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Red Bull Romaniacs 2019: Sweet (But Just As Difficult) 16

Red Bull Romaniacs 2019 59 photos
Photo: Mihai Stetcu
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It’s hard to put the finger on what Red Bull Romaniacs is for the Red Bull motorsports community and motocross enthusiasts. In the media guide for the 2019 edition, which is also known as the Sweet 16, the organizers claim that round five of the World Enduro Super Series is “the world’s toughest hard enduro rallye.”

From the 30th of July to the 3rd of August, just under 200 riders from approximately 50 countries tested their stamina and the durability of their two-stroke dirt bikes in four categories in the wilderness of the Carpathian Mountains. From the lowest to the highest tier, those are Iron, Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

The first stage of the event - called Prologue - was held in downtown Sibiu in front of thousands of spectators. Red Bull TV also live-streamed the Prologue and subsequent stages of the rally, and for this edition of Romaniacs, the riders had to jump over a Conquer Grey 2019 Ford Ranger Raptor similar to the off-road pickup truck we’ve tested in and outside Sibiu.

Even from the Prologue, it was obvious to anyone who isn’t accounted to Romaniacs that the riders won’t have it easy. Differences in skill and speed from the Iron class to Gold are more than obvious even to the untrained eye, but at the end of the day, every single one of the participants is an athlete who runs on adrenaline and dopamine. Only a few, however, have what it takes to finish high in the rankings.

15,000 people cheered Taddy Blazusiak of Poland for winning the Prologue in 10 minutes and 48 seconds, followed by Jonny Walker of Great Britain and Pol Tarres of Spain. By winning the first stage, Blazusiak could choose on which position he would start the first day of off-roading, settling for three.

Red Bull Romaniacs 2019
Photo: Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool
“I had a very good start - Billy Bolt was on my side and was running aggressively, but I told myself I couldn’t give up,” said the KTM rider. “It's great to win, although it doesn't matter so much in the economy of this rally. But anyroway, it's a fantastic feeling to win in front of the audience here. ”

And that’s the thing about Romaniacs. Getting up before sunrise is one thing, but riding for some many hours on such back-breaking terrain and with such a serious focus on navigation is harder than you’d expect. It’s also hard to understand what motivates these men and women to push both themselves and their bikes, but the smiles on their faces speak volumes about the joy they experience.

The off-roading stage – called the War Zone – takes its name from Romania’s involvement in World War II. More to the point, the riders compete on this day on the same trails the Romanian army used more than 100 years ago to transport artillery and resources to the trenches and front line.

Can you believe the riders had to pass through 13 checkpoints on this day alone? Following our test drive of the Ranger Raptor, we took a well-deserved breather on a steep hill near the village of Câinenii Mici to witness the participants going up a trail so intimidating that it’s almost impossible to describe. Suffice to say, a few of them stopped halfway because of the insane gradient.

44-year-old Graham Jarvis, who comes from Great Britain and rides a Husqvarna like a man on a mission, took the highest step of the podium. "It was an easier day compared to the previous edition,” he commented at the finish line. “In fact, I did not distance myself in any of the difficult sections, but I had a good rhythm during the whole route.”

The second day of off-roading started at 6:30 AM in Gura Râului, 45 minutes of driving from the medieval city of Sibiu. This day also happened to be the longest in terms of distance, stretching over 151 kilometers from start to finish. The rocky climbs and grassy trails translated to an energy-sapping experience for every rider in every class, but Alfredo Gomez of Spain couldn’t care less.

Red Bull Romaniacs 2019
Photo: Future7Media/Red Bull Content Pool

By winning this laborious stage, Gomez took the lead from Graham Jarvis by five whole minutes. KTM rider Manuel Lettenbichler from Germany was one minute behind Jarvis at the end of day two, and we’ll come back to him later on.

“After the service, it was a little bit scary going so fast on the grass, but all-in-all it was a very good day for me and I hope I can keep this pace up for the next couple of days,”
declared Gomez.

On the penultimate day of Red Bull Romaniacs 2019, Lettenbichler took the win and thus came out on top in the overall standings. Becoming the third race leader in as many days goes to show that "the world’s toughest hard enduro rallye" is grueling even for Gold class riders.

From the starting line in Pascoaia to the finish line in Rasinari, day three was technical in every respect. Would you be capable of riding 142 kilometers in such exhausting conditions? These guys did exactly that despite the scorching heat and loose ground, and boy did they have fun!

“There was some pretty difficult stuff today, but I didn’t struggle with the uphills as much as the last two days so I’m pretty happy. Toward the end of the day Alfredo really opened it up on one of the faster sections – full motocross style,” commented Lettenbichler. “I thought to myself there’s no way I can push like that so I let him go. Luckily, I caught him again right before the last uphill and managed to get past him.”

The crooked woods of the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania became a bit more difficult on day four – the final stage of Romaniacs Sweet 16 – because of rainy weather and a lot of mud. Steeper, tighter, and harder for both man, woman, and motorcycle, the final stage started at 6:50 in the morning 14 kilometers from Sibiu near the lovely village of Cisnadioara.

From the Zicky Zacky to the Ass Slide, Too Many Switch-Backs, Extreme Miorita, and Hug the Tree checkpoints, it was as clear as day that the pressure was on to get to the finish line without too many mistakes. It’s at this point of the rally that every rider knew that finishing is more important than taking the faster but harder route, more so if you take into consideration the blood, sweat, and tears of the previous days.

Red Bull Romaniacs 2019
Photo: Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool

By holding the provisional lead in the Gold class since day three, Manuel Lettenbichler was the favorite to win the Red Bull Romaniacs as long as the German didn’t make a time-consuming mistake. Having a lead of one minute and seven seconds over Alfredo Gomez, the man up front pushed hard from the get-go, maintaining his position as Gomez struggled to find his rhythm.

Slippery and unpredictable are the best words to describe the final day of the rally, as heavy rain made a mess of every rider’s expectations. It’s once the rain entered the scene that Gomez found his pace, bringing the fight back to Lettenbichler on the trails and on the hill climbs.

It’s the German, however, who entered the finishing area in Gusterita first, giving everything he had to complete the remaining course as quickly as technically possible in these conditions. Once Lettenbichler passed the finish line, everyone’s eyes – both riders and spectators – were on the clock to see if Gomez could take the win against all odds. Close, but no cigar is how the day ended for the Spanish participant, with Jarvis coming on the third step of the podium.

The overall times for the top three finishers of the Red Bull Romaniacs 2019 beggar belief: 20:39:51 for Manuel Lettenbichler, 20:42:15 for Alfredo Gomez, and 20:52:12 for Graham Jarvis. “The event is so long and so hard and anything can happen, so I’m so pumped to take the win. It’s been an incredible five days and so gnarly, especially with all the rain we’ve had,” said a more relaxed and visibly happy Lettenbichler about the achievement.

Following 571 kilometers of riding, Romaniacs Sweet 16 came to a close with yet another surprise for both the organizers and spectators. Anna Schmölzl is the first woman to win the Iron class at the Romanian rally, and through this win, her appetite to push the envelope can only grow bigger with each passing year.

The sheer insanity of the riders is balanced by their determination to go beyond their limits, and for this reason alone, Romaniacs should be on your to-do list if you’re planning to visit the historical region of Transylvania during the summer of 2020.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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