This is an Event news report from the Minas Riders Hard Enduro rally organisation team in Brazil

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Belo Horizonte, Brazil, October 8, 2026 - Nine years after its last edition, Minas Riders returned with a demanding test of Hard Enduro in the Brazilian jungle and a final battle inside the famous Mineirão Stadium. Steep climbs, rocky canyons and punishing technical terrain tested riders’ skill and endurance before the competition moved into the stadium for a Romaniacs-style showdown on October 3. Justin Elizondo (CRC) emerged as the overall Gold Class winner, ahead of Rigor Rico (BRA) and Ryder Guest (USA).

The Time Trial gave riders an early taste of what Minas Riders had in store. Starting across open fields, the course led into the jungle scenery and through a dry creek before reaching the slippery rocks and narrow passages of the “Erzberg” canyon. Riders raced to secure a good starting position for Offroad Day 1.

Throughout the offroad days, riders followed traces of Minas Gerais’ gold-mining past. Many dry water channels, built centuries ago for gold mining, now formed part of the race route, taking motorcycles through passages that once carried water.

Offroad Day 1 sent riders through a dry creek shortly after the start, up a steep grass hill and onto rocky climbs through dense jungle, with another tough section waiting before the finish. For two nights, the race was based in Vila Galé, close to Ouro Preto.

Offroad Day 2 started with a short loop around Vila Galé before the route headed towards the finish area in Honório Bicalho. Three loops through the Rio Acima waterfall section brought the action in front of more than 500 spectators. With temperatures reaching 35°C, Rigor Rico was pushed to his limit. He chose to skip the third lap accepting a time penalty and jumped into the waterfall to cool off. After riding farther along the course, Hawaiian competitor Ryder Guest and Portugal’s Diogo Ferreira Vieira also stopped and took a cooling dip in another stretch of the same river.

Offroad Day 3 covered 100 kilometres through contrasting Brazilian terrain, combining slippery clay, Atlantic Forest sections and a long stretch of deep, remote jungle. Another three loops close to the finish added to the day’s workload.

Both Offroad Days 2 and 3 finished at Fast Brothers, an enduro and motocross training centre. A steep hill could send bikes flying before riders tackled a wooden wallride over a pond. Reaching the finish line was a show in itself.

Rain arrived the evening before Offroad Day 4, continued through the night and fell throughout the final day in the Macacos region of Nova Lima. The course became a struggle through mud, prompting a reduction to two loops instead of three. Riders helped each other through the toughest sections and arrived at the finish covered in mud, while hundreds of spectators stayed despite the heavy rain to cheer them on.

Later that day, motorcycles took over Mineirão, a venue usually reserved for football. Hard Enduro racers, motoboys and mototaxi teams faced a course featuring two legendary old VW vans, a pool filled with coconuts, bamboo trees, tyres and wooden ramps. The Grande Final brought a distinctly Brazilian character to a Red Bull Romaniacs-style obstacle course.

The Hard Delivery races added a spectacle of their own. Motoboys competed with delivery backpacks on their backs, while mototaxi riders tackled the obstacles with a passenger behind them. In a stadium accustomed to goals and tackles, the evening belonged to motorcycles and a very different kind of Brazilian sporting talent.

At just 21, Justin Elizondo claimed the overall Gold victory at Minas Riders after finishing second in Silver Class at Red Bull Romaniacs 2025. The Costa Rican had already shown his speed on a section shared by the Gold and Silver classes, where he overtook both Mario Roman and Billy Bolt.

Runner-up Rigor Rico has dominated Brazil’s Hard Enduro scene for a decade and is an eight-time Red Bull Romaniacs finisher. Third-placed Ryder Guest, a former professional surfer from Hawaii, now focuses on racing Hard Enduro and enjoying the challenges of his sport.

In Silver Class, Jozimar Xavier, known as Jojô, took the win ahead of Luciano Paiva and Caio César Machado Nunes.

César Vinicius Costa Boaventura won Bronze Class, with Bernardo Guimarães finishing second and Jefferson Souza third.

Iron Class honours went to Mayck Andrade de Castro, ahead of Fábio Alves Araújo in second and Rafael Riera in third.

Vincenzo Barbagallo also completed the Iron Class aboard a CFMOTO IBEX 450, taking an Adventure motorcycle through the jungle trails, rocky climbs and mud alongside the enduro bikes.

Minas Riders also formed part of the Hard Enduro World Ranking (HEWR) as a Masters event, connecting the Brazilian race to the international ranking.

“Brazil has the terrain, the riders and a crowd that gets completely behind the racing. This edition gave competitors everything from rocky jungle climbs to heavy rain and deep mud, then we brought them into Mineirão for something completely different. Seeing motoboys and mototaxi teams tackle the obstacles alongside Hard Enduro racers gave the finale its own identity. With this edition we could create the base on which we can build further events. We are also considering Adventure bike classes for future editions, opening this experience to another part of the motorcycle community,” said Martin Freinademetz, organiser of Minas Riders and founder of Red Bull Romaniacs. 

Beyond the podiums, this edition will be remembered for riders helping each other through the mud, crowds at the waterfall, spectators discouraged by heavy rain, and motoboy and mototaxi teams taking their working motorcycles onto the Mineirão obstacles.

The organisers thank the Brazilian team and the Red Bull Romaniacs team members who helped deliver Minas Riders, contributing their experience to the tracks, event operations and media coverage. Thanks also go to the partners who supported the event’s return and the spectators who brought their energy to the trails and the Mineirão Grande Final.

Full results: https://minasriders.com/results

Photo Credit: Lidiana Couto

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