British rider joins Stark Future's electric assault on Red Bull Erzbergrodeo 2026
Cornish racer Toby Martyn will represent Stark Future at this year's Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, helping spearhead the electric brand's bid to tackle hard enduro's toughest test.
British hard enduro ace Toby Martyn has been named in Stark Future's rider lineup for the 2026 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, as the electric motorcycle manufacturer prepares to tackle the Austrian mountain for the first time.
Martyn will spearhead Stark's challenge aboard the Stark VARG EX after organisers confirmed that electric motorcycles will be allowed to compete alongside petrol-powered machines for the first time.
The Cornish rider heads to the Iron Giant as one of Britain's leading off-road talents, having finished fifth overall in the 2025/26 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship. He also showed strong pace at the opening round of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship before mechanical issues scuppered his chances.
Speaking ahead of the event, Martyn said:
"Erzberg is one of those races that gets under your skin. The terrain, the atmosphere, the challenge. There is nothing else like it.
"Coming here on the Stark VARG EX, I genuinely believe we can make our mark and show what we are capable of."
Joining Martyn in Stark's factory effort will be Swedish hard enduro specialist Eddie Karlsson and American rider Cooper Abbott.
Karlsson arrives with perhaps the strongest electric racing pedigree of the trio. A former European Trials Champion and 10-time Swedish trials champion, he has already claimed a podium finish at Red Bull Los Andes Hard Enduro and won the Silver Class at Red Bull Romaniacs, once again riding a Stark VARG.
Abbott, meanwhile, adds youthful firepower to the team, having built a reputation as one of hard enduro's rising stars on the international scene.
Also present on the mountain will be former motocross world champion Sébastien Tortelli. The Frenchman won't contest the main event but will ride the Rocket Ride and Prologue sessions while supporting the team throughout the weekend.
The announcement marks another significant milestone for electric off-road racing. Red Bull Erzbergrodeo remains one of the toughest races in motorcycle sport, with only a handful of riders typically finishing within the time limit each year.
For 2026, electric competitors will qualify through the same Open Class Prologue as the rest of the field and earn their place in Sunday's main race on merit alone. Dedicated charging facilities and an approved battery-swap area have been created at the event to facilitate the bikes’ inclusion.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
