Last weekend, the 2023 Australian Hard Enduro champion, Ruben Chadwick, took on the iconic 2024 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo in Eisenerz, Austria, marking his first race outside of Australia. On Friday and Saturday, Ruben competed among 1,500 riders in the Iron Road prologue. Situated over 1,000 meters up in the Styrian mountains, riders faced low-level clouds and heavy rain, hampering visibility and making the already treacherous tracks even tougher. Ruben finished the prologue in 59th place, securing a second-row start for the main race.
Considered one of the most technically and physically demanding courses ever, the main race was filled with some of the hardest sections in Erzberg history. This included two passes through the boulder-strewn Carl’s Dinner and two runs through the Erzberg’s notoriously wet forests, each pass more challenging than the last, testing both rider and bike.
On Sunday, Ruben, along with 499 other riders, lined up in rows of 50 for the iconic Erzberg Rodeo main race. Starting on the second row, Ruben had a good start but faced many bottlenecks early in the race, which hampered his ability to make passes. However, as the race progressed and the tracks became more technical, Ruben found his rhythm and began overtaking riders, climbing up the leaderboard. Chadwick continued to gain momentum, establishing a solid lead among the other Australian riders and making significant progress from his second-row start. Chadwick finished his race at checkpoint 22 (Burping Stones) with a time of 3:51:00, securing 20th place out of 500 riders. Ruben’s result is the highest position an Australian has ever achieved in Erzberg history, marking a stellar outcome for the Queenslander’s first overseas race.
“Having a less than ideal start from the second row, facing many bottlenecks at the beginning of the race, once I regained some positions and hit the harder technical sections, it actually became easier for me. I found my flow and kept picking off riders throughout the tougher sections, working my way up to 20th place. For my first time here, I’m happy with the result and can’t wait to return next year to finish the race. It’s been an awesome experience, comparing myself to the best in the world. Thank you to the Beta Factory and my sponsors for your support,” said Ruben Chadwick.
The 2023 Australian Hard Enduro Champion returns to Australia for RD 3 of the AHEC at Tenterfield, NSW, on June 29/30.
