5 minutes…Billy Bolt back with a bang 1169 days later
Enduro21 catches five with Billy Bolt, making a dramatic comeback to the Hard Enduro World Championship with the win in Spain at Hixpania, to talk injuries, who won’t let him race EnduroCross and a new contract keeping his future secure.
By his own maths, Billy Bolt took “just” 1169 days between Hard Enduro World Championship wins. It seems improbably but 2021 and the Tennessee Knockout was the last time Billy won outdoors at world championship level, on the way to winning the world title in the same season.
The story since has been a mixed one: serial domination of the SuperEnduro World Championship is matched in almost equal measure by visits to surgeons for shoulder, knee and hand operations. It’s tough on the body this sport but the big fella sure has had his share of anaesthetic and x-rays.
Bolt wrapped the 2024 SuperEnduro World Championship title at home in Newcastle during March in dramatic and emotional fashion before heading into a first bought of surgery on the damaged knee ligaments sustained during the indoor season.
A not very well publicised accident (while not riding) at Erzberg, resulted in a mangled hand which kept him out for even longer.
Taking the time to be properly fit again, Billy jumped right back in the at the deep end on the two-stroke (not the 350 4T in EnduroCross – we’ll come to that) with a savage edition of Sea to Sky hard enduro in Turkey before last weekend’s Hixpania HEWC final round where he claimed a long-awaited victory.
Enduro21 caught five with Billy ahead of Hixpania to ask about the injuries, the Indoor Enduro of Champions and why he’s racing the last two HEWC rounds (and not EnduroCross)…
Good to see you back at the races Billy, how come the final hard enduro rounds?
Billy Bolt: “Yeah, it was kind of decided collectively really to focus on the last two outdoor rounds. It was a decision mainly from the powers above but I agree that I didn’t want to miss a full season of hard enduro given the fact I also had quite a bit of time off in the middle of last year with a shoulder injury, I felt like looking forward for future years it wasn’t worth missing another full season.”
I’ve missed being at the races to be honest and the intensity of racing
How has getting back on a bike after such a lay-off been?
“There are definitely some areas that have been easier than expected and some which have been hard, which is kind of usually the case with injuries. I rode motocross for a few weeks at first, just to try and build up a bit of intensity and a base and then went into hard enduro for about three weeks, with two full weeks in Italy with the team and we really put a good amount of effort in, doing some good testing of the bike and my body.
“I didn’t really have any expectations, but it was all actually more positive than I was expecting which makes it nice ‘cause, obviously, making the decision to focus on the last two races…just to feel like I made progress and the positivity in Italy was good. It was nice to know the sacrifice of so much time off a bike had paid off and we were in a good place.”
“My body was probably about ready to go quite a while ago but it was my hand which just got tired and I’ve been suffering with it. When it gets tired, I had to adjust my grip and hold on in different way and just ended up with bad of blisters. You expect it normally when you come back from injury but this was the worst I’ve ever had I think.
“It was just working through it and getting better and I’ve missed being at the races to be honest, the intensity of racing, that nerves feeling.”
Check out the old Bill trials skills hopping the back wheel about…
You missed out racing in Newcastle at the Indoor Enduro of Champions…
“Yeah, that was a shame but it was just a bit too early with the injury. It was a shame not to ride because I think there’s so much good comes from an event like that, it gives so many people an opportunity and allows the sport to continue in this upward trend which I really feel like it’s on. It was really positive to have that race and I hope it continues.”
So how was it getting back on a start line?
“I didn’t really know what to expect from Sea to Sky and I hadn’t been there since 2020 I think so that was all about getting back to it and seeing where we’re at.
“Hixpania will be different. I feel like I can be up there challenging just because the type of track suits my style more, short, multi-lap races do suit me and my goal really was to survive Sea to Sky and then really try to put on a good show at Hixpania.”
* Editor’s note: Enduro21 did this interview before Hixpania. It’s safe to say Billy did put on a good show at Hixpania…
2024 Hixpania Hard Enduro Results: Victory for Billy Bolt – Lettenbichler 4x world champion
We think we’re right in saying you’ve signed a new contract with Husqvarna, right?
“They haven’t officially announced it for some reason but, yeah, I have for two years so my future’s safe.”
Was it an option to race the EnduroCross series instead of the final two HEWC rounds? It would’ve made sense in preparation for the SuperEnduro World Championship?
“I pushed, I’ve been pushing for years because it is something on my bucket list to do, but the powers that be decided it was better not to. It wasn’t my decision not to go and to my knowledge quite a bit of effort was put in to try and get us there with budgets and stuff but in the end, it didn’t happen. KTM America don’t seem very keen on letting us go there…
“But, yeah, I’d like to go one year and it’s not something I want to do regularly, more like I want go and experience it. I think it’s cool, the tracks are cool and when I’m in America I’m always very well received – when I was there this year I went to the MotoGP and SuperCross and I feel like I have a big following in America which I appreciate.
“It’s definitely a bucket list thing for me to tick off but another year’s gone by without it happening I’m afraid. This year it made sense to most people, but I guess to the people that write the cheques, it didn’t.”
Imagine Billy in the mix for the EnduroCross wins with Trystan Hart, Colton Haaker Jonny Walker and Cooper Abbott this year. There’s always next year…
Watch Billy’s vlog from Hixpania...
Bolt’s focus immediately switched to SuperEnduro, testing the Husqvarna FE 350 immediately after Hixpania and training for round one in Gliwice, Poland on December 14.
Photo Credit: Future7Media | Nicki Martinez + Andrea Belluschi
