KTM:

In a move that represents the apex of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team’s three year development program, the team has announced that Antonio Cairoli will be riding “Orange” in the MX1 World Championship in 2010. The team has signed the Italian for the next two years.

Cairoli, who will be 25 years old in September, has been a dominant force in World Championship MX2 and as from 2009, also in MX1. Joining him in the Orange paddock facility will be his personal manager Claudio de Carli and his mechanic.

Apex of three year program
“This move represents the apex of our three year development program,” said KTM Offroad Director Pit Beirer. “With Toni (Cairoli) joining our excellent line-up of MX1 and MX2 riders and with Stefan Everts as overall KTM Motocross Race Director, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team plans to be a dominant force in the world championship paddock. We have the talent, the expertise and experience and a proven record of great results, race wins and podiums. Thanks to our excellent technical support, our KTM bikes have been virtually unchallenged out of the gates this season and with a team structure like this, we expect to reap major rewards in the 2010 season and beyond.”

A winner up through the ranks
Cairoli, born in Sicily in 1985 first started racing at the age of four. He is well recognized for his skill, courage and will to win. Racing since the age of six, he notched up an impressive list of youth and junior championship titles before he finally joined the big league in 2004. One year later he emerged as the sport’s number one and as the youngest ever Italian world champion. Despite some injury setbacks, he has continued to enjoy dominance since then, including two MX2 world championship titles in 2005 and 2007.

Cairoli, Nagl and Goncalves for MX1
The Italian racer will join two proven Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders, Germany’s Max Nagl and Rui Goncalves from Portugal in the team’s MX1 line-up for 2010. Both Nagl and Goncalves, who moves up from MX2 in 2010, are proven GP winners and together with Cairoli will be under the care and supervision of the new MX1 team manager Claudio de Carli.

Fine balance of expertise and talent
Stefan Everts will remain as the factory team’s overall Race Director and will, as the MX2 team manager, also nurture the three riders – Marvin Musquin, Shaun Simpson and the talented young Dutch rider Jeffrey Herlings. Musquin, the newly crowned French National Champion has already shown how comfortable he is on the Orange racing machines in the current season while Shaun Simpson has now been given the green light by his doctors to return to riding after a serious training accident prevented him from riding for the first half of the current season. Everts, a legend in the sport and 10-times world champion and someone who is always on the lookout for new and exciting talent has already had the young Herlings in his line of vision for some time.

“We are very excited about the collective team we will be presenting in 2010. With the addition of Toni and Claudio (de Carli) we will be one of the best teams in the paddock and it’s going to be an honour to work with every one of them,” Beirer said.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Structure 2010

KTM Offroad Director: Pit Beirer
Overall Race Director: Stefan Everts

MX1
Team Manager: Claudio de Carli
Riders: Tony Cairoli, Max Nagl, Rui Goncalves

MX2
Team Manager: Stefan Everts
Riders: Marvin Musquin, Shaun Simpson, Jeffrey Herlings