Red Bull KTM factory rider Taddy Blazusiak has announced he will wind up his active racing career when the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship 2016-17 opening round kicks off in Krakow on December 10.
Blazusiak, the most decorated rider in the disciplines of Super- and Extreme Enduro competition has decided to go out on a high note at the same location where it all started for him, in his own hometown.
The Krakow opening round will be a unique opportunity for Taddy Blazusiak’s many fans and admirers to say an affectionate goodbye to an iconic racer.
“I have been thinking about this decision for a while now,” admitted Taddy. “I have always told myself that I will make that call when I feel the time is right. I’ve been racing around the world for a long time. I trained the best and hardest I could, and I raced for every race win and championship I entered like there is no tomorrow. I achieved more than I ever thought I could, and I’m grateful for all the great memories from all my years of racing.
“I want to say thank you to my family, especially to my brother Wojciech, for all the hard work and for being there for me from the beginning. Thank you also to my team manager and friend Alex Doringer, and of course special thanks to the KTM CEO Mr. Stefan Pierer and KTM Motorsport Director Pit Beirer for the opportunity to chase my dreams. Thank you to all the people at KTM Factory Racing for the best bike out there, and naturally also a huge thank you to Red Bull and all my long-term sponsors. I’m grateful for all the fans around the world and thank you for your support – on to the next adventure.”
CEO KTM Group, Stefan Pierer, said: “It was clear to us right from the time Taddy took that impressive victory at Erzberg in 2007 that he was a very special and very talented rider. It was a privilege for us to have him riding for our factory team and he has been an amazing champion and ambassador for our brand. We thank him for all the exciting victories he delivered and we wish him all the best for his future.”
KTM Motorsports Director, Pit Beirer, commented: “Taddy is not only a charismatic rider who is 100 per cent committed when he’s on the bike, I can confirm that he was entering every single race like it is his last one. He has also been an outstanding role model for the next generation and made a great contribution to both Extreme Enduro and to SuperEnduro-AMA EnduroCross disciplines. His fire and commitment have never been in doubt and we thank him for all the excitement he’s given us.”
KTM Division Manager Enduro & Rally, Alex Doringer, said: “Taddy is a true champion who helped put Extreme Enduro and SuperEnduro on the map as popular racing disciplines. He has given us almost a decade of thrilling racing and he is, and will always be part of the Orange Family.”
As multiple Polish and European Trials Champion in the early part of his career, Blazusiak burst into the spotlight when in 2007 he was the surprise winner of the notoriously difficult Red Bull Hare Scramble at Austria’s Erzberg Rodeo. He was immediately signed to the KTM Factory Racing stable. He went on to be a record five-time winner at Erzberg, five-time winner of the AMA Endurocross Championship, and six-time SuperEnduro World champion. He also won five X-Games medals, four of which were gold and countless other Extreme Enduro races.
