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Red Bull Sea to Sky Edition 7: Manuel Lettenbichler
wins the Beach Race! The 18 years old Manuel Lettenbichler (DEU, KTM) takes the win on race day #1 at Red Bull Sea to Sky 2016! Winning the Beach Race marks his first podium result at an Extreme Enduro race and with his father Andreas “Letti” Lettenbichler (DEU, KTM) coming in 2nd this is the first time ever that a father and a son finish on the podium. Wade Young (ZAF, Sherco) came in third The Track and the Qualifying The riders have to complete one lap that is 1.3km long and is fully of natural as well as manmade obstacles such as stone fields, tires and bridges. Andy Fazekas, who is responsible for the legendary Prologue at the Red Bull Romaniacs, spend 800 hours with his team to build it using among other things 250 tons of stones, more than 50 large tires and 30 cubic meters of wood. The rain before the first qualification heat didn’t hurt the track, only the second stone section got a little more demanding since the stones were round and thus a bit slippery. Which however didn’t affect the top riders. Wade Young opened the battle and didn’t have problems completing the lap. Then it was Letti’s turn to go flat out in the sand and rocks. Despite having reached a certain age, Letti hasn’t lost any of his pace and his riding still looks very clean. Rider #3 was Letti’s son Manuel - one of the young guns to battle for victory at the 7th Edition of Red Bull Sea to Sky. Since the track did have quite a lot of SuperEnduro elements it certainly pleased „Mani“ who is the reigning SuperEnduro Junior World Champion. Billy Bolt (UK, KTM) won the qualification heats with an impressive 7 seconds gap on Manuel Lettenbichler (DEU, KTM) followed by Andreas “Letti” Lettenbichler (DEU, KTM)! The Finals After a midday break the fastest 150 riders were split up into three groups of 50 riders each for the three finals - primarily to avoid major traffic jams at the manmade obstacles: Final C with the slowest 50 riders ranked 101-150, final B with the medium paced 50 riders ranked 51-100 and the final A with the fastest 50 riders ranked 1-50. The mode for the three finals in the afternoon is 15 minutes + 1 lap - which doesn’t sound that long but going flat out on a motocross track stuffed with SuperEnduro elements - such as rock sections, tree trunks and water - all over it puts the riders endurance to the test. When the finals started the beach was packed with a huge crowd cheering the riders especially through the tough sections. And most certainly all eyes were on the last final with the top riders. It was again Andreas „Letti“ Lettenbichler who took the holeshot - just like he did last year. But Billy Bolt (UK, KTM) was truly on fire and caught Letti just at the end of the first lap. From then on Billy pushed massively and had a solid lead when his chain broke - that was it for the 19-year-old super talent who - as almost all other top riders has a strong trials background. Letti took advantage of that and lead the race ahead of an ambitious Wade Young. Wade managed to pass Letti and the battle between the two was on. But it was Manuel Lettenbichler (DEU, KTM), the 18 years old son of Andreas, who took a better line in the boulder section to pass Young and his father. Letti, who arrived at that section behind Wade, showed his „never give up“ mentality and passed the 20 year old South African. The 2016 Red Bull Sea to Sky Beach Race result is a truly remarkable one: It is the first time ever that father and son both finish on the podium of an Extreme Enduro race of international format! Aled Price was the best placed British rider in 12th. Mark Jackson was 14th and Andy Knoakley waa 16th. Quotes from the riders Manuel Lettenbichler: “Honestly it’s an amazing feeling to be on the top of the podium. The race went right down to the wire and I managed to pass both my father and Wade on the final lap for the win - that’s crazy. Overall it was a hard race, very physical. The rocky sections were tough to make it safely through. When we got to them on the final lap I just found a different line than the guys went and sneaked through into the lead. It’s cool to be on the podium with my Dad too and to beat him is even better! The plan now is just to try and push hard for tomorrow’s Forest Race. I’ll be leading the field out so that’s something new for me but I’m excited for the challenge.” Andreas Lettenbichler: “That was a great race and a great fight. I didn’t see Manuel sneak up on us at the end and snatch the win, so I’ll have words with him for that! I managed to get the holeshot and lead most of lap one. Then when Billy Bolt dropped out I got back in the lead but Wade was closing in fast. He took the lead on the final lap but I gave it everything I had to pass him back in the final rock garden. I did it but then Manuel got us both. Second is cool, but it’s more special to be on the podium with my son even if he beat me!” Wade Young: “I got a decent start but rode a little tense on first rocky sections and lost time. I had to regroup and find my rhythm. Once I got going I managed to work my way forward and then got the lead on the final lap. The battle was hot with Andreas but unfortunately I just lost out at the end. It sucks a little to finish third having got into the lead but I’m hoping it will work in my favour when we start the Forest Race. I won it last year so hoping to repeat that tomorrow but the main goal is Saturday’s Mountain Race so the focus is getting there in one piece.” Billy Bolt: "It was all going well until about 10 minutes
into the race and my chain snapped, there's no way back from that, I just
had to suck it up! It was a shame because I think I had quite a good
lead. The results of the Beach Race determine the starting order of the Forest Race tomorrow, a time trial in the woods around Kemer. The track will be 42km long and all riders will push hard for the best possible time again because the results of the Forest Race determine in which starting row the riders will start in the main event - the Mountain Race on Saturday.
1 3 Manuel Lettenbichler KTM 300 EXC DEU 7 00:17:39.656
Red Bull Sea to Sky Edition 7: The Battle of the Young Guns! Kemer, Turkey 8/9th October Red Bull Turkey, the Kemer Enduro Club and XVENTURE are excited to announce that the 7th edition of Red Bull Sea to Sky is ready to rumble and will start tomorrow on October 6, 2016 in Kemer, Turkey. And this year it will be a new generation of riders to go for glory: Wade Young (RSA, KTM), Manuel Lettenbichler (DEU, KTM) and Billy Bolt (UK, KTM) are some of the hot candidates to put their names on the list of the Red Bull Sea to Sky winners. Extreme Enduro - the Next Generation For the 7th time the unique Extreme Enduro event at the Turkish Riviera is attracting riders from all over the world to race in a beautiful landscape and stunning terrain. 219 riders from 24 countries have completed the registration in Kemer. The unique and winning concept of 3 race days and 3 different styles really brings to light who the most complete riders are - you need to bring all the skills required: Motocross / SuperEnduro for the Beach Race, classical Enduro in the Forest Race and Extreme Enduro at the highest international standards in the main event - the Mountain Race. 2016 is the year to make history for the new generation in Extreme Enduro.
The new kids on the block did improve their skills and have added some
experience. Combined with their physical strength and endurance they’ve
all got what it takes to achieve the podium here at Red Bull Sea to Sky.
Since the factory teams of Jonny Walker (UK, KTM), Graham Jarvis (UK,
Husqvarna) and Alfredo Gomez (ESP, Husqvarna) have decided not to send them
in 2016 it’s up to rising stars to show what they are really made of. Wade Young (RSA, Sherco) - the youngest ever winner of the Roof of Africa Hard Enduro Rally in Lesotho at the age of 16 - got his first major European Extreme Enduro title by winning the Hell’s Gate early in the season: „Red Bull Sea to Sky is a really cool race and it’s a really cool place to be. You have the ocean and the mountain right there in the back. The pressure is on but my goal for Red Bull Sea to Sky clearly is to win the race!“ Manuel Lettenbichler (DEU, KTM) is 18 years old and after having scored a number of national titles in Trials switched to Extreme Enduro. He was the youngest rider to finish the Red Bull Hare Scramble at the Erzbergrodeo and with his father Andreas „Letti“ Lettenbichler he’s got ideal conditions to succeed. A first highlight was the 2016 Junior World Champion title in SuperEnduro: „I love Red Bull Sea to Sky – 3 days and 3 styles, it’s a great mix. The terrain is challenging with all the rocks in any shape and form in a beautiful landsacpe. With the beach and the good weather, it does feel a bit like being on vacation – despite the fact you’re racing and competing against the world’s best riders. Sure enough I will go flat out and I want to make it to the top 5, podium would be huge!“ Edition 7 with predominantly new tracks The XVENTURE boss and Red Bull Romaniacs mastermind Martin Freinademetz gathers his team and the Kemer Enduro Club on the very day after the main event at red Bull Sea to Sky to figure out what can be improved overall and especially regarding the tracks. The Kemer Enduro Club has spent a lot of time scouting new tracks and bringing in all the experience they’ve gained in the lasts editions of Red Bull Sea to Sky. As a result, the 2016 tracks will set new standards in getting a job done that is a real challenge: Designing tracks especially for the Mountain Race that will take even the top riders to their limits while making sure that they are ridable. It should be the skills of the riders to decide who’s winning - we want them to get the track done riding their bikes rather than pushing them. Beach Race Race day #1 of Red Bull Sea to Sky will start with the Beach Race on Thursday, October 6, 2016. The track once again is designed by Andy Fazekas, who is responsible for the legendary Prologue at the Red Bull Romaniacs. And with Andy’s creativity it’s guaranteed that the riders will face a challenging track with all the bells and whistles it takes to make the spectators scream and shout. Here are some facts and figures about the 2016 Beach Race: One lap is 1.3km long, 2 bridges have been built, 250 tons of stones, more than 50 large tires have been arranged and about 1,000 cubic meters of sand have been moved. A mass start will take the riders into a fenced round circuit similar to a motocross / SuperEnduro track with sandy soil, a high speed straight section going along the waterfront and some natural as well as manmade obstacles. The winner of the Beach Race is the rider who completes most laps in “15 minutes plus 1 more lap”. While 15 minutes doesn’t seem that long you can be rest assured that the riders will beg for a shower once they are done with the battle in the heat and the dust going over all those obstacles. The results of the Beach Race will determine the starting order for the Forest Race. The Forest Race Race day #2 will be a time trial in the woods around Kemer. The track will be shorter than last year with 42km but we expect most of the riders to spend about the same time on the bike as last year. So obviously the Forest Race track is a little more technical in 2016. There are superb views from the hills that are easily accessible for the spectators. The track is getting more demanding after it gets to the mountains and those who need to take a rest should treat themselves with a stop at the points of the track that provide an outstanding view of the Mediterranean Sea. The track will then lead back to the sea on challenging paths carved by donkeys and goats. But the fun ain’t over when you get to the beach. You will see the riders pass the ancient harbor of Phaselis where most of the tourist boats anchor and they will reach a pretty technical section that is also easily accessible for the spectators and that will give them a flavor of what’s to be expected in the Mountain Race on the following day. The riders will have to cross the river multiple times and ride along and even into an aqueduct so the bikes will most likely create little tsunamis if the riders manage to stay on the bike. Right before they get to the Red Bull finish arch there will be some entertaining section that Andy Fazekas has built with his team. Make sure to bring your cameras! The Mountain Race The 2016 Mountain Race track is about 60km long and has a total of three tank points if you’re going for Gold! It will start at the beach again and follow the river bed all the way. As in the past editions there are Bronze, Silver and Gold medals - so there will be nice souvenir for most of the riders to take back home. To get to the Bronze Finish on about 1,300m it’ll cost the riders about 10 intense kilometers within the river bed followed by some cute single trails and forest roads. Once the riders have passed the Bronze Finish and have ambitions to go for Silver or even Gold our Mountain Race track manager Ali „Jackal“ Özgül from the Kemer Enduro Club puts them to the test right after the Bronze Finish. There will be a section with a gnarly climb of about 200m of altitude difference. Once this is done the riders will follow an old goat trail that Ali and his team have spent a lot of time to uncover with their bushwhackers. The track will be demanding, riders will go through sweat and tears to reach the Silver Finish after about 40km at an altitude of – no, this is no typo – 425m. We should mention that the price you have to pay for reaching the Silver finish is that the track takes the riders to about 1,600 meters of altitude before they descend to the finish at 425m. After Silver the riders will „enjoy“ an old hunters trail for about 10km. Those 10km won’t be overly difficult but technically demanding without interruption and thus energy-sapping until the next checkpoint. The team of the Kemer Enduro Club again has spent a lot of time with their bushwhackers to make that old trail rideable. After that the riders will meet an old friend, the Dark Canyon, and they will celebrate the friendship while riding upwards. Make sure to bring something to drink to the party, you will need it! For the spectators there is good news: A new forest road will make it possible to easily reach an area where the last battles for the positions will take place. From there it will take the top riders about 10 minutes to get to the Red Bull finish arch at 2,365m on top of the Tahtali Mountain! This year we’re expecting the top riders to reach the finish of the Mountain Race in 3:30 hours. Within the 7 hours limit still a good amount of participants shall earn the Gold Medal. 2016 Prize Money A total of €10,000 will be paid out in Edition 7 of Red Bull Sea to Sky. The split will be as follows: Beach Race: 1st €1,000, 2nd €600, 3rd €400 Train with the Pros One of the many reasons why Red Bull Sea to Sky makes a lot of riders travel around the world is that they are offered to train with some of the world’s best and most experienced riders such as Andreas „Letti“ Lettenbichler and Lars Enöckl - who scored a brilliant 3rd place at Hell’s Gate this year and works for KTM developing new bikes. But also the young guns like Manuel Lettenbichler and Wade Young share their tips and tricks helping the riders to improve their skills and do better especially here at Red Bull Sea to Sky! Event Schedule All times EEST - Eastern European Summer Time Beach Race Forest Race Olympos Mountain Race Detailed information about Red Bull Sea to Sky www.redbullseatosky.com
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Results
Beach Race Final