KTM Sport - 2003-2004

KTM is pushing for all three Motocross World Titles in 2003. Steve Ramon leading the 125. Iron Man Joel Smets is already World Champion in the 650 class and only a few points off the lead in the MXGP (250cc) class.

After a difficult Indoor season where injuries ruined many of our rider's hopes, the US National outdoor title chase has been a great success. Grant Langston won the US Motocross Championship, Ryan Hughes finished on the 2nd place. Many races have been KTM benefits with up to half of the top 10 on the orange SX125 bikes. Mike Lafferty won the US national Enduro Championship - his 6th title with KTM.

Juha Salminen rode again a fantastic season claiming the Open title on his 525EXC and winning yet another overall title in a breathtaking final special stage by less than 2 seconds! New boys to the KTM team Samuli Aro, Ivan Cervantes and Peteri Silvan joined veteran star Giovanni Sala in finishing as vice World Champions in their classes.

Dakar 2003 was another huge success for KTM with Richard Sainct taking the LC4 Rally Bike to victory over Cyril Despres (LC4 Rally) and last year's winner Fabrizio Meoni, again mounted on the new LC8 V twin Rally bike.

KTM Supermoto

KTM Supermoto team is dominating the 2003 season even with the retirement at the end of 2002 of the KTM World Champion Thierry Van Den Bosch. Boris Chambon and Jürgen Künzel have taken over the mantel as KTM team leaders and are currently 1st and 2nd in the World Championship points! Boris will also join the KTM USA team to race the Red Bull US National Supermoto finals in Las Vegas in November.

KTM's first adventure into Road Racing has seen a steady rise in performance of the 125cc machines. A late start to development has left the team playing catch up but already both riders have placed in the top 10 of World Championship races! Expect to see further moves up the rankings!

More changes to the MX World Championship will see a new promoter in 2004. The capacities however remain stable and KTM will be presenting full factory teams in all three classes again. Steve Ramon will move up from the 125cc class to join the big guns in the MX GP class but in the 125cc class KTM will continue it is policy of having the best young talent with Mark de Reuver, Ben Townley and Tyla Rattray all ready to take up the challenge laid down by Steve.

Many of KTM's young guns were in their first season during 2003. For 2004 riders such as Brett Metcalfe, Joaquim Rodrigues and Josh Woods will join the more experienced (but still young!) Grant Langston in attacking the Supercross season. Outdoors in the Nationals they will again be joined by evergreen veteran Ryno Hughes in the Red Bull/ KTM Team.

KTM's two team approach in 2003 was a tremendous success, so will continue in 2004. With only three classes (like Motocross) for 2004 KTM will take the cream of World Enduro and try to capture the new titles. KTM stays confident with our most successful riders of this year for success in 2004.

The Dakar preparations are well under way 2004 sees the additional National team competition. This paves the way for KTM to support teams from France, Italy, Spain, South America and especially exciting the LC8 mounted Team Red Bull/ KTM USA including Enduro legend Larry Roesellar!

Boris Chambon and Jürgen Künzel will be joined by Ivan Lazzerini in the most prestigious S1 class of the World Championship, while KTM also aims to present Fabrice Lecoanet in the 450cc S2 class. The Red Bull US National Supermoto title is also gaining importance and KTM will field a team of US riders backed by occasional visits by the World Championship team.

2003 was KTM's first venture onto the street scene and 2004 will consolidate our position. The existing team, headed by Harald Bartol, will build on the success of this year and hope to see the podium in 2004.

• MX2 (125cc): Ben Townley, Marc de Reuver, Erik Eggens, Tyla Rattray
• MX1 (250cc): Steve Ramon, Kenneth Gundersen
• MX3 (650cc): Yves Demaria
• 125cc: Brett Metcalfe, Joaquim Rodrigues, Josh Woods, Ryan Hughes
• 250cc: Grant Langston
• 125cc: Giovanni Sala, Petteri Silvan, Helder Rodrigues
• 250cc: Juha Salminen, Alessandro Botturi
• 500cc: Ivan Cervantes, Samuli Aro
• Team Italy: Fabrizio Meoni, Giovanni Sala, Alfie Cox
• Team France: Jean Brucy, Richard Sainct, Cyril Despres
• Team USA: Paul Krause, Larry Roesellar
• Team Spain: Juan Roma, Marc Coma, Isidre Esteve
• S1: Jürgen Künzel, Boris Chambon, Ivan Lazzerini
• S2: Fabrice Lecoanet
• Roberto Locatelli , Mika Kallio
• Kenny Bartram, Richard Sainct, Ryan Huges, Giovanni Sala
• 125cc: 1. Steve Ramon (BEL); 5. Erik Eggens (NEL) ; 6. Marc de Reuver (NEL); 8. Tyla Rattray (RSA)
• MX GP: 2. Joël Smets (BEL)
• 650cc: 1. Joël Smets (BEL); 2. Javier Garcia Vico (SPA)
• 125cc: 1. Grant Langston (RSA); 2. Ryan Hughes (USA)
• 125cc West: 4. Billy Laninovich (USA)
• 125cc East: 5. Brett Metcalfe (AUS); 6. Steve Boniface (FRA)
• 125cc: 2. Petteri Silvan (FIN); 7. Herve Versage; 9. Valtteri Salonen; 10. Homero Díaz
• 250cc 2-Stroke: 2. Samuli Aro (FIN); 4. Helder Rodrigues (POR); 5. Freddy Blanc
• 250cc 4-Stroke: 2. Giovanni Sala (ITA); 5. Gerard Farres; 8. Vita Kuklík; 9. Oriol Tort
• 450cc: 3. Alessandro Botturi; 4. Xavier Puigdemont; 5. Jordi Duran; 6. Niklas Gustafsson (SWE)
• 500cc: 1. Juha Salminen (FIN); 2. Iván Cervantes (SPA); 7. Werner Müller (AUT); 8. Joan Jou ; 9. Carl Bjerkert
• Overall: 1. Juha Salminen (FIN); 3. Samuli Aro (FIN); 4. Iván Cervantes (ESP)
• 1. Mike Lafferty (USA)
• 1. Richard Sainct (FRA); 2. Cyril Despres (FRA); 3. Fabrizio Meoni (ITA); 4. Jean Brucy (FRA); 5. Jean De Azevedo (BRA)
• 1. Fabrizio Meoni (ITA); 2. Cyril Despres (FRA); 3. Nani Roma (ESP) 4. Andy Caldecott (AUS); 5. Pal Anders Ullevalseter (NOR)
• 1. Cyril Despres (FRA); 2. Richard Sainct (FRA) ; 3. Nani Roma (ESP); 4. Fabrizio Meoni (ITA) ; 5. Matteo Graziani (ITA)
• 1. Joan Roma (ESP); 2. Matteo Graziani (ITA); 3. Paolo Ceci (ITA) Rally d'Orient 1. Marek Dabrowski (POL); 2. Francois Flick (FRA); 3. Jazek Czachor (POL)
• 1. Andy Caldecott (AUS)
• WCS (Status: 5 of 14 rounds): 1. Boris Chambon (FRA); 2. Jürgen Künzel (GER); 4. Frederic Fiorentino (BEL)
• European Champ. (6 of 10 rounds): 2. Marcel Götz (GER)
• French. Champ. Prestige (10 of 14 rounds): 1. Boris Chambon (FRA); 3. David Baffeleuf (FRA); 6. Frederic Fiorentino (BEL)
• French. Champ. 450 class (10 of 14 rounds): 3. Boris Chambon (FRA); 4. David Baffeleuf (FRA) German Champ Prestige (10 of 14 rounds): 1. Jürgen Künzel (GER); 3. Klaus Kinigadner (AUT)
• Road Racing 125 cc (Status: 10 of 16 rounds)
• 125cc: 12. Mika Kallio (FIN); 22. Roberto Locatelli (ITA)