X-GRIP ended the 2026 Red Bull Romaniacs UNSTOPPABLE edition with two strong results in very different classes.
Mitch Brightmore finished fifth overall in Gold, while Dieter Rudolf placed his KTM 890 Adventure R on the Adventure Ultimate podium at his first attempt. Ashton Brightmore also spent most of the week inside the Gold Class Top 6, but his race ended with disappointment on the final day.
One second away from the Prologue win
The week started with the traditional city Prologue in Sibiu, where jumps, logs, tractor tyres and technical obstacles rewarded the riders with SuperEnduro skills. Mitch Brightmore immediately showed his speed and missed the Gold Class victory by only one second. He finished second, while his younger brother Ashton took sixth.
Rudolf also adapted quickly to the much bigger KTM 890 Adventure R. Despite racing the bike for the first time at Romaniacs, the Austrian completed the Adventure Ultimate Prologue in third place. It was a great start—but Romaniacs does not hand out the overall trophies after the city show.
Brightmore fights inside the Gold Top 5
Offroad Day 1 covered around 180 kilometres between Sibiu and the Jiu Valley. Mitch finished fifth, with Ashton close behind in sixth. Rudolf was already fighting at the front of Adventure Ultimate. He led the class at different points before completing the day in third.
The second stage mixed fast single track with an abandoned coal mine and three difficult laps through the “Rocks ’n’ Roll” boulder section. Mitch lost time on the faster trails but recovered with a bold line over the rocky ledges near the finish. He took fourth for the day, while Ashton defended sixth. Rudolf added another third-place result and strengthened his position on the Adventure Ultimate podium.
The hardest blow for Mitch came on Offroad Day 3. High temperatures had dried the ground, leaving little grip on the climbs, rock gardens and exposed off-camber sections. He lost important time on the steep descent from the Galindo ridge and finished seventh, ending his fight for the Gold podium. Ashton produced another solid sixth place, while Rudolf continued his remarkably consistent week with yet another third.
Rudolf puts the KTM 890 on the podium
The final 120-kilometre stage brought heavy dust and limited visibility. Mitch avoided unnecessary risks and finished fifth on the day, securing fifth overall in the Gold Class.
Ashton was unable to reach the finish. He was classified 20th for the stage and dropped from sixth to 19th overall, a difficult ending after three consistent days near the front.
The biggest X-GRIP celebration came in Adventure Ultimate. Rudolf finished the last stage in second place and kept the fight for second overall alive until the end. He narrowly missed the runner-up position but secured an impressive third place overall on his Adventure Ultimate debut.
A KTM 890 Adventure R is a lot of motorcycle to take through four days of Romaniacs terrain. Rudolf put it on the podium before the big bike even had time to complain about the rocks.
