KTM factory rider Chris Birch wins his first Romaniacs

Perhaps one of the most triumphant stories of 2010, Kiwi Off-Road hero and KTM Red Bull athlete Chris Birch has claimed the first Red Bull Romaniacs title of his career. In 2009 he finished second to the hard charging German born BMW rider Andreas Lettenbichler, but what a year 2010 has turned out to be for Birch outclassing all the elements with a never-say-die attitude.

Going into Off-Road Day 4 with just over a 27min lead from the competition Brit rider Graham Jarvis and 34mins ahead of German Lettenbichler, Birch couldn’t afford the slightest mistake. It became a battle of wits and pure endurance as Birch not only rode a near faultless final 126km stage he also did so an incredible 6mins faster than 2nd place finished Graham Jarvis who became the first finisher of Off-Road Day 4 doing it from the back of pack.

With a nation of clammy palmed fans following his every live GPS plot online it was clear from an external perspective that Birch had Red Bull Romaniacs 2010 in the bag. However for Birch it was a very different story. “I’m extremely happy today, because regarding all my technical problems from yesterday, I didn’t even think that I would finish the race” says an all smiling Chris Birch who among other competitors battled through the slipperiest conditions of the event both mentally and physically exhausted.

The hard charging 2nd placed Brit Graham Jarvis, like Birch, battled through Red Bull Romaniacs 2010 showing at times some of the most magical riding finesse witnessed in the 2010 event that was plagued with mechanical problems. Jarvis’ 2nd place overall is a true testament to his gritty attitude and the former 2008 winner will be back for more next year.

German Lettenbichler took home the final spot on the podium when he crossed the finish line in unison with Paul Bolton and Jade Gutzeit in front of a huge crowd. Despite not repeating his victory from last year, the exhausted, battered and bruised BMW rider is more than satisfied with his performance. “This year’s race was probably harder than all previous Romaniacs due to the rain. The very first Off-Road day made me exceed my limits, so I’m actually very happy to have reached another podium here.”

Unofficial results for the 2010 Red Bull Romaniacs
1 Chris Birch, New Zealand, KTM. 28 hours 17 minutes and 31 seconds
2. Graham Jarvis, UK, Sherco, 28:46:12
3. Andreas Lettenbichler, Germany, BMW 29:18:29
4. Paul Bolton, UK, KTM, 29:52:12
5. Jade Gutzeit, South Africa, KTM, 30:21:32
6. Lionel Seydoux, Switzerland, KTM, 33:21:58
7. Gerhard Forster, Germany, BMW, 35:47:18
8. Darryl Curtis, Russia, KTM, 40:06:41
9. Gyenes Emanuel, Romania, KTM, 42:10:59
10. Erich Brandauer, Husaberg, 42:36:54

Day 5

It’s the final day of the Red Bull Romaniacs 2010. The fourth and last offroad stage of the Red Bull Romaniacs 2010 offered once again exciting action and top-level Enduro racing right from the start.

The riders let us know what they do when they are not riding a bike and what kind of support system they have. They also tell us what they like to do when they are not riding and a little bit about their private lives.

New Zealand’s Chris Birch manifested his position as one of the world’s most talented Extreme-Enduro rider and takes home the victory. Considering all his technical problems he didn’t think that he could finish the race, let alone win it.

Day 4

Day 3

Yesterday’s stage winner Graham Jarvis (GBR) faces serious technical problems and drops out halfway of the race.

While Chris Birch (NZL) has to maintain his bike, Andreas Lettenbichler (GER) passes and takes the lead, winning the second stage.

British rider Paul Bolton places second on today’s stage after making it to the finish 7 minutes behind Lettenbichler. Bolton — renown for his rather weak navigation skills — made no mistake today and advances to the third place in the overall ranking.
Joakim Ljunggren from Sweden surprises the crowd with an astonishing third place, coming in only 30 minutes behind Lettenbichler.

Day 2

The second stage of the 7th edition of the Red Bull Romaniacs starts dry and sunny for all riders — the heavy downpoors of the last days finally stopped, and so the 165 competitors face more comfortable temperatures and sunny conditions for most of the day.

The riders tell us how they train for the Romaniacs and what goes on in their mind and what they think while racing. They need to find the easiest way up to save energy.