The 23rd edition of the Red Bull Romaniacs has once again confirmed why it is considered the toughest extreme enduro rally in the world. The 2026 edition welcomed over 600 riders from more than 60 countries for a week of extreme racing in Romania.

James Moore experienced what he considers one of the most important weeks of his career. After qualifying 12th in the prologue, the rider built his comeback day by day: 4th on the first stage (5th overall), 4th again on the second after navigating the Live Maniacs section well, and another 4th place on the third stage, which put him firmly in fourth place overall with a solid lead. On the final and toughest day of racing, Moore overtook the rider in third place on one of the most gruelling climbs and managed his lead right to the finish line, finishing the Romaniacs in third place overall.

James Moore: “Making it onto the overall podium at the Romaniacs is something I’ve been dreaming of for a long time. This wasn’t just my achievement: it was a team effort, and having my team and my parents by my side during such a gruelling week made all the difference. Third place in the world’s toughest race: a week I’ll never forget.”

Alongside Moore, veteran Alfredo Gomez once again demonstrated the experience that sets him apart in one of the toughest races on the calendar, finishing 11th overall. The rider commented: “I didn’t race to the best of my ability; with the problem with my hand, staying in the seat for so many hours was very difficult.”

B Ott KornellB also put in a strong performance, finishing 12th overall on his debut in the Gold Class, with a top-10 finish on one of the off-road days.

Ott Kornell: “The hardest part was the LiveManiacs, where we had to complete three laps every day on a very demanding course. I’m delighted to have completed the world’s toughest hard enduro race. Competing in the Gold Class for the first time was an incredible learning experience; I can’t wait to come back stronger next year.”

The Lommel circuit hosted the fourteenth round of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship, the Flanders Grand Prix, on deep sand that makes it one of the most demanding tracks of the season.

Jago Geerts (Beta RX450) was highly anticipated at his home race.
Eighth in free practice and tenth in timed practice, the Belgian finished qualifying just outside the top ten. In Race 1, a crash whilst in ninth place saw him slip back, but Geerts didn’t give up, fighting his way back up to 12th place. In Race 2 too, a crash at the start complicated his opening stages, before he recovered to finish 11th. The Belgian finished the day in 12th position overall and retains 16th position in the championship.

Jago Geerts: “I’m pleased with how I rode this weekend. I had a bit of bad luck, with a crash in Race 1 and one at the start of Race 2, but I managed to fight my way back well on both occasions, finishing just outside the top ten. We’ll keep working ahead of our next races.”
In the ninth round of the EMX250 European Championship, Brando Rispoli (Beta RX250 2T) returned to the track following his excellent third place the previous week in the EMX2T class. Nineteenth in free practice and twenty-fifth in qualifying, the Tuscan rider had to fight his way back in Race 1 after an unlucky start, finishing 18th and picking up his first points of the day. In Race 2, a crash on the first lap and the resulting gap convinced him to retire, with the points zone now out of reach. Rispoli finished 25th overall for the day.

Brando Rispoli: “Lommel proved to be very demanding; it’s difficult to be fast on this terrain. In practice I encountered traffic and wasn’t able to put in a clean lap. In the first race I fought my way back into the points, but in the second I crashed on the first lap and decided to pull out. In any case, I’ve gained valuable experience for our upcoming races on sandy surfaces.”
The race at Lommel brings to a close a trio of consecutive events for the MRT Racing Team Beta Factory. Next weekend, the Uddevalla circuit will host the Swedish Grand Prix, the fifteenth of nineteen rounds in the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship.