Nur einen Tag nach der Pressekonferenz zur Streckenführung der Dakar 2010 und der Ankündigung zukünftig nur noch 450cc Bikes zuzulassen hat KTM die Konsequenzen gezogen und sich aus der Dakar zurückgezogen.

Offen bleibt nach dem Interview, ob es weiterhin einen Support für die Privatiers geben wird, die, im Gegensatz zu den Profi und Semi-Profifahrern, noch ein Jahr Galgenfrist für die großen Bikes bekommen haben.

Das ganze Interview lest ihr hier.

Infos zur Änderung des Reglements: Quelle: www.dakar.com

This year, the organisers of the Dakar have decided to balance the sporting aspect by changing the technical regulations in the car and bike classes. Some petrol vehicles will benefit from an aid that will allow them to reduce the gap that grew with the diesel technologies that have been dominating the debates. On two wheels, the decision to build for the 2011 horizon a field only for bikes of maximum 450cc will allow to level all bikers. This measure will partly be effective for 2010.

Bikes: on equal terms

For several years, more and more of the top bikers have won specials or finished in the leading ten overall positions using under 450cc bikes. At the same time, the smaller capacity machines have been more and more present, representing 40% of the registered riders at the start of the 2009 Dakar. Financially more accessible and more reliable than the older bikes of the previous generations and now more adapted to the demands of cross country rallies, the 450cc still have a deficit in performance that prevent them from reaching even higher ambitions. This difference will be totally erased for the 2011 Dakar during which only bikes with engines under 450cc will be accepted.

A restrictor in 2010 for the amateurs over 450cc

In order to reach this objective of levelness between competitors that will open the number of potential victory contenders, a transition measure has been taken for the 2010 Dakar. Aware of the important number of competitors already having bikes of over 450cc, the organisers have decided to accept them for this edition with the obligation to set up a restrictor reducing the power of the engine. This restrictor, conceived to limit the performance to the level of the 450cc, will be provided by the rally organisation.

The champions on 450cc in 2010

This modification aiming to support the amateur riders that want to line up at the start of the rally will not be applicable to a certain number of professionals and semi-professionals for which a list will be established later. The possible winners will therefore be forced to use as soon as 2010 a bike of under 450cc. On equal terms, they will battle it out using the qualities that define champions in the discipline: physical endurance, piloting, navigation.