Pol Tarrés has made history once again at the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, pushing his Yamaha Ténéré 700 all the way to Checkpoint 19 during this year’s brutal Hare Scramble and setting a new benchmark for big‑bike performance at the Iron Giant. Four years after becoming the first rider ever to muscle a twin‑cylinder adventure bike deep into the Erzbergrodeo’s late‑race sections, Tarrés returned to Austria and raised the bar even higher, finishing an impressive 77th out of 500 starters. In a race where heavyweight adventure machines rarely survive the early climbs, his ride stood out as one of the defining moments of the weekend and a reminder of how the 32 year old continues to expand the limits of what’s possible on a Ténéré 700.

That achievement capped off four demanding days in Austria, where Tarrés and teammate Kevin Gallas once again brought Yamaha’s adventure platform into terrain designed to punish lightweight enduro bikes, let alone a 700cc twin. The Erzbergrodeo’s reputation is built on loose shale, boulder gardens, near‑vertical climbs and the Iron Giant’s infamous technical sections, yet the Ténéré 700 ran the entire Hare Scramble without a single mechanical issue. That reliability allowed Tarrés to keep advancing until the clock ran out, ultimately reaching a depth of the course no big‑bike rider had ever achieved.

The weekend opened with Thursday’s Remus Rocket Ride, an explosive hillclimb that sends riders sprinting up a steep, multi‑stage quarry slope. Against a field dominated by lightweight enduro machines, Gallas powered his Ténéré 700 through the rounds and into the final as the only big‑bike competitor, securing a strong fifth place. Tarrés also delivered a standout performance, finishing fifth in the semi‑final and narrowly missing a spot in the final.

Friday and Saturday’s Prologue determined the starting order for Sunday’s main race, with each rider getting one timed run per day. Yamaha’s twin‑cylinder effort was dominant, with Tarrés taking second and Gallas third, placing both riders on the second row for the Hare Scramble start.

When the main event began on Sunday, 500 riders launched from the bottom of the quarry with four hours to reach 27 checkpoints scattered across the Iron Giant. Tarrés pushed deep into the course, ultimately reaching Checkpoint 19—known as Chris’s Stony Pony—and securing his place in Erzbergrodeo history for the second time. Gallas, having already achieved his goals in the Rocket Ride and Prologue, chose to conclude his race at Checkpoint 1 to preserve himself for the upcoming season and to support Tarrés from the sidelines, underscoring the team’s unified approach.

Yamaha’s strong weekend extended beyond the twin‑cylinder class as Yamaha US Ambassador Cody Webb lined up aboard his WR250F and delivered a hard‑fought ride to finish 13th overall, adding to a successful showing for Yamaha across multiple categories. With Erzbergrodeo behind them, Tarrés and Gallas now shift their focus to the Red Bull Romaniacs, where they will compete in the Adventure Class beginning July 28.