Abestone Hard Enduro
- Located in Abetone, Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy
- Difficulty Extreme
- 3 days long
2026 edition: , Abetone, Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy
2026 result. Manuel Lettenbichler won the Gold main race on Sunday 6 September in 2:07:12.9. He finished 6:07.3 ahead of Mitch Brightmore. Teodor Kabakchiev was third. Lettenbichler also won the prologue and the Sprint.
Official results: FIM Hard Enduro World Championship results.
Abestone is a three-day hard enduro at Abetone and Val di Luce, two ski areas in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, on the border of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. Hard enduro rider Michele Bosi created it. The paddock is at Val di Luce. The first race was in 2021. Pros race in the Gold class. Amateurs race the Silver, Bronze and Iron courses. In 2026 it ran on 4–6 September as round 5 of 8 of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.
Book entries and travel through the official race website.
On this page
Abestone at a glance
| Where | Abetone, Pistoia province, Tuscany, Italy. The paddock and podium are at Val di Luce[1, 2] |
|---|---|
| 2026 race days | Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September 2026. Checks Friday. Prologue, Sprint and Straight Rhythm Saturday. Finals Sunday[2] |
| Championship | FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, round 5 of 8 in 2026[12] |
| 2026 winner | Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM). He also won the prologue and the Sprint[7, 8, 9] |
| Classes | Gold (pros and FIM riders), Silver, Bronze and Iron[3, 4] |
| Entry | 350 € for world championship riders in 2026. Entries opened 28 April and closed 3 September[2] |
| Most wins | Billy Bolt (2021, 2025) and Manuel Lettenbichler (2022, 2026), two each[27, 23, 16, 7] |
| Organiser | Abestone Moto Club ASD, Gallicano (Lucca), for the Italian federation (FMI). Contact: Michele Bosi[2, 1] |
Abestone 2026 results
Held 4–6 September 2026, round 5 of 8 of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.
Manuel Lettenbichler won all three scoring races at Abestone 2026. He took the prologue by 0.79 seconds from Billy Bolt. He won the Saturday Sprint from James Moore. On Sunday he won the Gold main race by 6:07.3 from Mitch Brightmore. Teodor Kabakchiev was third.
Only five riders completed all six laps of the main race. Lettenbichler's best lap was 18:33.1. The next best was Brightmore's 19:36.5. Lettenbichler said he had a small crash in the river near the end. It was his fourth win of the 2026 season.
Bolt won the Straight Rhythm on Saturday evening. In the main race he finished 12th, one lap down. Moore was fourth and the first junior.
Lettenbichler scored the full 33 points. He left Italy leading the championship on 150 points, from Brightmore on 126 and Kabakchiev on 94.
| Pos. | Rider | Nation | Bike | Gold main race time / gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manuel Lettenbichler | GER | KTM | 2:07:12.9 |
| 2 | Mitch Brightmore | GBR | GASGAS | +6:07.3 |
| 3 | Teodor Kabakchiev | BUL | Sherco | +7:41.6 |
| 4 | James Moore | RSA | Beta | +12:13.2 |
| 5 | Mario Román | ESP | Husqvarna | +14:30.5 |
| 6 | Lorenzo Gandola | ITA | Sherco | 1 lap down |
| 7 | Ashton Brightmore | GBR | GASGAS | 1 lap down |
| 8 | Thomas Scales | RSA | Beta | 1 lap down |
| 9 | Sonny Goggia | ITA | KTM | 1 lap down |
| 10 | Eddie Karlsson | SWE | Stark | 1 lap down |
Abestone 2026 class winners
| Class | Winner | Nation | Bike |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Rhythm (Saturday evening) | Billy Bolt | GBR | Husqvarna |
| First junior, Gold main race | James Moore | RSA | Beta |
| Silver final | Conor Hennessy | Rieju | |
| Bronze final | Daryoush Ghorbani | Husqvarna |
Abestone winners by year
Winners of the Gold main race, from official results and race reports. There was no race in 2023. The 2024 race was an Italian national race, not a world championship round.
| Year | Winner | Bike | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Manuel Lettenbichler (GER) | KTM | [7, 14] |
| 2025 | Billy Bolt (GBR) | Husqvarna | [16, 17] |
| 2024 | Michael Walkner (AUT) · Italian national race under the FMI, not a world championship round | GASGAS | [18, 21, 20] |
| 2023 | Cancelled. The FIM cited issues with the local authorities | [22] | |
| 2022 | Manuel Lettenbichler (GER) | KTM | [23, 24, 25] |
| 2021 | Billy Bolt (GBR) | Husqvarna | [27, 29] |
Most Abestone wins
| Rider | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Bolt | 2 | 2021, 2025 |
| Manuel Lettenbichler | 2 | 2022, 2026 |
| Michael Walkner | 1 | 2024 |
Abestone championship status by year
| Years | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, round 3, where the 2021 series got under way | [28, 27] |
| 2022 | FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, round 4 | [26, 24, 25] |
| 2023 | Planned as round 3 of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. Cancelled | [22] |
| 2024 | Italian national race under the FMI. Not a world championship round | [19, 20] |
| 2025 | FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, round 3 | [17] |
| 2026 | FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, round 5 of 8 | [12, 13] |
Abestone 2026: dates and race format
The 2026 race ran from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September. It was first planned as Abestone Rodeo Miravalle, on 10–12 July. In April 2026 the championship moved it to September and renamed it Abestone Hard Enduro.
These times are from the organiser's supplementary regulations.
| Day | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 4 Sep | 08:30 | Paddock opens |
| Fri 4 Sep | 12:00–16:00 | Admin and technical checks at Val di Luce |
| Fri 4 Sep | 18:00 | Press conference |
| Sat 5 Sep | 08:30 | Qualification (prologue) |
| Sat 5 Sep | 12:00 | Sprint: Bronze and Iron |
| Sat 5 Sep | 14:00 | Sprint: Silver |
| Sat 5 Sep | 16:00 | Sprint: Gold |
| Sat 5 Sep | 18:30 | Straight Rhythm |
| Sun 6 Sep | 08:30 | Final: Bronze and Iron |
| Sun 6 Sep | 11:30 | Final: Silver |
| Sun 6 Sep | 14:30 | Final: Gold |
Prologue. One timed lap of about 5 km. Riders start every 20 seconds. The result sets the Sprint grid.
Sprint. Riders start in rows of five, 20 seconds apart, on a course of about 5 km. The Gold Sprint lasts 1 hour plus one lap, 1h30 at most. It sets the main-race grid from 17th place back. It also sets the pairings for the Straight Rhythm.
Straight Rhythm. The top 16 Gold riders from the Sprint race head to head in knockout rounds. The result sets main-race grid places 1 to 16.
Main race. Riders again start in rows of five. Gold riders race 2 hours plus one lap, 2h30 at most. Each Gold rider must make a 2-minute stop in the assistance area. The Bronze, Silver and Iron finals last 1h30, 2 hours at most.
Points. The prologue pays 3, 2 and 1 points to the top three. The Sprint pays 10 down to 1 to the top ten. The main race pays 20, 17, 15 and down to 1 to the top 15. The most a rider can score at the round is 33 points.
How to enter Abestone
Abestone has four levels. The organiser describes them like this:
- Gold. For professional riders. Classes: World Championship (FIM registered), Junior World Championship (under 22, FIM registered), and National + International (national or international licence).
- Silver. For experienced enduro riders. Classes: Junior under 22, Under 40, Over 40, and Women (FIM registered).
- Bronze. The entry level, formerly called the Motocavalcata. Classes: Under 40, Over 40, Over 50 and Women.
- Iron. Twin Cylinder Iron and Iron Fun. Iron riders race with Bronze, on their own routes.
Licence. A European rider with a national licence also needs a start permission. A European rider with no licence needs a national licence from home plus a start permission. A non-European rider needs an international FIM licence.
World championship riders. They also enter the series at fim-hardenduro.com. In 2026 they entered Abestone through the organiser's site and paid 350 € by bank transfer. Entries opened on 28 April 2026 and closed on 3 September at midnight.
Bike rules (2026). Each rider may present one bike and one spare silencer. The bike needs a light mask at the front. Homologated enduro and motocross tyres are allowed. Trial tyres are banned. Tyres may only be changed at the end of a race day.
The main race is two hours of steep climbs and descents on rock and roots. Steep descents start with good body positioning.
Getting to Abetone and watching Abestone
Abetone is in Pistoia province, in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines on the border of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. The paddock and the podium are at Val di Luce. Pistoia is the nearest town.
By air. The organiser lists Florence airport about 1h30 away, and Pisa about 1h50.
By road.
- From Milan, Venice or Padua: leave the motorway at Modena Sud, then take the SS12 Abetone–Brennero road.
- From Florence or Rome: leave at Pistoia, then take the SR66 and the SS12.
- From Genoa: leave at Lucca Est and follow signs for Bagni di Lucca.
Where to stay. Hotel Pionieri and the Hotel Val di Luce Spa Resort are next to the paddock. The organiser also lists hotels in Abetone, Faidello, Dogana Nuova, Fiumalbo and Pievepelago. In 2026 a campervan pitch in the Val di Luce camper area cost 30 € for the whole weekend, with no electric hook-up. You book it with a form on the organiser's site.
Where to watch. The course uses the ski areas. In 2022 the main race started at the top stations of the Ovovia gondola and the Val di Luce chairlift. The paddock and the Straight Rhythm were at the bottom stations. Named sections that year included the Minestrone rock field, Cannibalex, Ibex Line, the Tunnel, Fossone and Sottomonte. In 2024 the Minestrone rocks and the Tunnel checkpoint at the Ovovia station drew the crowds.
Abestone history and records
Michele Bosi created Abestone. He has raced Romaniacs and Erzbergrodeo himself. The first race, in July 2021, was a round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. Covid had cut short the start of that season in Portugal and Austria.
| Year | Winner | Bike | Second | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Billy Bolt | Husqvarna | Manuel Lettenbichler | World championship, round 3 and first race of the season |
| 2022 | Manuel Lettenbichler | KTM | Billy Bolt | World championship, round 4 |
| 2023 | Cancelled | Planned as round 3 | ||
| 2024 | Michael Walkner | GASGAS | Sonny Goggia | Italian national race |
| 2025 | Billy Bolt | Husqvarna | Manuel Lettenbichler | World championship, round 3 |
| 2026 | Manuel Lettenbichler | KTM | Mitch Brightmore | World championship, round 5 of 8 |
2021. Bolt topped Friday's timed practice and Saturday's qualification. The top 50 went through to Sunday's two-lap Super Final. Bolt won it in 1:44:36, 41.686 seconds ahead of Lettenbichler. Graham Jarvis was third and Jonny Walker fourth.
2022. Bolt won Saturday's qualifying and the Straight Rhythm. On Sunday, Final A riders had five hours for two laps. Only four finished both laps. Lettenbichler won in 4:13:29.553, 8:49.727 ahead of Bolt. It was his third world championship win in a row. Mario Román fought up from 13th to third. Matthew Green was fifth and the top junior.
2023. The race was planned for 7–9 July. It was cancelled in June. The FIM cited issues with the local authorities. The Italian federation (FMI) later said Tuscany Region rules to protect the environment forced the change.
2024. Abestone returned on 18–20 October as a national race under the FMI. Walkner won Final A by 14:03.785 from Goggia. Davide Paganoni was third. Heavy rain had soaked the course before the race. A non-competitive ride, the Motocavalcata, used the same course and needed no racing licence.
2025. Bolt won Saturday's one-hour race. On Sunday he and Lettenbichler fought wheel to wheel into the final X-Loop. Bolt won the two-hour main race by 4.014 seconds. Mitch Brightmore was third.
2026. Lettenbichler won the prologue, the Sprint and the main race.
Records
- Most wins: Bolt and Lettenbichler, two each.
- Bolt and Lettenbichler, first and second: three times, in 2021, 2022 and 2025.
- Closest finish: 2025, Bolt by 4.014 seconds.
- Biggest world championship margin: 2022, Lettenbichler by 8:49.727.
Sources: [1, 28, 27, 29, 23, 24, 25, 22, 20, 18, 21, 16, 17, 7, 8, 9]
