The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is days away from its penultimate round. Sea to Sky, Round 7, runs in Kemer, Türkiye, from 8–10 October, and Manuel Lettenbichler arrives as championship leader after a Roof of Africa that delivered a very tight finish.
Roof of Africa: One Tenth Decides It
Teodor Kabakchiev won Round 6 in Lesotho for Sherco Factory Racing, his first HEWC victory. His combined time of 9:59:46.2 made him the only Gold Class rider to finish under ten hours. Behind him, Lettenbichler (KTM) overturned a 38-second overnight deficit to Wade Young on the final day, taking second by just 0.1 seconds after nearly ten hours of accumulated racing.
Matthew Green finished a strong fourth. Defending Roof winner James Moore lost more than 44 minutes to a mechanical problem on Friday, then set the fastest time of the final day by over five minutes to climb to fifth overall and win the Junior class.
Sea to Sky: Different Terrain, Same Stakes
Where Lesotho tested navigation across long mountain loops, Sea to Sky takes riders from the beaches of Kemer to the mountain summit, blending extreme racing with a festival atmosphere on the Turkish coast. Sand, forest and a punishing final climb all feature in a single weekend. With only Sea to Sky and the 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro (23–25 October) remaining, every point now carries extra weight.
Built to Survive Beach to Summit
Few rounds stress equipment across such a range of surfaces, and that is where the championship's technical partners earn their place. Plews Tyres, exclusive tyre partner of the HEWC from 2026 to 2028, provides on-site support at every round. Its Tough One carried James Moore (2025) to FIM Junior Hard Enduro World title, and Plews-supported riders including Moore, Mario Roman, Sherco Factory Racing and Matthew Green, who have all showed class this season.
Factory Links, the Official Bearing & Linkage Partner, focuses on the parts that take the hardest hits: wheel bearings, linkage and chassis kits. Its Race Series bearing kits use multi-lip sealing designed to keep out the mud, water and grit hard enduro throws at a bike. Spanish specialist S3 Parts, also an official partner, builds hard enduro hardware from skid plates and footpegs to brake pedals and clutch covers, and its range includes Billy Bolt and Mario Roman replica collections.
What's at Stake in Kemer
Lettenbichler left Lesotho with an extended championship lead, but Kabakchiev's breakthrough win and the Brightmore brothers' consistency keep the overall and Junior fights alive, with Ashton Brightmore sharing the lead in the Junior classification. Check the latest 2026 HEWC standings, then follow the action at Sea to Sky in Kemer, Türkiye, 8–10 October 2026.