Nerves stretched to the limit, spectacular starts, heart-stopping overtakes and crashes — a fiery atmosphere filled the stands. The SuperEnduro GP of Hungary was watched live by 15,000 spectators at the MVM Dome, surpassing last year’s attendance. In the Prestige category, Billy Bolt claimed victory amid incredible drama, while the European Cup also delivered Hungarian success, with Norbert Zsigovits finishing second to the delight of the home crowd.
Here we have a world champion — not once, but five times — now chasing a sixth title. By now, Budapest feels almost like home for him, and he rarely leaves empty-handed. Britain’s Billy Bolt arrived at the MVM Dome with a 40-point championship lead and, thanks to a sensational performance, secured another victory, leaving Hungary with a commanding 61-point advantage.
Before the event, Bolt said his biggest motivation was the fact that everyone is trying to catch him. To their credit, his rivals gave it everything — and came very close. But only very close.
Nothing seemed to unsettle Bolt. With his trademark relaxed style and effortless elegance, he calmly handled a collision with one of his main rivals, Jonathan Walker, in the first race, which dropped both riders back to sixth and seventh place. Anyone who thought the race was over at that point was badly mistaken: the defending champion carved his way through the field, overtaking one competitor after another, and ultimately claimed victory after making up nearly a full minute. He won the second race comfortably, then crashed again in the third — only to fight back once more. Three races, three wins. Looking only at the results, one might say it went according to the script. But nothing could be further from the truth.
“This race showed once again that anything can happen in this sport. I’m not sure I was the fastest tonight, but the win was mine,” said Bolt. “In the first race, I honestly didn’t even know who was leading — I only realized I’d won because the crowd was screaming. In situations like that, there’s no time to dwell on mistakes; you just have to push as hard as you can. All day long, I focused on my own pace and on riding good laps.”
In the Junior category, the Hungarian fans closely followed Roland Liszka, who secured third place overall at last year’s home round. This season, however, superenduro has not been his main focus — he had not competed in a single race in this discipline so far, yet he could not miss the Hungarian event. Considering the circumstances and the many challenges he faced during the races, his seventh-place finish is highly commendable.
“So much happened today that I can hardly recall it all,” said an utterly exhausted Liszka. “In the first race, I miscalculated in the matrix, had a big crash, and I don’t even know how I managed to finish. In the second race, I was running in third when one of my rivals knocked my supporting leg out from under me and fell on top of me. Even so, I fought back to fourth place and was battling for the podium. In the third race, I was pushed off the track, got stuck behind others, and had to start my comeback from the very back of the field. All things considered — with a brand-new bike, having ridden superenduro only twice in my life on it, and training mainly for long-distance races — this weekend turned out pretty well.”
In this category, championship leader Milan Schmüser emerged victorious, winning two of the three races and finishing second in the third. The German rider enjoyed the Hungarian track, designed by Kornél Németh Jr. — and the fact that he was able to win on it certainly didn’t hurt either.
“It was a good evening, even if it had its adventures, but in the end the result is what matters,” said Schmüser, who added in response to a question that he feels ready to move up a class and continue his career in the premier category, the Prestige category.
Unfortunately, the first race in the Youth category was red-flagged one minute before the finish after a rider landed badly on the “hole jump,” was thrown over the handlebars and sustained an injury. The race was not restarted; at the time of the stoppage, József Halasi was running in sixth place, which also became his final result. His second race was eventful as well, and he ultimately crossed the line in seventh place — the same position he secured overall. In the youngest world championship class, victory went to Poland’s Wojtek Walczak.
“Things could have gone better, but unfortunately, I was ill, struggling with a fever, and the track was incredibly difficult. Still, I gave it everything I had,” Halasi said after the race.
Alongside the world championship classes, the European Cup drew the most attention from the Hungarian crowd, as three home riders qualified for the final. Norbert Zsigovits even had first choice of starting position — his best qualifying result of the season so far. Márk Szőke and Kornél Ott were also in the field, meaning the final could almost be described as a “Hungarian race.”
Especially since Zsigovits immediately battled for victory in the first race. Showing remarkable mental strength and discipline, the young rider even took the lead, but ultimately saw the chequered flag in second place.
Anyone who thought the excitement could not be taken further was mistaken: in the second race, Zsigovits fought his way into second place in the final meters (after riders ahead of him crashed and he seized the opportunity), securing second place overall as well, behind Spain’s Eric Miguel.
“There were some intense moments, but fortunately the final result was good — and that’s all that matters. I had a huge crash, my clutch slave cylinder broke, it was dangling the whole time, and riding like that was extremely difficult. But I had no choice, so I fought as hard as I could. In the second race, I closed in on second place in the final lap. Riders crashed in front of me, and honestly, I didn’t even know who was being lapped and who were my direct rivals — but I figured nothing bad could come from overtaking them anyway. I went all in, and it turned into an amazing experience, finishing amid the roar of the home crowd.”
Of the other two Hungarian riders, Kornél Ott finished seventh and Márk Szőke ninth based on the combined results of the two races.
The SuperEnduro GP of Hungary — which has now grown into a true family-friendly event — once again proved hugely popular with fans. Its success is also due to the fact that the discipline perfectly matches changing spectator habits. SuperEnduro delivers a spectacular, fast-paced and compact experience, made possible not only by the riders but also by the event’s sponsors — V-Híd, Tippmix and NSMI — without whom this magical evening would not have been possible.
SUPERENDURO GP OF HUNGARY, Round 4 of the Championship, MVM DOME
Prestige: 1. Billy Bolt (British, Husqvarna) 63 point, 2. Brightmore (British, Gas Gas) 51, 3. Walker (British, Triumph) 42. Junior: 1. Milan Schmüser (German, Beta) 55, 2. Gómez Martínez (Spanish, Stark) 54, 3. Shaw (British, Gas Gas) 45, …7. Roland Liszka (Hungarian, Triumph) 28. Youth: 1. Wojtek Walczak (Polish, KTM) 32, 2. Watson (British, Sherco) 26, 3. Eppelmann (German, KTM) 26, …7. József Halasi (Hungarian, KTM) 19. European Cup: 1. Eric Miguel (Spanish, Rieju) 40, 2. Norbert Zsigovits (Hungarian, Husqvarna) 34, 3. Hyla (Polish, Gas Gas) 23, …7. Kornél Ott (Hungarian, Beta) 19, …9. Márk Szőke (Hungarian, Rieju) 16.
