Erzbergrodeo - Red Bull Hare ScrambleThis year the organisers are set to take things to the next level by streaming the spectacular action live to a worldwide audience.1800 riders from 39 nations, a 7000-strong paddock home to more people than the town of Erzberg itself, 250 media representatives from 20 countries across the globe – including NBC, which broadcasts to 110 million households in the USA – and a 100-page event programme. Even within the very active enduro scene, the Red Bull Hare Scramble is truly in a league of its own. Only the fastest 500 riders from the
prologue qualify for the most challenging off-road motorbike race on the
planet. Indeed, even the start ceremony is a legendary highlight of the
annual event – as the riders silently roll their bikes to the lakeside
at 11 am on Sunday morning, it is hard for any onlooker not to get
goosebumps. The race itself starts at precisely 12 o’clock midday, with competitors being released in groups of 50. The starting order is determined by the riders’ times in the prologue, and a place in the front few rows is worth its weight in gold. Many of this year’s favourites are from England, with top stars such as Graham Jarvis, David Knight, Jonny Walker and Dougie Lampkin all taking part. With the event about as high-class as it gets from a sporting point of view, this year will feature a media highlight – for the first time ever the Red Bull Hare Scramble will be broadcast live at www.redbull.com. With ‘big is better’ seemingly the motto of pretty much everything at the event, the organisers have pulled out all the stops by installing 14 live cameras at 18 separate points along the course. What’s more, a high-speed phantom camera, a helicopter-mounted camera, helmet cameras and several mobile crews will be out and about to capture the best of the action. Around 6000 metres of glass-fibre cables have been installed in and around the ‘Iron Mountain’, with a 150-strong crew of workers responsible for bringing the Red Bull Hare Scramble live to people across the world on 10 June. Broadcast times at www.redbull.com: Sunday, 10.06., CEST from 1000 hours, GST from 1200 hours, CNST from 1600 hours, PDT from 0100 hours, EDT from 0400 hours. Images: Philip Platzer, Erwin Polanc
  |
