Graham Jarvis leads Red Bull Romaniacs on Offroad Day 1

By Press Release on 28th Jul 21

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racings Graham Jarvis has put in a winning ride on Offroad Day 1 at Red Bull Romaniacs, round four of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.

The Brit finished fastest to take over the overall race lead from Germanys Manuel Lettenbichler with South Africas Wade Young third.

Overnight rain and early morning mist made it a tricky start for competitors as the Gold class riders set off into the 116-kilometre-long day. While the drop in temperature was welcomed, the rain would make some of the descents increasingly slippery for those opening the course.

Third in yesterdays Time Trial, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racings Alfredo Gomez was first to start Offroad Day 1, by virtue of the reversed start order from yesterdays top three. He was followed by young Bulgarian hotshot Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) who was eager to build on his result of second, 24 hours earlier. Time Trial winner Sherco Factory Racings Wade Young was third off the line.

With the top three feeling their way through the conditions, they were soon caught by KTM Factory Racings Manuel Lettenbichler. But on corrected time it was Vision Track Betas Jonny Walker who was fastest through checkpoint 1. Together with Mario Roman (Sherco) the later start time was playing right into Walkers hands.

For the first half of the morning the pace was high. A GPS navigational issue just before service dropped Roman back outside the top three. Jarvis began to take the reins out front, setting some of the fastest checkpoint times.

Having shaken off a few mistakes in the morning, the six-time Red Bull Romaniacs winner was now on a charge. Topping three of the days final five checkpoints, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider claimed a healthy three-minute-and-29-second margin of victory over Lettenbichler to bump him to the top of the overall standings.

Enjoying a solid ride throughout, Lettenbichler steered his KTM home for second, keeping relatively close to Jarvis. Despite a strong ride exiting the service point, the day didnt quite go Youngs way and he ended it third, losing nine minutes to Jarvis.

Working their way through traffic from 11th and 12th respectively, Roman and Walker gained the most places on Offroad Day 1. Walker edged out Roman, jumping from 12th to fourth, with Roman taking fifth, just 25 seconds behind the Beta rider in the overall standings.

Offroad Day 2 marks the beginning of the all-important marathon stage. Competitors will end the day in the forest where no outside assistance is allowed. Remaining fast, but preserving both rider and machine, will prove crucial in order to enjoy a relaxing night under the stars!

Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna): "It was actually an eventful day. I dropped into a hole early on, got lost in the mist, but then found my rhythm and started to pick off some riders. Its been a little bit of a surprise to win today, but Im happy with that result because I feel like my riding is good. Yeah, tomorrow night in a tent should be interesting for an old guy like me, but Im battling on!"

Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM): "Im happy with that result today, I felt like I put in a solid ride. The pace of everyone up to the first service point was so high and we were all on the limit for sure. Graham rode insanely good and when hes at his best like that, hes tough! I feel like Im off to a good start in Red Bull Romaniacs, tomorrow will be interesting and Im excited for the marathon stage. Were heading into new riding areas and with tomorrow nights bivouac there should be good vibes at the finish. Im excited to sleep in a tent!"

Jonny Walker (Beta): "I had a good start this morning and just made a couple of little errors in the second half of the day. But they were fairly normal for a race like this. Overall, Im happy to get a big day like this in on my Beta and I feel like Im riding well, with more to come. Theres a long way to go, but a podium result is possible if I can keep things together - thats the goal."

Mario Roman (Sherco): "Im pleased with things today. I struggled a little with setup in yesterdays Time Trial so we changed a few things around and it seemed to work much better. Conditions this morning were slippery with the rain and fog, which came as a surprise overnight. You needed to be careful on the downhills. After a strong start, I had a GPS issue before service, so I had to retrace my tracks. But I got it fixed and was able to put another strong ride in during the second half of the day. Overall, its been a good start to the week and I will push again tomorrow."

Results: Offroad Day 1

1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 4:51:07

2. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 4:54:36

3. Wade Young (Sherco) 5:17:00

4. Jonny Walker (Beta) 5:05:01

5. Mario Roman (Sherco) 5:05:31

6. Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 5:08:38

7. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 5:10:39

8. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 5:13:34

9. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 5:13:47

10. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 5:15:07

Overall Standings (After Offroad Day 1)

1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 5:29:49

2. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 5:33:05

3. Wade Young (Sherco) 5:37:59

4. Jonny Walker (Beta) 5:46:05

5. Mario Roman (Sherco) 5:46:30

6. Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 5:46:39

7. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 5:49:06

8. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 5:22:28

9. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 5:53:57

10. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 5:54:46

*Results are provisional and subject to change following GPS inspection

Graham Jarvis leads Red Bull Romaniacs on Offroad Day 1

Results: Offroad Day 1

Overall Standings (After Offroad Day 1)

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