The battle at the front of the Red Bull Romaniacs Adventure Ultimate class remained incredibly tight on Offroad Day 2, with Mario Roman taking another victory ahead of Pol Tarrés and Dieter Rudolf.
The riders faced a highly technical start, including a brutal rock garden and several demanding sections before reaching the Service Point. Watching the leading competitors guide their heavy multi-cylinder motorcycles through terrain normally associated with lightweight Hard Enduro bikes provided another impressive demonstration of how quickly Adventure Bike racing is developing.
A Technical Start for the Big Bikes
Adventure Ultimate riders were sent directly into serious terrain, with little time to settle into the day. The opening part of the route featured one difficult section after another, including a heavy rock garden where motorcycle weight, momentum and precise line choice became critical.
With only small gaps separating the front-runners, there was no room for unnecessary mistakes. Every stalled engine, missed line or difficult bike recovery had the potential to completely change the classification.
Despite the size and weight of their motorcycles, the elite Ultimate riders handled the terrain with the technique normally expected from riders on much lighter enduro machines.
Mario Roman Wins Again, but Tarrés Remains Close
Mario Roman once again made the most of the technical terrain to take the Adventure Ultimate victory aboard the CFMOTO.
Roman has won every stage so far, but none of those victories has been comfortable. Pol Tarrés continues to follow closely and is applying constant pressure in the fight for the overall lead.
The gap remains small enough that one mistake could reverse their positions at any moment.
Behind the leading pair, Dieter Rudolf continued his impressive debut in the Adventure category. The Austrian recorded the third-fastest time for the second consecutive day, proving that he can compete with the established specialists at the front.
Adventure Ultimate – Offroad Day 2
- Mario Roman – Spain
- Pol Tarrés – Andorra
- Dieter Rudolf – Austria
From 450cc Machines to the Triumph Tiger 900
One of the most interesting features of the Adventure Bike categories is the enormous variety of motorcycles competing on the same terrain. In both Ultimate and Core, the large three-cylinder Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro is racing alongside lighter 450cc motorcycles.
The contrast in engine capacity, weight and handling makes the competition particularly unpredictable. It also highlights the skill required from the riders, who must adapt their techniques to very different motorcycles while facing the same Romaniacs-style terrain. The growing field is proving that large Adventure bikes can have a genuine place inside an Extreme Enduro Rallye.
Panagiotis Kouzis Stops Sam Sunderland in Adventure Core
Adventure Core riders received a slightly easier introduction to the day, initially sharing the route with the Lite class through spectacular alpine scenery.
The difficulty increased before the Service Point, while the final 10 kilometres brought a demanding Romaniacs-style finish. The complete route covered 110 kilometres. Sam Sunderland experienced problems almost immediately after a small “flight error” on the opening ramp. The impact also caused him to lose the motorcycle’s chain, leaving him with significant ground to recover.
Sunderland worked hard to return to the front, but Panagiotis Kouzis maintained his pace and refused to let the former class leader pass. Kouzis completed the day with the fastest Core time, while Sunderland recovered to second. Rene Columna finished third.
Adventure Core – Offroad Day 2
- Panagiotis Kouzis – Greece
- Sam Sunderland – Great Britain
- Rene Columna – Dominican Republic
Guishu He Takes Adventure Lite Victory
Adventure Lite began with fast and flowing downhill sections accompanied by panoramic mountain views. The pleasant introduction did not last long.
Before the Service Point, riders faced one of the toughest loops scheduled across all four Offroad Days. After the break, another scenic loop led them towards the final surprises of the stage. The day concluded with a full-throttle climb up a long ski slope.
Guishu He took the class victory ahead of Romania’s Liviu Mircea Bereteu, while fellow Chinese competitor Wen Min Su completed the podium.
Adventure Lite – Offroad Day 2
- Guishu He – China
- Liviu Mircea Bereteu – Romania
- Wen Min Su – China
Adventure Racing Continues to Grow at Romaniacs
Founded by Martin Freinademetz in 2004, Red Bull Romaniacs remains the only five-day Extreme Enduro Rallye of its kind.
Competitors race through the Transylvanian Carpathians with two very different objectives: fight for a place on the podium or simply overcome the terrain and earn the status of a Red Bull Romaniacs finisher. The event continues to evolve through the rapid development of its Adventure Bike programme. Together with the traditional Enduro and eMoto categories, Romaniacs now features nine separate race classes.
Offroad Day 2 once again demonstrated that the Adventure categories are no longer just a side attraction. With Roman and Tarrés locked in a close battle, different motorcycle concepts fighting on the same tracks and experienced riders being pushed to their limits, the big-bike race is becoming one of the event’s main stories.
