Sibiu - July 23, 2019 - "Sweet 16" Edition Pre-Event Update - for immediate release
Top guns all present at the Sweet 16 Edition
Once again, for the 16th year running, XVENTURE has the honour to announce that the event is sold out. Red Bull Romaniacs would like to welcome competitors from around 50 nations, including some of the best of the best in Hard Enduro, to the Sweet 16 Edition here in Sibiu. With Red Bull Romaniacs being round #5 in the World Enduro Super Series (WESS) all of the contenders who are hoping to become the “Ultimate Enduro Champion” will show up in Sibiu, some of them have already arrived.
Graham Jarvis (UK, Husqvarna) will be the man to beat: With a record breaking six wins at Red Bull Romaniacs the 44-year-old is arriving in peak form after his recent victories at Erzbergrodeo and Hixpania and is most certainly determined to add a seventh win to his list:
“Red Bull Romaniacs has always been one of my favourite races. It requires seriously tough endurance and the 4 offroad days require a lot of commitment both mentally and physically. I feel like I am riding strong, leading in WESS so far, I just have to maintain my strength for the Carpathian Mountains and hope the weather is kind. I have been running my Jarvis Signature Tours in Bosnia and Greece which has given me lots of enjoyable training time so I feel ready and will give it my best shot. Obviously being on the Red Bull Romaniacs podium again is my goal and always a special place to stand after such a long, demanding event. I look forward to being there this year.”
Privateer Manuel Lettenbichler from Germany (KTM) is less than half the age of Jarvis. He is currently #2 in the WESS ranking, behind Jarvis, and on a mission to win his first ever WESS Hard Enduro race. The Sweet 16 Edition would be the perfect place for that - especially because his father Andreas “Letti” Lettenbichler took the win at Red Bull Romaniacs 10 years ago in 2009.
“Red Bull Romaniacs is the best race in the season. And there is a good reason for that: It’s just the best feeling ever when you realize on the last kilometres of the forth and final offroad day that you will actually finish the race after 4 long and gruelling days on brutal tracks. Before the race you have mixed emotions: You know it’s going to be really, really tough but mastering and enduring all the challenges during those days and making it to the finish line: That’s priceless. It's worth so much, I can’t really describe it.
I’ve been on the podium a couple of times in many of the events during the past seasons and I’ve been waiting for quite a while now to make the final step to the top of the podium - winning Red Bull Romaniacs would be the greatest achievement that I could imagine and I will give it all to make that happen. I expect Wade Young to be very strong. Graham has been amazing in the past races and he will be one of the contenders to beat but Red Bull Romaniacs is different from the other races: It’s not about being strong for a couple of hours, it’s about being strong for four days in a row, navigating without bigger mistakes and having a bit of luck here and there, too.“
South Africa’s Wade Young (Sherco) is certainly coming back to Sibiu to defend his victory from last year:
"Every year the race seems to just get harder and harder. I definitely look to be in similar condition to last year, it is a long race so the first goal would be to eliminate the mistakes and then aim for the top. The most challenging part is that it is a 5 day race so you have to stay focused the whole time and one mistake can change from you being first to not finishing. So for me the most challenging part is to stay focused through all those difficult sections. I really do feel like I went into last year race pretty experienced, I just think going into Romaniacs super fit and healthy is a big advantage.”
KTM and Husqvarna are sending their Factory Team trucks and there are already 15 service teams preparing bikes for approximately 200 competitors who have signed up for rental bikes and services.
Tracks and Conditions
After some rather wet weather in the past few weeks in the Carpathian Mountains it has now turned a lot kinder and we expect the conditions to be better than last year and the tagline “Sweet 16” will hopefully be supported by the weather gods. The Sweet 16 tracks are in perfect shape, every metre of all classes has been carefully tested and prepared by our team of track managers led by Track Director Teo Isac. Being known as the World’s Toughest Hard Enduro Rallye, the 2019 edition will live up to that although the tracks have been designed so that the competitors will get the job done if they come prepared.
As a special service for the spectators we have prepared a total number of 54 spectator points spread over the four Off-road Days on our website at www.redbullromaniacs.com/2019-edition. All of the Off-road Days and spectator points are provided including GPS coordinates and detailed descriptions. The estimated “times of action” for each spectator point are also provided and relate to the top competitors. We highly recommend that support crew, spectators, friends and family look at this information: Not only to plan your days during Sweet 16, but also because the details provided are as informative as entertaining: You will enjoy learning some facts about spectator points such as “Cisnadioara Zicky Zacky”, “Ass Slide”, “Flying Ford” and “Hug the Tree”.
Protect Your Eyes - 100%
Not only have the first competitors arrived in Sibiu - but the goggles from 100%, have too: To help the competitors from more than 50 countries protect their eyes, 100% - a brand that has been around since the early 80’s and that is producing some of the highest quality off-road goggles - will provide googles free of charge to each competitor of Red Bull Romaniacs Sweet 16 Edition. And if the competitors wear the 100% goggles during the race they will get a clean exchange at two tank points on each Off-road Day to start off again with clear sight!
Live broadcast Prolog & Off-road Race Day 4
We’re excited to announce that our partners from Red Bull Media House will provide extensive live broadcasts of the Sweet 16 Prolog on July 30, 2019 and the final Off-road Day 4 on August 3, 2019 – especially from the notorious hill climb in Gusterita at the finish – it will be transmitted live on Red Bull TV so the action will be brought into the living rooms and computers of those who can’t make it to Sibiu.
Live News
Red Bull Romaniacs was one of the first, if not the first, hard enduro events to provide the international audience with what we used to call live blogging in the past. While blogging is usually a form of communication with a rather personal focus and style, we have decided to increase the quality of our live communication services in various aspects and call it “Live News” instead.
During the Sweet 16 Edition a total number of about 20 Live News reporters will be covering the action from different perspectives: There will be Live News teams primarily covering the start, checkpoints, tank points and the finish. Other teams will ride their enduro bikes to catch the action live at the signature sections and wherever the action will be. All the information, photos and videos will be sent to the Live Team headquarter and immediately checked, validated and published by the Live Team manager so that the audience is provided with the most accurate information and high quality photos and videos.
Competitors Photo Service
You can browse and view your personal (low-resolution) photos taken by professional photographers on our website and - if you like them - purchase them in high-resolution print quality. New for 2019: 24 hours after the Prolog, you can make a 'one time purchase' of ALL of your 2019 event photographs from the Prolog and all four Off-road Days.
Pre - and post-event Highlights
Saturday, July 27, 2019 - Charity Rideout to Lupeni
Sibiu - Lupeni (Vulcan, Petrosani)
We’re organising a relaxed cross-country ride to explore the Romanian countryside and visit one of the Red Bull Romaniacs charity projects, the Valea Jiului Down Syndrome Association.
Options
Enduro bike: Light offroad
Car, van, motorbike: Road
Contribution to charity project: EUR 50
Monday, July 29, 2019 - The 'City Ride' & Media Show
All 2019 competitors - lead by Martin Freinademetz & Andy Fazekas - will be taken on a 'City ride' from the paddock through the city of Sibiu to the the Prolog at Bulevardul Corneliu Coposu, Sibiu. The Gold Class competitors will practice on the obstacles so that the media representatives as well as spectators will get the chance to take some photos prior to the notorious Prolog on the following day.
Saturday, August 3, 2019 - Prize Giving Ceremony and Pool Party
The Prize Giving Ceremony will start at 22:00 at the Versailles. Medals will be handed to those who have successfully finished and the podium of each class will get a special announcement. After that the entire crowd will celebrate a pool party and the feeling that Mani already described: “Before the race you have mixed emotions: You know it’s going to be really, really tough but mastering and enduring all the challenges during those days and making it to the finish line: That’s priceless.”
About Red Bull Romaniacs
The Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye was created in 2004 by founder Martin Freinademetz. Over the past years it has become the world's toughest Hard Enduro Rallye and attracts competitors from about 50 countries each and every year.
The race is spread over five days - five days of pure hard enduro racing action: The event is kicked off with the legendary Prolog - a time trial in downtown Sibiu with thousands of enthusiastic fans and followed by four Off-road Race Days. The competitors are taken on some of the world's most beautiful hard enduro tracks in the region around Sibiu, in the Southern Carpathian Mountains of Romania. They'll have to master the art of navigating with GPS devices. The breathtaking wilderness, incredible uphill and downhill sections in a stunning landscape and the professional as well as experienced organization result in the toughest and at the same time most memorable experience for all participants.
