Truth Erz for Jarvis
By TMX Archives on 1st Jul 11
Mixed weather, a tougher than ever course, close and exciting racing and the disqualification of a number of top riders ensured this years Red Bull Erzberg Rodeo Hare Scramble was anything but short on drama...
Graham Jarvis missed-out on what would have been a memorable first ever win when he missed an all-important check-point while extreme enduro specialist Taddy Blazusiak claimed a fifth consecutive win.
Big news for Brits is that injured Dougie Lampkin took his Gas Gas to a superb second and first-timer, Cumbrian Jonny Walker grabbed an incredible third.
Erzberg is simply one of the biggest spectacles in the world of off-road with more than 1,500 riders going for it in Saturday's qualifier which is a straight speed race up the famous Iron Mountain to determine grid position – and it still boasted 500 finishers at the end of the gruelling course.
For Husaberg's Graham Jarvis the 2011 running of the Erzberg Rodeo Hare Scramble is an event he won't forget in a hurry.
Frustratingly for Grimbo it's an event he'll remember for all the wrong reasons.
The first rider to reach the finish of the tougher than ever extreme enduro race, Graham's delight turned to despair when it was informed that he'd missed one of the 20 all-important route checkpoints and would be pushed back down the results to an eventual 21st position.
From a top-six start Graham steadily worked his way forward, passing and catching now five-time winner Blazusiak in the notorious Carl's Diner section of the course.
Opening up a near two-minute lead it was at the very next check-point, at the top of the steep and challenging climb, that Graham passed to the side of the check-point, which ultimately resulted in all of his hard work coming to nothing as he, along with Dakar star Cyril Despres, was removed from the results.
Yet despite Graham's disappointment British riders again saturated the top of the results with four of the nine official finishers coming from the UK.
Dougie Lampkin and Erzberg first timer Jonny Walker stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Blazusiak on the podium and the Gas Gas and KTM mounted riders both produced stunning performances. For Lampkin the ankle injury that's plagued him of late ensured he started the main Hare Scramble event not knowing how things would go. And despite getting soaked off the start line in torrential rain like most all riders, he battled his way to the end of the race with no problems.
Initially behind Cumbrian Walker – who eventually found his pace slowed when he lost the use of his front brake – Dougie pushed and shoved his way through the early wooded sections of the course before strengthening his lead through the long, rocky 'Carl's Diner' section.
Looking simply to finish the event, carrying his ankle injury, Dougie was naturally delighted to have finished as runner-up.
Walker's first ever Erzberg Hare Scramble started in the best possible way as a great qualifying performance put him alongside Blazusiak at the start.
Closely following the experienced Erzberg winner, Jonny soon moved into the lead, as the pair raced up one of the first hill climbs.
FOR FULL REPORT AND PICTURES SEE T+MX issue JULY 1, 2011
RED BULL EZBERG RODEO HARE SRAMBLE
Riders completing all 20 check points: 1 Taddy Blazusiak (KTM), 2 Dougie Lampkin (Gas Gas), 3 Jonny Walker (KTM), 4 Ben Hemingway (KTM), 5 Xavi Galindo (Husaberg), 6 Dan Hemingway (KTM), 7 Tiachi Tanaka (KTM), 8 Chris Birch (KTM), 9 Lars Enockl (KTM).
BRITISH FINISHERS: 11 Jack Lee (Gas Gas) Check-Point 18, 21 Graham Jarvis (Husaberg) CP 15, Paul Bolton (KTM) CP 14, 37 Neil Flockart (Suzuki) CP 14, 41 Nick Life (Suzuki) CP 14, 47 Chris Dustow (KTM) CP 14, 48 Andrew Cripps (Gas Gas) CP 14, 52 Mark Jackson (KTM) CP 13, 53 Martin Craven (KTM) CP 13, 54 David Myers (KTM) CP 13, 60 Kiaran Hankin (Sherco) CP 13, 63 Sam Myers (KTM) CP 13, 83 Jonathan Hughes (KTM) CP 12, 84 Harry Hillas (KTM) CP 12, 103 Damien Butler (KTM) CP 9, 104 Gavin Johnston (Husaberg) CP 9, 106 Guy Chandler (KTM) CP 9, 133 Craig Parkes (KTM) CP 9, 161 Andrew Noakley (KTM) CP 7, 164 Grant Haking (KTM) CP 7, 168 Tom Healey (KTM) CP 7, 175, Paul Herbert (KTM) CP 7, 187 Gary McCoy (KTM) CP 7, 192 Luke Copestake (KTM) CP 7, 194 Philip Wiffen (KTM) CP 7, 246 Roger Williams (Gas Gas) CP 7, 253 Andrew Hornshaw (KTM) CP 6, 262 Ben Hughes (KTM) CP 6, 279 Wayne Mundell (KTM) CP 6, 282 Stephen Ethelston (KTM) CP 6, 296 Colin Blunt (KTM) CP 6, 345 Colin Kevworth (KTM) CP 6, 373 Joe Mitchinson (KTM) CP 6, 380 Freddie Davis (KTM) CP 6, 404 Richard Croft (KTM) CP 4, 408 Mark Fenwick (KTM) CP 4, 409 Paul Westgarth (KTM) CP 4, 420 Ian Matthews (KTM) CP 4, 421 Chris Bursell (KTM) CP 4, 437 James Wood (KTM) CP 2, 442 Sam Turner (Honda) CP 2, 451 Darren Blagg (KTM) CP 2, 461 Rob Jarman (KTM) CP 0, 463 Gareth Lodge (KTM) CP 0.
