Clément Desalle becomes a test rider for Triumph
In 2024, Triumph will enter motocross with a factory team in the MX2 class. A year later, the MXGP class was added and so it was all hands on deck for the British brand. Today Triumph announced that both Clement Desalle and Ivan Tedesco have been recruited as test riders for the brand.
Below is the press release from Triumph Racing.
As preparations intensify for Triumph's debut in the MXGP/MX2 and SuperMotocross World Championship in 2024, Triumph Racing confirms it has signed two top riders to lead its race development testing.
Clément Desalle joins as a test rider for the Triumph Racing MXGP/MX2 Team, led by Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni, and Ivan Tedesco comes on board as a full-time test rider for the Triumph Racing US SuperMotocross World Championship Team, led by Bobby Hewitt.
Clément Desalle
Clément Desalle ('MX Panda') has competed at the highest level in the MXGP World Championship for 15 years. One of the most consistent drivers in the championship, he was vice-champion three times, third in the world championship three times and fourth twice. The Belgian finished on the top step of the podium 23 times in his career and was crowned Pro Open Belgian champion in 2009. In 2020 he retired from racing and focused on test riding and racing engine development – and is already making a significant contribution to Triumph's progress with its new racing engine.
Clement Desalle: “My participation in the Triumph MX2 program allows me to use my many years of experience as a professional rider to help transform the stock engine into a full factory race bike, ready for the 2 MX2024 season. By working with Thierry and Vincent work, I know Triumph has hired the best possible people to deliver winning results in the fastest possible time and I'm excited about what the future will bring.”
Vincent Bereni: Triumph Racing Team Manager – MXGP: “When Triumph asked us to take part in this MX project, we knew that the R&D and testing of the bike would be a big part of its success. Clément has a lot of experience with MXGP circuits, the requirements for the competition disciplines and is still very fast.
“We have been working with Clément for many years and he is a very demanding rider, who pays attention to every aspect of the motorcycle, so in our opinion he is the perfect candidate. We know and understand each other very well and he has already contributed a lot to the development of the motorcycle, both for production and racing applications. We are very pleased that he has joined the program.”
Ivan German
Ivan Tedesco ('Hot Sauce') started racing motorcycles at the age of eight and turned Pro in 1999, with a career spanning 14 years. In his racing career, Tedesco won the AMA 125cc West Coast Supercross series twice (2004 and 2005), the AMA 125cc National Motocross series (2005) and the Motocross of Nations three times with Team USA (2005, 2006 and 2009). After retiring from professional racing in 2014, Ivan turned his talents to coaching up-and-coming drivers and became one of the best test drivers of the current era.
Ivan Tedesco: “I'm super excited to be part of Triumph's new racing program and to be working with Ricky and Bobby again. Having the opportunity to work with a new brand in our sport, to develop a new motorcycle into a race-ready package, is a unique opportunity.
“The team Triumph is putting together to compete in the SuperMotocross Championship is second to none and together with the support of the engineers at the Triumph factory, I am confident that we will head to Anaheim 1 with a competitive bike 2024.”
About Triumph Off-Road Racing
SMX: Triumph Motorcycles will compete in the Monster Energy AMA SuperMotocross World Championship at the start of the 2024 season, with a fully supported factory racing program in the United States to conduct motocross activities under the new global Triumph Racing banner.
This new Triumph Racing team, set up and managed in partnership with Bobby Hewitt, will field three of Triumph's brand new 250cc 4-stroke MX bikes in the 2024 series in the SuperMotocross World Championship West and East Coast, before moving on to 2025 will participate in the 450cc class.
MXGP: In 2024, Triumph Racing will debut in the prestigious FIM Motocross World Championship with a factory-supported racing program.
This groundbreaking new Triumph Racing Team has been created in partnership with Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni, one of the sport's most experienced and successful team owners, who will field two of Triumph's brand new 250cc 4-stroke MX bikes in the 2 and MX2024 class. will compete in the 2025cc MXGP class in 450.
Triumph Racing is based at the Triumph Global Headquarters in Hinckley, UK, which is home to the brand's off-road design department – responsible for the concept and development of the drivetrains and chassis for the all-new range of motocross and enduro motorcycles.
The MXGP/MX2 World Championship team will be based in Thierry's racing facility near Eindhoven in the Netherlands, while the SuperMotocross World Championship will be based in a dedicated new state-of-the-art racing facility in the USA.
The Triumph factory technical groups and racing teams work closely to continuously improve chassis and engine performance through an intensive testing program, led by Ivan Tedesco and Clément Desalle, in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe, towards its competitive debut in the world championship in 2024.
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