The infamous Erzberg Rodeo is once again about to commence, and the stage is already set for an epic weekend of all-out racing. The four days of pure shenanigans begins with a hillclimb-style race and two days of prologue qualifying runs, followed by the notoriously brutal Red Bull Hare Scramble. This year, Red Bull KTM’s Johnny Walker is looking to repeat last year’s victory, but he’ll have to fight off fierce competition from the likes of Graham Jarvis, Andreas Lettenbichler, Dougie Lampkin and more.
Flying the flag for Dirt Rider, I will be racing a Christini 300 All-Wheel-Drive machine, which recently made the long journey to Austria after being tested the 2013 Dirt Rider 300cc two-stroke shootout. Getting over to the Iron Giant is no easy feat, but things were made much easier with the help of fellow journalist and EnduroCross madman Geoff Walker (known for his worldwide antics as test editor for Dirt Bike Rider Magazine in the UK, as well as his role as Executive-Dude-In-Charge of the SR75/ Molson race team), along with a long list of supporting companies and individuals. Together with Christini's Ash D'Antonio, our small but motivated contingent is ready to take in Erzberg in all of its gut-wrenching glory.
Below is a collection of snapshots from the site of this epic event, shot as things were revving up for day #1. To see more of the Erzberg Rodeo—including a live webcast of the Red Bull Hare Scramble—stay tuned to www.dirtrider.com.
They don’t call Erzberg the “Iron Giant” for nothing. An active iron mine, this mountain is one big lightning rod that is crisscrossed with exceptionally brutal hills, lines and trails. The race itself is less than 20 miles.
2012 Red Bull Hare Scramble winner Johnny Walker practices his pit-skills aboard a KTM Freeride Electric motorcycle. Walker is a likable, energetic youngster who just so happens to shred on two-wheels. Don’t worry, we made him put a helmet on after this photo was shot!
A makeshift EnduroCross track leads the way into the final 100 meters of the course. If you make it to this point, you are officially a machine.
Erzberg founder Karl Katoch is all smiles leading in to this race. Katoch is a full-blooded enduro enthusiast who also happens to love torturing the world’s best extreme racers…and he excels at the position!
Christini’s Ash D’Antonio does his magic on the official Dirt Rider/ SR75 World Team 300 AWD race machine. With the weather gearing up for a downpour, the Christini looks to be the perfect choice for the Iron Giant.
It takes a lot of spare parts to run an international race effort, even for an event that is just four hours long. A larger tank was fitted to the Christini, along with FMF exhaust, Enduro Engineering and Unabiker armor, TM Designworks chain guide, Pro Taper handlebars and grips, IRC tires, Tugger Straps, RidePG Graphics and a Rekluse clutch, among other things. The work is endless but at the end of the day every single part increases the chances of a solid finish.
Still a fully functional iron mine, Erzberg is home to some of the wildest strip mining equipment you’ve ever seen, including some larger-than-life dump trucks that require these massive Michelin tires. The Commencal 29” mountain bike in the foreground—which shows the scale of the gigantic tires—was provided by Decade Europe and has proven invaluable in checking out the mountain and the vast Erzberg pit area.
You see some strange things at Erzberg, including this race hauler that featured an interesting mural of the rider in a mountain setting…playing video games? Weird as it may be, he does look pretty darn happy!
Irish legend Geoff Walker is our team’s official team manager, on-site legend and source of constant laughter. The dude is solid gold.
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