Sibiu, Romania. 24 July 2026 - The excitement builds as the countdown to Red Bull Romaniacs “UNSTOPPABLE” Edition 23 enters its final days. With just four days to go, competitors from 58 nations are already beginning to arrive in Sibiu, ready to take on one of the world’s most diverse Hard Enduro and Adventure Bike competitions.
Promising to deliver the most varied and distinctive event in the world of Hard Enduro and Adventure Rallye, the “UNSTOPPABLE” is set to exceed expectations on every level. The world's elite extreme Hard Enduro athletes will be welcomed alongside hundreds of determined and passionate amateur competitors. Together, they will converge on the start line of this iconic event which is set to deliver an unforgettable week of racing.
The excitement begins on Monday July 27, with the Event Opening Ceremony which includes the Nations Parade, DEMOmaniacs, the riders presentation, press conference and competitor Meet and Greet.
Tuesday, July 28, is the famous in-city Prolog, where competitors will battle head-to-head on the purpose-built course designed by Prolog mastermind Andy Fazekas, and will be packed with technical obstacles guaranteed to be a crowd-pleasing spectacle.
Wednesday July 29 - Saturday August 1, the Rallye heads deep into the Carpathian Mountains for four unforgettable Offroad Days.
Who will be on the “UNSTOPPABLE” start line?
Defending champion Manuel Lettenbichler (DEU, KTM) returns to face an exceptionally strong field including Teodor Kabakchiev (BGR, Sherco), Mitch Brightmore (GBR), Graham Jarvis (GBR, Jarv-e), Michael Walkner (AUT), Alfredo Gomez (ESP, Beta) and Matthew Green (ZAF) to name a few. Lettenbichler will be making it his mission to level up with the legendary Jarvis and equal his seven Red Bull Romaniacs victories.
Mani Lettenbichler: “I’m pretty excited, it’s a new year, new chances and I'm going to give it my best. Training has been going well, I'm excited to go back to Romania, the riding there really suits me. For sure it's a long race with so many potential unexpected factors, like a storm could come or Martin has thrown in some “interesting" surprises for us! Every year the competition is really high Mitch is riding really good, Graham has his electric bike this year, Teo is fired up and rides this rallye really good. Its cool to have 2 nights out of the area and ride some old, new terrain, something different and and it adds to the adventure”
All eyes will be on Jarvis as he takes on his Gold Class two-stroke rivals aboard his Jarv-e, eMoto, with the big question being how high can the Silent Assassin set the bar in this ground breaking, first ever electric power challenge.
Graham Jarvis: “The biggest challenge in Romaniacs is for the rider really, and not the bike. We’ve had some logistics with the batteries' last minute development to make sure we can do the distance, so we’ve been a bit rushed. The biggest thing, for me especially, is saving physical energy with the electric bike. The main goal is to reach the finish and prove the bike can do it, anything more than that is a bonus. Overall I’m just going to enjoy it and have more fun on this bike, my motivation is better than ever”.
The Silver, Bronze, Iron and Atom classes will see hundreds of competitors from around the globe taking on the legendary Romaniacs terrain, tracks specifically designed to test each class's own level of skill, endurance and determination.
Mario Roman
In its second year the Adventure Bike category, now offering three classes; Ultimate, Core and Lite, will continue to redefine what is possible on large-capacity, multi cylinder motorcycles.
The Adventure Ultimate Class features an outstanding line-up promising an intense showdown, once again Pol Tarrés (ESP, Yamaha Ténéré 700) and Jonny Walker (GBR, Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro) will be facing off, in 2025 Tarrés placed ahead of Walker by only 3m 43s. This is where the Ultimate Class gets even more interesting, with an impending battle between an experienced group of Romaniacs competitors including Mario Roman (ESP, CFMOTO), Dieter Rudolf (AUT), returning competitors Dawid Szczotka (POL), the young gun who secured third place in 2025, Greg Gordinne (BEL) and Kevin Gallas (DEU), who is also attempting the Ultimate Class for the first time.
Sam Sunderland (GBR, Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro) will return after his definitive win in 2025 in Adventure Lite Class, this year competing in the new Adventure Core Class. This class bridges the gap between the “HARD Adventure” Ultimate Class and the Lite Class, it is destined to push limits through classic tough Romaniacs style tracks.
Sunderland will be competing against his Triumph teammate Ivan Cervantes (ESP, Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro), 5 time Enduro World Champion, 21 times Enduro Spain Champion, who is returning to the Red Bull Romaniacs startline for the first time in over a decade, this time in Adventure Core Class.
Pol Tarrés
The “UNSTOPPABLE” Edition 23 introduces some exciting new features. Competitors will experience two overnight stays away from Sibiu, accessing different and new terrain and extending the adventure further. Enduro riders will spend two nights at Straja Mountain Resort, while Adventure competitors will overnight in Petroșani, creating a fresh dynamic for both riders and teams.
The Offroad Days venture into the spectacular Jiu Valley, home to the historic former mining regions of Petrila and Lupeni. Leaving no opportunity unexplored, event founder Martin Freinademetz has incorporated some of these old industrial sites to deliver fresh technical challenges with an urban edge.
Another new feature is the addition of the Red Bull Romaniacs Camp, this basecamp will be located next to the paddock in Sibiu and will relocate to Straja for the two nights out of Sibiu. This year the Romaniacs Camp is being hosted by Mosko Moto and is free for competitors, their support crews and accompanying family and friends. This is a budget option for competitors who want an alternative to the hotel style accommodation and enjoy an outdoor camping alternative.
How to watch Red Bull Romaniacs:
Live transmissions featuring the Opening Ceremony, Prolog Finals, the three Offroad stages of the LEATT LIVEmaniacs and the Offroad Day 4 Hillclimb Arena can be watched in real time on the Red Bull Romaniacs website, Facebook and the official YouTube channel. Replays are available so viewers from all continents have the chance to watch the most exciting action.
Follow the action up close from ALL classes with LIVEnews reports featuring video footage, interviews and photos throughout the entire event.
VIP Packages:
Red Bull Romaniacs is still offering a choice of three exclusive VIP packages to choose from. Experience and Action VIP packages are for spectators and the Race VIP package is designed for competitors.
Hard Enduro World Ranking:
Red Bull Romaniacs is classified in the Supreme category of the Hard Enduro World Ranking, placing it among the top tier of global events alongside Red Bull Erzbergrodeo and awarding the maximum available world ranking points.
The official Red Bull Romaniacs Afterparty
The official Afterparty will once again be at the popular Aria Rooftop location and open to riders, teams, fans and the general public on Saturday, 1 August starting at 21:00 hrs.
Useful links:
2026 Race Program
How to watch online
Spectators Planning Guide
Event Opening Ceremony
In City Prolog information
Event Poster
Graham Jarvis
Finally the wait is almost over - the final preparations are being completed and the finishing touches are being made to the tracks. Sibiu has once again started welcoming the global Hard Enduro community. Competitors, teams, manufacturers, media, volunteers and fans will soon come together to write another chapter in the history of Red Bull Romaniacs.
Martin Freinademetz: “After a year of preparation we are ready, all the tracks are fine tuned and data, safety protocols, permissions in place, all the necessary authorities are informed and supporting the event.
The weather is nice, not too hot, we’ve had some rain so hopefully no dust and the wet will add to the challenges. The Gold Class will have some interesting battles with a lot of the big names competing. A few of the stars have moved over to the Adventure Ultimate Class and there will be some battles there between Jonny Walker, Mario Roman, Pol Tarres and Kevin Gallas. There will also be other well known world champions like Ivan Cervantes and Sam Sunderland competing.
For the first time in the history of Red Bull Romaniacs we will have an electric bike competing in the Gold Class, Graham Jarvis on his Jarv-e bike, it will be interesting to see how he can manage the long distances on the battery and only changing it at the tank points, this will be a big step forward for the electric bike technology.
We are excited to spend two nights out of Sibiu and to be able to ride in two different abandoned mines, this is a first and also a good experience for participants and fans alike. I am also looking forward to see how my son, Santiago, will do as he is competing in the Silver Class this year instead of working on the event.
We are ready and greatly looking forward an “UNSTOPPABLE” week for the Edition 23 of Red Bull Romaniacs”
Red Bull Romaniacs is proud to be partners with:
LEATT - the globally renowned brand synonymous with cutting edge protective gear and innovation. LEATT are the premier title sponsor for the daily live transmissions, LEATT LIVEmaniacs.
MILWAUKEE - leaders in the industry of developing innovative solutions, increased productivity and durability for professional construction users.
WÖSSNER - with over 25 years of experience in piston manufacturing, the goal is to achieve increased performance, high quality, and greater longevity.
CFMOTO - founded in 1989 in China as an engine manufacturer and quickly transitioned to engineering and building its own engines, CFMOTO has now developed a name for itself as a manufacturer of reliable, feature-rich engines, parts, motorcycles, ATVs, side-by-sides and scooters worldwide.
G MOTO - an international store stocking over 2 million OEM and aftermarket components, riding apparel, and accessories for hundreds of motorcycle brands
CARDO - Cardo Systems was the first to release a motorcycle Bluetooth communicator and haven’t stopped innovating ever since.
X GRIP - Offroad products developed for the enduro, motocross and rally sport, incorporating many years of experience gained from participating in the biggest and toughest races such as the Romaniacs.
LIQUI MOLY - will once again be supporting our participants with high quality German lubrication products to make sure all bikes perform at their best in the Romanian wilderness.
PLEWS TYRES- committed to excellence permeating every aspect of tyre design and the development process delivering performance and reliability.
SP CONNECT - Smartphone mounts and accessories for your motorcycle, designed for maximum stability and secure navigation on every ride.
MOSKO MOTO - Designing and engineering tough gear for hard travel in the backcountry since 2013.
GRITT by LEATT - a line of biodegradable, non-hazardous bike wash products, designed specifically for safely removing mud and grime from motorcycles and mountain bikes.
In-city Prolog
Photo credit: Future 7 Media, Attila Szabo, Red Bull content pool
Press release created by: Susan mould
Media Team
Red Bull Romaniacs