KTM's MX riders launch their 2008 season
By TMX Archives on 7th Feb 08
Fresh from their winter break, KTM factory riders and riders from the new KTM supported teams are gathering in Mantova, Italy for the first pre-season event in the MX 1 & MX2 racing season. Max Nagl of Germany is the KTM MX1 Red Bull factory rider for the 2008 seasonand is joined by Tyla Rattray, Tommy Searle and new recruit Rui Goncalves in theMX2 class. Also onboard KTM machines in MX 1 racing for the new KTM-supportedteams will be Jonathan Barragan for the Italian-based Team Silver Action andMarcus Schiffer from Germany's Team Sarholz while in MX2 there will also be agroup of young talents in the KTM-supported teams. Mantova is the first chancefor season for the KTM MX stars to test themselves against their counterpartsfrom the other major factory teams.
Nagl Ready for action
Max Nagl has been preparing for the season in Spain, working with StefanEverts who heads the KTM Factory Team: "I feel very positive and am getting agood feeling for being in the team. I am very happy with the bike and workingwith my two mechanics Peter and David. We have been testing and working on thesetup and we hope to do our best here in Mantova."
Tommy Searlefresh from the USA
British rider Tommy Searle spent the winter in theUSA where he will race for KTM in the 2009 season. Ahead of Mantova he said: "Ihad a great time in the USA and I did a lot of training there and took advantageof the good weather. I like Mantova a lot and I am really pumped. I'm feelingstrong and I think it will be a good start to the season."
TylaRattray back in action
Now fit and fully recovered from kneereconstruction surgery last year, KTM's South African rider Tyla Rattray is alsolooking forward to Mantova. "I like it here in Mantova. It's a sandy track andthis event is a very good start to the season. We have a new setup and changesto the frame so we are really ready and in good shape."
RuiGoncalves KTM's new boy
New boy Rui Goncalves of Portugal said he isenjoying being part of the KTM factory team. "It's a good atmosphere and a goodbike so this has given me the right confidence. I spent time in Spain trainingwith Stefan Everts and this was very good for me because he gave me good tipsand showed me the lines. I want to do well in Mantova but I don't want to pushtoo much and take any risks before the start of the main season." Goncalvesmissed Mantova last year because of injury.
New Talents
Anumber of new talents onboard the Austrian bikes are on the starting list forMX2 - Anthony Boissiere of Belgium riding for Team HDI France; Angelo Pellegrini(Italy) and Jeremy Tarroux, (France) for Team Silver Action and two young ridersfrom GP juniors Team Champ - Joel Roelants and Jeremy van Horebeek, both ofBelgium.
25th Edition of Mantova event
The two day,action-packed Starcross event presents a novel competition format like a tennistournament where a field of riders battle it out in an one-on-one knockout overone lap each until just two riders remain. Eighty three riders are entered. Topriders automatically qualify for the final and are joined on the 1650m sandytrack by other qualifiers. Mantova is a must for the enthusiastic Italianmotocross fans and riders will be spurred on by a very enthusiastic crowd ofsupporters. Organizers report that more than 100 journalists from all over theworld will cover the event.