KTM enduro factory team rider Taddy Blazusiak has claimed a fifth consecutive Erzberg Rodeo victory, making him the most successful competitor in the history of the event.
The toughest running of the race to date, the battle to beat the ‘Iron Giant’ saw Taddy take the lead off the start before briefly dropping to second behind Britain’s Jonny Walker. Soon back out front, as the lead riders headed towards the start of the hardest sections of the race Taddy began to edge ahead.
From the start of the XVII running of the Erzberg Rodeo the weather played its part in ensuring nothing was easy as rain made all sections of the track extremely slippery.
With a two to three-minute lead as he entered the notorious and feared Carl’s Diner section of the race, Taddy struggled to maintain his pace, making several small but costly mistakes. Nearing the end of the section a bad choice of line saw Taddy briefly stuck as Graham Jarvis moved into the lead. But soon after Taddy found he was the first rider to pass through the next route checkpoint. Although passing the remaining checkpoints and arriving at the finish behind Jarvis, Taddy was the first rider to reach the finish having passed through all 20 route checkpoints. In doing so he was credited with winning the race, claiming an amazing fifth consecutive win.
Taddy now turns his attention to the start of the 2011 US Endurocross championship.
“It’s been a tough race but to get a fifth win is just amazing,” says Taddy. “From the start I felt good but the weather was horrible. I took an early lead before getting passed on one of the first climbs but once we got to the first tough sections in the forest I got back into the lead and pushed hard to open up a gap at the front. I didn’t have any problems on any of the next hard sections and had about a two or three-minute lead as I got to the toughest rock section known as Carl’s Diner.
“I was the first guy through it and just couldn’t get good lines. I lead through the first section but then stalled my bike and lost some time. Then Graham found a really good line by keeping high on the rocks and passed me because I was stuck at the bottom in the big rocks. My line was terrible and he got past me. I knew then that it was going to be tough to get back in front of him but I pushed hard to the next checkpoint.
“I could see that there were no tyre tracks at that next checkpoint, and then got the news that he’d missed it. It was really hard getting to that checkpoint but after I got there I just wanted to finish the race with no mistakes which I pretty much did. Everyone that’s trying to win this race knows that you have to be fast through the tough sections but that you also have to go to all the checkpoints. Graham was riding really well but getting to that checkpoint took a lot out of me.
“It’s amazing having five wins here, I have to say such a big thanks to everyone who helped me as well as to all my sponsors. Now I’ll be spending my time getting ready for endurocross in the States which starts with the first race at X Games.”
Erzberg Rodeo 2011 Results
- Taddy Blazusiak (POL KTM)
- Dougie Lampkin (GBR Gas Gas)
- Jonny Walker (GBR KTM)
- Ben Hemingway (GBR KTM)
- Xavi Galindo (ESP Husaberg)
- Dan Hemingway (GBR KTM)
- Taichi Tanaka (JPN KTM)
- Cyril Despres (AND KTM)
- Piero Sembenini (ITA Gas Gas)
- Chris Birch (NZL KTM)
