Exceptional, emotional, and incredible are the main words that come to mind to describe the World Championship victories of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler and Josep Garcia. As the reality of achieving their goals sets in, on what has been quite a journey through 2023 aboard completely new KTM EXC machinery, we take a look at their FIM Hard Enduro and FIM Enduro1 World titles.
Defying the odds Manuel Lettenbichler raced his way to victory in the 2019 WESS Enduro World Championship as a KTM-supported privateer. A monumental season of firsts, Mani recalls his highlights of the season past as he prepares for the 2020 championship to finally start as part of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team…
I may have dialed things down a notch over the past year while I got over my injury, but only in preparation for the new adventures to come. After 238 days I was back on the bike and after 363 days I was full of energy, commitment, and READY TO RACE again!
A lot of people have a passion, or an area of their life, that feels all-encompassing and really defines who they are. When this thing – whatever it is – gets taken away from them suddenly and unexpectedly, it can really turn their world upside down and make them view life from a different perspective. In my case, it was the world of motorsport, where I’d made so many awesome memories. Over the last few months I’ve really experienced the drawbacks of the sport. But it’s this that makes my return that much sweeter.
That moment when you’re sat in hospital listening to a diagnosis and the details of an injury can often be very sobering. You usually start off thinking “it won’t be so bad” approach and hope for good news. I was just the same, clinging to a small spark of hope …
Dialing things down a notch. But only in preparation for new adventures … That’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the past few months. My injury marked the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life. My main focus was no longer new adventures, but rather something much simpler, and self-explanatory: recovering!
Over the past few months, my focus has solely been on one project; my goal, my dream – finishing the Red Bull Romaniacs! It’s unbelievable how quickly the preparation time, and now the race itself, have flown by.
Every enduro rider the world over has heard of the Iron Giant in Austria! In 2017 it once again provided the setting for the world’s hardest one-day hard enduro race.
Getting your first bike is like a dream come true. I can still recall the moment when I laid eyes on my own Enduro for the very first time: A 2015 KTM 350 EXC-F. I loaded it onto the trailer and proudly drove it home.
It was a little while ago now, but special opportunities to ride factory bikes are few and far between. We let Jonathan Pearson buckle up and ride some of the best offroad motorcycles on the planet, and at the home of Antoine Meo. Sounds like the perfect day out to us at the KTM BLOG!
