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 | FIM World Cup 2012: Husqvarna´s Joan Barreda cooperating with Simo Kirssi.
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Dakar sensation Joan Barreda has brought an experienced endurance athlete on board. Cross country ace Simo Kirssi is helping the Spaniard to further improve his race preparation. The two motorcyclists are training together since a few weeks in sunny Spain.
What started as a partnership of convenience has become friendship. Kirssi´s main assignment is being the test rider for the Bavarian-italian Husqvarna Speedbrain Rally Team.
The Finn already has made a name for himself as a coach in 2011, when he helped Portugal´s Paulo Goncalves to become his very title successor in the German Cross Country Championship.
Kirssi´s work as a test rider played a major role in developing that certain new rally weapon, the Husqvarna TE 449 RR by Speedbrain. Joan Barreda meanwhile is considered the revelation of the Dakar 2012.
The 28-year-old is scheduled to attack the podium at the upcoming rally raid events. Barreda is enjoying the new diversity and efficiency in his training. Simo Kirssi is happy about the addition to his routine as a test pilot.
"Simo is a very fit athlete and shows a lot of discipline," says Barreda. "He´s a versatile guy and I do like our common exercise programme. At times it can be painful to train with him, but he´s a great benchmark and we´re having a lot of fun."
Problems because of the different mentalities never occur, Barreda adds. "We´re distinct individuals, which is no problem whatsoever. We love bikes and we love riding bikes. This is our passion. Simo likes to be over here and the Finnish winter is far away."
Former Motocross champ Barreda will compete in the upcoming world championship rallys in Abu Dhabi and Qatar between the end of March and end of April. He considers this season to be a milestone in his career and wants to further improve himself, working towards a podium finish at the Dakar 2013.
Barreda keeps putting in training kilometres on his Speedbrain Husqvarna, with some serious navigation sessions planned for the second half of this year in North Africa.
2012/03/01 | 18:17 CET | ARTICLE: MR/SY/HS/SPEEDBRAIN
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