Red Bull Romaniacs. Five days in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. An inner-city prologue through the historic streets of Sibiu followed by four consecutive offroad days covering over 100km each, through terrain that tests the absolute limits of what riders and machines can endure. The "UNSTOPPABLE" Edition 23, with competitors from 57 nations, was widely regarded as the toughest Hard Enduro Rallye on the planet and in 2026 it delivered everything that reputation promises.
Plews Tyres entered the week with riders across the Gold Class, Silver Class and ADV Ultimate. When the final hill climb was done and the podiums were being celebrated, three Plews supported riders were standing on them, across three different classes. Three of the top ten Gold Class finishers ran Plews Tyres. Two of the top four were Plews riders. And across all finishers, 40% were on Plews Tyres.
Here is how the week unfolded.
Prologue - The Streets of Sibiu
The Romaniacs week begins in spectacular fashion in the historic centre of Sibiu, where thousands of spectators line the streets for the inner-city prologue. A technical multi-lap format that gives riders their first look at what awaits them and sets starting positions for the offroad days.
Among the Gold Class riders, Lenny Geretzky set the early pace, crossing the prologue finish line in style to claim P8 with nine laps completed in 12m38s. Francesc Moret was right behind him in P10, also nine laps, 12m39s, and ready for his fourth appearance at the event. James Moore qualified P12 on nine laps and Matt Green came home P16 on eight laps.
In the Silver Class, Austrian professional athlete Florian Kirchmayer came home P10 on five laps in 10m47s, a solid starting position for the days ahead.
And in the ADV Ultimate class, Mario Roman announced his intentions immediately. Running the CFMOTO 450MT, he posted a prologue time of 9m57s. A new fastest time in ADV Ultimate group history, crossing the line with a 47-second gap to P2. "P1 in the Romaniacs prologue! The feeling is incredible with my CFMOTO 450MT flying out there!"
Gold Class
James Moore — P3 Overall
James Moore has been making a habit of arriving at hard enduro's biggest stages and producing results that make people sit up and take notice. P6 at Erzberg on his first attempt. Now P3 overall at Red Bull Romaniacs, one of the most gruelling multi-day races in the world.
It was not a straightforward week. Starting the offroad days from P12 on the grid, James came into day one with a clear approach. "My plan was to race against the track and not against any people," he said after finishing the opening day in P5. "I managed to get into a good place. Pretty stoked on my first offroad day."
Day two was another composed performance, P5 on the day and P5 overall, before day three brought out the best of him. He found himself in a proper three-way battle with Mitch and Ashton through the mountains. "In the livemaniacs I managed to ride really well and really clean and pull away from them. It was really fast going on the way home. A bit of South African style, flat out and loose." He finished day three P4 for the stage, moving to P4 overall going into the final day.
Day four had drama in store. Shortly after the service point, a fall dented James's top tube. The impact jammed the fork bushes, meaning the forks would lock at the bottom on any subsequent big impact. A freak mechanical issue that would have ended many riders' races entirely. James rode through it, managed the bike with the kind of clear-headed decision-making that defines the best hard enduro competitors, and crossed the final finish line P3 for the day. P3 overall.
Total riding time across four offroad days: 24 hours, 35 minutes and 3 seconds.
P3 at Red Bull Romaniacs. James Moore continues to write his own story!
Matthew Green — P4 Overall
Matt Green's Romaniacs 2026 began with one of those moments that is funny in retrospect but deeply painful in the moment. While prepping his wheel the night before day one, he unknowingly grabbed a medium rear tyre off the shelf instead of his intended setup. He went out and completed the entire first offroad day before realising that evening. "I had quite an eventful day one," he said with the kind of understatement the sport seems to breed, "but I got through, seventh place."
From day two onwards, with the right setup on the bike, the performance followed. Consistent P7 finishes on days two and three, grinding through what he described as a proper test. "Romaniacs is no joke. I'm feeling pretty buggered up but ready to crack on."
Day four was his best. He climbed to P3 for the stage and sealed P4 overall across the full event. Total riding time: 25 hours, 4 minutes and 59 seconds.
The moment most people will remember from Matt's week, though, had nothing to do with a result. A young supporter had been following him through the entire event and told him he would not be able to make it to the final hill climb to watch the finish. Matt's response was to ride the final hill climb, complete the race, and cross the finish line shirtless... he had taken it off and given it to the kid. That is the kind of rider Matt Green is.
Lenny Geretzky — P13 Overall
Lenny Geretzky arrived at Romaniacs as part of Mario Roman's Sorry Bro team and delivered the prologue performance of the Plews Gold Class riders P8, the fastest among them, before the mountain days revealed just how relentlessly demanding this race can be.
Day three brought the week's most dramatic moment. At the notorious Live Maniacs section, Lenny's bike tumbled down the hill. He regrouped, got back on, and kept going. That is Romaniacs.
He crossed the final finish line P13 overall with a total riding time of 29 hours and 47 minutes across the four offroad days. "I'm so happy this race is finally over. I have mixed feelings, it's the toughest race in the world and I should be proud of finishing 13th, but my goal was the top 10. I gave it my all and am proud of how much I've improved."
Francesc Moret — P15 Overall
Francesc Moret completed all four offroad days at Red Bull Romaniacs 2026. Total riding time: 31 hours and 5 minutes. For some context on what that means, the Gold Class course covers over 100km per day through terrain that has stopped world-class riders well before the halfway point. Completing the race at all puts Francesc in a genuinely select group.
"One of the toughest weeks of my sporting career," he said at the finish. "31 hours of riding, many miles, navigation, self-management, many thoughts and most importantly believing in myself." His Rieju carried him through every stage, and the riding he produced on the uphill sections in particular was noted by those watching. P15 overall at Red Bull Romaniacs is not a footnote. It is earned.
Silver Class
Florian Kirchmayer
While the Gold Class drama was unfolding in the higher reaches of the Carpathians, Austrian professional athlete Florian Kirchmayer was producing one of the most quietly remarkable performances of the entire event in the Silver Class.
From day one through to day four, Florian finished P2 in his class. Every single day. The gap to first narrowed as the week went on, from 26 minutes and 27 seconds on day one, down to 8 minutes 41 seconds on day three. And then, on the final day, just two seconds. Two seconds separated Florian from the Silver Class stage win after more than 400km of Romanian mountain terrain and over four days of racing.
He crossed the line P2 overall in the Silver Class, a display of relentless consistency that is genuinely rare in a race this demanding, and a result that deserves far more attention than it will probably receive.
Florian ran the Extreme front tyre paired with the Tough One on the rear throughout the week. A setup that clearly delivered the confidence and traction he needed across every stage.
ADV Ultimate Class
Mario Roman
This section requires some context first. Mario Roman has raced Red Bull Romaniacs ten times in the Gold Class. The most extreme, most demanding class the event offers, and finished every single one. He knows these mountains. He knows this race. He knows what it takes not just to survive Romaniacs but to go fast at it.
For 2026, Mario made a significant decision. He moved to the ADV Ultimate category, racing on the CFMOTO 450MT as part of his adventure projects with the brand. By his own admission it was bittersweet, he loves the Gold Class and the extreme challenge it represents, but he brought the same intent to this new category that has defined his entire career.
What followed was total, unrelenting domination.
The prologue set the tone, a new fastest time in ADV Ultimate group history, 47 seconds clear of P2. Day one, P1, 45 seconds ahead of Pol Tarres. Day two, P1, four minutes ahead of Pol Tarres. Day three, P2 for the stage by just four seconds, the closest anyone came to him all week. Day four, P1 again, over nine minutes ahead of Pol Tarres at the finish.
Five days. Five stage wins or near-wins. Overall champion, ADV Ultimate class, Red Bull Romaniacs 2026.
Running The Big Boy Adventure tyre throughout, the Plews tyre built specifically for the demands of adventure bike racing, Mario had the traction and confidence to push his pace across every type of terrain the Carpathians could throw at him. He even found a rock section along the way that reminded him of Carl's Dinner at Erzberg, and handled it with the same ease. That is the level he is operating at right now.
For the ADV sector, this result matters. The CFMOTO 450MT took the overall win at one of the world's most demanding multi-day rallyes, on Plews Tyres, ridden by one of the most decorated hard enduro athletes in the sport. That combination means something.
Tyre Choices at Romaniacs 2026
Five days of racing across wildly varied terrain demands the right setup, and Romaniacs is exactly the kind of race that shows which equipment rises to the challenge.
For the ADV Ultimate class, The Big Boy Adventure was the tyre of choice, built for the specific demands of adventure bike racing and proving its performance credentials across every stage of the event.
For the Gold and Silver Class riders, the core recommendation was The Tough One on the rear paired with the Grand Prix on the front. A proven combination for the varied Romanian terrain. A number of riders also opted for the Extreme front for additional grip through the more technical sections. Florian Kirchmayer ran the Extreme front with the Tough One rear throughout his Silver Class campaign, a setup that delivered consistent confidence all week.
Watch the Story Behind Romaniacs
The results tell you what happened. The film tells you what it felt like. Head to the Plews Tyres YouTube channel to watch our Romaniacs 2026 documentary. The early mornings, the mountain stages, the moments between the checkpoints, and the stories behind the riders.
For a race that starts with 57 nations and finishes with a fraction of those still standing, these figures say everything about where Plews Tyres is right now.
Three podiums across three classes. James Moore P3 Gold, Florian Kirchmayer P2 Silver, Mario Roman P1 ADV Ultimate. Three of the top ten Gold Class finishers on Plews Tyres. Two of the top four Gold Class finishers on Plews Tyres. 40% of all finishers across the race on Plews Tyres.
Red Bull Romaniacs 2026.