Tough One post-race interview with Jonny Walker
By Team TMX on 9th Mar 15
Jonny Walker has continued his winning ways in 2015, claiming victory at The Tough One extreme enduro. Topping the event for the first time ever having lead from start-to-finish, Walker is now two-for-two having also topped Hells Gate three weeks earlier
TMX: Jonny, a first win at The Tough One. How's it feel to have finally won a major extreme enduro event on home soil?
Jonny: "I'm really pleased with this result. Graham [Jarvis] is a hard guy to beat, but I really wanted to keep things rolling on from my Hell's Gate win. Conditions were night and day different to that race, but this win wasn't easy. My plan was to try and get a good start, which I was able to do. After that I just managed my lead. It's great to finally be able to get a Tough One win."
TMX: A lot of riders suffered with arm pump in the early laps, but you seemed to be able to push hard from the start...
Jonny: "It's always hard going from cold to full-speed straight away. But I guess the run to my bike warmed me up. Maybe also racing the SuperEnduro events helped, as there's not much warm-up with indoor races. Like I said I just tried to not make mistakes, which having got a good start was a little easier to do. I felt pretty good from the start."
TMX: You lost a little time mid-race, why was that?
Jonny: "I didn't read my pit board properly. I thought it said last lap, which thinking about it there's no way it could have been, and I slowed down a little. The board said something like ‘1 lap till final hour'. It wasn't too much of a problem as I still had a good lead. I managed that gap and stayed out of trouble during the final hour so everything was fine."
TMX: What was the track like this year, did you prefer the drier conditions?
Jonny: "I was ready for whatever the conditions were going to be really. It was much nicer than the cold and snow we had at Hell's Gate, but not what everyone's used to at Nantmawr Quarry. When things are drier it makes some of the climbs and the rocks a little easier, but it was still tough. It was still easy to make a small mistake and for that become a bad lap. I was pleased that I only made one mistakes."
TMX: You were also in action in the Barcelona Indoor Enduro, how was that?
Jonny: "It was great. Not the result I'd hoped for finishing fifth but a really enjoyable event. It was good to get back on my 250cc four-stroke ahead of this weekend's SuperEnduro final round. That's going to be an important race for me after my issues in Brazil. I've got some work to do..."
Results - Tough One 2015
1. Jonny Walker (KTM) 13 laps 2:31.12; 2. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 13
laps 2:33.28; 3. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 2:43.00...
Results - Barcelona Indoor Enduro
1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 49 points; 2. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 45; 3.
Mathias Bellino (Husqvarna) 44; 5. Jonny Walker (KTM) 35...
