BMW Motorrad riders were out in force at the annual Erzberg Rodeo, Austria, between June 11 - 14. The Rodeo is known as one of the toughest off-road motorcycle events on the planet and takes place in KTM's 'back yard' in Austria, but that didn't stop a selection of determined BMW riders making a full assault on the notorious Iron Mountain.

Staged on an iron ore 'mountain' high in the Austrian Alps, the Erzberg Rodeo is the name given to four days of gruelling motorcycling events, culminating in the legendary Hare Scramble. With only 500 places on the start line for the Scramble up for grabs, competition among the 1,500 riders in attendance was fierce. To earn their place on the Hare Scramble entry list, competitors had to first compete in the 'Prologue' event, held the day before. The top 500 riders would be 'rewarded' with a starting place for one of the most challenging motorcycle races of their lives.

BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders Andi Lettenbichler and Gerhard Forster are both veterans of the Iron Mountain and made short work of this year's Prologue on their G 450 X machines, finishing 13th and 19th place respectively, and earning a front row start for the Hare Scramble as a result. Meanwhile, BMW Motorrad South Africa riders Jade Gutzeit and Gray Dick also made the cut to line up for the start of the Hare Scramble.

Having finished the Hare Scramble in second place last year, Lettenbichler returned to the event intent on scoring his first ever win. Elsewhere, Forster was also looking for improvements after finishing in seventh place in 2008. The South African pair of Gutzeit and Dick entered the event as frontrunners in the South African Enduro Championship and were both confident of a strong performance on the Iron Mountain.

As the clock struck 12 on 14 June, the Hare Scramble got underway and - just as he had done 12 months ago - Lettenbichler raced into an early lead. However, the lead wasn't to last as the 34-year-old was taken out by another rider at the first downhill section. As a result, Letti's hopes of a maiden win were curtailed and the German rider spent the rest of the 23-kilometre race trying to make up the time that he had lost.

Despite the early setback, Letti battled back through the field aboard his G 450 X and completed the race in third place, taking a well-earned spot on the podium with a time of two hours, 25 minutes and 17 seconds. Although the win that he desperately craves still eludes him, Letti is happy with his performance at the 2009 Hare Scramble. "It was a great result and I'm really happy," says the trials specialist. "It was a very hard event this year - perhaps the hardest ever. The conditions were extremely hot and the course was incredibly difficult. It was about 32°C in the air, but about 50°C on the bike!"

"I think my trials experience helped during the event as the steep rocks and slippery ground was perhaps more suited to my technique than to some of the enduro riders," he continues. "I think that the enduro riders had work much harder on the technical sections, whereas it was instinctive for the trials riders."

Indeed, the Iron Mountain lived up to its reputation by once again providing a stern test for all competitors. Of the 500 riders that started the Hare Scramble, just 21 made it to the top of the mountain. So what does it take to overcome such a perilous challenge?

"Luck certainly comes into it," explains Letti. "Out of 500 very talented competitors, only a handful of riders finished, which proves just how difficult the Erzberg Hare Scramble is. The course is really long and challenging, so you do need luck on your side if you want to finish. You also need a very good bike, of course. The G 450 X didn't let me down all weekend and was pretty much perfect. Even against the two-strokes, the G 450 X worked really well and helped me achieve another podium."

Letti's BMW Motorrad Motorsport team mate, Gerhard Forster, was another rider to conquer the Mountain. The German rider comfortably achieved his goal of finishing the race, and his time of three hours, 51 minutes and 21 seconds was good enough for ninth position overall. "I'm very happy that I reached my goal of finishing the race," says Forster. "This year's Red Bull Hare Scramble was by far the most difficult I've ever taken part in. I don't know how many times I thought about giving up! The most difficult aspect of the race is to continually find the motivation to keep going, even when you think you just can't carry on."

Like Letti, Forster was also impressed with the four-stroke G 450 X, which once again impressed among so many lightweight two-stroke machines. "I didn't have a single problem with the G 450 X," he reveals. "It worked superbly. In the damp forest track, it had excellent traction and on the steep paths, I could always build up enough speed, so it was a great all-rounder."

BMW Motorrad South Africa-supported rider Jade Gutzeit was back at the Iron Mountain for the first time since 2004 and was hopeful of a good result, having scored three third places in the past. As the difficult conditions took their toll on a talented field of competitors, Jade battled to an impressive 15th place. Although the result was not what he had hoped for, Jade is happy to have conquered the Mountain again.

"I'm disappointed to finish in 15th position, but at least I finished!" he says. "The race has changed drastically since I was last here in 2004 and has become even more difficult. I was ill throughout the weekend with flu, which started on the flight to Austria, so I was hindered by that. I know I could have done better than finishing in 15th, but I gave it my all."

His compatriot, Gray Dick suffered terrible luck in the Hare Scramble after qualifying for the race with the 22nd quickest time in the Prologue. Despite running towards the front of the pack in the opening stages, Dick was unable to finish the race. "It wasn't the best event for me," he says. "I qualified very well and as a result, I was running as high as fifth in the opening stages of the race, but the bike's water hose somehow punctured and I lost a lot of time fixing that. After I rejoined the race I was running in about 20th but as I tried to jump a pipeline in the middle of the course, I caught it and snapped my gear lever which ended the race for me."

 

Erzberg Hare Scramble results

1. Tadeusz Blazusiak (POL), 1:41'46

2. Graham Jarvis (GBR), 2:22'05

3. Andreas Lettenbichler (GER), 2:25'17, BMW Motorrad Motorsport

4. Ben Hemingway (GBR), 3:27'48

5. Cory Graffunder (CAN), 3:37'50

6. Rory Mead (NZL), 3:38'02

7. Dan Hemingway (GBR), 3:54'24

8. Chris Birch (NZL), 3:55'01

9. Gerhard Forster (GER), 3:58'21, BMW Motorrad Motorsport

10. Kyle Redmond (USA), 4:08'49

15. Jade Gutzeit (SA), 4:19'05, BMW Motorrad South Africa

 

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