German recovers from two-hour penalty with a top six as Graham Jarvis wins.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RED BULL CONTENT POOL
The following are race reports from FIM Hard Enduro…
Sibiu, Romania – July 30, 2022 — Jarvis Racing Team’s Graham Jarvis has won round five of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Red Bull Romaniacs. While securing his first victory of the season, Jarvis further cemented his status as a Hard Enduro legend by making it a historic seventh win at the infamous ‘world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye’.
Graham was joined on the podium by Team Bulgaria powered by Econt’s Teodor Kabakchiev in second. Finishing third overall, Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman retakes the points lead in the championship. The fourth and final Offroad Day at Red Bull Romaniacs was won by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler.
Proving yet again that there is no telling what he’s capable of, Graham Jarvis has won the fifth round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, while also claiming a record-breaking seventh Red Bull Romaniacs victory. Five years since his previous win (and 14 years since his first!) Graham was back on the top step of the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye podium.
In what’s been a stellar week for the Jarvis Racing Team privateer, Graham arrived at the final Off-Road Day knowing that he had a comfortable lead over Teodor Kabakchiev in second. Later admitting to feeling fatigued, the 47-year-old played his cards just right. Finding a comfortable, but competitive pace, he quietly went about his business.
Ticking off checkpoint after checkpoint without trouble, he moved himself closer to that elusive seventh win. Arriving at the finishing arena in Gusterita with time to spare, he calmly scaled the infamous final climb to cross the finish line as the overall winner. One year since he exited the race with a badly injured knee, Graham has firmly put that memory behind him. He also proves himself as a serious contender in this year’s championship fight.
For Teodor Kabakchiev, the final day of racing in Romania delivered him his debut Red Bull Romaniacs podium and second top-three FIM Hard Enduro result of 2022. However, the young Bulgarian was not settling for second and hit the ground running this morning to try and pull time back on Jarvis. Four minutes quicker than Graham during the early sections, Teodor impressed. But in the end, Graham’s advantage would be too much and he had to settle for the runner-up position.
Signing off on an incredibly solid week of riding, Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman completed the top three overall at round five. The Spaniard was riding strong today, picking up two checkpoint wins for second place on Off-Road Day 4. Now, more importantly, third overall moves him back into the overall lead in this year’s title fight.
Behind the top three, the fight for fourth and fifth was set to go down to the wire between GasGas’ Michael Walkner and FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart. Walkner had jumped ahead of the Canadian on Off-Road Day 3, but Hart was not ready to give up the fight. A strong start this morning saw him place second fastest at the first checkpoint, before going on to top checkpoint eight and 10 in the afternoon. Walkner was giving chase to Hart, but then injured his foot before the service point and started to lose ground. Seeing his advantage slip, Walkner ultimately gave way to Hart and the KTM racer took fourth overall.
On the day it was Manuel Lettenbichler who won the fourth and final Off-Road Day. Eager to end round five on a high, Mani blitzed the middle part of the day to open up a two-minute winning margin. Still reeling from his two-hour penalty sustained on Off-Road Day 1, the German ended his race just outside the top five in sixth.
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna): “It’s such an incredible feeling to win Red Bull Romaniacs again. I’ve done it seven times now, I don’t know what to say! In a race like this it takes a lot of effort all week to be there every day and I managed that. After last year’s knee injury I wasn’t sure how well I’d come back and if I’d be competitive again. It’s been a full year’s work, but I’ve done it. Not just getting back on the podium, but the top step too. Jarvis Racing Team is a full privateer effort, the guys around me are doing it because they love Hard Enduro as much as I do, so this win is for them as much as it is mine!”
Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM): “To get my first Red Bull Romaniacs podium is something special for sure. I’ve followed this race and these Hard Enduro legends since I was a kid, so being on the podium is amazing. The gap to Graham was big, but you never know what can happen in Hard Enduro, so I raced hard on the final day.”
Mario Roman (Sherco): “I’m super happy with third overall and finishing on the podium. Today was probably the hardest day of the week, the uphill sections just kept coming one after the other. All week my pace was pretty solid, but hats off to Teodor he was riding well. And Graham, well he’s just as amazing as ever. Overall it’s been a good result for the championship too. I’m now leading. Let’s hope I can build on that in the USA.”
The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship now heads to North America for round six and Red Bull TKO on August 11-14.
2022 Red Bull Romaniacs Results
Off-Road Day 4 (Final Day)
- Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 4:20:46; 2. Mario Roman (Sherco) 4:22:56; 3. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 4:24:03; 4. Trystan Hart (KTM) 4:24:26; 5. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 4:31:15; 6. Michael Walkner (GasGas) 4:41:33; 7. Matthew Green (KTM) 5:22:10; 8. Dominik Olszowy (GasGas) 5:23:26; 9. Suff Sella (KTM) 5:30:38; 10. David Cyprian (KTM) 5:42:59…
Provisional Final Classification
- Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 21:05:40; 2. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 21:14:12; 3. Mario Roman (Sherco) 21:19:06; 4. Trystan Hart (KTM) 21:38:39; 5. Michael Walkner (GasGas) 21:44:10; 6. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 22:58:06; 7. Matthew Green (KTM) 24:09:18; 8. David Cyprian (KTM) 24:47:43; 9. Suff Sella (KTM) 25:59:49; 10. Rigor Rico (KTM) 28:03:02…
Championship Standings (After round 5)
1. Mario Roman (Sherco) 73pts; 2. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 70pts; 3. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 62pts; 4. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 60pts; 5. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 52pts…
2022 Red Bull Romaniacs Off-Road Day 3 Results
Graham Jarvis Edges Closer To Red Bull Romaniacs Victory With Offroad Day 3 Win
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RED BULL CONTENT POOL
The following are race reports from FIM Hard Enduro…
Sibiu, Romania (July 29, 2022) Jarvis Racing Team’s Graham Jarvis held firm to win Off-Road Day 3 at Red Bull Romaniacs, round five of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. Edging ever closer to a historic seventh win at the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye, Jarvis emerged from the tough penultimate day of racing as the winner.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler had to settle for second best on the day, behind Jarvis. Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman finished out the latter half of the day strong to take third.
The gloves were off today for Off-Road Day 3 at Red Bull Romaniacs with Graham Jarvis putting on yet another outstanding performance at this year’s race. Determined to show that he’s hungry to fight at every opportunity for Off-Road Day wins, the Brit pushed hard all day to keep his closest rival Lettenbichler at bay.
After Lettenbichler caught everyone on the hop yesterday to win by 16 minutes, Graham was in no mood to allow that to happen again. With the early morning high-speed grassy sections not quite to his liking, the Husqvarna rider turned up the heat when they entered more technical terrain. Pushing hard he topped two important checkpoints of the day and despite Lettenbichler fighting back in the closing stages, Graham had enough in hand to seal the win.
The victory, his second of the week, sees him extend his race lead to almost 16 minutes with just one more day remaining. Claiming the overall victory will see Graham secure a historic seventh Red Bull Romaniacs win.
After yesterday’s maximum attack, Lettenbichler found he didn’t have enough in the tank today to push again at 100 per cent. And with Jarvis upping the pace, the German was forced to settle in behind the Husqvarna rider and ride together. Moving up to sixth overall in classification, the KTM rider will aim to go all-out tomorrow to claim the final stage win.
Behind Jarvis and Lettenbichler, the battle for third was tight between Mario Roman, GasGas’ Michael Walkner and Team Bulgaria powered by Econt’s Teodor Kabakchiev. Walkner was on a mission during the morning and quickly caught up to Roman. The pair then stayed together to close in on Kabakchiev.
The pace Roman and Walkner were setting was high, however Roman just had a little extra in the closing stages to pull some time back on Walkner to claim third. In the overall standings it proved good teamwork for the duo, with Roman claiming some time on Kabakchiev in second, while Walkner overtook FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart to move into fourth.
While the battles were plenty at the top of the standings, we also saw the race end for numerous riders. Tuesday’s prologue top-two of AG Racing Team 89’s Alfredo Gomez and GasGas Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak both retired. There was disappointment too for Italy’s Sonny Goggia (KTM) who dropped out of sixth overall due to injury.
Round five of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Red Bull Romaniacs concludes with tomorrow’s final Offroad Day 4.
Mario Roman (Sherco): “This morning the pace was very fast. I felt like I was near my limit and then when Michael Walkner caught up to me, I was surprised. But he was riding well, and we stayed together and made some good time. We caught up to Teodor after that too and that’s been good for the overall for sure.”
Michael Walkner (GasGas): “I was pushing hard in the beginning to catch Mario and when I caught up to him, we were able to ride together. We both picked up some more speed and used that to catch up to Teodor. It’s still quite tight for the podium positions with one day to go. I have an outside shot, so I’ll push like crazy!”
Trystan Hart (KTM): “I felt way better in the second half of the day. This morning I just wasn’t riding good. On a grassy section I wasn’t comfortable on it due to the hidden rocks and ruts and that sort of took me a while to regroup from. I’ve dropped a bit of time now to Walkner, hopefully tomorrow I can come back strong and get fourth.”
2022 Red Bull Romaniacs Off-Road Day 3 Results
Off-Road Day 3
- Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 5:28:02; 2. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 5:29:55; 3. Mario Roman (Sherco) 5:32:27; 4. Michael Walkner (GasGas) 5:33:27; 5. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 5:34:35; 6. Trystan Hart (KTM) 5:45:53; 7. Matthew Green (KTM) 6:19:42; 8. Suff Sella (KTM) 6:22:31; 9. David Cyprian (KTM) 6:26:04; 10. Dominik Olszowy (GasGas) 6:35:06
Provisional Classification (After Off-Road Day 3)
1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 16:34:25; 2. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 16:50:09; 3. Mario Roman (Sherco) 16:56:10; 4. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 17:02:37; 5. Trystan Hart (KTM) 17:14:13…
2022 Red Bull Romaniacs Off-Road Day 2 Results
Manuel Lettenbichler Fights Back To Dominate Off-Road Day 2 At Red Bull Romaniacs
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RED BULL CONTENT POOL
The following are race reports from FIM Hard Enduro…
Sibiu, Romania (July 28, 2022) — Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler was on a charge at Red Bull Romaniacs, dominating Off-Road Day 2. Following his time penalty from Off-Road Day 1, the German was out to prove a point today at round five of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in Romania and topped the classification by over 16 minutes. Jarvis Racing Team’s Graham Jarvis maintains his overall lead in the Hard Enduro Rallye.
Yesterday’s opening Off-Road Day 1 at round five of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Red Bull Romaniacs saw it end with an eleventh-hour drama, with event favorite Manuel Lettenbichler receiving a time penalty. The KTM rider, who suffered a clutch issue, was found to have received outside assistance and as such was handed a two-hour time penalty, dropping him from seventh to 17th overall.
Determined to fight back, Lettenbichler came out swinging for Off-Road Day 2 and delivered an outstanding display of Hard Enduro riding. Carving his way through the field from his late starting position, the three-time Red Bull Romaniacs winner repeatedly clocked in fastest checkpoint time after checkpoint time. Making incredibly short work of the signature sections, he eventually took all but one of the day’s 12 checkpoints to complete the course in just over six hours. Today’s win moves him back inside the top 10 overall.
Winner of Off-Road Day 1, Graham Jarvis was first to lead the Gold class competitors out at a very early 6:45am this morning. Knowing Lettenbichler would be on a charge, the six-time race winner also knew that it was Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) starting in second who he would ultimately need to keep an eye on regards the overall standings. Getting to work, the Hard Enduro legend also put in a masterful display of riding in the mountains to finish second, while more importantly extending his race lead over Kabakchiev to nine minutes.
A slightly slow start to his morning saw Team Bulgaria powered by ECONT’s Kabakchiev sit outside the top five on corrected time during the first three checkpoints, but he soon found his flow. Picking up his rhythm, the Bulgarian began to reclaim his lost time and battled his way back into contention, ending his day third.
With Jarvis and Kabakchiev already enjoying 17 and eight-minute advantages respectively over the rest of the class, the fight for the remainder of the top five is quite close.
Always a slow burner in Red Bull Romaniacs, Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman began to show his hand on Off-Road Day 2. Ending yesterday in fourth, he picked things up today to again finish fourth, but more importantly move up to third overall in the event standings.
FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart dropped a position to Roman today. The Canadian steadily lost ground to the Spaniard throughout the day. Ending Off-Road Day 2 in sixth, he slips to fourth overall.
With a strong ride, GasGas’ Michael Walkner sandwiched himself between Roman and Hart for fifth. The Austrian is continuing to impress every time he takes to the track and now finds himself just under one minute behind Hart in fifth overall.
With Off-Road Day 2 ending away from Sibiu at the Ranca ski resort, Off-Road Day 3 will take competitors on the return leg back to Sibiu, where some spectacular new trails at over 2000 metres of elevation await.
2022 Red Bull Romaniacs Off-Road Day 2 Results
Provisional
1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 6:03:23; 2. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 6:19:53; 3. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 6:24:17; 4. Mario Roman (Sherco) 6:26:16; 5. Michael Walkner (GasGas) 6:31:19; 6. Trystan Hart (KTM) 6:31:29; 7. Sonny Goggia (KTM) 6:53:56; 8. David Cyprian (KTM) 6:59:21; 9. Matthew Green (KTM) 7:02:31; 10. Dominik Olszowy (GasGas) 7:22:25…
Provisional Overall Classification (After Off-Road Day 2)
1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 11:06:23; 2. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 11:15:34; 3. Mario Roman (Sherco) 11:23:43; 4. Trystan Hart (KTM) 11:28:20; 5. Michael Walkner (GasGas) 11:29:10…
Watch the Off-Road Stages LIVE
Can’t make it in person to watch? Then tune into the “Live Maniacs” stages each Offroad Day. Gold class and FIM Hard Enduro World Championship competitors will complete three stages Live online each day, accompanied by professional commentary.
Schedule for Upcoming Live transmission of ‘Live Maniacs’:
| Friday July 29, Off-Road Day 3 | 4:45 a.m. EST / 1:45 a.m. PDT |
| Saturday July 30, Off-Road Day 4 | 5 a.m. EST/ 2 a.m. PDT |
2022 Red Bull Romaniacs Off-Road Day 1 Results
UPDATE JULY 27, 2022
Graham Jarvis is out to an early race lead at round five of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship with victory on Off-Road Day 1 at Red Bull Romaniacs. The Jarvis Racing Team rider put in a masterclass of riding in Romania to comfortably top the standings by over four minutes from Team Bulgaria powered by Econt’s Teodor Kabakchiev in second. FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart took third.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RED BULL CONTENT POOL
The following are race reports from FIM Hard Enduro…
The opening Off-Road Day at Red Bull Romaniacs is always an exciting one. Traditionally tough and intense, it immediately aims to put the world’s best Hard Enduro riders through their paces. With yesterday’s city prologue complete, today lived up to that reputation as the combination of hot temperatures and dry, dusty terrain ensured the early difficult signature sections served as a brutal wake-up call.
Winner of the prologue, AG Racing Team 89’s Alfredo Gomez was eager to keep that run of form going as riders headed into the mountains. With his choice of top three starting positions, he opted to set off third, allowing Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler and then GasGas Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak to open the course.
Lettenbichler was first to hit trouble on the early Babysitter climb. A clutch issue was hampering his progress and instead of attacking, he was already battling to survive to the service point. Kabakchiev was off to a strong start, leading on corrected time after the first hour of racing. But only just. Jarvis was also on mission and having started in 11th, was happily picking off riders in front.
The six-time Red Bull Romaniacs winner was well tuned into the terrain and comfortably held his pace all day to win Off-Road Day 1. He now moves into the provisional overall race lead. Kabakchiev was the only rider to get close to Jarvis, and despite later admitting to making a couple of errors, still finished his day just over four minutes adrift take the runner-up result.
The top two were clear out front, with a further seven minutes separating Kabakchiev from Trystan Hart in third. The Canadian will be pleased with his efforts, in what is only his second time competing in the Romanian Hard Enduro Rallye.
Behind the top three, a strong ride by Austria’s Michael Walkner saw him bring his GasGas home in fourth, with Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman fifth. For Gomez, the opening day in the mountains didn’t quite go to plan. Finishing sixth, he lost almost 15 minutes to Jarvis.
After a frustrating morning, Lettenbichler was determined to make amends and set about making up for lost ground. Charging right to the end, he topped the final two checkpoints to take seventh. However, the German ends Off-Road Day 1 already 17 minutes and 32 seconds behind race leader Jarvis and will need to continue pushing hard to catch back up.
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna): “It’s been a great day. I started out 11th this morning, so had a good few guys to catch and overtake, which probably helped me a lot to keep pushing ahead. I felt like I had some good energy in the final part of the day, so I hope that’s a good sign for the rest of the week. We’ve still a long way to go, but winning today has been a good start for sure!”
Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM): “I’m surprised for second today because I made a few mistakes and needed to push in some sections. I felt like my pace was solid though, and can hopefully hold that this week. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.”
Mario Roman (Sherco): “Today was a pretty smooth day, no major mistakes and I felt good all day. I kept pushing where I could and stayed in a nice rhythm. With the heat and dry it was actually tough out there to find grip.”
Offroad Day 2 sees competitors head away from host city Sibiu. The Ranca ski resort in the Valcea region will welcome competitors and support crew for an overnight stay.
2022 Red Bull Romaniacs Off-Road Day 1 Results (Top 10)
1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 4:47:15; 2. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 4:50:52; 3. Trystan Hart (KTM) 4:58:32; 4. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 4:56:34; 5. Mario Roman (Sherco) 4:56:27; 6. Alfredo Gomez (GASGAS) 5:04:19; 7. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 5:04:33; 8. Sonny Goggia (KTM) 5:21:29; 9. Matthew Green (KTM) 5:24:38; 10. David Cyprian (KTM) 5:37:49…
Provisional Overall Top 5 Standings (After Off-Road Day 1)
- Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna)
- Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) +4:47
- Trystan Hart (KTM) +10:21
- Mario Roman (Sherco) +10:57
- Michael Walkner (GASGAS) +11:21
2022 Red Bull Romaniacs, FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Round 5, Prologue
Update July 26, 2022
Alfredo Gomez Takes Prologue Win At Red Bull Romaniacs
The fifth round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Red Bull Romaniacs got underway in spectacular fashion with Spain’s Alfredo Gomez claiming the prologue win in Romania. AG Racing Team 89’s Alfredo Gomez thrilled the thousands of spectators gathered in Sibiu to take the win over GASGAS Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler in third.
Round five of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Red Bull Romaniacs was quickly up to full speed with the infamous city prologue. Competitors from over 50 nations gathered to test themselves on one of the most challenging street courses in the world.
With all eyes on the Gold class final, it was shaping up to be an intense 10-minute race. Gomez qualified fastest, but Blazusiak, Lettenbichler, Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman, and TTR Racing’s Dominik Olszowy were all on the front row and eager to get out ahead.
Lettenbichler was quickest off the line and grabbed an early lead, with Gomez and Blazusiak in hot pursuit. A mistake on the tires by Lettenbichler saw Gomez and Blazusiak push through to the front, before Blazusiak then made his way into the lead.
The GasGas rider opened a slender gap, but entering the closing stages Gomez was back on his wheel tracks. With one lap to go, there was all to play for, and the heavy traffic was set to become a factor. With Taddy going one way, Alfredo gambled on the other and it paid off as the Spaniard rode clear to win.
Taddy had to settle for second, while Manuel regrouped well for third, ahead of Mario and Olszowy.
Red Bull Romaniacs gets underway in earnest on Wednesday, July 27, with the first of four Offroad Days in the surrounding Carpathian Mountains.
Alfredo Gomez (GasGas): “It’s been a lot of fun. Probably the best prologue yet. Just the right intensity. The battle was good with Taddy, and I had good pace on the tyres. It went to the final lap and somehow, I squeezed through. I’m feeling good for the week ahead. I’m enjoying my riding a lot and that’s what it takes here to get a good result.”
Taddy Blazusiak (GasGas): “It’s been four months since I raced, but it was fun to come back out like that. I got a good start and saw some spots where I was faster than Alfredo and then used those to make a gap in the first half of the race. I eased back a little with a couple of laps to go and Alfredo was right on me again. It went down to the final lap. I got my line choice wrong, and Alfredo won. I’m excited for the week ahead, it’s nice to be back racing. It will be tough coming back from injury, but I want to stay smooth and try and hang with the leading group as much as possible.”
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM): “It’s been awesome to have the prologue back at Red Bull Romaniacs, but it was so tiring. Every lap was pounding! I got a great start, but then I almost lost it on the tyres and dropped back. I pushed hard to come back, battling with Mario. It’s been fun tonight, but the real race definitely starts tomorrow in the mountains.”
2022 Red Bull Romaniacs Prologue Results
Gold Class (Top 5)
1. Alfredo Gomez (GasGas) 9 laps, 11:40.587; 2. Taddy Blazusiak (GasGas) 9 laps, 11:46.580; 3. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 9 laps, 11:58.368; 4. Mario Roman (Sherco) 9 laps, 11:59.580; 5. Dominik Olszowy (GasGas) 9 laps, 12:18.343.
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