Teo Kabakchiev delivered exactly the response he needed on Red Bull Romaniacs Offroad Day 3, setting the fastest Gold Class time after more than seven hours and 140 kilometres of extreme Hard Enduro terrain.
Mani Lettenbichler was once again the first rider to reach the finish, but Kabakchiev completed the stage 53 seconds faster on corrected time, reducing a small part of the KTM rider’s substantial overall advantage.
With only the final Offroad Day remaining, Lettenbichler remains in control of the race, while Kabakchiev has made it clear that he will continue pushing until the final climb in Sibiu.
Kabakchiev Starts the Day with One Clear Objective
After two Offroad Days, Lettenbichler held a comfortable overall advantage of 19m 37s over Kabakchiev. The Sherco rider therefore entered Day 3 knowing that simply matching Mani’s pace would not be enough. He needed to attack, avoid mistakes and begin recovering time before the final stage.
Lettenbichler continued to ride with his usual consistency, but Kabakchiev found another level and kept the pressure on throughout the day. Behind them, Michael Walkner once again produced a strong performance, securing third place despite finishing 16m 38s behind Kabakchiev’s winning time.
Magic Mushroom combined difficult climbs with technical rock sections, while the terrain before the Service Point demanded full concentration from the leading riders. Kabakchiev carried renewed energy into the stage and chased Lettenbichler hard. By the time they reached the LEATT LIVEmaniacs Stage 3, almost nothing separated them on the day.
Galindo Pushes the Leaders to Their Limits
The LIVEmaniacs challenge, named Galindo, featured a steep rocky cliff face followed by a treacherous downhill.
Both Lettenbichler and Kabakchiev handled the climb with calculated precision, making an intimidating obstacle look surprisingly controlled. The descent proved far more difficult.
Lettenbichler mixed riding with “bulldogging”—dismounting and manually wrestling the motorcycle downhill—to preserve momentum and control. Kabakchiev lost several moments after becoming caught by trees and sliding across the off-camber terrain. Lettenbichler ultimately recorded the fastest combined time across the three LIVEmaniacs laps.
Despite that setback, Kabakchiev’s pace throughout the full stage was enough to secure the Offroad Day 3 victory by 53 seconds.
Gold Class – Offroad Day 3
- Teo Kabakchiev – Bulgaria
- Mani Lettenbichler – Germany
- Michael Walkner – Austria
LEATT LIVEmaniacs Stage 3 – Fastest Times
- Mani Lettenbichler – Germany
- Teo Kabakchiev – Bulgaria
- Michael Walkner – Austria
Lettenbichler: “I Knew Teo Was Riding Strong”
“It was a long day today, seven hours of riding, but it was pretty good. I had to push hard. I knew Teo was riding strong today.”
“The LIVEmaniacs downhill was a struggle, definitely pushing us to our limits, I would say. Looking forward to tomorrow, the final day.”
Kabakchiev: “I’m Just Going to Push Hard”
“It was a proper Red Bull Romaniacs day. There were really hard uphills before the Service Point, and I had to focus hard not to make any mistakes.”
“I knew Mani was riding really clean today, and we both fought for the lead. I’m just going to push hard and try my best tomorrow.”
Walkner Holds Third as the Young Guns Close In
Walkner arrived at Galindo while Kabakchiev was beginning his third lap. The Austrian confidently climbed the steep zigzag rock face without delaying the Sherco rider, once again showing the determination that has kept him inside the leading group throughout the event. Behind the top three, a talented generation of younger riders filled positions four through nine.
The group includes:
- James Moore
- Mitch Brightmore
- Ashton Brightmore
- Tom Scales
- Matthew Green
- Lorenzo Gandola
At only 19 years old, Moore already holds the 2025 Junior World Championship title and a victory at the 2025 Roof of Africa. Mitch Brightmore brings a strong trials background together with British Youth Elite, FIM SuperEnduro Junior and 2023 Junior World Hard Enduro titles.
His younger brother Ashton finished second in the 2023 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, while Scales is a former South African National Enduro Champion and finished third in the 2025 FIM Junior Hard Enduro World Championship.
Green was crowned the first Hard Enduro Junior Champion in 2022 and already has several years of Romaniacs experience. Gandola adds world and European trials titles from 2016 and 2017 to a group packed with technical ability.
Although they remain behind the leading trio, their internal battle is fierce and could still influence the final Gold Class positions.
Graham Jarvis Continues His Electric Gold Class Campaign
Graham Jarvis quietly worked his way through the field aboard the electric Jarv-e, completing the day in 13th position.
The “Silent Assassin” did not quite repeat his earlier standout LIVEmaniacs results, which included the second- and eighth-fastest times, but he continues to make history as the first rider to compete at this level of Extreme Hard Enduro on an eMoto.
Simply completing three full Offroad Days in Gold Class represents another major test passed by the electric project.
Sandon Kerswell Builds a Massive Silver Lead
The Silver Class continues to be dominated by Sandon Kerswell, who now holds an overall advantage of more than one hour.
Silver riders joined the Gold route through Magic Mushroom before facing a long section of slippery rocks and eventually returning to faster alpine trails through the Carpathians.
Kerswell once again won the day ahead of Florian Kirchmayer, while Romania’s David Ignat completed the top three. If Kerswell reaches the finish through the Final Hillclimb section, he appears well positioned to secure the Silver Class victory.
Silver Class – Offroad Day 3
- Sandon Kerswell – Australia
- Florian Kirchmayer – Austria
- David Ignat – Romania
Francisco Mateu Wins a Relentless Bronze Stage
Bronze Class riders began with faster terrain, but the opening kilometres still required full concentration and a strong grip on the handlebars.
Deep technical sections tested both skill and endurance before the route entered the scenic but demanding alpine trails that defined the second part of the day. There were few opportunities to recover, leaving riders relieved to reach the finish with only one Offroad Day remaining.
Francisco Mateu took the stage win ahead of David Rusanescu and Benjamin Richter. Romaniacs veteran Emanuel Gyenes, competing in his 23rd edition, gained time and finished fifth. He will make one final attempt to reach the podium on the last day.
Slovenia’s Tjaša Fifer continued her impressive event with sixth place and remains firmly involved in the fight.
Bronze Class – Offroad Day 3
- Francisco Mateu – Spain
- David Rusanescu – Romania
- Benjamin Richter – Germany
Iron and Atom Face Another Long Day
Iron Class began with fast terrain before the route developed into a series of technical sections.
Although less demanding than the Bronze course, the riders still needed to remain focused before reaching the alpine trails.
Nico Friedmann continues to lead the class, while the riders behind him have regularly exchanged positions in the battle for the remaining podium places.
Atom competitors received a sharp wake-up call through a slippery and highly technical rock section.
The route then returned to the ski area, where rough grass concealed rocks beneath the surface and required constant concentration. After 121 kilometres, the accumulated fatigue from three Offroad Days will now be impossible to ignore.
Valentin Rehrl Wins eMoto Hobby Day 3
The eMoto Hobby Class enjoyed a rewarding day of enduro riding, with Valentin Rehrl setting the fastest time. Martin Dosch finished second and continues to hold the overall lead, while Romanian rider Dani Oțil completed the day in third.
With one stage remaining, the classification is still close enough for the Final Hillclimb Arena to decide the class winner.
eMoto Hobby – Offroad Day 3
- Valentin Rehrl – Germany
- Martin Dosch – Germany
- Dani Oțil – Romania
One Final Day to Become “UNSTOPPABLE”
On Saturday, August 1, the riders return to the Sibiu region for the fourth and final Offroad Day. Every class will converge at the spectacular Final Hillclimb Arena, where thousands of spectators will watch the last technical challenges of the event.
Prolog mastermind Andy Fazekas has prepared a new series of obstacles before the finish line. One final stage now separates the remaining riders from becoming official Red Bull Romaniacs “UNSTOPPABLE” Finishers.
Roast Mode
Kabakchiev rode for seven hours, crossed more than 140 kilometres of extreme terrain and recovered exactly 53 seconds.
Meanwhile, Mani described a descent where riders had to physically wrestle their motorcycles down a cliff as “a struggle,” which may be the calmest understatement in Romaniacs history.
