Hitachi/Milwaukee KTM announce 2019 rider line-up

Britsh team Hitachi KTM has today officially revealed their 2019 rider line-up for the Motocross World Championship and Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship.

Hitachi KTM ‘fuelled by Milwaukee’ will run with three riders for the upcoming season with Graeme Irwin once again competing in the MXGP class and Conrad Mewse – fresh from a contract extension – is looking to build on his successful 2018 in MX2. “We were very happy to re-sign Conrad at Imola and then clinch his first British championship,” said team principal, Roger Magee.

Bas Vaessen will join the team for 2019 and will compete in both the world and British championships in the MX2 class. “We’ve been watching Bas for a couple of years and thought it was the right time to bring him into the KTM family,” Magee added. “Bas has already adapted to the KTM really well and will be travelling to Redsand with Conrad and the rest of the team next week for pre-season testing with WP Suspension.”

Both riders will use the potent KTM 250 SX-F equipped with semi-factory engines. “Conrad and Bas have so much potential and we’re looking forward to seeing them push each other to the next level.”

Irwin endured a number of injuries in 2018 that cost him the chance to defend his British championship so will be looking for redemption aboard the KTM 450 SX-F.

“We know Graeme has the speed to win, we just need to avoid some of the bad luck that bit him,” said Magee. “We’re confident that Graeme will be much stronger at home and in the MXGPs this year, once he has fully recovered from the injuries sustained at Imola.”

Hitachi KTM has once again secured backing from some important names in the industry with Troy Lee helmets and apparel, Alpinestars boots and Oakley goggles again providing state-of-the-art clothing and equipment for Irwin, Mewse and Vaessen.

Milwaukee Power Tools has joined the team as joint title sponsors along with Hitachi Construction Machinery for 2019 and beyond. We’ll get our first look at new-look squad at the Hawkstone International on February 17, 2019.

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