The exhibition that traces the history of KTM at the Dakar opens on May 11th. From the original experience of Heinz Kinigadner to 19 victories, the first of Fabrizio Meoni
11 maggio 2023
Mattighofen, Austria, April 11. The exhibition has been inauguratedLegends of the Dakar”. The theme is fascinating, it goes without saying, the story it implies is one that embraces thirty years of participation by KTM alla Dakarthe place is Motohall, the futuristic brand exhibition area not far from the factory. The story is the epic that continues to be written by today’s successes, and deals with the experience of the toughest Rally in the World through the story of 10 KTM motorcycles that have left their mark on the sands of the African, South American and, now, Saudi Arabian deserts.
The first Dakarian “initiatives” of the KTM brandin truth, date from the dawn of the marathon invented by Thierry Sabine. Just remember, one for all, Elia Andriolettithe triple Italian Champion and bi-European Enduro Champion who, in 1981 and after a South African experience, decided to participate in the Dakar with a KTM 495. That story ended simultaneously with… the last piston available to the pilot, but the die was cast. And we arrive at the relevance of the exhibition in question, when in 1994 the two-time Motocross World Champion took part Heinz Kinigadner. “Kini” had done it all by himself, had “instigated” Fernando Prades to the construction of what can be considered the progenitor prototype of the history of KTM, he was accompanied in the adventure of a dream by his friend Chris Attiger and from an assistance that today would make even any “private person” laugh. But that was the beginning of the Neverending Story. Still years of great battles and bitter disappointments, and finally in 2001 Fabrizio Meoni won his first of two Dakars. It was also KTM’s first win, and Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM, flew to the beach of Lago Rosa to embrace the Champion who had also broken the ice for the relaunched Factory. The two cried like calves, and once the trophy was acquired, Pierer promised that he would also win in the then MotoGP.
Since that year KTM has won 18 consecutive timesand resumed the “streak”, after the break of 2020 and 2021, with the victories of the “cousin” GasGas of Sam Sunderland e you Kevin Benavides, the Argentine reigning champion. All of this is part of an exciting story that would probably still have to be written if it hadn’t been Heinz Kinigadner, several times the fastest but never first at the finish line, to believe and launch the project. To “Kini”, and to the legendary Hans TrunkenpolzKTM and all of us owe a great deal to that special and exciting story.
To access the Motohall exhibition there is a web page, here it is. Too bad that, in the digital world, history begins with the word “ticket”. We would have appreciated and preferred an invitation to participate in time and form. It would have been enormously more beautiful, evocative and right for all enthusiasts who, after all, as always have a fundamental part in the most compelling stories of passion, especially if it is special like this one.
© KTM Images – PB
