21 and Karlsson 18. Ashton's haul moves him into a tight scrap with Teodor Kabakchiev for third overall, the pair now separated by 1 point.
In the Junior class Ashton Brightmore led home James Moore and Thomas Scales. Damon Garrell topped the Youth World Cup ahead of Kyle Gianotti and Sweden's Sebastian Brodin, Roberto Matos beat James Stearns in the Senior World Cup, and Sandra Gomez scored maximum points in the Women's World Cup.
A Round That Earned Its Place
Sweden's first world championship round gave it their best go on the big stage, huge crowds, a tough course from Mike Skinner, and an event built around its audience by organiser Glenn Olsson and Kong Events. Few debut rounds arrive in this standard.
Next Up: Italy
The championship now heads south. Round 5, Abestone Hard Enduro, runs in Abetone, Italy on 4–6 September, followed by Roof of Africa, Sea to Sky and the 24MX Hixpania finale. With four rounds still to run and Lettenbichler holding a healthy but not unassailable advantage over Mitch Brightmore, the title fight is very much alive. Full provisional points are on the 2026 championship standings.