We took few minutes to talk with the 2014 Junior World Champion Giacomo REDONDI (I - Beta) on his first steps in the Prestige category. A little less than two weeks before the Grand Prix of Germany, the Italian is ready to erase his mistakes and fight for a top ten result…
Giacomo, two weeks after the Grand Prix of Poland, what is your feeling about your Prestige debut?
Giacomo REDONDI: "To be honest, this first Grand Prix didn’t go as well as I expected. I made too many mistakes during the first two heats. But I was able to get back on track in the third heat and improve my position. Also, I'm pretty happy to have posted the eighth fastest time in the Super Pole powered by Akrapovic. That was a very big confidence boost for me so I know that if I can eliminate my mistakes then things will be better at round two in Riesa, Germany.”
As the current Junior World Champion what are the differences between the Junior and Prestige classes?
G.R: “The level of talent is not so deep in Junior class and you start to lap riders on the second lap. That makes it difficult to race with other riders as you need to be careful about getting blocked or stuck by slower riders. The Prestige is a lot different. The level is much higher. Everybody is racing very hard – it’s much more competitive. Getting a good start is essential.”
How did you prepare during the offseason?
G.R: "I received my Beta 300 RR a few weeks before the opening round so I spent as much time as possible on it to prepare for round one. I also spent a lot of time in the gym to improve my fitness and get ready for the tough SuperEnduro battles. One month ago I went to the US to participate in the last two rounds of Endurocross. I spent three full weeks training with Cody WEBB (USA - KTM) when he was still under contract with Beta..."
Are there any real differences between Endurocross and the Maxxis FIM SuperEnduro World Championship?
G.R: "Compared to the Polish Grand Prix, yes there are some differences between the Endurocross and SuperEnduro. In the US, there are a lot of jumps while in Poland there were more trial sections. At the Ergo Arena, some obstacles were difficult to jump while in Endurocross, although the obstacles are much larger they are actually easier to jump."
This is now your second season with Beta, how are you finding it?
G.R: "This is now the start of my second season with Beta but Poland was my first time riding the 300 RR. It was a nice change and already I prefer it to my previous bike. With some more testing I can perform better in the race.”
What’s the relationship like with your new teammate Kyle REDMOND (USA - Beta)?
G.R: "It’s really good – I’ve known Kyle since last season. After the Grand Prix of Mexico, he invited me to his home in California for a week. I also helped him in Poland this year because his flight was diverted from Gdansk to Warsaw so I went to Warsaw and drove him to Gdansk on Friday. He’s become a very good friend. I want to thank also Cody WEBB who made me feel very welcome during my three-week stay in the United States. Both riders are really great guys!”
What do you like most about SuperEnduro?
G.R: "SuperEnduro looks like Supercross. I love racing in front of the public. You can hear the crowd screaming and encouraging everyone! I also like battling with other riders. This doesn’t quite happen in traditional Enduro. It's impossible to compete face to face with other racers! And when we're in the woods, you don’t see many so spectators except maybe in Italy or France!”
With Poland featuring the first Live TV broadcast in SuperEnduro history, what has been the reaction to the sport in Italy?
G.R: "It’s been great. All of my family and friends were in front of their computers or TV watching the live broadcast and cheering me on. They were all delighted to follow the race live and see me perform well in the third heat. My team manager Fabrizio DINI couldn’t see it live but has since watched it all on the Replay. Everyone was impressed with SuperEnduro.”
Finally, what do you need to work on to break inside the Top 10 or even Top 5 before the end of the season?
G.R: "More consistency! Overall I feel I made too many mistakes during the main event in. However, in the third heat I rode much better and secured my best result of the night. If I can learn from this and avoid these errors in other Grand Prix then I know it’s possible to place inside the Top 10!”