The final round of the Hard Enduro World Championship (HEWC) Series, the iconic Roof of Africa, concluded on Saturday, 22 November, with a stunning blend of high-octane racing, navigational drama, and a triumphant new champion being crowned the “King of the Roof.” The challenging three-day event in the Maloti Mountains of Lesotho delivered a spectacular finale to the 2025 HEWC season.
The final day of racing saw riders start and finish at Music Box near Roma (which also served as the DSP), under great, clear weather conditions that were notably warmer than the previous day. Competitors faced two loops, requiring them to sweat it out as they tackled gruelling climbs and descents. The primary challenge of the day proved to be navigation, demanding precision alongside physical endurance.
International riders were challenged not only by the brutal terrain but also by the navigational requirements – an element where many of the South African riders, more familiar with both the landscape and GPS tracking, held a distinct advantage.
Moore Takes the Roof Title, Lettenbichler Secures the World Championship
The drama unfolded early on in the Gold class. James Moore (Brother Leadertread KTM/Rigo Racing) opened the stage but suffered a major setback when his GPS failed, costing him significant time and positions as he got lost in the mountains.
After the first loop, the standings at the DSP saw Teodore Kabakchiev (Sherco Factory Racing) and his teammate Mario Roman looking strong, with Matthew Green (F61 Racing) also maintaining a good pace with the leading group. Both Billy Bolt (Husqvarna Racing) and Mani Lettenbichler (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) were aggressively pushing to close the gaps and position themselves for podium contention. Moore arrived outside the top 10 after Loop 1, putting his bid for the Roof title on shaky ground.
However, the young rider, leveraging his lead from the previous day and demonstrating a tenacious spirit, dug deep and finished the final day in an impressive sixth position. This critical finish was enough: James Moore, who was also recently crowned the Junior Hard Enduro World Champ, was officially crowned the new 2025 Roof of Africa Champion. The “Mother of Hard Enduro” has a new title holder – the young guns are coming through the ranks!
Meanwhile, Mani Lettenbichler crossed the final finish line in second place for the day, a result that secured his overall season victory. Mani was subsequently crowned the 2025 Hard Enduro World Champion!
The final stage win of the Roof went to an on-form Billy Bolt, while Mario Roman took third for the day. A serious incident occurred when Kabakchiev suffered a bad tumble while climbing a waterfall, sadly ending his day early. Mitch Brightmore (X-Grip Racing) put in a consistent ride to finish fifth, just two seconds behind Matthew Green in fourth for the day. Sandra Gomez (Gomez Racing Team) won Top Performing Woman in the HEWC, a huge accolade in hard enduro racing.
2025 HEWC Series Final Podium:
Mani Lettenbichler (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna Racing)
Mitch Brightmoore (X-Grip Racing on GasGas)
2025 Roof of Africa Overall Top 5 (Gold Class):
James Moore (Brother Leadertread KTM/Rigo Racing)
Mani Lettenbichler (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna Racing)
Mario Roman (Sherco Factory Team)
Mitch Brightmoore (X-Grip Racing on GasGas)
Top Performing Woman in HEWC
Sandra Gomez (Gomez Racing Team)
Final Results Across All Classes
The spirit of Hard Enduro was on full display with brilliant riding from all classes. The final overall results for the supporting classes are as follows:
Silver 2025 Roof of Africa Overall Top 5:
Grant Burton-Durham (Beta Racing South Africa)
Branden Swanepoel (Trademore Sherco)
Matthew Burger (KTM)
Barend JL Du Toit (KTM)
Charan Moore (Triumph Racing)
Bronze 2025 Roof of Africa Overall Top 5:
Stiaan van Den Heever (KTM)
Geoff Patterson (KTM)
Jamie Wilson (KTM)
Michael Morris (Sherco)
Altus de Wet (Altie Create KTM)
Iron 2025 Roof of Africa Overall Top 5:
Gideon Malherbe (Sherco)
Ian Rall (Brother Leadertread KTM)
Seamus McCarthy (Beta)
Tom Classen (KTM)
Zane Do Amaral (KTM)
Community Outreach and HEWC 2026 News
Riders, support crews, and spectators provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on this year’s Roof of Africa. The people of Lesotho were once again lauded as gracious and welcoming hosts.
As a showing of gratitude to the local communities most affected by the event, the organisers have arranged a free dental clinic. They have partnered with four dentists from Spain, part of the One Life, Smile organisation, to offer free dental check-ups and assistance, alongside handing out clothing, toothbrushes, and gifts. The One Life, Smile clinics, led by Dr Pablo Beardo, will operate throughout the week in various communities, starting with the village near Music Box.
In a key announcement during the wrap-up festivities, Glenn Olsson, CEO of KONG Event and Forza Orza Event Manager, confirmed that the Hard Enduro World Championship will be expanding in 2026. Sweden will join the series with the new event, Forza Orza, taking place in Orsa Grönklitt on August 20–23, 2026.
Final word from Roof of Africa 2025
“What a phenomenal week! As the 2025 Roof of Africa concludes, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to its success. Thank you to all the dedicated participants for tackling the Maloti Mountains with such heart. A huge thank you also goes to our invaluable partners like LORA, Lesotho Tourism and ISSC, and all our sponsors, including FNB Lesotho, LNDC, ZMG ISUZU, Plews Tyres, Avani, Starlink by T-Connect, Beta South Africa, NPL, Lizzard, Econet, MGC, Maluti, Tib Insurance, Sox, XCO and Bandit Graffix. And of course, a special shout-out to our fuel partner Trademore Sherco and the ever-popular Motul Bike Wash for keeping the machines running and shining. We couldn’t have done it without you all!” – Ross Whitehead, Event Director.
For videos, photos and interviews from this thrilling finale, follow The Roof of Africa on Facebook and Instagram. For results from all the classes over all the days, go to: www.theroofofafrica.com and click on Results.
