KTM MOTOCROSS
24 March 2006 - KTM-Sportmotorcycles AG

KTM Motocross Bosses are speaking...

KTM Racing Team - Georges Jobe - MX1

Georges, you are leading a strong team with two former World Champions…
Yes, the situation is a little different with Mickael and Sebastien compared to Jonathan because we are looking for the first two to fight for the title while we want Jonathan to learn as much as possible with all our support.

Mickael and Sebastien are different riders with different personalities but we are approaching the Grand Prix season with the same goal. They are competitors but they are also team-mates. They have known each other for a long time and have worked together in the past, so there is a good environment. I think we saw that in the Pernes International where Sebastien had problems on the start and Mickael stopped to help him.

Barragan is a young guy coming into the team and in a way it is another challenge. He will be looking to get as much experience as possible. We will give everything to help from our side and he will of course be able to learn from being around the other two riders.

Jonathan will be working with the 2007 bike…
His situation is perhaps a little different to Mickael and Sebastien because he will be working directly with R&D on the development on the 2007 model. We are already focussed on that area and Jonathan’s input will be crucial.

Is it nice for you to be back full-time in the World Championships?
Yes! I am very excited and I am just as motivated as the riders. I am happy to be taking on this role in the team and getting that Championship will be the main goal, so I hope we can do it!

KTM Champ - Kees Van Der Ven - MX2

There is a big line-up for the Champ team in 2006 with a cosmopolitan mix of four riders. How have preparations been going?
The team’s preparation began in February but the riders have been looking after themselves for a few months now in their respective countries. We are getting the new parts together and generally making the team ready in the build-up to Zolder.

Will it be difficult handling so many riders?
In a way yes. There is more material and a lot more work for the mechanics to get all the bikes ready and prepared, but on another side it is good to have many riders together. It increases the team’s chances of doing well and there is some good competition among them.

When you haven’t been winning Championships you’ve had bad luck with injuries in recent years…
We are hoping for better luck of course. We had arguably two of the best riders in the series out with long-term injuries last season. Marc has changed his approach now and has cut down the amount of pre-season races he will do, we will see if this helps and he will be able to stay healthier for longer.

Having competition within the team is something we have missed, for sure last season. David is really coming on, Tyla is fit again and Carl will be starting his second year with the team. I have a good feeling about 2006 and I think we might see a similar situation as 2004 where Tyla and Ben were fighting a lot and it was a positive time for the team. The riders help each other; riding and practising together brings them up to a higher level.

Has the 250 changed much for 2006?
We have made some modifications to the engine for more power but the changes have mostly been geared around the rider and what he wants, such as suspension settings.

What GPs are you looking forward to?
Japan is a long way to go and is a lot of work but the track is good and it is nice to be there. It is important for KTM in terms of publicity to be seen around the world.

KTM JM Racing - Jacky Martens - MX3

In 2006 you will be defending the World Championship again. How have preparations been going for another dominant season?
They have been going well. Yves and Sven have been testing some small modifications to the bikes and it is good to see Yves motivated and Sven ready for another season after using a new physical trainer. The races are always different from the testing and practicing but we are looking forward to it. Guiding the young riders in the European series will be a new task and a challenge. Working with youngsters is a different concept altogether compared to those with World Championship experience.

Aside from your new work in the European series how do feel about teaming up with Demaria and Breugelmans again?

Yves brings all that Grand Prix experience but also a special feeling when on the bike in terms of set-up. He had a great first season and won the World Championship and has extra motivation now after some injury problems last year. It was great to see Sven develop into a World Champion in 2005. He had been a factory rider before and when we picked him up in 2004 I thought he had the potential to do it within two years. In the first season he was fourth and learnt a lot about training and the help we could give him. The development continued in 2005 and we all saw the result.

For next year another new step for the team will working in the European Championship, making a selection of promising riders and hoping to take the title there before moving onto the last four GPs in MX2. I like to keep improving and progressing with the team.

Does winning all the time put you in a privileged position or increase the pressure for the new season?
It is a nice position to be in. I always push Yves and Sven hard. I want them fast in international events and every time they race the bike. Some people have a negative impression of MX3 when the reality is that the level between the different series is not that great. In the international events and national series they are beating riders from MX1. I just want to make sure they are always fast and motivated and give the MX3 division of KTM good publicity.

Photo courtesy of KTM

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