Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye
The Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye, or "The Red Bull Romaniacs", is an extreme enduro off-road motorcycle race run annually in Romania since 2004. It is part of the Red Bull Hard Enduro Series, together with the Erzberg Rodeo, The Tough One, Sea to the Sky and Hell's Gate. Dakar Rally champion Cyril Despres said the race is "up there with the top three" hard enduro rallies.[1][2]
The rally
Rally organizer Martin Freinademetz had the idea for an enduro rally in the region after he saw the Carpathian Mountains that surround the ancient Transylvanian city of Sibiu.[3]
Prologue
The prologue stage of Red Bull Romaniacs[4] is always held on the main street of Sibiu before the action moves onto the nearby rocky mountain sides and thick forests where the competitors have to prove their endurance and riding skills. A different course is set every year with spectacular obstacles and extreme elements for the competitors to race over.
Off-road
The track crosses well-chosen mountain areas, rocky ground, hills and valleys; tarmac is avoided as much as possible. The length varies between 100 km and 220 km each day depending on the class that the competitor enters.[5] The main challenges are the technical parts, which lead through wooded areas, where competitors are challenged with natural terrain obstacles, they traverse over trees, rocks, mud, and climb and mountains.[5] Petrol fuel stops, or tank stops, are placed at intervals of approximately 70 km, where contestants refuel their motorcycles and have the opportunity to refresh themselves.
The track is marked with banners, signs and colored markings, and is loaded onto a GPS in order to guarantee safety. There are also specially designed spectator points.
List of winners
Graham Jarvis won the rally for the fourth time in 2013 to become the most successful rider in the event's history.[6]
| Year | Rider | Motorcycle |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 |  Jonny Walker |
KTM 300 EXC |
| 2014 | Jonny Walker |
KTM 300 EXC |
| 2013 | Graham Jarvis |
Husaberg TE 300 |
| 2012 | Graham Jarvis |
Husaberg TE 300 |
| 2011 | Graham Jarvis |
Husaberg TE 300 |
| 2010 |  Chris Birch |
KTM |
| 2009 |  Andreas Lettenbichler |
BMW G450 X |
| 2008 | Graham Jarvis |
Sherco 450 |
| 2007 |  Cyril Despres |
KTM 300 EXC-E |
| 2006 | Michel Gau |
KTM |
| 2005 | Cyril Despres |
KTM |
| 2004 | Cyril Despres |
KTM |
Source: Results of Red Bull Romaniacs[7]
Television coverage
The rally is broadcast in over 215 countries. Altogether, the event could be seen by fans in over 1,400 hours of broadcasting.
References
- ↑ Enduro News - News
- ↑ Cyril Despres, the 07 RB Romaniacs Rally and the brand new 2008 model KTM 300 EXC-E
- ↑ The Organizers
- ↑ The Prolog
- 1 2 "The Red Bull Romaniacs Rallye". Retrieved 2014-11-22.
- ↑ "Graham Jarvis Takes Fourth Red Bull Romaniacs Win". Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ↑ "Results of Red Bull Romaniacs". Red Bull Romaniacs. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
Further reading
- (Editorial staff) (February 24, 2009). "4th Red Bull Romaniacs 2007 – Day 4 – Dirt Rider Magazine". Dirt Rider Magazine. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- (Staff) (June 15, 2012). "Jarvis Leads Red Bull Romaniacs Enduro". Cycle News. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
External links
- Official website (multilingual)