Mario Roman Puts Plews Tyres on the Erzbergrodeo Podium as Moore Stuns on Debut

There is no race in hard enduro quite like the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo. An open-cast iron ore mine rising out of the Austrian Alps, a 30-kilometre course through the Iron Giant, 27 checkpoints, and just four hours to reach the finish.

In 2026, out of 500 starters, only 15 riders reached the finish line. Among them were two Plews-supported riders, with Mario Roman taking a podium finish in third and James Moore stunning the field with sixth place on his first-ever Erzbergrodeo appearance.

For Plews Tyres, it also marked a special moment: a first podium at the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo.

Earning the start

Before riders can face the Iron Giant, they first have to qualify through the Iron Road Prologue, a high-speed time trial on roughly 13 kilometres of fast gravel roads. With up to 1,500 riders across two days and only the fastest 500 making it into Sunday’s main race, every second matters.

The Plews-supported riders showed strong pace from the beginning.

Bert Boam led the way with an impressive P13 overall, the fastest result among the Plews riders and enough for a front-row start. James Moore qualified P18 on his Erzberg debut, followed by Matthew Green in P26, Will Hoare P27, Mario Roman P30, Charlie Frost P42, Radford Chugg P44, Toby Shaw P51, Richard Moorhouse P57, and Francesc Moret P71.

All ten Plews-supported riders qualified for the main event.

Tyre choice becomes crucial

Heading into Sunday, tyre choice was a major topic. With a course mixing dry, wet, rocky, and slippery sections, riders needed traction, stability, and confidence across very different terrain.

Mario Roman chose The Tough One 140 SuperSoft on the rear, paired with the Extreme front.

“It’s a perfect tyre for these conditions,” said Roman. “It’s gonna be dry and wet at the same time. Some parts are loose rocks, but other parts are super slippery out there in the forest with crazy uphills and wet roots. I’m gonna have the best traction with that tyre. In the front, I like the Extreme for this race because I will have the best traction in the wet downhills and also in the rocks, like the famous section Carl’s Dinner.”

Other riders also adapted their setup for the mountain. Charlie Frost used a Grand Prix front with a Tough One rear, Radford Chugg stayed with the Extreme front all weekend, Will Hoare went with Extreme front and rear for the rock sections, while Matt Green switched to The Tough One Extreme for the main race.

Mario Roman back on the Erzberg podium

Mario Roman does not go to Erzberg just to finish. He goes there to fight for the win.

This year, the top step escaped him, but a podium at the world’s toughest one-day hard enduro is still a huge result. Especially on a day where only 15 riders reached the finish.

Roman’s start was not perfect, but his patience paid off. He focused on finding rhythm rather than forcing the race early, then began moving forward with his usual precision. No crashes. No panic. Just clean, calculated hard enduro.

“Super happy,” said Roman at the finish. “Everything went well from the prologue. Racing with the two bikes wasn’t easy! It was the first time in my life I had to change clothes every time, change bike. But the main event was really good for me. Zero crashes, riding super smooth. Good traction with the Tough One in the rear, we made a good choice with the soft mousse. Super satisfied.”

Roman crossed the line in third place, putting himself back on the Erzbergrodeo podium and giving Plews Tyres its first podium result at the Iron Giant.

James Moore shocks the field on debut

If Roman’s podium was the headline, James Moore’s sixth place was the result that had people talking.

On his first-ever Red Bull Erzbergrodeo appearance, Moore finished P6 overall in a race where only 15 riders made it to the end. For a debut at one of the most demanding races in the sport, it was an exceptional result.

“I’m pretty lost for words,” said Moore. “It’s different coming to a race that you don’t know, especially one as big as this. There’s a lot of pressure that comes with it. But luckily, I was just focused on my own ride and didn’t feel that pressure too much. I had such a good time out there, rode with some really good riders, and I felt like I was riding my bike really well.”

The famous Carl’s Dinner section was every bit as physical as expected.

“I didn’t expect Carl’s Dinner to be quite so physical,” Moore admitted. “We ride sections like that during training days but usually at a slower pace. On the way back, especially during the last part, I was pretty pumped up and feeling the effort.”

What made the ride stand out was how well Moore managed fatigue.

“The positive thing was that I was still riding my bike well. Even when I was tired, I was making good decisions and riding cleanly, which isn’t always the case for me. So I’m really happy with that.”

P6 on debut. At Erzberg. In a race with only 15 finishers.

That is a serious statement.

Strong rides through the field

Behind Roman and Moore, the other Plews-supported riders also pushed deep into the Iron Giant.

Francesc Moret climbed strongly from P71 in the prologue to P21 in the main race. Toby Shaw, better known for SuperEnduro, also made a strong impression with P23, showing that his 2026 hard enduro campaign is moving in the right direction. Richard Moorhouse also gained well, improving from P57 in the prologue to P24 overall.

Further back, Bert Boam finished P37, Will Hoare P65, Radford Chugg P79, and Charlie Frost P128. At Erzberg, even reaching deep into the mountain is an achievement, with most of the 500 starters stopped long before the final checkpoints.

Matt Green’s race cut short

For Matthew Green, the weekend ended in frustration.

After switching to The Tough One Extreme for the main race, Green was ready to attack the Iron Giant. But while climbing a hill, a large rock struck the front of his bike with huge force, smashing the front end, cutting through the electrical wiring, and damaging the forks.

Green spent a long time trying to repair the bike trackside, but the damage was too severe.

“It’s a real shame to end my Erzberg like this,” said Green. “Luckily it hit the bike and not me, but the impact was massive.”

The mountain writes its own story, and this time Green was simply unlucky. He will be back.

Until next year

Ten Plews-supported riders qualified for the 2026 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo main race. Out of 500 starters, only 15 reached the finish. Two of those finishers were Plews riders.

Mario Roman put Plews Tyres on the Erzbergrodeo podium for the first time.
James Moore delivered one of the standout debut rides of the race.
And the rest of the team showed grit, progress, and determination on the toughest single-day hard enduro race in the world.

The Iron Giant never gives anything for free. This year, Plews Tyres left with a podium, a breakthrough debut, and a clear message for the future.