Manuel Lettenbichler has written his name deeper into off-road history, taking a record-equalling seventh victory at the 23rd Romaniacs in Sibiu, Romania. While the legendary Transylvanian rally is not a round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, and carries no HEWC points, it remains the sport’s ultimate test of endurance, and it drew a who’s-who of the championship’s leading names to the Carpathian mountains.
A Record-Equalling Ride in the Carpathians
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider completed the Prologue and four gruelling Offroad Days in a combined time of 22 hours, 14 minutes and 41 seconds, a margin of one hour, three minutes and 27 seconds over his nearest challenger. It was one of the most commanding performances the event has ever seen, and it lifted the German alongside Graham Jarvis as a seven-time Romaniacs winner, matching the all-time record. Fittingly, Jarvis himself was in the field, threading his electric machine into the outright top 20.
HEWC Names Across Every Class
The chasing pack was littered with HEWC regulars. Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev, who had earlier topped the Prologue ahead of Mitch Brightmore and Lettenbichler, held firm to take second overall. South Africa’s James Moore delivered the ride of his career for third, and his first Gold-class Romaniacs podium.
Mario Roman changed tack entirely for Edition 23, swapping the Gold class for Adventure Ultimate aboard a CFMOTO. The Spaniard won the Prologue and three of the four Offroad Days to claim his first Red Bull Romaniacs class victory, helping CFMOTO sweep all three Adventure categories. Australia’s Sandon Kerswell controlled Silver class from start to finish, winning by more than an hour. HEWC title contender Billy Bolt sat the event out as he continues his recovery from injury.
The Hardware That Survives
Races like Romaniacs are as much a test of equipment as of riders, and the components that endure four days of Carpathian rock are built by the very brands that partner the HEWC. Official championship partners Plews Tyres, S3 Parts and Factory Links engineer their gear for exactly this punishment, Plews, the UK tyre builds its EN1 "Tough One" extreme rubber for precisely these conditions. When the terrain is this unforgiving, the parts that keep a bike alive are the difference between a finish and a DNF.
Next Stop: Sweden’s Historic First Round
Attention now swings back to the championship itself. The next HEWC round is Forza Orza in Orsa, Sweden, on 20–22 August 2026 — the first time the country has hosted a round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, promising raw Scandinavian forests, rock and endurance-focused racing.
Lettenbichler carries every ounce of Romaniacs momentum into it. After three of eight rounds he leads the championship standings on 88 points, ahead of Mitch Brightmore (75) and Kabakchiev (68), with Roman and Bolt still firmly in the title conversation. Sweden could be where the 2026 fight truly ignites.