Xtreme Enduro world elite riders ready for ERZBERGRODEO XXII!

Enzersfeld / Eisenerz, April 2016

The KTM Extreme Enduro Factory Racing Team will sport an extremely powerful line-up at the Erzbergrodeo 2016. 3-times Red Bull Hare Scramble winner Jonny Walker (UK), 5-times winner Taddy Blazusiak (POL), FIM Superenduro World Championship runner-up Cody Webb (USA, finisher 2014) and new team addition Alfredo Gomez (ESP, co-winner 2015) will lead KTM's efforts to gain the prestigious win at the Red Bull Hare Scramble 2016. The KTM Factory All-Stars will be supported by a group of very talented youngsters: FIM Superenduro Junior World Champion Manuel Lettenbichler (GER) and the South African trio of Scott Bouverie, Travis Teasdale and Dwyane Kleynhans are eager to proof themselves in front of their famous idols.

KTM will also add some Dakar atmosphere to this year's Erzbergrodeo: talented Spaniard Laia Sanz might be the first ever female rider to finish the Red Bull Hare Scramble while former MX3 World Champion and multiple Dakar stage winner Matthias Walkner (AUT) could be the man to beat at this year's Generali Iron Road Prologue!

KTM's biggest challenger will once again be the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Team. 2-times Red Bull Hare Scramble winner Graham Jarvis (UK) will be supported by extremely talented Spaniard Mario Roman Serrano (2-times finisher) and the freshly crowned FIM Superenduro World Champion Colton Haaker (USA), who will celebrate his debut at the Iron Giant. Former MX3 World Champion, 2-times World Enduro Champion and now member of the successful Husqvarna Rallye Factory Team Pierre-Alexandre "Pela" Renet (FRA) will race the Iron Road Prologue on his 450 Rallye bike, while team rookie Pascal Rauchenecker (AUT) will try to gain as much experience as possible in his first season as a Enduro Factory Rider.

The Italian Beta Enduro Factory Team will be represented by 5-times Red Bull Hare Scramble finisher Ben Hemingway (UK) as well as US-topriders Kyle Redmond and Max Gerston. South African Wade Young, who in 2013 finished his first ever Red Bull Hare Scramble at the age of 17, was signed by Sherco to race the 2016 Extreme Enduro season and will surely be one more rider to be watched at Erzbergrodeo!

Xtreme Enduro crowd favourite Paul Bolton (UK) took a break from Erzberg in 2015 to race the Endurocross at the Summer X-Games, but "Bolts" will return this year with the british Eurotek KTM Team to add one more top result to his already amazing career at the Iron Giant.

Despite the powerful international competition at Erzberg, Austria's top dirtbike riders manage to keep the crowd on their feet each year. To place amongst champions from all over the world and earn the respect (and interest) from factory team principals and industry people is indeed a huge motivation. Lars Enöckl (KTM), Dieter Rudolf (KTM), Bernhard Schöpf (KTM), Rudi Poeschl (Husqvarna) and Ossi Reisinger (Husqvarna) are only the spearheads of a full phalanx of national riders, who are eager to proove themselves in front of thousands of local fans at the Erzbergrodeo XXII. Enoeckl, Rudolf and Poeschl have already put their names in the record books of international Hardenduro racing and are considered Austria's top guns at the Red Bull Hare Scramble, while Ossi Reisinger and his fellow Austrian offroaders already earned their lourels in the Kärcher Rocket Ride uphill race and the high-speed Generali Iron Road Prologue. Once again, these local heroes are ready to make the Austrian motorsports fans cheer at this years Erzbergrodeo.

A more than interesting crossover project is the participation of Snowmobile superstar Keith Curtis (USA) in the Erzbergrodeo 2016. The world's most successful rider in the history of Snowmobile Hillclimb Racing (27-times World Champion, 55 King titles, 149 1st place finishes) will swap his 200 kg snowmobile with a lightweight 2-stroke KTM dirtbike to challenge the Iron Giant at his first ever Erzbergrodeo appearance!

Erzbergrodeo Endurocross: the action-loaded side event returns to the Erzbergrodeo Arena!
In 2007 a young polish amateur called Taddy Blazusiak excited thousands of spectators at the Erzbergrodeo XIII Endurocross side event and grabbed a well deserved first row starting spot in the Red Bull Hare Scramble. The rest is history! 10 years after Taddy, 2016 could see another ambitious amateur writing history at the Iron Giant!

The Erzbergrodeo Endurocross will take place on a specifically built Endurocross track within the newly designed Actionzone inside the Erzbergrodeo Arena. All participants will compete on electric powered Freeride E-XC motorcycles, which will be entirely supplied by KTM. All riders will therefore compete on completely identical material, which will add even more excitement to the race.

In the timed qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday competitors have the chance to put themselves in the spotlight by riding their fastest possible lap on the selective track. Only the 48 fastest riders will proceed to the Superfinals on Saturday evening. Those 48 competitors will also have to have reached a Top-500 score in the final results of the Generali Iron Road Prologue and therefore have to be qualified for the Red Bull Hare Scramble 2016.

The Endurocross Superfinals will see 6 riders competing in each heat with only the fastest 3 proceeding to the next round. In the end, the three podium finishers will be awarded with a first row starting spot for the Red Bull Hare Scramble 2016! If any of the Top-3 riders has already secured his first row starting spot in the Generali Iron Road Prologue, he will receive the possibility to choose his starting spot in the front row. The limited starting grid of 200 riders is already booked out by now, so spectators can look forward to exciting racing and lots of ambitious talents from all continents fighting for a first row appearance at the Erzbergrodeo's highlight race on Sunday!

HAIBIKE Endurocross Challenge: ePerformance Mountainbike vs. Electric Motorcycle!
Another highlight is served to all spectators right after the Endurocross Superfinals: in cooperation with new business partner HAIBIKE, Erzbergrodeo mastermind Karl Katoch presents the exciting duel electric MTB versus electric dirtbike! The innovative manufacturer of high-grade ePerformance mountain bikes takes on the challenge to handle the tricky Endurocross obstacles as fast as any electric powered motorcycle...

Erzbergrodeo Press/Media registration online at erzbergrodeo.at
The Erzbergrodeo offers international journalists the possibility to experience the unique and spectaculous event directly on site and cover the intense competition and breathtaking atmosphere from a very exclusive view. The Erzbergrodeo's Press/Media Service offers numerous supportive services (see attachment) to enable journalists to create an outstanding and exclusive coverage of the world's most renowned Xtreme Enduro.

Please use the registration link below to apply for a press/media accreditation:
Erzbergrodeo Press/Media Registration 2016

Deadline for the Erzbergrodeo press/media registration is Friday, May 13th 2016.