Photo: dakar.com
Good news arrives from Austria, as KTM announces that they will have not one, but two factory teams lining up at the start of the 2016 edition of the Dakar.
Marc Coma's decision to call it quits with racing in the Dakar Rally looks like the start of a new era in KTM's cross-country raid history. The 5-time Dakar winner was also the oldest racer wearing the Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Racing Team livery.
Despite multiple rumors earlier this year, that saw Coma either attempting a sixth win in the motorcycle class or putting his driver abilities to the test, the world champion accepted the proposal to become the Sporting Director of the Dakar Rally.
The first team is the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Rally Team and it comprises four riders. The team leader is the Spaniard Jordi Villadoms, aided by Australian Toby Price, Englishman Sam Sunderland and Austrian Matthias Walkner.
KTM will line up a second factory team that includes French rookie Antoine Meo, who is a multiple Enduro world champion, Chilean Pablo Quintanilla and the best-ever female Dakar rider, Laia Sanz, who jumped ship from Honda recently. Mattighofen also confirmed the presence of a satellite team, KTM Warsaw Motorrally, a Polish outfit run by Marek Dabrowski.
The 2016 Dakar will no longer include Chile, as the country is recovering from devastating floods. The rally will kick off in the Peru capital Lima on the 3rd of January, 2016, and will reach the finish line in Rosario, Argentina, on the 16th of the same month.
Despite multiple rumors earlier this year, that saw Coma either attempting a sixth win in the motorcycle class or putting his driver abilities to the test, the world champion accepted the proposal to become the Sporting Director of the Dakar Rally.
"A good balance between young and experienced riders"
KTM Racing Department boss Pit Beirer introduced the team saying that the moment of renewal was complete. "For three years we have been planning the generation change in the team, and we are confident to have achieved a good balance between young and experienced riders," he added.The first team is the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Rally Team and it comprises four riders. The team leader is the Spaniard Jordi Villadoms, aided by Australian Toby Price, Englishman Sam Sunderland and Austrian Matthias Walkner.
KTM will line up a second factory team that includes French rookie Antoine Meo, who is a multiple Enduro world champion, Chilean Pablo Quintanilla and the best-ever female Dakar rider, Laia Sanz, who jumped ship from Honda recently. Mattighofen also confirmed the presence of a satellite team, KTM Warsaw Motorrally, a Polish outfit run by Marek Dabrowski.
The 2016 Dakar will no longer include Chile, as the country is recovering from devastating floods. The rally will kick off in the Peru capital Lima on the 3rd of January, 2016, and will reach the finish line in Rosario, Argentina, on the 16th of the same month.
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