Pol Tarrés, already known for rewriting what’s possible on twin-cylinder machines, etched another milestone into Romaniacs lore by conquering the newly launched Adventure Ultimate class aboard the Tenere 700. 

The annual Red Bull Romaniacs is designed to test the world’s most elite hard enduro riders and their machines – spanning across varying terrain from man-made obstacles in urban settings, to hostile landscapes and unpredictable territory. Since the event’s inception in 2004, it has garnished a reputation as one of the toughest off-road motorcycle races in the world.

This year’s edition of the infamous hard enduro race introduced two new multi-cylinder categories: Adventure Lite and Adventure Ultimate. The latter class is the spicier of the two—built for riders who are ready to wrestle a big twin-cylinder machine through seriously tough terrain. It’s not quite Gold or Silver Class-level brutality, but it’s no Sunday cruise either.

Despite recovering from an injury, Tarres claimed the top podium in the class after four punishing days. Recognized for his background in trials and extreme enduro, the 31-year-old Spaniard finished 3 minutes and 43 seconds ahead of his closest competitor—two-time Romaniacs champ Jonny Walker. Earlier in the week, he also won the prologue, competing for Yamaha Motor Europe and the Trece Racing Society team.

Pol’s injury wasn’t the only thing he had to overcome though. On day two, a broken gear shifter forced him to reach down and change gears by hand, yet he maintained his overall lead and ended the stage just two seconds behind Walker — the winner of the stage. Tarrés clinched the class win with a final overall time of 13 hours 42m 43s.

Tarrés previously made history in 2021 by completing the elite Bronze Class on a twin-cylinder adventure bike. After injury setbacks in 2022 and 2023, he made an even more remarkable return in 2024, achieving the impressive feat of becoming the first rider to finish the Silver Class aboard an Adventure motorcycle.

“To be the first ever winner in the Red Bull Romaniacs Adventure Ultimate class is a fantastic feeling. After competing at the event throughout the last five years, this is the result that means the most. Unfortunately, a minor crash left me with a broken gear shifter, but I handled the setback well and still managed to finish the day on a high note. This victory means a lot to us, we’ve been working hard for a win throughout the last five years and now, the dream has become a reality.” — Pol Tarrés 

Hard Enduro elite rider, Jonny Walker, also showed his impressive versatility. This year, the renowned heavy hitter swapped his usual featherweight two-stroke enduro machine for a Tiger 900 adventure bike to compete in the Adventure Ultimate category. After placing second in the Prologue, a technical issue on Day One dropped him to fifth. Undeterred, Walker responded with three consecutive stage wins, ultimately closing the gap to Tarrés and securing a hard-fought second place overall.

Also on a Tiger 900, Sam Sunderland made his maiden participation in the event in the easier Adventure Lite class. The two-time Dakar Rally winner won the city Prologue and went on to sweep all four offroad stages, securing the overall class win with a commanding lead of 1 hour and 37 minutes.

Sunderland’s Romaniacs campaign also marks the beginning of his next major challenge: an attempt to become the fastest person to ride a motorcycle around the globe. He’ll cover over 18,000 miles, across five continents and more than 15 countries, aboard a Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer.

Elsewhere, Kevin Gallas, who was tackling the brutal Bronze class on the Tenere 700, was forced to withdraw from the race after suffering a significant injury on Day 3. While running in an impressive second overall, Gallas twisted his knee severely after Checkpoint 2 and was unable to continue. Just a year earlier, in 2024, Gallas had claimed first place overall in the Bronze Class, finishing strong aboard the T7. His 2025 run was shaping up to be another podium-worthy performance before the injury cut it short.

Romaniacs – Adventure Ultimate Results