KTM Rally Team tackles first Central Europe Rally
 The
KTM Rally Team are about to launch an attack on the first
ever "Dakar Series" Central Europe Rally which sweeps
almost 2700 km through Hungary and Romania starting in Budapest
on April 19 and finishing at Hungary's Lake Balaton on April
26, 2008
Organizers had planned to stage the first Dakar Series in
2009 but the last minute cancellation of the Dakar Classic
in January 2008 for security reasons prompted them to accelerate
plans for the Central Europe Rally. The event goes some of
the way towards reversing the disappointment of professional
teams and amateurs who were denied the chance to test themselves
in the Dakar.
Seven Stages and two countries
The rally is in seven stages with 1092 km of special stages
and 1579 km of road sections starting in Budapest before sweeping
east for a loop into northern Romania before returning to
Hungary to finish at what is one of Europe' biggest lakes.
Organizers had planned to hold more of the rally distance
in Romania but recent bad weather including heavy snow, forced
significant changes to the course.
KTM Rally Team manager Hans Trunkenpolz underlined that the
organizers had already achieved much in the extremely short
preparation period. He said the KTM Factory Rally Team, including
riders of the caliber of Dakar winners Marc Coma and Cyril
Despres, were committed to delivering a solid performance
in the new event.
Interview with Hans Trunkenpolz, KTM Rally Team Manager
What is the initial situation with this new event?
The stages are significantly shorter than those in Africa
for which our Rally Replica bike was developed, so the full
tank capacity will not be needed. Our top riders will also
not be called upon to test their full physical endurance on
these shorter stages so the sprinters among the rally and
Enduro riders will have a good chance to be on the podium.
Also, the terrain, which apparently includes lots of narrow
tracks and curves means we will not be able to take advantage
of the speed and the power of our rally bikes. Riders on bikes
with less displacement will have the advantage here.
What does this mean for the KTM Rally Team?
Our Rally Team will tackle these new challenges on our Rally
bike. They won't be switching over to a lighter type of offroad
bike from our offroad program. We are confident that the world's
best rally riders in the KTM Rally Team will be able to fight
for victory even under unusual conditions. KTM is putting
Cyril Despres and Marc Coma on a prototype RALLY LIGHT bike,
which with its reduced tank capacity, narrower cladding and
a somewhat modified geometry should suit these new conditions.
What should we understand by the term "Rally
Light Version"?
For a long time now we have been thinking of developing a
module for the Rally Replica that would allow it to be converted
to better suit rallies with shorter distances between refueling
stops. The cancellation of the Dakar and this short term confrontation
with very different conditions has brought this development
forward. We've immediately put it into practice so we do not
lose our competitive edge. According to the KTM philosophy,
if this RALLY LIGHT kit that is being tested by the factory
team comes out positively then any Rally Replica owner will
be able to buy it. One important advantage of this new development
is that a rider can vary his machine between standard and
light during the rally. If the day calls for relatively easy
reach then he can use the light version; if there are longer
distances between refueling stops then he can use the standard
version. This should ensure that KTM continues to be the dominant
brand in rally sport. When this kit will be availab le depends
on what modifications we have to make after the Central Europe
Rally, but it should be on the market in time for the planned
Dakar replacement rally in January 2009.
Hans Trunkenpolz concluded by saying the Central Europe Rally
will be of a very high standard. "It's going to be tight
all the way but we will very much miss the special challenges
of the long stretches in Africa," he said.
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