Jonny Walker – Erzberg will be my toughest race yet…

As defending ErzbergRodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble champion KTM’s Jonny Walker starts this year’s race as one of the hot favourites. Delivering a near faultless start-to-finish victory last year, Walker dominated the world’s toughest single-day enduro race to secure his second win at the Iron Giant in Austria.

Entering this year’s ErzbergRodeo having claimed wins at both Hell’s Gate and The Tough One, Walker has his sights set on capturing a third Erzberg victory and securing a hat trick of 2015 Extreme Enduro wins…

The Erzberg countdown is almost over. Are you ready to defend your title?

Jonny Walker: “Honestly, I can’t wait to get started. Erzberg is the most important race of the year for me but it’s also one I really look forward to. It might be a strange thing to say about one of the most brutal tracks in the world but I love everything about it. From the atmosphere in the paddock, to the intensity of the race itself – it’s a couple of days of pure chaos, carnage and madness.”

Of the 1,800 other competitors is there anyone you’re keeping a close eye on?

JW: “The best riders in the world are all in so it’s going to be a hell of a battle. It will be my toughest race yet. I’ve won it twice now and I think that’s sort of helped me to mentally prepare for what’s ahead of me this year. I feel good about where I’m at and what I can do. But there’re also a lot of guys probably thinking the same thing. Graham Jarvis is highly motivated to win. I beat him in Hell’s Gate and The Tough One but I know he’d gladly trade those losses to beat me win Erzberg. Alfredo Gomez is strong around the Iron Giant too and guys like Mario Roman can bag a good result. But of course having Taddy Blazusiak on the starting line is going to make things interesting.”

What are you thoughts on having Taddy back for 2015?

JW: “It’s cool to have Taddy back in the paddock. He’s got the most Erzberg wins – five straight – and that is seriously impressive. Of course I want to beat him – you always want to beat your team-mate – and I know he’s taking this return very seriously. Skipping X Games to race Erzberg is proof of that. He’s going to be pushing hard to win and I’ll be giving it everything I’ve got to win.”

You claimed an amazing victory in 2014, how have you prepared for this year?

JW: “I took a few weeks off after the SuperEnduro championship to recharge my batteries and then got back into my training and preparations for Erzberg. I worked a lot on improving a few certain areas. I’m always trying to make my riding more fluid. It’s not so much a matter of being able to ride the most extreme obstacles, more about doing it without stopping to check lines and losing time. I’ve also spent a lot of time watching my GoPro footage from last year’s race.”

Finally, what will it mean to successfully defend your Erzberg crown?

JW: “Going to Erzberg with the #1 plate on my bike is a huge deal for me. There’re 1,800 other riders and I’m the guy that gets to start it with #1 on my bike. That’s a pretty cool thing. But I have been in this position before and it didn’t go well. I’m taking nothing for granted. Erzberg demands a massive amount of respect – the track can turn on you in an instant, which I’m all too aware of. But I’m ready to give it my best shot and go for the win…”

EISENERZ,AUSTRIA,01.JUN.14 – MOTORSPORT, MOTORRAD, MOTOCROSS – Erzbergrodeo 2014, Red Bull Hare Scramble, Siegerehrung. Bild zeigt die Teilnehmer, die das 20. Erzbergrodeo beendet haben.