Enduro
A beginner's guide to surviving Red Bull Romaniacs
Master the madness: discover essential tips to conquer the world's toughest Hard Enduro race, Red Bull Romaniacs – read on to unlock the secrets to success.
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Get ready, enduro enthusiasts because Red Bull Romaniacs, probably the world's toughest Hard Enduro race, is calling. Whether you're a rookie rider preparing for your first challenge or a fan curious about the secrets of success, we've gathered the top tips to help you tackle this epic race. From handling isolated mountain terrian to overcoming daunting obstacles, our guide will set you on the path to conquering Romania's Carpathian Mountains. Ready to dive in? Let's get started.
Abseiling down gorges with your bike – this is proper Red Bull Romaniacs
© Tiberiu Hila/Red Bull Content Pool
01
Prepare for success by practicing... but don't over do it
Mani Lettenbichler, multi-time Red Bull Romaniacs winner and Hard Enduro World Championships winner, says: "You don't want to go too crazy with training right before such a big event. Last year, I had two long days riding in Italy with Michele Bosi, the organiser of the Abestone Hard Enduro. He’s a really good friend of mine and it’s important to ride with people who are at a really high standard. When I go to Italy, I almost always go to his place because we can ride some challenging, gnarly stuff and he rides to a high standard.”
Graham Jarvis, six-time Red Bull Romaniacs winner and Hard Enduro's great-ever racer: "It's all about the preparation for this race, so lots of riding, fitness and training. Then, the week before the race, get a lot of rest, eat well and make sure you're ready."
02
Get your body ready for 5 days of intense racing
Paul Bolton, a former Red Bull Romaniacs podium finisher and Red Bull TV's analyst and trackside reporter for Hard Enduro races, says, "Eating and drinking right is 100 percent crucial. From about a week before the race, you want to start loading up with food and get more sleep than usual, because you're going to need it. I used to lose so much through the course of the race that I'd actually be almost ill for about two weeks after the race, because I’d put my body through that much stress. That's why getting it right before the race is really important."
Five days of Red Bull Romaniacs is physically and mentally exhausting
© Future 7 Media/Red Bull Content Pool
Volker Jacob, one of the Red Bull Romaniacs organisers, adds: "Be prepared to push for multiple days in the row. The thing that usually beats people is the long days. Most people can ride at their best for one or two days, but at the third day it gets very tough to get up in the morning, get back on the motorbike and ride well."
Get a taste of what the riders are up against at the Red Bull Romaniacs by hitting play on the highlights video below:
27 min
Red Bull Romaniacs recap
Catch up on the best of the action from Red Bull Romaniacs as Manual Lettenbichler secured victory.
03
Train with riders at a similar skill level
If you're training alone or with friends who aren't at your level it can be hard to improve your riding skills and fitness. That's why the experts recommend finding training partners who're on your level - or even slightly better than you – so that you can push each other to improve at a faster rate.
“Billy Bolt has come training with me a few times and we've held some proper training camps," says Lettenbichler. "We’re big rivals and when we’re racing we’re in competition mode, but as soon as we cross the finish line we’re good friends again. The reason we train together quite a lot is that it helps us to keep improving at a faster rate. We push one another to keep getting better."
Red Bull Romaniacs is brutally tough, but a good support team really helps
© Tiberiu Hila/Red Bull Content Pool
A good team helps you get your head in the right space to fight for five days in the mountains
04
Get a good support team around you
Red Bull Romaniacs is an incredibly tough, long race and, frankly, it's almost impossible to race it alone. You're going to need a support team of some kind to make it to the end.
"A good team helps you get your head in the right space to fight for five days in the mountains," says Paul Bolton. "Graham Jarvis relies on his mechanic Damo Butler to help with setup, strategy and to keep his spirits up, because he's got a great understanding of Hard Enduro from the back seat. Mani Lettenbichler's going to listen to his dad, Letti, because he's been there, done it and got the t-shirt.”
With dawn starts and long days in the saddle, support is essential
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
Mani Lettenbichler: "My dad is full-on my support team. He’s always there for me. When I retire, we've agreed that he’ll go back to racing and I'll support him!"
05
Expect the unexpected
Former pro snowboarder Martin Freinademetz is the founder of Red Bull Romaniacs and responsible for planning each year's race. His message is clear: expect the unexpected when you sign up for the race.
"The track is different every year. We've built a lot of knowledge from the past 18 years and we mix things up to make it interesting and ensure there are as many surprises as possible," he explains. "That’s why we've added a marathon stage, for example, so we can go deeper into the countryside and explore further out."
06
Know that the weather is unpredictable
Red Bull Romaniacs is multi-day race taking place deep in the Carpathian Mountains, so it goes without saying that the weather can be unpredictable, often changing multiple times each day, so it's something you need to be prepared for, as Paul Bolton explains: "The weather is another interesting factor. The thing about Red Bull Romaniacs is you could set off in one valley where it’s soaking from rain and then find that the rest of the area is bone dry. And if you've set up your bike for wet weather, you’re going to struggle."
A wet event takes the toughest race in Hard Enduro to another level
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
"The rain certainly makes the race more dramatic," says Martin Freinademetz. “It not only makes it much harder for the riders, it also makes it more difficult for us to organise, so nobody really wants it."
07
It's a marathon, not a sprint
Two-time Red Bull Romaniacs winner Jonny Walker knows what it takes to race successfully in Romania and his biggest piece of advice is to always remember that this race is a long one. "The biggest thing is that it's such a long race that you need to save your energy to get through the week," he says. "It used to be a bit of a cruiser race, but these days it's like sprinting for eight hours a day. The pace is crazy now."
"It's a long race. For the Gold Class, you’ve got to go flat out from start to finish, but for Silver and Bronze you just want to play it safe, keep the bike moving and don't mess around too much, so you finish, says Graham Jarvis. "If you’re not fighting the bike, you can definitely save a good bit of energy."
Paul Bolton adds: "You have to know when to push and when not to push in this race, and it’s a feeling you develop with experience. It’s all about being there on the final day, in a fighting position when you’re dialled-in with your vision and your body, and tuned in with your bike.”
The Red Bull Romaniacs course soars above 3,500 metres
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
Gusterita Hill always delivers a sting in the tail on the final day
© Robert Lynn/Future7Media
In their element
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
Ski champion Marcel Hirscher is racing in the tough Red Bull Romaniacs
© Red Bull Content Pool
08
What are the pros' strategies?
"Oh, I'm going as fast as possible from the start," says Mani Lettenbichler. "It's such a long race and it's impossible to predict what’s ahead, so I’m going to go for it and give it my best."
"Just race every day from start to finish and get through all the obstacles as fast as possible," says Jonny Walker. "You can't win Red Bull Romaniacs on the first day, but you can certainly set yourself up well for the rest of the week – and you definitely don't want to start on the back foot and spend the rest of the week chasing."
09
Don't forget to have fun
"I took part in lots of different competitions: rally, Hard Enduro, cross country and really hard stuff like Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, and I tried to combine the best of them in Red Bull Romaniacs, says race founder Martin Freinademetz. "I didn't know if it was going to be a success, but when we had double the number of entrants after the second year, we realised that people really liked the idea. The location is so important, because we have so many possibilities for great riding here in Romania."
Manuel Lettenbichler powers up a monster climb and on his way to victory
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
The riding at Red Bull Romaniacs is probably the best you’ll get all season and it's important to relax and enjoy it
"For me, it's important to have a fun time and not be too intense, just think more about a good time with your mates," explains Mani Lettenbichler. "The riding at Red Bull Romaniacs is probably the best you’ll get all season and it's important to relax and enjoy it. Don't think about fighting or trying to pass this or that rider, or when the finish is going to arrive – just enjoy the ride, because when you're enjoying yourself you're always going to ride better."
10
Lucky for you, Hard Enduro is a friendly sport
"The community is so nice. There’s good people in the paddock and everyone makes the most of it. That’s why I love this sport so much," says Lettenbichler.
Graham Jarvis confirms the strong community spirit in Hard Enduro: "Even in the race, we help each other out. You're riding together and there’s no dirty tricks like people trying to knock each other off. Everybody wants to get to the finish and have fun at same time."
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