The coronavirus pandemic will not deter this year’s toughest enduro competition: the Red Bull Romaniacs. Officially kicked off today in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, this year’s event is titled “Vertical Madness.” The name should serve as a foreshadowing of the difficult climbs in store for this year’s competitors.
Crowd favorites such as Rockstar Husqvarna’s Graham Jarvis, Billy Bolt, and Alfredo Gomez will try to claim the podium for the factory, while last year’s title holder, Manuel Lettenbichler, will try to defend his title, now under the KTM Factory Racing Team alongside another crowd favorite, Johnny Walker.
So far in Day 1, Sherco’s Wade Young leads the pack at the time trial qualifying which is closely trailed by the Husqvarna Factory Racing Team trio Gomez, Bolt, and Jarvis.
The entire event can be watched via livestream on Red Bull TV from today until October 31, 2020.
History
The Red Bull Romaniacs, is an enduro off-road motorcycle race run annually in Romania. It was created in 2004 by founder Martin Freinademetz. The Red Bull Romaniacs takes place every year (around July) and attracts riders from more than 50 countries. The race is spread over five days, the first being the inner-city prologue. The four “Off-road race days” take place on Enduro trails in the region around Sibiu, in the Southern Carpathian Mountains.
Graham Jarvis, aka “King of the Carpathians,” is the 6-time winner of the Red Bull Romaniacs and favored to do well this year.
The Red Bull Romaniacs is part of the Red Bull Hard Enduro Series, together with Red Bull Minas Riders, Brazil (April), Erzberg Rodeo, Austria (June), Red Bull Romaniacs, Romania (July), Red Bull Megawatt, Poland (September), Red Bull Sea to Sky, Turkey (October), Roof of Africa, South Africa (December).
