Gear Up for Red Bull Romaniacs, the Toughest Enduro Race of the Year

This event is by far the toughest in the entire Enduro calendar, and this year things are only going to get even tougher. The past editions have included long sections of open alpine plains that favored the faster riders who felt at home navigating ruts and wet grass.

For 2015, the organizers of the Red Bull Romaniacs have changed the outline of the competition, with most of the riding now taking place in the vast, savage forests of the Carpathians. This means that the Romaniacs is oriented towards a more technical approach, and errors will become even more costly on the unforgiving Romanian soil.

Unlike other rounds, the Red Bull Romaniacs is a 4-day enduro rally event

Red Bull Romaniacs is rally-type event, with the riders spending around nine hours a day on their bikes, and the winning times revolving around the staggering 36-hour figure. As a wave of very high temperatures hits Romania these days, the race will be even more demanding, and top physical condition will be an even more important deciding factor.

The average speed will decrease this year, but the highly-technical layout of the Red Bull Romaniacs will not make things any easier. Fatigue will also have an important role in the final stages of the round.

Five closely-matched riders will make the 2015 Red Bull Romaniacs a thrilling competition

It's hard to guess who will be the new Romaniacs winner this year, as five of the top riders in the Enduro Championship are closely matched. Third last year, Wade Young is set on improving his records, while Andreas Lettenbichler cannot be ruled out of the contenders' group. A winner in Romania back in 2009, Lettenbichler managed to finish fifth in 2014 despite a cracked vertebra.

Alfredo Gomez was second in 2013 in his first Red Bull Romaniacs but missed 2014 because of an injury but is looking strong for 2015. Of course, the king of Romaniacs, Graham Jarvis won in Romania four times, being the most successful rider ever in this grueling round.

Jarvis will, of course, do his best to give Johnny Walker a run for his money, especially as Walker won last year, depriving Jarvis of a fifth victory in Romania. Walker looks especially strong this year and is certainly eyeing a grand slam season, having so far won all three races.

Get ready for the toughest enduro round of the championship and enjoy even more awesome footage from the spectacular Romanian event.

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