Red Bull Romaniacs, Day 1: Lettenbichler re-establishes the pecking order

Hard enduro dominator Manuel Lettenbichler has once again found success with the Romaniacs strategy he’s employed in recent years: building up the maximum possible lead on the first day and controlling the race from the front for the remaining three days. That, however, is easier said than done, as this legendary event – arguably the toughest hard enduro rally in the world – demands skill, stamina and, last but not least, a fair bit of luck. Lettenbichler, who was narrowly beaten and finished third in Tuesday’s prologue, set the fastest time right from the first checkpoint (CP) and was almost 5 minutes faster than Kabakchiev at CP9 alone, out of 21. This restored the pecking order.

In the LIVEmaniacs section, which was broadcast live online, even the top riders had to tackle ascents and descents that were pushing the limits. The Austrian Michael Walkner also surprised everyone there with a remarkable performance on his GASGAS, finishing the day in third place.

The promising South African talent James Moore, who won the Roof of Africa at the end of last year, also put in an excellent performance in the Romanian hinterland, though, in fourth place, he is already almost 28 minutes behind Lettenbichler. British rider and Silver Kings winner Mitch Brightmore (GASGAS) had a mixed day and crossed the finish line in fifth place, 3 seconds behind Moore.

I’d expected it to be a bit tougher.

Manuel Lettenbichler

This means that, in theory, only Kabakchiev and Walkner still have a chance of making up time on Lettenbichler over the next three days. As Wednesday was, according to the Bavarian, a faster day by Romaniacs standards, it is to be expected that the gap will tend to widen over the following days, which are likely to be even more demanding. Kabakchiev is certainly used to similar terrain from his home region in Bulgaria, but Lettenbichler has shown over the years that he is extremely hard to beat in mountainous woodland. However, a single moment of inattention is enough for even a large lead to melt away quickly in a race like the Romaniacs.

Manuel Lettenbichler: “It was a fast day with only a few technical sections. I’d expected it to be a bit tougher. At 180 km, it was also quite a long day. Having started third and finished first is certainly a good sign. The LIVEmaniacs section went well; I had a good rhythm and was glad that Teo didn’t catch up with me there. Thursday is likely to be another long day, and I’m glad the week here has now begun. I’m hoping for a good rest before the next start.”

Red Bull Romaniacs results, Off-road Day 1: