Bel Ray Husqvarna Enduro Team rider Graham Jarvis has once again showed that he is the man to beat when it comes to Hard Enduro racing. Winning the 11th running of the Hell’s Gate event in Italy he finished 22 minutes ahead of second placed Jonny Walker.
A three-time winner heading into the 2014 edition of the race, Jarvis needed just half a lap to work his way into the lead of the main event having made a cautious start. Well aware just how challenging the Tuscan course can be, Graham’s pace was simply too strong for his rivals and with two of the five laps completed the TE 300 mounted rider was five minutes ahead. Stopping briefly for his first fuel stop, as Jarvis headed towards the night he further extended his lead.
With all riders that fall more than 30 minutes behind the race leader withdrawn from the event, for many it was a one-lap race. Half way around the penultimate lap just four riders remained in the competition, with Jarvis setting a relentless pace out front.
Not wanting to risk throwing away the hard work he’d done during the first four laps of the race, Jarvis cautiously made his way around the fifth and last lap before finally arriving at the top of Hell’s Peak as a deserved and convincing winner.
Graham Jarvis: “It’s great to get a fourth win here at Hell’s Gate. I’ve raced here so many times over the years that I know what to expect, but this year’s race was definitely one of the toughest. I was pleased with second in the morning enduro – it gave me a good starting position and all I wanted to do was get around the first few corners without any mistakes. We went off the start almost directly into a massive water hole. I took it easy there, but it didn’t take too long before I was back into the top three. Andreas Lettenbichler and Cody Webb both made mistakes and then I got around Jonny Walker, and then just put my head down. I moved into the lead about half way around the first lap. I was expecting things to be easier this year with no ice and snow, but the rocks were really slippery. The extra, fifth, lap made it hard. We rode close to two laps in the dark, but apart from a few falls I didn’t have any problems. It’s great to win by a good margin and give Husqvarna their first Hell’s Gate win.”
Results – Hell’s Gate Hard Enduro 2014
1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna); 2. Jonny Walker (KTM)