2024 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo preview – new track layout, Carl’s Dinner for everyone
2024 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo preview for round two of the Hard Enduro World Championship which will see Lettenbichler aiming for three in a row, Garcia in for the prologue and a new track layout so more people get to experience the infamous Carl’s Dinner...who asked for that?!
Factory riders and ambitious amateurs from 50 nations and all continents will face the challenge of tackling the toughest Extreme Enduro event on the planet this weekend.
The favourites are already established in the paddock, have cycled the prologue course (faster than ever it seems) and are gearing up for some wet weather as it kicks off tomorrow, Friday May 31.
Manuel Lettenbichler, Trysan Hart, Cody Webb, Graham Jarvis, Jonny Walker, Mario Roman, Teodor Kabakchiev, Wade Young… who’s your money on for the podium?
Race format - Garcia in for the prologue
On Friday and Saturday 1,308 participants will then take on the almost 15-kilometre-long race track over the Erzberg in the Blakläder Iron Road Prologue. The selective, high-speed gravel track winds its way from the start next to the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo Arena across the open-cast mining tracks of the Erzberg compound.
The riders start individually, with the faster of the two running times over two days deciding victory or congratulations. Expect a certain Josep Garcia to challenge for that award. The enduroGP championship points leader is in for the prologue only, a tradition for the KTM team to through in a wild card or two for the speed runs.
As part of the Akrapovic Speed Challenge, the top speed will be measured in the middle of the race track and a prize of EUR 1,500 will be awarded. After two days of racing, the 500 fastest participants will qualify for the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo main race...
Red Bull Erzbergrodeo with new track layout
The changed racetrack of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo main race on Sunday is generating a lot of interest this year. In 2024, the legendary signature checkpoint Carl's Dinner will be served in the first half of the race. Carl's Dinner is a section of the track littered with boulders, some as high as a man, that demands everything from the riders and requires excellent riding technique.
With a total length of 3,700 metres (divided into 3 sections), the section is considered one of the toughest tests in Hard Enduro sport. “By moving Carl's Dinner to the first half of the race, we want to give as many participants as possible the chance to experience this iconic section with all its challenges for themselves. We are expecting around 200-250 riders in Carl's Dinner this year, so spectacular motorsport action is definitely guaranteed. Extreme Enduro athletes love to take on the most difficult tasks and the Red Bull Erzbergodeo offers exactly this challenge!”, says Karl Katoch…
The other track highlights are of course also back on the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo menu in 2024: with 24MX Wasserleitung (CP1), Blakläder Zentrum am Berg (CP4), Wacker Neuson (CP6), George Avenue (CP12), Machine (CP14), Elevator (CP17), Motorex Highway (CP23) and Dynamite (CP25), all the classics await the 500 qualified starters on Sunday.
The favourites for the most prestigious victory in the Hard Enduro scene
Manuel Lettenbichler, currently the most successful Extreme Enduro athlete in the world, is at the top of the list of favourites. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing factory rider has already won the last two Red Bull Erzbergrodeo editions in 2022 and 2023 and also won the first round of the 2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in Wales, adding to his unbeaten run stretching back into 2022.
“Manuel is probably the rider with the best combination of riding technique, physical condition and mindset. He will be the hunted on the Erzberg and we can't wait to see how he deals with the pressure.” Says Red Bull Erzbergrodeo mastermind Karl Katoch, describing the 26-year-old Bavarian's role as favourite.
‘Letti's’ toughest rivals are the Canadian Trystan Hart (KTM, podium 2022 & 2023), the British Beta factory rider Jonny Walker, Spain's Alfredo Gomez (ESP, Rieju) and the strong Sherco Factory Racing factory team with Mario Roman (ESP, podium 2022), Teodor Kabakchiev (BG) and Cody Webb (USA).
Among the hunters is Graham Jarvis (UK, KTM), probably the best-known rider figure on the scene. The Briton is a true legend with 5 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo victories and, even at the age of 49 (!), continues to ride at the top of the world! In addition, there is a whole phalanx of young top riders, including the Austrian Michael Walkner (AUT, GASGAS).
