Teodor Kabakchiev Claims First 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Victory at Roof of Africa
Cover picture credit: 📸 tracksidebyjames
The 2026 Roof of Africa once again lived up to its reputation as the ‘Mother of Hard Enduro’, delivering three days of gruelling racing across Lesotho’s spectacular Maloti Mountains. Celebrating a legacy that dates back to 1967, the event remains one of the most demanding fixtures on the international hard enduro calendar, challenging riders with rocky terrain, river crossings, steep mountain climbs and elevations ranging from 1,400 metres to more than 3,000 metres.
Spanning hundreds of kilometres over three days, the Roof of Africa is as much a test of endurance, navigation and mechanical reliability as it is of outright riding ability. With live rider tracking, event updates and emergency helicopter support, the race also places considerable emphasis on rider safety across its challenging mountain terrain.
This year’s edition, which formed Round 6 of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, saw Sherco Factory Racing’s Teodor Kabakchiev emerge victorious after an outstanding performance, securing his first championship round win of the season and becoming the only Gold Class competitor to finish in under ten hours.
The Bulgarian completed the event with a combined time of 9:59:46.2, finishing 2 minutes and 46.9 seconds ahead of championship leader Manuel Lettenbichler after an exceptionally close battle that went down to the final stages.
Kabakchiev Delivers a Consistent Performance
Kabakchiev’s victory was built on consistency across all three days of competition. After finishing fourth in Thursday’s Time Trial, the Sherco rider delivered a commanding performance in Friday’s gruelling 110km Big Loop, taking the stage victory and moving into contention for the overall win.
Heading into Saturday’s Final Ascent, Kabakchiev held a 42-second advantage over South African Wade Young, with Lettenbichler another 39 seconds further back. The final day consisted of two laps of a demanding 38km course, leaving little room for mistakes as the leading riders battled for the overall podium.
Although Lettenbichler managed to claw back considerable time during the final stage, Kabakchiev’s advantage from Friday proved sufficient to secure the victory. He completed Saturday’s racing in 3:44:37.0, recording the second-fastest time of the day and bringing an end to his wait for a first FIM Hard Enduro World Championship victory in 2026.
Speaking after the race, Kabakchiev said: “I’m still speechless – [this is] the first victory in a world championship event for me. It’s been years in the making and I’m really happy to make it happen today. Today I can say that I’m number one in the world.”
He also thanked the Sherco Factory Racing team, his supporters, Bulgarian fans and family for helping him achieve the milestone.
Lettenbichler and Young Separated by Just 0.1 Seconds
While Kabakchiev celebrated victory, the battle for the remaining podium positions produced one of the closest finishes in the event’s history.
South African Wade Young arrived in Lesotho looking to extend his record at the Roof of Africa. Having already secured nine victories, Young was chasing a tenth win that would give him the outright record, moving clear of fellow nine-time winner Alfie Cox. After missing the 2025 edition through injury, the South African was determined to return to the top step.
Young had positioned himself well throughout the event and started Saturday’s Final Ascent with a 38-second advantage over Lettenbichler. However, the German championship leader produced an impressive final-day performance, recovering the deficit and eventually edging Young by just 0.1 seconds in the overall classification.
Lettenbichler finished second overall in 10:02:33.1, with Young classified third in 10:02:33.2. The result leaves Young waiting for his historic tenth victory, while Lettenbichler continues his search for a first Roof of Africa win.
Reflecting on his performance, Lettenbichler said he was pleased with the final day, particularly the more technical nature of the course, which allowed him to concentrate on his riding rather than navigation. He also explained how catching Young during the second lap helped him focus on the closing stages.
Matthew Green completed a strong week in fourth overall, rounding out the leading group after remaining competitive throughout the demanding three-day event.
James Moore Charges Back After Mechanical Setback
Defending champion James Moore produced one of the standout performances of the weekend, recovering from a disastrous second day to finish fifth overall and secure the Junior Class victory.
Moore began his title defence in impressive fashion, topping Thursday’s Time Trial with a time of 25:01.91, finishing 15.74 seconds ahead of Lettenbichler. However, his hopes of defending the overall title suffered a major setback during Friday’s Big Loop when a mechanical problem cost him more than 44 minutes and dropped him to 11th in the combined standings.
With the overall victory effectively out of reach, Moore turned his attention to Saturday’s Final Ascent and delivered a remarkable comeback. His time of 3:39:25.8 was more than five minutes quicker than Kabakchiev’s second-fastest time, making him the fastest rider on the final day.
The performance moved Moore through the field to fifth overall and secured the Junior Class win, ahead of Thomas Scales, who finished sixth overall, and Luke John Walker in seventh.
Ashton Brightmore finished ninth overall, while his older brother Mitch Brightmore came home tenth after a challenging event that included a five-minute penalty during Thursday’s Time Trial.
A Challenging Start for the Championship Contenders
Thursday’s Time Trial established the starting order for the main stages and immediately set the tone for a fiercely contested event.
Moore’s fastest official time of 25:01.91 put him ahead of Lettenbichler, while Ashton Brightmore finished third, just 0.70 seconds behind the German. Kabakchiev qualified fourth, with Young fifth, keeping the leading contenders closely grouped ahead of the two long days in the mountains.
Mitch Brightmore’s performance was particularly noteworthy, despite the eventual penalty. His raw second-lap time of 24:11.99 was the fastest recorded, but a five-minute penalty pushed his official time down to ninth, leaving him with valuable time to recover over the remainder of the event.
Friday’s Big Loop then reshuffled the overall standings. Kabakchiev took control with his stage victory, finishing 32 seconds ahead of Young, while Lettenbichler remained within striking distance. The leading four riders, including Green, broke clear early and maintained an intense pace across more than 100 kilometres of demanding terrain.
For Moore, however, Friday proved costly. His mechanical problems dropped him well down the standings, while the Junior classification became increasingly unpredictable after Ashton Brightmore also encountered difficulties.
South African Riders Take on the Roof
The 2026 Roof of Africa once again provided a major platform for South African riders, with Wade Young leading the local challenge in the Gold Class and several competitors delivering strong performances across the other categories.
Young’s third-place finish in Gold was particularly significant given his pursuit of a record tenth overall victory. His return to the event following injury in 2025 also added another chapter to his long association with Lesotho’s demanding mountain terrain.
In the Bronze Class, Paulus van Niekerk Jnr claimed victory with a combined time of 8:12:30.0, finishing ahead of Stuart Pearce, who recorded 8:39:34.2. David Thomas completed the podium in third with 8:45:31.4, followed by Rory Gower and Wilhelm Schonfeldt, who were separated by less than a second.
The Bronze Class top ten was completed by Altus de Wet, Michael Morris, Shabeer Moosa, Maximilian Schröder and Reece Rodgers, highlighting the depth of competition in one of the event’s most fiercely contested categories.
The Iron Class also delivered an impressive display of determination, with Luke Lawlor taking the victory in 6:39:57.2. Andre Strauss finished second in 7:04:06.0, while Ruan de Lange secured third in 7:06:51.1. Andre Barnard and Bradley Meyer rounded out the top five.
In the Silver Class, Grant Burton Durham claimed overall honours with a time of 12:02:49.3. Stiaan van Den Heever finished just under a minute behind in second, recording 12:03:46.1, while Adam Rex Bac completed the podium in 12:22:56.8. Justin Rom and Branden Swanepoel finished fourth and fifth respectively.
CFMOTO 450MT Makes an Impressive Roof of Africa Debut
One of the notable stories outside the Gold Class battle was the performance of the CFMOTO 450MT, which made its Roof of Africa debut in the Bronze Class with CFMOTO South Africa brand ambassador Travis Teasdale.
Competing against specialised enduro machinery on a demanding course designed to push both riders and motorcycles to their limits, Teasdale demonstrated the potential of the middleweight adventure motorcycle despite an unfortunate start to the event.
A hole in the sump during Thursday’s Time Trial forced Teasdale to withdraw from the stage rather than risk further damage to the motorcycle. The setback meant he started Friday’s racing well down the order in 214th position.
However, the South African responded with an impressive ride through the field, charging to a dominant Bronze Class victory on Day 2 before backing it up with a seventh-place finish on the final day.
The result demonstrated the resilience of both rider and machine and provided an encouraging indication of what smaller-capacity adventure motorcycles can achieve in extreme off-road conditions. Teasdale’s performance also raises the possibility of a dedicated small-capacity adventure motorcycle class at future editions of the Roof of Africa.
KTM 390 Adventure R Takes on the Challenge
Ian Rall also put the KTM 390 Adventure R through its paces in the Bronze Class, finishing 51st overall after three demanding days in Lesotho.
Taking on fully fledged enduro race motorcycles with a road-legal adventure bike was always going to be a significant challenge, particularly across the steep, rocky and technically demanding sections that define the Roof of Africa.
Although the result may not have been everything the team had hoped for, reaching the finish and completing the event provided a valuable demonstration of the motorcycle’s adventure credentials in some of the toughest conditions imaginable.
2026 Roof of Africa: Ladies Results
The ladies delivered an impressive performance at the 2026 Roof of Africa in Lesotho, with Kirsten Landman claiming victory in the Silver Class and taking the Overall Ladies title. Riding her GasGas number 106, Landman added another achievement to her remarkable hard enduro career, further cementing her place in the history of the event.
In the Bronze Class, Samantha Ferreira took the victory, adding to the strong showing from the women across the challenging mountain terrain.
A Championship Battle Heading to Türkiye
Lettenbichler’s second-place finish in Lesotho further strengthened his position at the top of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship standings, extending his advantage over Mitch Brightmore as the series heads into its final rounds.
Before the Roof of Africa, Lettenbichler led the championship on 150 points, with Brightmore second on 126 and Kabakchiev third on 94. Kabakchiev’s victory in Lesotho adds valuable points to his campaign, while Brightmore’s challenging weekend leaves him with ground to recover.
The championship now heads directly to Kemer, Türkiye, for Round 7, the Sea to Sky Hard Enduro, scheduled for October 8–10. The season will then conclude in Spain with the 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro from October 23–25.
With the title fight still unfolding and the final two rounds approaching, the Roof of Africa has once again proved pivotal in shaping the championship standings.
For Kabakchiev, however, Lesotho will be remembered as the place where years of effort finally delivered his first victory of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship season. For Young, it was another podium in an event that has defined much of his career, while Lettenbichler leaves with valuable championship points after a finish separated from second place by the smallest possible margin.
The 2026 Roof of Africa has once again demonstrated why it remains one of the most iconic events in hard enduro, combining a rich history with a unique challenge that continues to test the very best riders and machines in the world.