Taking it to extremes

At the start of the month it was Erzberg time – a race I have been looking forward to since last year.

 

I flew it to Salzburg and stopped off at the Red Bull hanger 7 which was just unbelievable. 

 

They had everything to do with motorsport there and even Chinook helicopters with the Red Bull logo on. 

 

I met up with Graham Jarvis and we did a live show for Austrian TV.

 

It was like top gear with all the people but it was such a laugh and all good experience.

 

After that we headed to the Iron Giant to get ready for the biggest race of the extreme calendar. 

 

Everything went to plan – which makes a change – and I won.

 

Now I look back on the race I can't remember much – I think I was so focused everything was just a blur.

 

I feel for Graham and Letti after being disqualified but I have to say a massive thanks to everyone at KTM, especially my mechanic ‘Captain Smooth', who did a great job and also Leo for keeping me entertained.

 

It was then a drive from there back to the factory with one day of rest, then a flight to sunny Romania.

 

I didn't know what to expect when I got there but after sitting outside the hotel for an hour and seeing two cars crash and one guy bin a scooter my mind was made up that ‘the people are mental'. 

 

The race I was least looking forward to started the next day with the prologue and then a four-day long slog through woods and mountains began. 

 

I got some great advice off a lot of people telling me how to use the GPS – ‘just follow the line' – but I thought if it's that simple how come everyone gets lost? 

 

The day of the prologue began and I thought I had better try and win it because I wasn't going to win any other days – plus there will be loads of fit Romanian chicks watching.

 

I won the prologue and I was so happy with my result I didn't think about the fact that I would be setting off the next day having no navigational experience at all.

 

I started the first day full of confidence and ready to follow the line – but it was hard as that line is so thin.

 

And everyone had warned me about the bears but no one told me about all the wild dogs.

 

Trying to follow the line and look behind whilst the dogs are chasing you isn't easy!

 

Put it this way – I'm convinced that if I had fallen off I wouldn't be here now.

 

Day two didn't start well, sleeping in and missing the start wasn't clever, but to be fair me and Julian we did a super-fast gear change.

 

FOR FULL COLUMN SEE TMX NEWS JULY 6