Sibiu, Romania. Thursday 30 July - Heading out on Offroad Day 2 competitors faced with a gruellingly technical day in a region that hasn't been visited since 2018. Gold Class were thrown into sections named “20 helpers”, “Tele moto”, “Wheelspin gully” early on in the day. With very little time separating the leading three riders, there was absolutely no margin for error.
Mani Lettenbichler (DEU, KTM) absolutely dominated the day, maintaining a relentless pace. Delivering the most consistent times through the checkpoints, he continued to put pressure on his closest rivals, Teo Kabakchiev (BGR, Sherco) and Michael Walkner (AUT), knowing that every second could prove decisive.
Kabakchiev and Walkner were determined and hungry, succeeding in closing the gap at the start of the day, meanwhile hot on their heels, the young guns were on fire. James Moore (ZAF), the two brothers Mitch and Ashton Brightmore (GBR), Matthew Green (ZAF), and Thomas Scales (ZAF) were all locked in an intense battle for the entire day.
Lettenbichler reached the "Rocks ‘n’ Roll" LEATT LIVEmaniacs Stage 2, a steep boulder section, with a sizable gap over Kabakchiev. With no opportunity to preview the extreme terrain, competitors are forced to read the obstacles and adapt on the fly, refining their approach with each lap. Lettenbichler maintained his classic style of being in perfect harmony with his bike, mastered the timing on the boulders, while improving momentum on each lap. He charged through the finish, which was right after the LIVEmaniacs stage, with a winning lead over Kabakchiev of 12m 19s.
Meanwhile Kabakchiev entered the LEATT LIVEmaniacs stage closely tailed by Walkner. They were joined by the charging Moore, Brightmore brothers and Scales. After an already gruelling day on the mountain, Kabakchiev showed some signs of fatigue through the demanding three laps, but he was able to push through and reach the finish in second place with Walkner close behind in third.
Letttenbichler LEATT LIVEmaniacs
Gold Class Results:
- Mani Lettenbichler (DEU)
- Teo Kabakchiev (BGR)
- Michael Walkner (AUT)
LEATT LIVEmaniacs fastest times:
- Mani Lettenbichler (DEU)
- Graham Jarvis (GBR, Jav-e)
- James Moore (ZAF)
Offroad Day 2 terrain offered the Gold Class little opportunity to find a rhythm, with hidden rocks and relentless bumps interrupting the flow. Massive boulder gardens, steep climbs, and rough, unforgiving terrain demanded heavy focus from the riders, testing both technical ability and physical endurance from start to finish.
Lettenbichler "It's been a fast day, I had to push hard to make a gap from the others. I didn't expect it to be that hard, we had to ride really carefully with the long grass and bushes with rocks hidden underneath. Some sick Gold uphills where I gained a bit of time, we went through a crazy old mine which was also sick. The LIVEmaniacs section was a bit like a trials section, I did have a big crash in there otherwise it was a solid day, happy to be in the finish and go get rested!”
For the Offroad Day 2 final challenge, all competitors entered the iconic Lupeni Mine, a landmark more than 100 years old. Towering rusted steel structures, derelict buildings, and crumbling industrial relics provided a striking reminder of Romania's mining heritage, creating one of the most unique settings ever seen in Hard Enduro.
The historic mining site presented a finish unlike anything competitors had experienced before. Combining technical riding with an extraordinary industrial backdrop, it was a truly one-of-a-kind finish to any Offroad Day and another signature Red Bull Romaniacs moment.
Graham Jarvis (GBR, Jarv-e) subtly made his “Silent Assassin” statement by riding the second fastest time through the huge rock features in the LEATT LIVEmaniacs stage. With his trials background he was able to handle his Jarv-e bike with true precision putting it to the ultimate test which it passed with flying colours.
The Silent Assassin, an absolute legend in world Hard Enduro, is successfully introducing his new electric eMoto project and bringing attention to the future of the electric power bikes.
Bronze Class Offroad Day 2
Today the Silver Class were offered a balance of fast, enjoyable riding and technical "wake-up calls" such as the "Dragon's Spine". Competitors were treated to spectacular Romanian alpine scenery in a day that combined challenging riding with unforgettable mountain landscapes. The top three in the Silver Class were able to maintain similar times separating them today, even after a 127 km of race tracks today.
Silver Class Results:
- Sandon Kerswell (AUS)
- Florian Kirchmayer (AUT)
- Lorenz Steinkellner (AUT)
Sandra Gomez made it to the finish in P8.
Remy Gardner (AUS) came in P36.
Bronze Class covered 132 km of tracks where competitors faced short technical Hard Enduro sections including the big rock boulder garden which kept them on their pegs. There were a lot of very fast wide open sections offering opportunities to enjoy the rhythm of the mountain tracks and Romania's breathtaking scenery.
Tjaša Fifer (SVN) had an exceptional day and she moved up into P4, placing her ahead of Emanuel Gyenes (ROU) who is a seasoned veteran of the event.
Bronze Class Results:
- Benjamin Richter (DEU)
- David Rusanescu (ROU)
- Francisco Mateu (ESP)
Iron Class - While the day featured fewer punishing moments, competitors were still treated to a selection of classic Romaniacs-style technical sections across the 120 km of race tracks.
FULL RESULTS can be viewed on the website.
The Atom Class tackled the most accessible routes in the Hard Enduro category, covering 123 km of enjoyable mountain tracks. Competitors still experienced plenty of classic Romaniacs features , with a few fun and unexpected technical challenges along the way to keeping them alert and entertained.
FULL RESULTS can be viewed on the website.
Adv Ultimate Class Offroad Day 2
Adventure Bike Category
All eyes were on the Adventure Ultimate Class competitors as they launched into a highly technical start to Offroad Day 2, including a seriously heavy rock garden section. With only small margins separating the front-runners, the battle was tight as they tackled one demanding section after another before finally reaching the Service Point. It was an impressive display of skill, watching the elite Ultimate competitors expertly manoeuvre their heavy multi-cylinder bikes through terrain that we would normally associate with the lighter weight Hard Enduro bikes.
Mario Roman (ESP, CFMoto) who prefers the technical terrain, has dominated by taking the win everyday so far but not by a comfortable margin; Pol Tarrés (AND) is breathing down his neck and won't let go of the victory easily. Dieter Rudolf (AUT)) is a natural in his first attempt in the Adv category and has shown he can be up there with the best bringing home the third fastest time again today.
One of the standout features of the Adventure category is the vast difference in bikes. In both the Ultimate and Core classes, the large three-cylinder Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro is competing alongside lighter weight 450 cc bikes, a contrast in size, weight, and handling, highlighting the rider skill levels and that there really is a place for Adventure bikes in a Hard Enduro Rallye.
Adv Ultimate Results:
- Mario Roman (ESP)
- Pol Tarrés (AND)
- Dieter Rudolf (AUT)
The Adv Core Class were offered a slightly gentler start to the day, sharing the route with the Lite Class through spectacular alpine scenery. The technical challenge increased just before the Service Point and the final 10 km delivered a demanding Romaniacs-style finish. The day's route covered 110 km.
Following a small “flight error” from hitting the ramp right off the start and his losing his bike chain, Sam Sunderland had to work hard to regain his lead but Panagiotis Kouzis (GRC) kept his throttle wide open and didn't let Sunderland pass, placing him in second position for the day.
Adv Core Results:
- Panagiotis Kouzis (GRC)
- Sam Sunderland (GBR)
- Rene Columna (DOM)
The Adventure Lite Class had a fast start with some flowy downhills while taking in spectacular panoramic views. The tracks then changed their tune with one of the toughest loops of all four days before the break at the Service Point. Afterward, competitors tackled another scenic loop before arriving at the finish surprises and a full-throttle climb up a long ski slope.
Adv Lite Class Results:
- Guishu He (CHN)
- Liviu Mircea Bereteu (ROU)
- Wen Min Su (CHN)
The eMoto Hobby Class faced a significantly more technical challenge than on Offroad Day 1, with the route featuring rocky trails, steep descents, narrow traverses, and long demanding climbs that tested both rider skill and the eMoto capabilities. The tests were passed and competitors had a good day on the tracks covering 54km.
eMoto Class Results:
- Valentin Rehrl (DEU)
- Martin Dosch (DEU)
- Karl Jorg Mittendorf (DEU)
After a tough Offroad Day 2 competitors were glad to reach the finish and be able to recover ready to face whatever extremes they have thrown at them for Offroad Day 4.
Lupeni Mine
Founded by Martin Freinademetz in 2004, Romaniacs is the only five day Extreme Enduro Rallye of its kind in the world. Competitors experience some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Transylvanian Carpathian Mountains while attempting to conquer some of the toughest terrain to either win a spot on the Red Bull Romaniacs podium or to succeed in becoming a Red Bull Romaniacs finisher. The event continually evolves and is successfully growing the Adventure Bike category and along with the Enduro and eMoto class there are now nine race classes.
Lupeni Mine
Photo Credit: Tibi Hila, Adrian Crapciu, Mona Pekarek
Press Release by: Susan Mould
Diana Lomota
Head of Marketing Red Bull Romaniacs
redbullromaniacsmedia@xventure.net
Mobile & WhatsApp: +40 745 661 046
România
Media națională: Renatta Stepanov renatta.stepanov@gmail.com
Media locală: Bogdan Brylynski press@brylu.ro
Press release created by susan mould@xventure.net