2024 Red Bull Romaniacs results: Kabakchiev claims day two win from Lettenbichler

Results from day two of the 2024 Red Bull Romanics, Hard Enduro World Championship round four, where Sherco Racing’s Teodor Kabakchiev made a decisive move for the day win, climbing from fifth to second overall – Mani Lettenbichler remains race leader at halfway point.

2024 Red Bull Romaniacs Off Road Day 2 in a nutshell:

As if the Romaniacs organisers can’t be sadistic enough, the sign-off from last night’s rider briefing pointed out where the riders are spending tonight is where Dracula’s dad came from…
Let’s hope riders sleep well at this halfway point of the marathon stage, which means no outside assistance and bikes in parc ferme conditions until tomorrow’s service point.
All classes had some fantastic riding today. Awesome riding days like these are why people come to Romaniacs.

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Teo turns it around

The day began with an intense three laps of the Leatt Live Maniacs loop on a knife-edge of a hill (rewatch that here) but, at around 180-kilometres, the day promised to be easier overall than yesterday, especially for the Gold class.
Overnight rain changed things a little but rain during the day made it very difficult in places for some. Under the trees it was typically loose on the immensely steep, rocky hills with some very green decsents testing riders along the way…
That meant quite a few riders across the classes did not reach the finish. Due to the numbers in this situation, organisers did not issue the AB abandon notice to everyone who made it as far as the service point, regardless of them reaching the finish or not. The organisers don’t have hearts of stone after all!
Sometimes being first favours the rider, sometimes not and Mani Lettenbichler had to take the rough with the smooth in that regard today. Early doors it was better but his battle to break the surface dirt on one hill in the afternoon took several attempts and lost a bunch of time.
That certainly helped the mover and shaker of the day, Sherco’s Teo Kabakchiev. The Bulgarian rider put on a determined charge from the early morning and passed from his fifth place start position up to second on the ground to claim a four minute day win over the all-conquering KTM rider.
Mani has an arm and a leg lead in hand (still 35 minutes), so has no need not worry, but in the overall standings Kabakchiev made a big move to overtake his teammate Mario Roman and championship leader Wade Young and now place second scratch.
18 minutes down on the day winner, Mario Roman was fast but in fact lost more ground on the overall to Letti and now sits just under 10 minutes behind his teammate. Could we already be looking at the podium here?
In relatively close company over the river jump at the finish, Roman, Young and Michael Walkner with the latter two now close in the standings, completing the top five overall as the only riders operating in the same hour as Lettenbichler. Jonny Walker sits in sixth scratch but over two hours behind the race leader already.
Comfortably the best Junior class rider, Mitchell Brightmore came home in P7 scratch just a couple of minutes faster on the day than a guy old enough to be his dad, Graham Jarvis.
Behind them Gold class riders are still struggling and clocking some unreal daily hours on the bikes. Matty Green was the last to cross the finish line in P13 and 7:32.8 on the clock as we send this story live.
Silver and Bronze boys and girls joined for some sweet sections and in the second-tier class Hungarian Kornel Ott ripped the day win to place himself first overall at this halfway stage. Only just though as day one winner Patrick Riegler is just 44 seconds behind in quite the battle for honours. Despite admitting having to take a few too many attempts at one hill today, Chris Birch remains third overall but drops 3:34s behind.
Kevin Gallas continues to lead the Bronze class with a convincing day win, some 10mins clear of Josh Kirby in P2, with a lead now of over 14 mins on Josh Kirby. Yesterday’s third-placed rider Ethan Jameson had a bit of a mare today and drops right down the order letting the old fox Mark Jackson sneak into P3 scratch for this, his 50th Romaniacs…(there or thereabouts)
The Iron class had a new day winner in Dhmhtrhs Margos who moves in to P2 overall behind Peter Wuth – 12 minutes clear – and Mark Whyte in third.
Atom class has the Canadian Alexander Petroiu in charge once again with a day win. Behind him Valentin Ganea and Dimitriy Reznitskiy switch places, Kazakhstan rider Reznitskiy having lost a heap of time today.