The 30th edition of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo kicks off on June 4 at the Erzberg in Styria. In Eisenerz, it’s not just the locals who are eagerly preparing for the anniversary edition and the influx of participants from all over the world - the top favorites are already acclimating themselves to the “Iron Mountain”!
In exactly one week, the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo will kick off its 30th edition, and this globally unique offroad motorcycle event will set new standards at the Erzberg in Styria, both in terms of competition and event organization. In 2026, factory pros and ambitious amateurs from 41 nations and every continent will take on the challenge of conquering the toughest extreme enduro event on the scene.
In addition to the superstars of the Extreme Enduro scene, motorsports fans can also look forward to top-tier talent from the Enduro World Championship, the Trial World Championship, American Supercross and Hard Enduro scenes, and even the Rally Raid sector. The next generation of Extreme Enduro athletes is also fully represented - an impressive 63% of all participants are amongst the 16-to-29 age group. And alongside the thousands of amateur motorsport enthusiasts, the top riders from the respective national offroad racing series will also be at the starting line!
The world’s largest enduro festival traditionally kicks off with the REMUS Rocket Ride uphill race on Thursday. The field is limited to 300 riders, the starting grid is fully booked, and the racing action is spectacular. After the qualifying heats, the 48 fastest riders advance to the REMUS Rocket Ride Super Final on Thursday evening - delivering offroad action of the highest caliber in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans! More than 1,100 participants will then take to the nearly 15-kilometer-long race course over the Erzberg on Friday and Saturday for the Iron Road Prologue. The selective, high-speed gravel course - littered with numerous chicanes - winds its way from the start next to the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo Arena across the open-pit mining routes of the mining area to the finish line. Riders will start individually, with the faster of their two runs determining victory or a place in the rankings. After two days of racing, only the 500 fastest participants will qualify for the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo main race…
With the Trial Xtreme Challenge, the organizers are offering another racing highlight for all participants and visitors. On the rugged obstacle course in the heart of the Milwaukee Action Arena, more than 100 riders will compete on Friday and Saturday on identical GASGAS trial motorcycles to win a wildcard starting spot on the first row of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo grid on Sunday. In the Superfinals on Saturday evening, intense racing action awaits the fans, who will create a tremendous atmosphere in the seating stands of the Milwaukee Action Arena…
The extremely high-caliber field of competitors at the 2026 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo
Rarely before has the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo featured such a star-studded field of competitors. The top riders alone who are taking on the “Iron Mountain” this year have amassed no fewer than 48 world championship titles and 19 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo victories!
Manuel Lettenbichler (DE, KTM), currently the world’s most successful extreme enduro athlete, tops the list of favorites. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing factory rider has won the last four editions of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo from 2022 to 2025 and is coming to Erzberg in top form. “Manuel is currently the rider with simply the best combination of riding technique, physical conditioning, and mindset. He’ll be the one to beat at Erzberg, and we’ll be eager to see how he handles the pressure—and whether he can catch up to Red Bull Erzbergrodeo legends Taddy Blazusiak and Graham Jarvis with his fifth victory,” says Red Bull Erzbergrodeo mastermind Karl Katoch, describing the 28-year-old Bavarian’s role as favorite.
Among “Letti’s” toughest competitors are his KTM teammate Trystan Hart (CAN, KTM, podium 2022/2023/2024), Husqvarna Factory Racing superstar Billy Bolt (UK, podium 2023/2025, 6-time finisher), Sherco Factory Racing rider Teodor Kabakchiev (BG, podium 2025), Britain’s three-time winner Jonny Walker (Triumph), Spaniard Mario Roman (ESP, podium 2022/2024) and Cody Webb (USA, Yamaha), the most successful American at Erzberg with two podium finishes. Among the contenders are two-time Red Bull Erzbergrodeo winner Alfredo Gomez (ESP, Beta), Spaniard Francesc Moret Clota (ESP, Rieju, 2025 finisher), and Graham Jarvis (UK, JARV-E) - arguably the most famous rider on the scene. With five Red Bull Erzbergrodeo victories, the Brit is a true Erzberg legend and, even at the age of 52 (!), continues to compete at the world’s highest level. In 2026, Jarvis will race for the first time on an electric motorcycle he helped develop—and aims to create another sensation on the JARV-E!
With Dieter Rudolf (AUT, GASGAS, 6-time finisher), Michael Walkner (AUT, GASGAS, 2-time finisher), and Ossi Reisinger (AUT, Stark VARG, 5-time Iron Road Prolog winner, 7-time REMUS Rocket Ride winner), the top local riders will also be at the starting line of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo.
Joining them is a whole host of young and extremely talented extreme enduro riders, led by Britain’s Mitch Brightmore (UK, GASGAS, 3-time finisher) from the Austrian X-Grip Racing Team. The “young guns” also include Matthew Green (RSA, KTM, 4-time finisher), Ash Brightmore (UK, GASGAS), Ryder Leblond (USA, Husqvarna), James Moore (RSA, Beta), Lenny Geretzky (DE, KTM), Hugo Crozet (FRA, Beta) - and the two 18-year-old Austrians Valentino Hutter (GASGAS) and Luca Kropitsch (KTM), who both started from the front row last year.
Even outside the world’s elite of extreme enduro, the field of prominent starters is impressive. In addition to 8-time EnduroGP World Champion Andrea Verona (ITA, KTM, winner of the 2023 Iron Road Prolog), motorsports fans can also look forward to 2025 Dakar Rally winner Danny Sanders (AUS, KTM), who will once again be competing in the Iron Road Prologue this year on his Red Bull KTM 450 Rally. Carson Brown, the American supercross rider, discovered his love for the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo in 2023 and will once again be competing on a KTM in all race events at the “craziest dirt bike race on earth” this year. The 24-year-old Swiss ski racer and three-time Olympic gold medalist Franjo von Allmen will also take on the challenge of the Iron Road Prologue and Red Bull Erzbergrodeo in 2026 on a KTM 300 EXC!
New to the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo are electric motorcycles, which will be eligible to compete in all race categories for the first time in 2026. Among the 43 electric starters, the Stark Future brand plays the leading role: more than 90% of the participants will be riding a Stark VARG. With Eddie Karlsson (SWE), Toby Martin (UK), Cooper Abbott (USA), and Sebastien Tortelli (FRA, two-time MX World Champion), the innovative manufacturer from Barcelona is bringing four top riders to Erzberg. It is also noteworthy that all electric motorcycles at the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo will compete in direct comparison with combustion-engine machines.
In the spectacular Twin-Cylinder class of the Iron Road Prologue, an exciting battle for victory is likely to unfold once again between KTM, Yamaha, CFMOTO, and KOVE. Yamaha is entering the race with two heavy hitters: exceptional athlete and crowd favorite Pol Tarres (ESP) will once again be supported this year by his equally talented teammate Kevin Gallas (DE). Both Yamaha riders also plan to compete in the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo main event on Sunday with their Tenere 700 Big Enduros and will surely generate excitement at the REMUS Rocket Ride as well!
Red Bull Erzbergrodeo mastermind Karl Katoch is thrilled by the influx of top riders. “The concentration of top international riders has us anticipating exciting battles in the individual races. From the Remus Rocket Ride through the Iron Road Prologue all the way to the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo on Sunday, there will be fights for every position. The newly established Hard Enduro World Ranking List will reflect the performances of these exceptional athletes and drive the further development of extreme enduro sports. A special prize awaits the highest-ranked Austrian in the world rankings after the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo: a check for 1,000 euro!” said Katoch.
Red Bull Erzbergrodeo Kessel Parade powered by OBI: the side event that will go around the world
On Friday, a very special side event awaits all participants and their companions. At the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo Kessel Parade powered by OBI, organizer Karl Katoch will gather the entire starting field, their companions, crew members, and visitors on their motorcycles for a massive parade. From the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo Arena, Karl Katoch will lead the procession of thousands of motorcycles into the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo starting basin, where all participants will be lined up in a gigantic “30-man” formation! This creates a group photo that’s unique worldwide, which is then posted across all platforms and channels as a lasting image of the Extreme Enduro Community—and will thus go around the world! The photo is the ultimate tribute to the 30th anniversary of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo. Whether you’re a factory pro or a hobby rider—participating in this record-breaking group photo is an absolute must for every ambitious off-road motorcyclist!
The Red Bull Erzbergrodeo LIVE on ServusTV and Red Bull TV
Thousands of motorsports fans will be on site to witness firsthand as the world’s best off-road athletes take on the mighty Erzberg and what is arguably the most challenging race course of the Extreme Enduro season. For those who can’t experience this extraordinary spectacle live on-site - in 2026, this globally unique race, featuring an expanded setup and a massive mobilization of people and equipment, will once again be broadcast live starting at 12:50 p.m. on ServusTV ON and ServusTV. Host Andreas Gröbl and his experts Heinz Kinigadner and Stefan Nebel will guide viewers through the broadcast, while host Nicole Oberlechner will provide interesting facts from the start and finish areas on-site. While ServusTV switches to the MotoGP broadcast from Hungary after the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo start, the race will be broadcast live in full on ServusTV ON.
The international live stream on Red Bull TV will be hosted on Sunday, June 7th, starting at 12:50 p.m., by Pat Parnell and Ed Leigh, along with experts Darryl Curtis and Rob Warner, and race reporters Paul Bolton and Mike Skinner. The international live stream will also be available for Red Bull Erzbergrodeo visitors on-site at the Milwaukee Action Arena.
Radio 88.6 will be providing the atmosphere and live music at the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo
For the first time, the Austrian rock radio station RADIO 88.6 will be broadcasting live from the glass studio at the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo Arena - delivering hot rock music and cool updates on the World Xtreme Enduro Supreme to its listeners and on-site visitors. The hosts will also be out and about regularly covering the action on the mountain, and their coverage of all the side events will reach more than 135,000 fans on Instagram and Facebook. The RADIO 88.6 live stage will feature daily interviews with celebrities from the worlds of sports and business, and the station’s own DJ will keep the energy high in the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo Arena.
A definite highlight will be the live concert by Pineapple John, who will deliver their party-rock-metal-moshpit-headbang-scream-along performance on Saturday evening in the NORDIC SPIRIT festival tent…!
Legendary: the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo Rider Parties in the NORDIC SPIRIT festival tent
A must-see for every participant and visitor to the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo is a visit to the legendary festival tent. In addition to providing the Erzberg community with culinary delights and cold drinks, the NORDIC SPIRIT festival tent hosts the daily riders’ briefings, award ceremonies—and the legendary rider parties. On the festival tent stage, complete with a massive video wall, organizer Karl Katoch presents the day’s highlight videos every evening, announces important information for the next race day, crowns the winners of the individual races—and then kicks off the party night for the thousands of guests in the NORDIC SPIRIT festival tent! From factory pros to Erzberg rookies, everyone is there…
For the detailed schedule and all information about the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, visit www.redbullerzbergrodeo.com
Get your tickets for the ultimate Red Bull Erzbergrodeo live experience at https://www.redbullerzbergrodeo.com
Quelle: Martin Kettner/Red Bull Erzbergrodeo
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