Ángel Nieto Team Moto2 - Xavi Cardelús

2019-02-13 07:09
Xavi Cardelús heads into the 2019 season with the Ángel Nieto Team, ready for a first full campaign in a year full of changes, starting with the engine in the intermediate class, which goes from 600cc to 765cc
You begin a new adventure in 2019 with the Ángel Nieto Team and a change of bike to the KTM. What does all this mean to you?
We are changing chassis, and getting a new engine! With the Triumph you can feel the power more and that is what we all needed. This year’s engine is more suited to racing. Last year we were running a standard 600cc, and now it is 765cc. As for the chassis, each one has its way of working and a different stiffness. With this one, for example, I am finding it a little more difficult to turn in the corners but we will work hard on the set-up and we will be faster on the KTM. We still have time before the first race and we have a lot of things to test, but I will also have to do my bit and adapt my riding style to the bike.

What have you been up to since the end of the 2018 season?
I spent a little time relaxing in Andorra, but then got straight back into the gym to start my preparations for 2019. I have probably done a little less cycling than last year but I have done a lot of motocross, flat track and supermoto. A few times I have met up with the other Ángel Nieto Team riders like Aleix Viu, who will be racing in the Junior Moto3 World Championship. We have known each other since we were small but became more friendly last year because he’s a good friend of Marc García, another rider who lives close to me.

How were your first few laps on the KTM?
I’m happy with how the first tests went. I have slotted well into the team and they are all working to their maximum. We found some areas of the bike that we want to improve and KTM are helping us a lot with that. In the test at Valencia last week they brought some new parts - for example, after the Jerez test in November we asked for a wider fuel tank and to move back the handlebars. They were two really important things for me, to make me more comfortable, and they brought them. There are still some things we would like to try but I am sure they will bring more to the Jerez test next week.

What goals have you set yourself for the 2019 season?
My main objective is to keep learning. We are going to fight to be as competitive and as consistent as possible. I know most of the circuits after competing in a dozen races last year as a wildcard or substitute rider, which is an advantage for me. I have even ridden in Qatar before, in World Supersport in 2017, and I liked it a lot.

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