Lettenbichler Dominates the Red Bull Romaniacs Too – Working Group Takes Shape and Planning for 2027 Begins
KTM superstar Manuel Lettenbichler left no room for doubt at the 23rd Red Bull Romaniacs: with a winning margin of more than an hour, the KTM factory rider outclassed the world's elite in the mountains around Sibiu, banked the maximum 2,000 points, and extended his lead in the Hard Enduro World Ranking to 7,240 points. But while the exceptional Bavarian dominated on the track, the Hard Enduro World Ranking has long been writing its next chapter behind the scenes – fine-tuning every area for 2027.
The 23rd edition of the legendary Red Bull Romaniacs is history. The KTM factory rider and hard enduro dominator – who had previously claimed his fifth straight victory at the 30th Red Bull Erzbergrodeo – simply outclassed a genuinely strong field in the mountains around Sibiu. When you win by more than an hour after the prologue and four offroad race days, such clear words are more than justified. On the final and toughest day in particular, the Bavarian from Kiefersfelden put almost 45 minutes into runner-up Teo Kabakchiev of Bulgaria. With this victory, Lettenbichler secured the maximum tally of 2,000 points – the Romaniacs are a Supreme-class Hard Enduro World Ranking event, and only in this category does a win pay out that many points.
Lettenbichler Leads the Overall Standings by a Clear Margin, Too
Lettenbichler now tops the overall standings with 7,240 points, well clear of Kabakchiev (Sherco), who earned 1,600 points for his second place at the Romaniacs. The Bulgarian currently trails Lettenbichler by 1,710 points. Young Brit Mitch Brightmore, who finished fifth in Romania on his GASGAS, sits 570 points behind Teo. Mario Román lined up in Romania not in his usual Gold class but in the Adventure Ultimate class, and ultimately sealed victory there on his CF-Moto ahead of Pol Tarrés (Yamaha). As a result, the Spaniard came away empty-handed in the Hard Enduro World Ranking, since the Adventure classes are not scored. Looking ahead to 2027, however, there are already considerations to introduce a dedicated ranking for the Adventure class within the Hard Enduro World Ranking.
First Working Group Gets Rolling – Riders and Promoters Have a Say
This will be one of the topics discussed in the working group together with the riders' representatives, Manuel Lettenbichler and Cody Webb. The aim of this first working group is to review the current development in the ranking's inaugural year alongside the riders and to gather their proposals for future improvements. We are delighted that Matt Musgrove will represent North America in this first session. Matt Musgrove is the Series Director of the AMA US Hard Enduro Series and one of the leading promoters of offroad motorcycle racing and hill climb in the United States.
Looking Ahead: Structures and Partners for 2027
The working group isn't the only place buzzing with activity. Behind the scenes, intensive work is underway on optimized structures and partnerships for 2027. Karl Katoch and Martin Freinademetz – the founders and masterminds behind the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo and Red Bull Romaniacs – are applying the very same principle from their world-leading events to the Hard Enduro World Ranking: a process of continuous improvement ensures that changes and developments in the sport, the technology, and the paddock are accounted for, and that the concept underpinning the Hard Enduro World Ranking is jointly refined ever further – so that it makes lasting sense for the riders, the teams, the events, and the industry partners, and unlocks the sport's full potential.
Comparability as a Valuable Asset – Nationally and Internationally
For some time now, the ranking has offered the ability to filter by nation. This feature is being used extremely heavily, as the statistics prove. Comparability in the ranking – internationally, but also nationally – is possible in our sport only through the Hard Enduro World Ranking. That's an important asset, not just for the sporting value of the results, but also as evidence to present to existing and potential sponsors alike. After 19 scored races, a total of 2,167 riders from 59 nations are now listed in the Hard Enduro World Ranking.
Next Stop: Forza Orza in the Far North
The next event on the calendar is the Forza Orza in Sweden. New terrain for most riders – and even the top names head to the far north with fairly high expectations. Please note that the scoring of the Forza Orza results for the ranking will be limited to the top 20.
1.5 Million Followers – and Counting
Social media reach already provides proof of the appeal: across the platforms of the Hard Enduro World Ranking and the events of founding fathers Katoch and Freinademetz, a solid 1.5 million followers are currently counted – and the number keeps climbing. That makes the Hard Enduro World Ranking a highly attractive social media channel already in its very first year. This is the foundation to build on, and concepts are currently being developed in this area too, aimed at significantly boosting not only the appeal but also the reach even further.
Upcoming Races on the Hard Enduro World Ranking Calendar
Forza Orza in Sweden (20–22 August 2026, Premier category)
Red Bull TKO / Tennessee Knockout in the USA (28–30 August 2026) – Masters category
Hard Enduro World Ranking – Top 10 After 19 Races:
Manuel Lettenbichler (D, KTM), 7,240 points
Teodor Kabakchiev (BG, Sherco), 5,530
Mitch Brightmore (GB, GASGAS), 4,960
Trystan Hart (CDN, KTM), 4,260
Mario Roman (E, Rieju), 3,884
James Moore (ZA, Beta), 3,850
Matthew Green (ZA, KTM), 3,248
Ashton Brightmore (GB, GASGAS), 3,100
Lorenzo Gandola (I, Sherco), 2,888
Thomas Scales (ZA, Beta), 2,323
