At present the whole KTM factory supported effort is in Spain working hard towards their goal of winning the 2010 MX1 and MX2 Championship. We caught up with Beirer as he headed down to Spain to catch up with the team and find out what the riders are up to.

Q: Pit, the pressure is on or not? You have the “Dream team”.

Beirer: I mean for sure we have the best. We realized later after signing the riders that we had the number one and number two from both MX1 and MX2, so it couldn’t be better. We all know that everything is new, but we are prepared really good.

Q: Does this position make you nervous or excited?

Beirer: I am not nervous, I am excited, we have been not coming to this position overnight, we have been building with preparing the bikes for the big day, and I think we are really well prepared and we have good riders, but you can see in this sport how quickly things can happen.

Q: Has there been some problems already leading up to Mantova?

Beirer: Rui (Goncalves) has a small shoulder injury and Jeffrey (Herlings) crashed some time ago and still has trouble with his lungs. In this sport you can be sure that everything doesn’t go automatically just because we have the top four riders from last year. I am looking forward to the season and with these names we should get the results, for sure we go to the race for results, good results, but I am confident.

Rui had a shoulder surgery last Friday; he will be out for four or five weeks. He dislocated his shoulder at the end of last season, then he went to the doctor and they said give it a rest and it will be okay, but down in Rome at De Carli he dislocated his shoulder again and now the doctors have found some damage inside.

Q: What about Antonio (Cairoli). It seems like it’s a bit of a secret what bike he will ride in 2010, is that so?

Beirer: It isn’t a secret, I can tell you that I hope he uses the 350cc machine because it is our new baby, but I can tell you why no decision is made yet. Tony hasn’t been riding that much, he takes a lot of time off in the winter and he was under contract with Yamaha, and when that finished it was winter time. He didn’t want to decide to quickly quick bike he will ride, because the conditions are so different now compared to April when the season starts, but what I can tell you is that he likes the 350cc machine. Just now he rides every day and he gets more experience and he likes the 350cc on the track we are testing on in Spain. There is no final decision and we won’t put Tony under too much pressure, he has to decide for himself what he wants to race and the end of the day we want him to win on orange bikes.

Q: Mantova is just a little under two week’s away, do you know what he will ride there?                       

Beirer: At the moment I think it’s decided, because he is in Spain just two days, but from the comments I hear from him he wants to ride the 350cc in Mantova.

Q: I used to love watching Stefan (Everts) win titles and break records, but the racing these days is really exciting and so many good young riders. What is it with the change in the sport at the moment? So many young riders in Grand Prix, younger than ever I think?

Beirer: That is a very interesting development, and before the bikes were different and riders over 30 could still do good, but now with this young generation it’s like WOW, so many young riders coming into MX1 from MX2, all fresh young kids with these new riding styles, the new generation is here and it’s very exciting. I am on the same page as you, I loved to watch Stefan win GP’s and titles, on the other side we like to see these open races where you don’t know who will be the winner.

Q: Yamaha have dominated the MX1 class in recent times. How is the relationship with Yamaha?

Beirer: I think it’s a very respectful rivalry, we know that Yamaha is a top brand in our sport and if you want to win in this sport you have to beat Yamaha, and they have put the level rather high, I have a lot of respect for that. They always have good riders and of course we got a little jealous when they took David from us, we put so much work on David and when he was ready to win he left to Yamaha, sometimes it goes this way and sometimes the other way. We have put a lot of work in there and they have done the same. I want to underline the respect we have for them in this.

Q: What about Herlings, what is the news on him?

Beirer: I am going to see Jeffrey tonight, but I don’t think he will be ready for Mantova, I didn’t even know he has such a small/big injury. He doesn’t feel safe on the bike and the doctors told him to slow down a bit on the bike, I will give him my advice to rest for now and maybe when he can ride for three or four days and can push again, then he will learn much more. The doctors told him not to ride in Mantova.

Q: With the age limit changed in America, and the European Championship bringing us so many good riders do you feel like there is a change now in the American/European deal. The American economy is also going to take a lot longer to improve than the European economy.

Beirer: I was in America recently watching our KTM team over there. I can say that the development here is because of a great program. It has changed for sure, before nobody was interested in the riders in the European championship and now there is a lot of interest and we all put our focus on the European championship riders. You can now see young riders coming out of the European championship and getting good results in the World Championship after just one year or so. These young riders need at least a year to develop from the European Championship to the World Championship, even Musquin needed that. Now you see Marvin is an outstanding rider.