Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt, together with his teammate Alfredo Gomez, are set to do battle in Germany this weekend at the all-important eighth and final round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship – GetzenRodeo. For Bolt it’s promising to be a huge occasion, as the Brit comes into the race as the series leader, three points ahead of his nearest rival, and looking to become the first ever FIM Hard Enduro World Champion. For the on-form Gomez, who won last time out at Hixpania Hard Enduro, the Spaniard is looking to deliver another race-winning performance and end his 2021 campaign on a high.
Finishing as runner-up to his teammate at Hixpania Hard Enduro, Billy Bolt increased his lead at the top of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship standings to three points. It’s a slender lead, but one that gives him a huge advantage going into the final round at GetzenRodeo. A win will grant the TE 300i racer the title, crowning him the first FIM Hard Enduro World Champion. A second-place finish to championship rival Manuel Lettenbichler would result in a tiebreaker, but the title would go to Bolt by virtue of his string of consistent performances throughout the year.
Over the six events raced so far in 2021, five have awarded championship points. Bolt has finished on the podium at all but one race, where he claimed fourth at Romaniacs. His run of strong results, including wins at Extreme XL Lagares, Abestone Hard Enduro, and the Tennessee Knock Out, show the young Brit is at the top of his game and more than capable of claiming victory at GetzenRodeo.
Another man on form is Alfredo Gomez. After a steady start to the season following a knee infection, the experienced Spaniard is now really showing his class. Gomez was untouchable in front of his local fans at Hixpania, and heads to the final round hoping to shake things up at the one-day event. Expect him to show the speed that took him to a runner-up finish there in 2019.
GetzenRodeo is a one-day Hard Enduro race held near Griessbach in the east of Germany. The morning’s two-hour GetzenRace qualifier will see 60 riders battle for a place in the GetzenChamp final. Here the top 15 qualifiers take on an 80-minute-plus-one-lap hard enduro, ridden in reverse to the morning’s race. At the close of competition, the 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Champion will be crowned.
Billy Bolt: “I’m looking forward to Getzen, obviously there is a fair amount of pressure going into the final round, but I’m feeling good and plan to just take it like any other race and give it my best. I’ve been spending the last few weeks mixing training with rehab on my knee, just trying to keep my mind and body occupied during the lead up to this final race. I rode GetzenRodeo back in 2019 and didn’t do too badly even though I was still recovering from some surgery on my leg back then. I think the race should suit me well – the final is quite short and covers the sort of terrain I do well at. I think it will be pretty similar to TKO, so hopefully I can take a similar result. The year up to now has been really good, me and Mani have battled pretty hard and now it’s all coming down to this final race. I’m going to go out there and give my all – hopefully that will be enough to get the job done. But it won’t be easy, Mani has been tough to beat all year and I’m sure he’ll be fired up at his local event and going even harder. I’ll try and enjoy the moment while I’m there, and hopefully go home happy.”
Alfredo Gomez: “Obviously, after my win at Hixpania I’ve been feeling really good. And I’ve tried to keep my training at the same level to carry my speed into Germany. I’m really happy with how I feel on the bike at the moment, so everything has come together really nicely. The plan of course is to get another win and finish my season off on a high. It’s been a tough year – I came into the first few rounds on the back foot after having an infection in my knee and not being able to ride for four months. I knew it would take time to get back up to speed and full fitness, and my goal was to fight for the win at Getzen originally. To be competitive in Spain and take the Hixpania win has been a real boost. I’m very happy right now and hope I can fight for another win to finish off my championship on a high.”
