I said I’d watch this one from the couch with a beer and absolutely nothing else, and then found myself refreshing a Romanian hard enduro results page four times before lunch. So much for the beer staying cold.

Graham Jarvis leads Red Bull Romaniacs by 15:44 after Offroad Day 3, chasing a record seventh win

Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) won Offroad Day 3 at the 23rd Red Bull Romaniacs in 5:28:02, and carries an overall lead of 15 minutes 44 seconds into the event’s final day – his cumulative time after three offroad days stands at 16:34:25, ahead of Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) on 16:50:09. Mario Roman (Sherco) sits third overall at 16:56:10. Red Bull Romaniacs runs 28 July-1 August 2026 in Sibiu, Romania, and today’s Day 4 hill-climb finish is the last stage of the event – this piece covers the standings through Day 3; the overall winner is not decided yet. A win today would be a record-extending seventh Romaniacs Gold Class title for Jarvis, the exact matchup our pre-event preview flagged as the story to watch.

I’ve watched Jarvis lose this exact race on the last day before, so I’m not calling it early. Fifteen minutes and forty-four seconds sounds like a lot until you remember hard enduro riders can lose that in a single bog.

Day 3 top five and how the gap opened up

Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) took second on the Day 3 stage in 5:29:55, with Mario Roman (Sherco) third in 5:32:27, Michael Walkner (GASGAS) fourth in 5:33:27, and Kabakchiev fifth in 5:34:35. Trystan Hart (KTM) rounded out the top six in 5:45:53. Roman said of the pace: “This morning the pace was very fast. I felt like I was near my limit and then when Michael caught up, I was surprised.” Walkner, who spent much of the stage chasing Roman down, added: “I was pushing hard in the beginning to catch Mario and when I caught up, we were able to ride together.”

Overall standings after Day 3 Rider Bike Cumulative time Gap
1 Graham Jarvis Husqvarna 16:34:25 –
2 Teodor Kabakchiev KTM 16:50:09 +15:44
3 Mario Roman Sherco 16:56:10 +21:45
4 Michael Walkner GASGAS 17:02:37 +28:12
5 Trystan Hart KTM 17:14:13 +39:48

The Prolog set the tone: Kabakchiev over Lettenbichler, and a first win for Roman in a different class

Kabakchiev actually won the opening In-City Prolog on 28 July in 11:23.657, edging Mitch Brightmore (11:24.153) after six-time champion Manuel Lettenbichler led most of the qualifying race before a poor late line choice dropped him to third (11:25.657) – an early sign this year’s Gold class fight was going to be close all week. In the Adventure Ultimate class, Mario Roman won the Prolog outright, his first Red Bull Romaniacs win of any kind after ten years and five previous podiums: “It feels amazing, it’s my first win here in ten years. I maintained focus and am proud of my CFMoto.” Roman then switched into Gold-class contention through the offroad days, which is how he ended up third overall behind Jarvis and Kabakchiev by Day 3.

Between Jarvis’s Husqvarna and the KTM 690 Rally we caught testing near the brand’s Austrian HQ earlier this month, it’s shaping up to be a good year for anyone who thinks a single-cylinder engine and a steep hill are a personality trait rather than a hobby.

What we know / What’s still unclear

What we know: - Jarvis leads the overall Gold classification by 15:44 after three offroad days - Kabakchiev won the Prolog; Jarvis has won at least the Day 3 offroad stage - Roman leads the “climbed from Adventure Ultimate to a Gold podium spot” storyline in third overall - The event’s final stage runs 1 August in Sibiu; results were not yet posted at the time of writing

What’s still unclear: - Whether Jarvis can hold a roughly 16-minute gap through the final hill-climb stage, which has flipped leads in past editions - Final overall times and full top-10 classification, which only post once Day 4 is complete

FAQ

Who is leading the 2026 Red Bull Romaniacs after Day 3?

Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna), by 15 minutes 44 seconds over Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM), with a cumulative time of 16:34:25.

When does the 2026 Red Bull Romaniacs finish?

The event runs 28 July-1 August 2026 in Sibiu, Romania, with the final hill-climb stage on 1 August.

Would a win make this a record for Jarvis?

Yes – a Gold class win would be Jarvis’s seventh Red Bull Romaniacs title, extending his own record.

Who won the opening Prolog?

Teodor Kabakchiev won the Gold class Prolog on 28 July; Mario Roman won the Adventure Ultimate class Prolog, his first Romaniacs win in ten years of trying.

Photos: Red Bull Romaniacs / dirthub.co.uk.