Manuel
Lettenbichler
Germany
·
Enduro
Date of birth | April 30, 1998 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | Rosenheim |
Age | 28 |
Nationality | Germany |
Career start | 2014 |
Discipline | Enduro |
Manuel 'Mani' Lettenbichler grew up surrounded by motorcycles. The son of former trials and hard enduro rider Andreas Lettenbichler, he started riding trials bikes at the age of five and went on to win three German junior trials titles.
Following in his father's footsteps, he switched to hard enduro as a teenager. In 2014, aged just 16, he became the youngest rider to finish the Red Bull Hare Scramble at Erzberg. Two years later, he claimed the 2016 FIM SuperEnduro Junior World Championship title.
From rising talent to World Enduro Super Series champion
After finishing runner-up in the 2018 World Enduro Super Series, Lettenbichler claimed the overall title in 2019. His breakthrough season included his first Red Bull Romaniacs victory, becoming the youngest winner in the event's history, as well as wins at the Tennessee Knockout and GetzenRodeo.
He continued his success at Red Bull Romaniacs in 2020 and 2021, completing three consecutive victories at the demanding Romanian rally. In 2021, he also won GetzenRodeo and finished runner-up in the inaugural FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, tied on points with champion Billy Bolt.
Four consecutive FIM Hard Enduro World Championship titles
In 2022, Lettenbichler claimed his first FIM Hard Enduro World Championship title, securing the crown with victory at Hixpania Hard Enduro in Spain. Despite missing the opening round following knee surgery, he won five of the season's eight races.
“I can’t believe it – this feels so good," he said after sealing the title with victory in Spain’s Hixpania Hard Enduro. "I’m so happy to get the job done, and it’s even better to do it with a win here in Spain, especially in front of this sick crowd. They’ve given so much support to everyone the whole weekend, it’s been amazing.”
His dominance continued in 2023, when he completed a perfect FIM Hard Enduro World Championship season by winning all six rounds. He successfully defended his title again in 2024 and 2025, securing four consecutive world championship titles.
Historic victories at Erzbergrodeo and Romaniacs
Lettenbichler continued rewriting the hard enduro record books in 2026. In June, he claimed his fifth consecutive Red Bull Erzbergrodeo victory, joining Taddy Błażusiak and Graham Jarvis as the event's joint record holders with five wins each.
Two months later, he secured his seventh Red Bull Romaniacs victory, equalling Jarvis's all-time record at the Romanian rally. Lettenbichler dominated the four off-road stages and finished more than an hour ahead of his nearest rival.
His strong form also extended to the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, with victories at Extreme XL Lagares in Portugal, Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy and Sea to Sky in Türkiye. At the latter, he overcame a difficult start to the weekend to win the decisive Mountain Race after starting from 15th position, strengthening his bid for a fifth consecutive world title.