Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1511059
Robert To Retire A merican off-road icon Taylor Robert will close the chapter on his decorated pro- fessional career following the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), where the FMF KTM Factory Racing mainstay will represent the United States on one final occasion in Argen - tina's 2023 edition between November 6-11. At 33 years of age, Robert has estab- lished himself as one of the most respected identities in the sport, a multiple-time ISDE World Trophy Team Champion (2016, 2019), ISDE individual Overall (2016) and Class (2017-2019) winner, three-time World Off Road Championship Series (WORCS) Pro Class/Overall Champion (2012, 2019- 2020), and 2019 WORCS Sprint Hero Champion. Robert has also earned an X-Games Enduro-X Gold Medal, a WORCS Pro 2 Championship and an EnduroGP World Championship round victory in his long list of accolades. He first joined KTM a decade ago ahead of the 2014 season and has become an integral part of the factory team, most recently fo - cusing on his ISDE prospects, while also managing to overcome a series of injuries late in his career. "To begin with, I just want to thank all my fans and sponsors for supporting me through such an awesome career," Robert said. "I started out as a kid in Arizona who fell in love with offroad racing. At 16 years old I started racing the WORCS Series in the 125 Class and who knew that 15-16 years later I would be the most winningest WORCS rider ever with three titles, have a couple of ISDE Cham - pionships, and an X-Games Gold Medal—it's been an awesome ride all the way through. "It was always my goal to be one of the best all-round riders, and I think I've succeeded in being one of those guys. Whatever it might be, I've been able to win at pretty much all disciplines and had a good time doing it! I've had some bumps in the road along the way but all-in-all, I've had an amaz - ing time racing my dirt bike all around the world, and the last 10 years have been the highlight—with the support of KTM and Red Bull." Tim Weigand, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Manager, said, "Taylor has accomplished a lot over the 10 years he had spent with KTM. He is definite - ly a special rider that can win any discipline he sets his mind to. I have no doubt he will be successful in the next chapter of his life. We thank him for all the years of dedication and success." Antti Kallonen, Director of Off-Road Racing, said, "It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Taylor for the last decade, seeing his success and providing him with the tools for that, and it has been an amazing career. With his many race wins and championships, he has become one of the most successful off-road racers in the country—I haven't seen anyone so dedicated and so precise to their race-craft and the detail that Taylor has put into everything he does. He always puts the most perfect effort into his preparation, and it has taught many of our racers, as well as myself, to be better. I can say that together, we have been successful and have reached things that wouldn't be possible with - out Taylor's dedication and commitment at 100 per- cent every time. I hope that the next generation will follow in his footsteps. He's definitely one of the most versatile racers that I have ever worked with, and if you look at his resume, it speaks for itself— no matter where in the country, around the world, or in whatever discipline. I have had the pleasure of working with Taylor throughout his ISDE journey, and it is fitting to end his career here in Argentina. We wish him all the best in his next chapter in life and the next step in his career." CN WIND IN THE P28 Off-road Champion Taylor Robert says this year's ISDE will be his last race as a professional off-roader.