Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler has claimed a sensational sixth career victory at Red Bull Romaniacs. Capping off an intense week of racing in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains, Mani topped the final day to take the overall win aboard his KTM 300 EXC.
After a highly successful 2024 campaign, Lettenbichler returned to Romania in 2025 with his sights firmly set on a sixth Romaniacs crown. Facing a world-class field of riders and the unforgiving terrain of the Carpathians, the German delivered yet another hard enduro masterclass to take a commanding overall win.
This year’s race began with the traditional SuperEnduro-style prologue in Sibiu, where Mani placed third on the demanding, technical course. The result meant he would lead the field into the mountains for Offroad Day 1 – a demanding task on one of the event’s longest and most punishing stages. Taking the win by close to seven minutes over his nearest rival, Lettenbichler immediately set the tone for the week ahead.
On Thursday’s Offroad Day 2, Mani once again led from the front. As the first half of the event’s marathon stage – where no outside assistance is allowed – it placed extra demands on both rider and machine. Navigating steep climbs, treacherous forest descents, and fast open sections with signature precision, he extended his overall lead with a second consecutive day win. With two stages remaining, momentum was clearly on his side.
Friday saw a spirited battle at the front between Mani and close rival Billy Bolt. Lettenbichler rode tactically, pushing where it counted while staying in control. Making the minimum of mistakes and conserving energy in the hot conditions, the German crossed the line in second place, just over three minutes down on Bolt, maintaining his overall race lead and keeping reserves in the tank for day four.
Saturday brought the final test – 102 kilometers of classic Romaniacs terrain including the infamous final hillclimb and one last chance for Mani to stamp his authority on the race. Rising to the challenge, he powered through, ultimately clearing the hills and man-made obstacles in style to take his third stage win of the week, securing the overall victory and his sixth career Romaniacs title.
Next up for Lettenbichler and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is Red Bull Tennessee Knockout, held in the United States from August 8-10.
Manuel Lettenbichler: “This feels unreal. My team deserve this win just as much as me. I had some doubts at the beginning of the week, purely because I haven’t been able to train as much as I would have liked coming into this event. I felt under quite a lot of pressure this year. The pace was super high from everyone, and the conditions and heat here in Romania only added to the challenge. I kept my cool all week though, opened up a bit of an advantage on day one, and was able to maintain that to the finish. This has definitely been one of the toughest Romaniacs I have ridden. I think if the weather hadn’t been so dry, the race could have been very different. It’s amazing to take six wins here now, I just need one more to equal Graham, so you can be sure I’ll be back next year to try again.”
Provisional Results – 2025 Red Bull Romaniacs
1. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 21:41:45
2. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 22:14:56
3. Mario Roman (ESP), Sherco, 22:43:30
4. Michael Walkner (AUT), GASGAS, 24:15:07
5. Graham Jarvis (GBR), Husqvarna, 24:40:42
