Jonny Walker Delivers Stunning Hare Scramble Victory at Erzberg
OutdoorHub 06.02.14
Red Bull KTM Extreme Enduro rider Jonny Walker of the UK was in incredible form on Sunday when he tackled and conquered Austria’s notorious ‘Iron Mountain’ in the Red Bull Hare Scramble, the crowning even at the annual Erzbergrodeo.
Billed as the ultimate extreme event, the Hare Scramble sees 500 starters attempt to complete the mind-blowingly difficult Extreme Enduro track up and down Erzberg, where iron ore has been mined for centuries. It was the twentieth annual staging of this very special event.
Jonny Walker, who won in 2012 not only took the victory he did it by a winning margin that has rarely, if ever been seen before. He got a near perfect start on his KTM 300 EXC and literally never looked back as he charged up the mountain and over and through obstacles that had other riders dazed and confused.
“I can’t complain,” Walker said in typical understated fashion the finish area. “I had a perfect race. I wanted to get a good start and battle for the win and I managed to get a break. It feels awesome to have won like that.”
Walker finished the race in a startling 1 hour 37.38 and had given the winner’s interview before second placed Graham Jarvis of Britain passed through the winner’s arch, registering a time of 1:50:50. Jarvis was followed by KTM factory rider Andreas Lettenbichler of Germany about two minutes behind. Alfredo Gomez of Spain and KTM rider Paul Bolton of Britain completed the top five.
KTM supported rider Dougie Lampkin of Britain was sixth across the line on his KTM and American KTM factory rider Taylor Robert was a strong tenth in his first appearance at Erzberg. Robert also finished second in Saturday’s Iron Road Prologue, which culls the 500 riders to start in the Hare Scramble from 1800 hopeful starters. Robert also improved his time from Friday by two seconds and was the only rider to set a better time on Saturday.
Graham Jarvis, who won the Hare Scramble in 2013 said: “Jonny rode his socks off. He’s upped his game this year.”
Lettenbichler was also happy with his third place finish: “Its amazing to get a podium at Erzberg. Its like a victory to get third and I am happy with the result. It was a physical day and harder than ever.”
Results: Red Bull Hare Scramble 2014
1, Jonny Walker, GBR, KTM, 1:37:38
2, Graham Jarvis, GBR, Husqvarna, 1:50:50
3, Andreas Lettenbichler, GER, KTM, 1:53:01
4, Alfredo Gomez, ESP, Husqvarna, 1:53:53
5, Paul Bolton, GBR, KTM 1:55:21
6, Dougie Lampkin, GBR, KTM, 2:05:31
7, Cory Graffunder, CAN, Husqvarna 2:05:51
8, Ben Hemingway, GBR, Beta, 2:18:01
9. Taylor Robert, USA, KTM, 2:19:24
10. Cody Webb, USA, Beta, 2:20:06
