roadbook training with Jordi , he competed in the race many times and finished on the podium , so he has been great in helping me learn this special art . I had my first taste of riding the KTM 450 Rally recently at an initial test in the Dubai dunes , where I was with KTM ’ s Dakar champions and I was able to learn so much from them – it was great to see them riding , and they were super nice and helpful to me . I hope the training for the next month will be enough ; for sure it will be a tough race , but I am excited .” The 2022 edition of the competition will take place in the Middle East for the third year in a row and will allow Petrucci to be thrown into the
depths of Dakar to learn and develop with an eye on 2022 FIM competition and a potential future in the sport . KTM Motorsports Director , Pit Beirer , has faith that Petrucci can successfully make the transition from one extreme of motorcycle sport to the other . “ Danilo ’ s talent and his character means he is one of the few elite-level guys that we believe can make this radical move from the asphalt to the dunes ”, he said , “ It ’ s a great story for a great guy . We want to thank him for his professionalism and all his efforts as part of the Tech3 team in our MotoGP project and now it ’ s time for another ‘ world ’!”
HERLINGS TAKES SECOND MXGP CROWN
The 2021 MXGP title went down to the wire with just three points separating KTM ’ s Jeffery Herlings , trailing Kawasaki ’ s Romain Febvre going into the final round at Mantova in Italy . Entering the final two rounds and the ‘ doubleheader ’ at Mantova , Herlings was one of three riders separated by only three points in the MXGP standings . The Citta di Mantova climax across the Mantova sand and under cloudy skies meant Herlings had to combat both Romain Febvre ( whom he trailed by three points coming into the last motos ) and Honda ’ s Tim Gajser . In Timed Practice , Herlings assumed a position at the top of the timing screens and duly recorded his 13th Pole Position from the 17 rounds he has contested . In the first moto , he worked his way to the front , passing holeshotter Jorge Prado and then weathered some arm-pump to maintain a gap over his main threat , Romain Febvre . His fourteenth checkered flag of the year meant he tied on points with Febvre and created a straight shoot out in the second moto for the world championship . Herlings repeated the feat and a crash by Febvre meant he had a small margin over his rival and that of Tim Gajser , who was second on the track but ended the day 3rd in the championship . Herlings ’ win at Mantova saw him claim his 9th Grand Prix win in 2021 which means he stands just two away from the all-time record of 101 and with another two years ahead as a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing athlete . The 27-year-old Dutchman picked up his fifth FIM gold medal and his second in the premier class of the sport with the KTM 450 SX-F as
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