Motorsports: Hirscher faces Erzbergrodeo

“I am really looking forward to this experience. For me, the ride is the reward and I will try to enjoy the race as much as possible.”

The eight-time Ski World Cup winner will be driving the No. 89 Husqvarna TE 300. Hirscher has been a motorcyclist with a passion for off-roading for a long time. Last year, a man from Salzburg broke his leg in an enduro race in Romania.

Walker flirts with the podium place

For the elite, Erzbergrodeo is the third stop of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. The world’s largest dirt bike festival takes place as usual on Sunday with Hare Scramble, where the top 500 compete from the front. Big names such as Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), Billy Bolt (GBR) and Taddy Blazusiak (Poland) have confirmed their engagement once again.

Austrian Hard Enduro hopes Michael Walkner will be there, too. The man from Salzburg – who has nothing to do with former Dakar winner Matthias Walkner – is believed to be able to finish on the podium. The latest winner so far is Brett Graham Jarvis, who won in 2019. This was his fifth overall win over Erzberg.

big changes

More than 1,100 participants from 40 countries are expected to participate. Drivers from Iran, Ecuador, Japan and New Zealand were also represented. Participants who have already experienced at Erzberg should be prepared for changes. The site has changed a lot in recent years as a result of opencast mining. The court trench is now 80 meters higher after the embankments. The bathtub may not be running anymore, as a pond has been created there.

The number of spectators is expected to reach 35,000. What’s new this year is that participants are not allowed to ask for help from spectators, mechanics or other team members along the entire route (“no help” area). Furthermore, there will be no points for refueling or charging on the approximately 38 kilometer race track, and participants must complete the entire race with a full tank or battery.