Riders

Hard enduro — top riders

• Manuel Lettenbichler (Germany, 28) — the reigning force

  Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, KTM 300 EXC. Sealed a fifth straight world title (HEWC, 2022–2026) on the Friday of the Hixpania finale, with two races to spare. Won five of the seven rounds before Hixpania and was on the podium at every one. 2026 champion with 223 pts. Five consecutive Erzbergrodeo wins, and seven Romaniacs wins — equalling Graham Jarvis's all-time record. Known simply as “Mani.”
• Teodor Kabakchiev (Bulgaria, 28)

  Sherco Factory Team, Sherco 300. Won the Roof of Africa (round 6) for his first win of 2026 and finished third in the championship (149 pts). Also pushed the champion all the way to finish second overall at Romaniacs 2026. At 193 cm, a strikingly big rider for this discipline.
• Mitch Brightmore (UK, 23) — the challenger

  X-Grip Racing (satellite team, GasGas EC 300). Back-to-back Junior world champion (2023–24), took his first HEWC win at Silver Kings 2026, and held second in the standings from round 3 to the end — 2026 runner-up with 183 pts. His brother Ashton rides for the same team and finished fourth (143 pts), as well as Junior runner-up.

Hard enduro — riders to watch

• Billy Bolt (UK, 29) — king of the indoors

  Husqvarna Factory Racing, TE 300. Six consecutive SuperEnduro world titles (the indoor stadium series), plus the first-ever HEWC crown in 2021. His 2026 outdoor season was dented by a hand injury that kept him out of Erzberg and knee surgery that ruled him out of the Roof of Africa, but at the Hixpania finale he won both Friday's SuperEncierro and Saturday's sprint, then took third in the main race. A crowd favourite who sealed title number six in his home city of Newcastle. Seventh in the 2026 HEWC standings (104 pts).
• James Moore (South Africa)

  AG Racing Team Beta (run by Alfredo Gomez), Beta — he moved from KTM for 2026. Back-to-back Junior world champion (2025–26): in 2026 he beat Ashton Brightmore head-to-head in the final main race to take the title 188 to 184. The 2025 Roof of Africa winner; at the 2026 edition he set the fastest time on the final day to climb back to fifth overall. Fifth in the 2026 standings (138 pts).
• Trystan Hart (Canada, 29)

  FMF KTM Factory Racing — KTM's North American works team. Six straight US Hard Enduro titles and second at Erzberg 2026. He concentrates on the US series, so you won't find him in the world standings, but he is top-tier. Nicknamed “The Robot” for his consistency.
• Mario Roman (Spain, 35)

  MR74 Racing (his own team), Husqvarna TE 300. A veteran with one of the sport's biggest YouTube followings — catchphrase: “Sorry Bro.” Since 2026 a rider-owner fielding two young riders. Won the main race at the 2026 Hixpania finale on home soil, 1:00.8 ahead of the world champion. Sixth in the standings (120 pts).
• Graham Jarvis (UK, 51) — the living legend

  Jarvis Magpul Racing (his own team), Husqvarna TE 300. Five Erzberg wins, seven at Romaniacs, and a trials background you can see in his famously smooth, seated riding style. Won Hixpania in 2025 at age 50. Not retired: he now also runs his own race series and is developing the JARV-E electric hard enduro bike.
• Wade Young (South Africa, 30)

  Independent in 2026 (reported on a GasGas, though some results sheets list a KTM — unconfirmed). Joint record holder with nine Roof of Africa wins. Left the factory system and is rebuilding from home soil. Back from injury after missing 2025, he finished third at the 2026 Roof of Africa. Eighth in the standings (64 pts).
• Jonny Walker (UK, 35)

  Triumph Factory Racing. A past winner of the sport's biggest races, now the face of Triumph's bold entry into enduro. Not contesting the HEWC in 2026: he finished second in the SuperEnduro world championship and rode Romaniacs on a Tiger 900 adventure bike as a showcase. Documents it all on YouTube.
• Alfredo Gomez (Spain, 37)

  Rieju Factory Team. The 2017 Erzbergrodeo winner, now developer-and-rider for the small Spanish maker Rieju — enough of a figurehead that the company sells a “Gomez Replica” production model.
• Michael Walkner (Austria, b. 1997)

  Austria's home hero at Erzberg. He announced his retirement from professional racing in December 2024 — his words: quit while it's at its best — but hasn't left the sport entirely, still turning up for selected races. He took seventh at the 30th-anniversary Erzbergrodeo in 2026.
• Dominik Olszowy (Poland, 26)

  Rieju Factory Racing, Rieju MR PRO 300. SuperEnduro Junior world champion (2022) and Poland's biggest hope since Taddy Blazusiak.
• Eddie Karlsson (Sweden, 31)

  A convert from trials (European champion in 2013) who switched to enduro in 2020. He cracked the top ten at Silver Kings on an electric Stark. The home hero of Sweden's first world round, Forza Orza.

Ages as of August 2026. Positions and points are the final 2026 results over all eight rounds, checked against the official standings on 29 October 2026. Hixpania results are from the official race reports. Where a birth date or team could not be verified, we say so.

Enduro (EnduroGP) — top riders

• Josep Garcia (Spain, 29) — 2026 champion

  Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, KTM 250 EXC-F. Third straight EnduroGP title (the overall classification across all classes) and fourth straight Enduro1 title. Won all twelve E1 days in 2026 and took his 50th EnduroGP win at the Wales finale. Five-time ISDE overall individual winner.
• Andrea Verona (Italy)

  Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, KTM 450 EXC-F. Moved from GasGas to KTM for 2026. Third straight Enduro2 title, nine world titles in all. Second in EnduroGP.
• Zach Pichon (France)

  TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team. Third in EnduroGP, second in Enduro2 — just six seconds behind Verona for the E2 crown.

Enduro (EnduroGP) — riders to watch

• Steve Holcombe (Great Britain)

  Sherco Racing Factory. 2026 Enduro3 champion — his tenth world title.
• Brad Freeman (Great Britain)

  Beta Factory Team. Runner-up to Holcombe in Enduro3 in 2026.
• Hamish Macdonald (New Zealand)

  Sherco. Third in Enduro2 in 2026.
• Morgan Lesiardo (Italy)

  Triumph. Second in Enduro1 in 2026.
• Alberto Elgari (Italy)

  TM MOTO Boano Factory Enduro Team. 2026 Junior world champion (and J1 World Cup winner) — the next generation's front runner.

The 2026 EnduroGP season ended in Wales in August. Positions are final.

Rally (W2RC) — top riders

• Daniel Sanders (Australia)

  Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Leads the 2026 standings (87 pts). 2025 Dakar winner and 2025 W2RC champion.
• Luciano Benavides (Argentina) — 2026 Dakar winner

  Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Won the 2026 Dakar by two seconds from Brabec. Second in the standings.
• Tosha Schareina (Spain)

  Monster Energy Honda HRC. Dakar runner-up in 2025, third in 2026. Third in the standings.

Rally (W2RC) — riders to watch

• Ricky Brabec (USA)

  Monster Energy Honda HRC, Honda CRF450 Rally. Dakar winner in 2020 and 2024; second by two seconds in 2026.
• Edgar Canet (Spain)

  Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, KTM 450 Rally. Stepped up after winning the 2025 Rally2 title, and took his first RallyGP win at the 2026 Rallye du Maroc.
• Adrien Van Beveren (France)

  Monster Energy Honda HRC, Honda CRF450 Rally. Best Dakar finish: third (2024 and 2025).
• Shinya Fujiwara (Japan)

  RS moto RACING, Honda CRF450 RX Rally. A trials rider and the only Japanese rider at the 2026 Dakar, finishing on his first attempt (44th in Rally2, 55th overall among bikes).

W2RC standings after round 4 (Morocco). The final round, Abu Dhabi, runs in November.