Manuel Lettenbichler on the Fox Feature Podcast
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Presented by Fox Racing
PHOTOS | Red Bull & KTM
This might sound bold, but it’s the truth: Manuel Lettenbichler is one of the best riders to swing a leg over an off-road motorcycle in the modern era. With support from Red Bull KTM’s factory racing team, Lettenbichler traveled to some of the toughest events in the world through 2019 for the WESS Enduro World Championship, finished on the podium in five of the eight races, and scored two overall wins on his way to claiming the title.
What’s the backstory on this new world champion? Lettenbichler is a second-generation off-road racer (his father, Andreas, is renowned in trials and off-road circles) from Germany that encompasses the full mountain lifestyle. You can catch Manny skiing the slopes in Europe or mountain biking through the backcountry trails, then guiding his KTM 300 XC over rocky terrain. It all seems to come easy for the 21-year-old…
During a recent trip to the United States Lettenbichler balanced time with longtime sponsors Fox Racing and Red Bull, then lined up for the King of the Motos hard enduro in California’s High Desert. Lettenbichler led the majority of the race until struggles with the GPS navigation in the final lap sent him slightly off-course, which resulted in a time penalty that put him third-place overall.
Just as his time in the States came to an end, we got on the phone with Lettenbichler and Fox Racing’s Austin Hoover to discuss the allure of hard enduro and the popularity of the series, which starts in May with the Porto Extreme XL Lagares in Portugal.
