Mario Roman has won the 2026 Hixpania Hard Enduro, ending the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship season with an emotional home victory in Spain.
For the Nordica Moto-supported rider, this was much more than another podium. It was his first major World Championship race victory since 2022, achieved in front of his family, friends and a huge Spanish crowd — and after a weekend that included racing an entire sprint without a front brake.
We caught up with Mario twice: first immediately after he crossed the finish line, still overwhelmed by the moment, and later at the Plews Tyres tent, once the emotions had settled enough to look back at the whole weekend.
“I Have No Words”
The emotion was obvious when Mario stopped after the finish. After several years of coming close, including strong performances in Türkiye and Portugal, he finally had another World Championship victory.
Mario Roman: “Yeah, it feels amazing. I have no words. Honestly, it’s been a long time since winning. I’ve been close in Turkey and a couple of times in Portugal, but since 2022, I think I haven’t won any important race. I mean, a World Championship race. And to win today in front of my family, my friends, and the whole crowd is unbelievable. I couldn’t believe it. You know, it’s hard to have confidence in yourself when everybody is just going flat out and you don’t have the pace. But today I knew I had the pace.”
That last sentence probably tells the story of his race better than anything else. Today, Mario knew he had the pace.
A Weekend That Nearly Went Wrong on Saturday
Later, at the Plews Tyres paddock, Mario explained just how complicated his Hixpania weekend had been.
Friday’s SuperEnduro-style SuperEncierro went reasonably well, although Roman admitted he was not among the absolute fastest riders. Saturday then presented a much bigger problem almost immediately. A rock thrown up by another rider hit his front brake and caused him to lose the brake fluid. From that moment, he had to complete the sprint without a front brake.
Mario Roman: “Yeah, super proud of what we achieved this weekend. It was so emotional and so special. Friday’s SuperEnduro went well, but I wasn’t the fastest, I would say. I think I was in the top eight. Then the other day, right from the start, one rider threw a rock into my front brake, and I lost all the fluid. So, no front brake! It was super fun and sketchy at the same time to ride the whole sprint race without any front brake.”
Strangely, that difficult Saturday may even have helped him on Sunday. Forced to ride smoothly, preserve momentum and avoid unnecessary mistakes, Roman found a rhythm that carried directly into the main race.
Smooth, Calm and Confident
Sunday’s race was one of those days when Mario seemed to make the correct decision almost every time.
His line choice was excellent, particularly when traffic became a factor and he began catching lapped riders. Instead of forcing his way through and losing momentum, Roman stayed patient, read the terrain and found clean ways around them.
Behind and alongside him was the newly crowned World Champion, Manuel Lettenbichler, creating one of the best battles of the Hixpania weekend.
Mario Roman: “Somehow I learned to ride smoothly, keep the flow and maintain momentum. I think it helped me today with the new front brake. I had good pace, and it’s funny to say, but honestly, I had a good feeling and confidence in myself from the beginning. The grip of the rear tyre was amazing, and I had more speed and, let’s say, better technique today than the other riders.”
The more the race progressed, the more that confidence grew.
Roman vs Lettenbichler
From the middle of the race to the closing stages, Roman and Lettenbichler repeatedly exchanged positions.
It was not simply a battle of speed. Both riders were reading lines, dealing with traffic and trying to stay clean in terrain where one mistake could change the result.
Mario Roman: “So I started trusting myself more and more. From the middle to the end, Mani and I fought a couple of times, back and forth. But like I said, I kept trusting myself. I knew I was strong in these types of races, and I was able to clean some good lines.”
For the spectators, it became a proper show: the newly crowned World Champion chasing the Spanish home favourite, with Roman refusing to crack under the pressure.
Traffic, Rocks and Staying Calm
One of the most important parts of Roman’s victory came when the leaders reached slower riders around the dam and through a rocky section.
Traffic in Hard Enduro can destroy a rhythm instantly, but Roman again found solutions rather than problems.
Mario Roman: “It wasn’t easy with the traffic. There were a lot of lapped riders at the dam, in one rocky section. But I passed everybody and stayed calm. I think it was very important today to stay calm.”
That calmness was tested again in the closing stages on the Hixpania Hill. Roman lost his balance on one of the final climbs and descents, leaving the motorcycle almost completely sideways. It could easily have become the mistake that threw away the victory.
Instead, he reset.
Mario Roman: “Even in the Hixpania Hill, in the last climbs and descents, I made one mistake. I lost my balance, my bike was completely sideways, and I had to use all my skills to fix the situation. Again, I breathed, stayed calm, and made it to the end with this special win.”
That may have been the defining moment of the race. Not avoiding every problem — but reacting correctly when one finally arrived.
A Special End to a Huge Year
Roman’s Hixpania victory closes a season he will remember for several very different reasons.
There was the podium in Erzberg. There was his victory at Red Bull Romaniacs aboard the big adventure bike. And now there is a World Championship race victory at Hixpania, at home, in front of the people who have followed him through the difficult seasons as well as the good ones.
Mario Roman: “Thank you very much for the support. It’s been a hell of a year. We achieved a podium in Erzberg, won Romaniacs with the big bike, and now a victory in the last race of the World Championship. Speechless. Thank you very much, and next year we continue for more. Full gas!”
From racing Saturday without a front brake to beating the freshly crowned World Champion on Sunday, Hixpania became much more than a season finale for Mario Roman. It became the day he reminded himself that he could still win at the very highest level.
