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WALKER FINISHES AS RUNNER-UP AT ERZBERGRODEO RED BULL HARE SCRAMBLE

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jonny Walker claimed a runner-up result at round two of the World Enduro Super Series — the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble. Putting in a strong performance at the 24th edition of the Austrian Hard Enduro race, Jonny’s second place finish sees him take the lead in the WESS championship chase.

Arriving at the Erzbergrodeo in high spirits following his runner-up result at the WESS opener – Extreme XL Lagares – the three-time Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble winner had high hopes of securing a fourth win. Placing a solid sixth in the high-speed Iron Road Prologue qualification, Jonny secured an all-important front row start.

Not getting the best of getaways, Jonny did well to work his way up to second despite the large volumes of traffic and heavy dust during the opening stages of the race. With temperatures soaring, the KTM rider opted to reduce his pace during the middle part of the race to try and conserve energy for the toughest of sections during the final stages. Arriving at the notorious woodland climb Green Hell in fourth, Walker incredibly pushed his way up to the summit and into second position.

Charging on to the finish line, he ended his race as runner-up and just 41 seconds behind race winner Graham Jarvis. However, with two second place results from the opening two WESS rounds, Walker now leads the series heading into round three in France, this coming weekend.

The World Enduro Super Series continues with Trefle Lozerien, June 8-10.

Jonny Walker: “I really wanted to get a win here today but runner-up result is good. It was tough out there, the heat really added to the difficulty level. My start wasn’t great but I somehow made up a lot of places early on and got into second. The initial pace was very high and I knew if I tried to maintain it I’d burn out. It was mentally hard to slow things down, but the right call. The section Green Hell was a game changer and with enough energy left in the tank I was able to literally push my way from fourth into second. Leading the WESS series is great. I wanted to come out strong for rounds one and two and I’ve done that. Next weekend is a Classic Enduro but I’m hoping I can do well and keep my point’s lead.”

Results — Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble, 2018 1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 2:05:59 2. Jonny Walker (KTM) +00:41 3. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) +03:03