Red Bull KTM’s Johnny Walker makes his way through the rough terrain of southern France en route to winning the Alès Trêm extreme enduro. Photography by Future 7 Media.
Alès Trêm a new extreme enduro in southern France, was the site of KTM-rider Johnny Walker’s first big win of 2015. The first edition of the event provided a good shakedown opportunity for riders preparing Hell’s Gate (coming February 15), and attracted extreme enduro’s best, like Graham Jarvis and Andreas Lettenbichler. The competition was at its most fierce between Walker and Jarvis, who gapped the field in a game of cat and mouse throughout Saturday’s main event. Walker and Jarvis traded the lead several times until Jarvis got hung up in the final quarry, leaving Walker to take the first Alès Trêm win.
Walker started the weekend on a winning note by taking the top spot in the Friday night Endurocross prologue, earning him the top starting position for Saturday’s race. Jarvis finish a distant sixth, which left him to start over a minute behind Walker on Saturday morning. Jarvis immediately set to work making up ground on Walker, who pushed hard with the early lead.
“I tried to build a gap but by following fresh tracks it was difficult to break away,” Walker said. “I crashed twice and missed a turn once on the first lap and that allowed both Jarvis and Lettenbichler to catch me up.”
Jarvis took over the lead on the second lap, but made a mistake of his own, allowing Walker to get back out front. Jarvis positioned his Bel-Ray Husqvarna in the lead once again on the third and final lap, but Walker wasn’t far off, and soon got the opportunity he was looking for.
“I sort of guessed Graham would make a break for it on the third lap so I went with him,” Walker said. “We were riding right on the limit – there wasn’t much between us. But coming down a hill into the quarry I found a better line and got in front. After that I just gave it everything I had to win.”
“It’s been a good event but to be honest I’m a little disappointed I didn’t win,” Jarvis lamented. “I made a mistake on the final quarry section and the victory got away from me there. I got on the wrong line descending into the quarry and he got past. After that I just couldn’t fight back and had to settle for second.”
Walker finished the three-lap race in four hours and 15 minutes. Jarvis followed two minutes later and Lettenbichler rounded out the podium in third. Husqvarna’s Pierre Pallut and Beta-mounted Alexandre Queyreyre filled out the top-five on the day.
“I couldn’t ask for better, really,” Walker said. “To get a win in Friday’s prologue and then back it up with the main event win on Saturday was just perfect. It was really an enjoyable event.”
Final Results:
1. Jonny Walker (KTM) 4:15:06
2. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 4:17:12
3. Andreas Lettenbichler (KTM) 4:28:45
4. Pierre Pallut (Husqvarna) 4:48
5. Alexandre Queyreyre (Beta) 4:51
6. Julien Gauthier (Yamaha) 4:58
