KIWI RIDER NOVEMBER 2021 VOL2 | Page 19

BOLT CROWNED FIM HARD ENDURO CHAMPION

Husqvarna ’ s Billy Bolt has taken the firstever FIM Hard Enduro world title after a runner-up result at the Getzenrodeo in Germany . Riding to a second-place finish at GetzenRodeo behind KTM ’ s Manuel Lettenbichler , the eighth and final round of the inaugural FIM Hard Enduro World Championship , Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing ’ s Billy Bolt accrued the points needed to tie for overall championship points and take the championship by virtue of having a higher number of secondplace finishes earned throughout the year . The action at GetzenRodeo was intense . A morning qualifying race saw Bolt and Lettenbichler swap positions at the front for the entire two hours , with Lettenbichler claiming the win by just three-tenths of a second . Going into the afternoon ’ s final , Bolt knew a runner-up result would secure him the series victory and guarantee his name would go into the history books as the first-ever FIM Hard Enduro World Champion . Although Bolt ’ s performance under pressure at GetzenRodeo was nothing short of incredible , his world title is a result of a hugely successful , and consistent season that has seen the 24-year-old

claim three victories and finish on the podium at all but one round of the championship . Making a big impression at Extreme XL Lagares , the opening round of the series , and despite the shortened race not awarding championship points , Bolt threw down the gauntlet to his rivals and showed he meant business in 2021 . At Abestone Hard Enduro , he took his TE300i to the top of the timesheets on each of the three days of racing , cementing his position as one of the main championship contenders . Narrowly missing the podium at Romaniacs with a fourth-place finish , Billy bounced back in style , taking a huge victory at the Tennessee Knock Out , despite the added challenge of American racers hungry for success on their home turf . Two further second-place finishes earned at the HERO Challenge and Hixpania Hard Enduro 1gave Bolt a three-point advantage going into main rival Lettenbichler ’ s home race in Germany , and the rest is history ! Now , with the Hard Enduro Championship concluded for 2021 , Billy immediately looks ahead to the opening round of the 2022 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship , where he will be aiming to defend his 2020 title at the fiveround indoor series .
KIWI RIDER 19