Sam Sunderland and Jonny Walker will compete in the 2025 Red Bull Romaniacs on Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro adventure bikes in the new Adventure categories—Ultimate and Lite. Romaniacs is one of the world’s most grueling hard enduro races and runs from July 22–26.
Walker, a member of the Triumph Factory Racing Enduro Team, earned sixth place at the 2025 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo. He will race in the Adventure Ultimate class. According to organizers, the Adventure Ultimate class runs on typical enduro trails rather than the hard enduro courses used by the lighter race bikes.
“I’ve raced Romaniacs plenty of times,” Walker explains, “so it’s cool to be going back in a completely different way, racing the Tiger 900, which I’m really excited about. I’m pretty confident. I think it will be fun, and of course, the main goal is to win the Adventure Ultimate class. It’s going to be totally different to anything I’ve done before, and probably a bit more enjoyable on the big bike!”
Sam Sunderland, a two-time Dakar Rally winner and former FIM World Rally-Raid Champion, will ride the Tiger 900 Rally Pro in the Adventure Lite class. This class includes single-track trails, though no “heavy sections,” according to the Romaniacs organizers.
“It’s super exciting to be taking on such an iconic hard enduro race,” Sunderland says. “The adventure classes are a great way to get involved, and I can’t wait to get out to Romania to get stuck in. It’s more similar to what I have done in rally-raid in the past, especially with the five-day format, and I’m looking forward to getting into race mode again. My Triumph Tiger 900 will be pretty much standard, so it’s going to be cool to put it to the test.”
Both riders will use near-stock Tiger 900 Rally Pro models, equipped with minimal race-specific parts. The Romaniacs course starts with an in-city Prolog on July 22, followed by four days of intense off-road racing through mountains, river crossings, and steep forest climbs—a punishing test of endurance and skill.
Triumph aims to demonstrate the Tiger 900’s durability and versatility in this extreme environment. With Walker and Sunderland’s top-tier experience, the team hopes to gain valuable insights while showcasing the Rally Pros’ performances.
Triumph Motorcycles Head of Global Racing Programmes Ian Kimber tells us, “I’m really excited to have Jonny and Sam entering the legendary Red Bull Romaniacs race for Triumph. They’re both experts in their respective fields, but piloting the Tiger 900 Rally Pro in the Adventure classes will show everyone not just what they are made of, but also what the Tiger can do in the extreme environments. It’s going to be a tough race, but I know the lads will come out swinging as they take on the challenge of this iconic event.”
The 2025 Red Bull Romaniacs is held in Sibiu, Transylvania, located in the Făgăraș Mountains at the heart of Romania. The event was first held in 2004.
