Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler claimed victory at the 2026 Red Bull Romaniacs, equaling the all-time record of seven wins in one of the world’s toughest hard enduro rallies. Aboard his KTM 300 EXC, the German controlled the race from the opening Off-Road Stage to the finish, eventually sealing the overall win in Romania by more than an hour.
Second overall went to Sherco’s Teodor Kabakchiev, with Beta’s James Moore, KTM rider Matthew Green and GasGas’ Mitch Brightmore.
The top American finisher was KTM rider Tobin Miller in 16th overall.
The week began with the Prologue in Sibiu’s spectacular city center, where Lettenbichler topped qualifying before finishing third in the multi-lap final. “Mani” then hit the mountain stages in style, winning Off-Road day one by almost eight minutes to move into the overall lead.
Another commanding victory on Off-Road day two extended the German’s advantage to over 19 minutes. Despite narrowly missing out on the Off-Road day three win by less than one minute after an intense battle with the Bulgarian, Kabakchiev, Mani comfortably retained his race lead heading into the final day.
Lettenbichler sealed the victory on Off-Road day four, dominating the final stage by 44 minutes over Kabakchiev. The result secured the overall win by one hour and three minutes, completing one of the most commanding performances in Red Bull Romaniacs history. The triumph marks Mani’s seventh career victory at the event, equaling the all-time record with Graham Jarvis, while also extending his remarkable run to four consecutive Red Bull Romaniacs wins.
“It’s honestly hard to put into words,” Lettenbichler said. “Riding through the final grass fields, I was just thinking about how far my career has come. To win Red Bull Romaniacs for the seventh time is something I never expected, and it’s an unreal feeling. Every victory here takes so much hard work and preparation, so this one is special. I enjoyed the riding this week. There were some incredibly tough sections, but I was able to ride my own race, especially on the final day, and really enjoy it. Crossing the finish line is always an amazing feeling, and one of the best parts of Romaniacs is sharing the experience with so many riders from all over the world. Everyone goes through the same challenges out there, and that makes this event really unique.”CN
2026 Red Bull Romaniacs Results
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 22:14:41
- Teodor Kabakchiev (She) +1:03:27
- James Moore (Bet) +2:20:22
- Matthew Green (KTM) +2:50:18
- Mitch Brightmore (GG) +2:53:17
- Michael Walkner (GG) +3:36:44
- Lorenzo Gandola (She) +4:25:59
- Thomas Scales (Bet) +5:46:45
- Sonny Goggia (KTM) +6:5:44
- David Cyprian (KTM) +6:28:14
