German motocross sensation Ken Roczen has become the latest addition to the dominating KTM Motorcycles brand. Having just won the final GP of the 2010 calendar in Fermo, Italy, aboard his Teka Suzuki RMZ250 the 16 year old ace finished a sensational 2nd place in the World MX2 standings behind newly crowned MX2 World Champion Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin in his rookie year.
In the press conference that followed the Fermo GP, KTM Off-Road racing team manager Pit Beirer officially announced the news that Roczen will be joining young Belgium superstar Jeffery Herlings to contest the 2011 MX2 Grand Prix for KTM.
2010 MX2 World Champion Musquin is bound stateside for 2011 to ride orange under the management of newly appointed KTM USA team manager, Roger De Coster.
By: Ollie S Images: A. Schelbert & B. Gardi - redbullxfighters.com
Kiwi FMX legend-in-the-making and Red Bull Athlete Levi Sherwood has taken out the fifth stage of the Red Bull X-Fighters 2010 World Tour in front of the Battersea Power Station in London.
Having won the Moscow leg of the X-Fighters 2010 World Tour earlier in the year the 19 year-old Palmerston North bred sensation destroyed the competition with a near faultless finals run pulling out his signature trick the "ruler flip".
Sherwood's overall win at Battersea combined with his earlier overall in Moscow sees Sherwood jump to third in the X-Fighters standings behind Andre Villa and Nate Adams.
Italy marks the battle ground for the final stop of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour on October 1st, where X-Fighters riders will throw everything humanely possibly to claim the X-Fighters 2010 crown. Using the Caput Mundi as one of the most surreal backdrops of the tour so far, Levi Sherwood is in for a very good chance of making X-Fighters history.
For more great images and videos or to follow the Red Bull X-Fighters 2010 World Tour pop over to Red Bull X-Fighters
Perhaps one of the most triumphant stories of 2010, Kiwi Off-Road hero and KTM Red Bull athlete Chris Birch has claimed the first Red Bull Romaniacs title of his career. In 2009 he finished second to the hard charging German born BMW rider Andreas Lettenbichler, but what a year 2010 has turned out to be for Birch outclassing all the elements with a never-say-die attitude.
Going into Off-Road Day 4 with just over a 27min lead from the competition Brit rider Graham Jarvis and 34mins ahead of German Lettenbichler, Birch couldn’t afford the slightest mistake. It became a battle of wits and pure endurance as Birch not only rode a near faultless final 126km stage he also did so an incredible 6mins faster than 2nd place finished Graham Jarvis who became the first finisher of Off-Road Day 4 doing it from the back of pack.
With a nation of clammy palmed fans following his every live GPS plot online it was clear from an external perspective that Birch had Red Bull Romaniacs 2010 in the bag. However for Birch it was a very different story. "I'm extremely happy today, because regarding all my technical problems from yesterday, I didn't even think that I would finish the race" says an all smiling Chris Birch who among other competitors battled through the slipperiest conditions of the event both mentally and physically exhausted.
The hard charging 2nd placed Brit Graham Jarvis, like Birch, battled through Red Bull Romaniacs 2010 showing at times some of the most magical riding finesse witnessed in the 2010 event that was plagued with mechanical problems. Jarvis’ 2nd place overall is a true testament to his gritty attitude and the former 2008 winner will be back for more next year.
German Lettenbichler took home the final spot on the podium when he crossed the finish line in unison with Paul Bolton and Jade Gutzeit in front of a huge crowd. Despite not repeating his victory from last year, the exhausted, battered and bruised BMW rider is more than satisfied with his performance. “This year’s race was probably harder than all previous Romaniacs due to the rain. The very first Off-Road day made me exceed my limits, so I'm actually very happy to have reached another podium here.”
Unofficial results for the 2010 Red Bull Romaniacs are: 1 BIRCH Chris (NZL, KTM) 28:17:31 hours 2 JARVIS Graham (UK, Sherco) 28:46:12 3 LETTENBICHLER Andreas (BMW) 29:18:29 4 BOLTON Paul (UK, KTM) 29:52:12 5 GUTZEIT Jade (RSA, KTM) 30:21:32 6 SEYDOUX Lionel (CH, KTM) 33:21:58 7 FORSTER Gerhard (GER,BMW) 35:47:18 8 CURTIS Darryl (RSA, KTM) 40:06:41 9 GYENES Emanuel (ROM, KTM) 42:10:59 10 BRANDAUER Erich (Husaberg) 42:36:54
Chris Birch now has his eyes set on the 2010 ISDE in Mexico Noemeber 1st – 6th and then onto defending his Roof of Africa crown November 25th – 27th.
And if you’re wondering about national news coverage, both One News and TV3 News will be covering Birch’s latest victory from 6pm tonight – do not miss it!
For now check out this cool video from Off-Road Day 4 and One News’ midday national news update (Coverage from Red Bull Romaniacs starts in chapter 2)
The weather certainly cleared up for Off-Road Day 2 of the 2010 Red Bull Romaniacs but that didn’t mean the course was any less challenging.
After leaving Sibiu in 2nd place early this morning on Romanian time, KTM Factory Red Bull Rider Chris Birch seems to have possibly encountered some problems out in the Carpathian Mountains as he looks to have slipped back into fourth overall.
After a crash fest filled Off-Road Day 1, battered and bruised factory BMW rider Andreas Lettenbichler has relished in the ‘easier’ conditions finishing Off-Road Day 2 in the early afternoon some 35mins ahead of 2nd place rider Swedish Joakim Ljunggren and taking the overall win for the day. Barely two minutes later South African KTM rider Jade Gutzeit comes in 3rd whilst Kiwi hero Birch holds 4th position, both a staggering 50 minutes behind Lettenbichler.
Graham Jarvis’ Sherco doesn’t seem to be holding up against the harsh Romanian conditions with yet another mechanical set-back, this time a failing fuel pump, causing him to lose precious time against the leaders. Jarvis was the first to start Off-Road Day 2 but now it is unknown where the British Enduro star stands.
It must also be mentioned that most of the Pro class riders have serious time penalties against their names due to the extremely technical nature of yesterdays racing and toerrential weather playing havoc with race lines forcing many to take a completely different route to have any chance of making it through some of the challenge sections. It remains a total lottery to who is actually leading the standings for the 2010 Red Bull Romaniacs overall title.
With two more days of intense Off-Road racing ahead of them in the intensely challenging Carpathian Mountains the 2010 Red Bull Romaniacs is far from over! Check out this cool video recap from Off-Road Day 1.
Images courtesy of Red Bull Romaniacs 2010
EDIT: Taddy Blazusiack is out of the 2010 Red Bull Romaniacs! After injuring his shoulder during the prologue, Taddy unfortunately clipped another tree during Off-Road Day 1 of racing and can no longer compete.
HATTRICK FOR TADDY BLAZUSIAK Red Bull Hare Scramble, 14 June 2009, Erzberg
Harder than ever, merciless like always - however the winner is again Taddy Blazusiak from Poland. In a red-hot battle the 26-year old becomes the first for 15 years to win the Red Bull Hare Scramble three times in a row. With the winning time 01:41:46 he leads the elite, who still manages to survive on the mountain, with a respectable distance. Only 21 participants out of 500 manage to cross the finishing line on the Erzberg in Styria.
'That’s the limit, even harder is not possible! I am completely exhausted, but also unbelievably happy', says a totally outspent Taddy Blazusiak (POL, KTM) in relation to his unique triumph on the iron giant and while passing the finishing line receives the confirmation of the extension of his KTM factory contract. The Pole, who came out of the blue on the Erzberg in 2007, is at the head of the starter group for more than 40 minutes, though he is physically not a 100% fit. After his start in the third starting row Graham Jarvis (GBR, Sherco) manages to finish 2nd; when passing the finishing line you can tell the inhuman struggle is written in his face as well as in the face of the German Andreas Lettenbichler (BMW), who reaches the winner trio only a couple of minutes later.
From a local point of view Seppi Fally, a young Styrian, can assure his prologue victory and the number one for today’s finale, the four-hour offroad-martyrdom Red Bull Hare Scramble. During the almost 40 kilometers and 20 checkpoints with funny names such as water pipes, bath tube, lunar landscape, ammunition dump, Carl’s Dinner, Roof, court’s ditch or magic forest he had to pass on the place to the best Austrian to twelve times trial champion Erich Brandauer who finishes 13th.
Hard, harder, Erzberg – was the motto at the 15th edition of the most brutal and notorious off-road race in the world. The starting signal for the first of ten rows in the starting position was given at 12.00 am, as usually. Accidents, unwanted slidings, material damage and exhausting pushing passages were the things that followed, as everyone expected. Six no-help zones, huge piles of scree and loose stones were the spices for the anyway exuberant Sunday menu. Boiling coolers, smoking carbs and litres of sweat received a big applause from the audience. The 2009 additional challenge: brooding heat of more than 30° Celsius forced many riders to give in, not even some pro riders’ circulation could stand these stresses and strains. Almost two dozens invincibles passed the redemptive finishing line within the fixed time. After the fours hours race it was clear to the riders that the jubilee edition in 2009 was the hardest Red Bull Hare Scramble ever over hedge and ditch and rocks. And though there were only few to pass the finishing line – there were still 500 winners.
1. Taddy Blazusiak (POL, KTM) 1:41:46 2. Graham Jarvis (UK, Sherco) 2:22:05 3. Andreas Lettenbichler (GER, BMW) 2:25:17 4. Ben Hemingway (UK, Gas Gas) 3:27:48 5. Cory Graffunder (CAN, KTM) 3:37:50 6. Rory Mead (NZL, Yamaha) 3:38:02 7. Dan Hemingway UK, KTM) 3:54:24 8. Chris Birch (NZL. KTM) 3:55:01 9. Gerhard Forster (GER, BMW) 3:58:21 10. Kyle Redmond (USA, Yamaha) 4:08:16
HATTRICK FOR TADDY BLAZUSIAK Red Bull Hare Scramble, 14 June 2009, Erzberg
Harder than ever, merciless like always - however the winner is again Taddy Blazusiak from Poland. In a red-hot battle the 26-year old becomes the first for 15 years to win the Red Bull Hare Scramble three times in a row. With the winning time 01:41:46 he leads the elite, who still manages to survive on the mountain, with a respectable distance. Only 21 participants out of 500 manage to cross the finishing line on the Erzberg in Styria.
'That’s the limit, even harder is not possible! I am completely exhausted, but also unbelievably happy', says a totally outspent Taddy Blazusiak (POL, KTM) in relation to his unique triumph on the iron giant and while passing the finishing line receives the confirmation of the extension of his KTM factory contract. The Pole, who came out of the blue on the Erzberg in 2007, is at the head of the starter group for more than 40 minutes, though he is physically not a 100% fit. After his start in the third starting row Graham Jarvis (GBR, Sherco) manages to finish 2nd; when passing the finishing line you can tell the inhuman struggle is written in his face as well as in the face of the German Andreas Lettenbichler (BMW), who reaches the winner trio only a couple of minutes later.
From a local point of view Seppi Fally, a young Styrian, can assure his prologue victory and the number one for today’s finale, the four-hour offroad-martyrdom Red Bull Hare Scramble. During the almost 40 kilometers and 20 checkpoints with funny names such as water pipes, bath tube, lunar landscape, ammunition dump, Carl’s Dinner, Roof, court’s ditch or magic forest he had to pass on the place to the best Austrian to twelve times trial champion Erich Brandauer who finishes 13th.
Hard, harder, Erzberg – was the motto at the 15th edition of the most brutal and notorious off-road race in the world. The starting signal for the first of ten rows in the starting position was given at 12.00 am, as usually. Accidents, unwanted slidings, material damage and exhausting pushing passages were the things that followed, as everyone expected. Six no-help zones, huge piles of scree and loose stones were the spices for the anyway exuberant Sunday menu. Boiling coolers, smoking carbs and litres of sweat received a big applause from the audience. The 2009 additional challenge: brooding heat of more than 30° Celsius forced many riders to give in, not even some pro riders’ circulation could stand these stresses and strains. Almost two dozens invincibles passed the redemptive finishing line within the fixed time. After the fours hours race it was clear to the riders that the jubilee edition in 2009 was the hardest Red Bull Hare Scramble ever over hedge and ditch and rocks. And though there were only few to pass the finishing line – there were still 500 winners.
1. Taddy Blazusiak (POL, KTM) 1:41:46 2. Graham Jarvis (UK, Sherco) 2:22:05 3. Andreas Lettenbichler (GER, BMW) 2:25:17 4. Ben Hemingway (UK, Gas Gas) 3:27:48 5. Cory Graffunder (CAN, KTM) 3:37:50 6. Rory Mead (NZL, Yamaha) 3:38:02 7. Dan Hemingway UK, KTM) 3:54:24 8. Chris Birch (NZL. KTM) 3:55:01 9. Gerhard Forster (GER, BMW) 3:58:21 10. Kyle Redmond (USA, Yamaha) 4:08:16
Red Bull City Scramble - Enduro Cross in Britomart Square, Auckland.
Words: Red Bull - Pics: Graeme Murray, Andrew Bright & Big Dave.
Local Yamaha rider Rory Mead takes the title and wins a trip to the Erzberg Rodeo in Austria.
A huge crowd of over 10,000 fans witnessed Rory Mead ride to victory over an international field in a new and unique event for NZ. An entire city block was transformed over the weekend into a technical and challenging enduro track that pushed man and machine to the limits.
Mead stayed in front of the pack and dominated the final from the start. As other competitors tangled at the first and second obstacles Mead got a good break from the pack and never looked back. Crowd favourite and KTM rider Chris Birch (NZ) rode hard to gain back time on Mead’s early lead but had to settle for second. The German BMW rider Andreas Lettenbichler was just behind Birch taking third.
“So it looks as if I’m off to Erzberg. I only rode this event in Auckland for a bit of fun. I didn’t expect this” said stunned Mead afterwards, the enormity of his win slowly sinking in. Mead will accompany Red Bull athlete Chris Birch as a wild card entry in the Erzberg Rodeo next week, which is known as the toughest enduro race in the world.
Birch is back to compete at Erzberg after an impressive 8th place last year from a field of 1500 riders with only 27 who reached the finish line. Birch was philosophical in defeat. “I achieved what I set out to do, bringing my sport to mainstream New Zealand. I didn’t win but, in a way, I still did. Enduro racing is typically carried out a long way from any population base. Today was very different. I was just too tired to make a race of it with Rory in the end I pushed hard to catch up but ran out of energy.”
With riders from NZ, Germany and Mexico this year the challenge to take the title next year will draw many more international riders all keen to take on the field at the next Red Bull City Scramble.
Red Bull City Scramble - Enduro Cross in Britomart Square, Auckland.
Words: Red Bull - Pics: Graeme Murray, Andrew Bright & Big Dave.
Local Yamaha rider Rory Mead takes the title and wins a trip to the Erzberg Rodeo in Austria.
A huge crowd of over 10,000 fans witnessed Rory Mead ride to victory over an international field in a new and unique event for NZ. An entire city block was transformed over the weekend into a technical and challenging enduro track that pushed man and machine to the limits.
Mead stayed in front of the pack and dominated the final from the start. As other competitors tangled at the first and second obstacles Mead got a good break from the pack and never looked back. Crowd favourite and KTM rider Chris Birch (NZ) rode hard to gain back time on Mead’s early lead but had to settle for second. The German BMW rider Andreas Lettenbichler was just behind Birch taking third.
“So it looks as if I’m off to Erzberg. I only rode this event in Auckland for a bit of fun. I didn’t expect this” said stunned Mead afterwards, the enormity of his win slowly sinking in. Mead will accompany Red Bull athlete Chris Birch as a wild card entry in the Erzberg Rodeo next week, which is known as the toughest enduro race in the world.
Birch is back to compete at Erzberg after an impressive 8th place last year from a field of 1500 riders with only 27 who reached the finish line. Birch was philosophical in defeat. “I achieved what I set out to do, bringing my sport to mainstream New Zealand. I didn’t win but, in a way, I still did. Enduro racing is typically carried out a long way from any population base. Today was very different. I was just too tired to make a race of it with Rory in the end I pushed hard to catch up but ran out of energy.”
With riders from NZ, Germany and Mexico this year the challenge to take the title next year will draw many more international riders all keen to take on the field at the next Red Bull City Scramble.
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