Stefan Everts - my team

As team manager of the Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Team he has his hands full. With a short holiday in Thailand with his partner Kelly and the children, plus a celebration of his 39th birthday out of the way, the King is finally getting down to business with his riders.

Everts recently talked about his riders Antonio Cairoli, Jeffrey Herlings, Jeremy Van Horebeek and Max Nagl.

With a busy period for KTM also with their American activities Everts has his hands full with a lot of travel and exciting times in 2012.

"Our World MX1 Champion Antonio Cairoli is now fit from his hand injury and he has also done some testing on the 350cc and 450cc KTM machines. He is really happy with the new 450cc machine and finds the engine better than the older version, but he has decided to stay with the 350cc machine for 2012.”

"I have read on many websites that Jeffrey Herlings will race in America maybe in 2013, but this is not 100% sure. He was in America in November and December, riding a lot of Supercross. The question for Jeffrey, is the jump to Supercross too big for him. He had fun in America, but I am not 100% sure he wants to go there to race. He has said on interviews that he might want to go there, but to me it isn’t 100% sure he will go and that is also what he has told me. Jeffrey stopped riding in the middle of December until around the middle of January, then he will come to Spain and we will begin the traini ng. Then we head to Sardinia for a photo shoot and more training.”

"The recovery from Jeremy (Van Horebeek) and his damaged shoulder has been good and he has worked hard on his condition. He has already started his training on the bike. Jeremy is also riding some Enduro to keep his bike training going, it’s not always easy to ride Motocross when the weather is bad like it can be in Holland and Belgium.”

"Max (Nagl) has had a second operation for his back problems. He has trouble finding a good specialist; let’s hope that can be fit enough for Valkenswaard, but it’s going to be difficult, or even if he is ready to race the opening round of the FIM World Motocross Championship.”

"The KTM team will race in the Starcross in Mantova and then we have the opening round of the Italian Motocross Championship in Montevarchi. After that we will see what happens.”

Whatever the outcome for the Red Bull Teka KTM Factory Racing in 2012, you can be sure that Everts will be pushing his riders  to the limit and expecting great results, just as they had in 2010 and 2011.