Team Tactics!
Published: 20th January 2007
Author: Words and photo by Jonty Edmunds
It might be a new season but chances are things won't be that much different at the top of the WEC in '07
No matter what the sport, winners often make winning look easy. And in the World Enduro Championship things are no different. Sure, there were times during '06 when even David Knight, Samuli Aro and Ivan Cervantes were made to work a little harder than they'd have liked to and as a result produced performances that weren't so 'polished'. But on the whole they made their championship winning results look, dare I say it, easy. As a result KTM dominated the '06 WEC series. And that, I predict, isn't about to change any time soon.
But behind every great rider there has to be two things - the support of a great team paired with great machinery. Sure, a rider's talents are ultimately the most important ingredient but without the right support and the right motor, chassis, suspension and tyre package he'll never produce the results he's capable of. Behind David Knight, Samuli Aro and Ivan Cervantes during '06 were the experienced Farioli KTM team and the mighty KTM factory.
For '07 KTM's WEC team will, like all teams, face numerous challenges and have already endured more than their fair share of head scratching. But not 'what the hell did we do to deserve luck like this' head scratching or 'what do we need to do to win' head scratching. No, while many teams have spent the winter months preparing for the coming season, wondering whether their riders and machinery have what it takes to win a world championship title, KTM's primary challenge has been deciding who goes where in '07.
With a squad of six world class riders, three of which more than capable of winning a world championship and another as close to a dead cert as is possible, they have two other riders - Marko Tarkkala and Fabien Planet - that aren't too far away from having what it takes to win world titles either. Deciding what riders will compete in which classes is something KTM have thought long and hard about.
You see there are a number of reasons why KTM have been so dominant in recent years in the WEC. No, in fact there are many, many reasons why KTM have been so dominant but one that many overlook is the fact that they have had a clear number one and number two rider in each class in recent years - just like most successful F1 teams have.
As good as he is Alessandro Belometti was no real threat to Ivan Cervantes' Enduro 1 title hopes in '06. As much potential as French rider Fabien Planet showed in '05 he was never a real threat to Samuli Aro's Enduro 2 championship aspirations last year. And, well, no matter what rider might have been paired with David Knight in the Enduro 3 class they wouldn't have got in the way of the burly Manxman and his plans to claim a second E3 world championship. As a result of a clear - but not overly obvious - one-two rider strategy in each class KTM put no 'in house' pressure on their number one riders, while at the same time giving them often much needed championship support thanks to a strong team-mate.
With Juha Salminen competing in the Enduro 1 class this season the title is as good as KTM's. I'll even go as far as saying he might 'do a Knighter' and remain unbeaten during the whole eight-round series. Pairing Italian Belometti with Salminen makes perfect sense. He won't likely take away points from Salminen - he'd have to beat the flying Finn to do that - but his presence ensures KTM have the best possible chance of getting two riders onto the podium whenever the opportunity presents itself.
With Knighter heading to the US things were always going to be tricky for KTM in '07 as far as deciding what riders would compete in the E2 and E3 classes. Leaving Marko Tarkkala in the E3 class would likely - but not definitely - ensure KTM the E3 title. But it would also mean that reigning E1 and E2 class champions Cervantes and Aro would compete together in the Enduro 2 class. A big no-no. As history has shown in many forms of motorsport, two #1 riders competing in the same class often results in disappointment for the team in question. Deciding where to put what riders for '07 is, for most teams, a no-brainer. For KTM it's something that needs to be considered carefully if they are to continue their winning ways.
KTM's enviable position at the top of the world's most competitive enduro series has meant that the WEC has become a little one-sided in recent years. While it's safe, easy and more often than not accurate to name a KTM rider as the rider most likely to win a world championship before the season has begun, KTM's success has a lot more to do with simply spending lots of money and having more official riders than all other teams.
KTM have not only worked hard in developing a solid team structure and great bikes they have also carefully considered their rider/class options. No matter what classes Samuli Aro, Ivan Cervantes, Fabien Planet and Marko Tarkkala compete in this season - be it E2 or E3 - KTM's decision won't have been arrived at by chance or without much consideration.
Stopping KTM retaining their E1, E2 and E3 titles is going to be anything but easy for all riders and all teams - but it won't stop them trying. Which is why the '07 WEC is gearing up to be one of the best yet...albeit one in which KTM will most likely once again shine.