KTM Cup Season 3 Finale - Meeting MotoGP Legend Dani Pedrosa

2006 was the year when I first started watching MotoGP. It was also the year a certain Dani Pedrosa graduated to the premier class of MotoGP after winning two 250cc and one 125cc championships. Back then, I was a 16-year-old school kid with little understanding of the sport. So, while most of the world rallied behind Valentino Rossi, I found myself drawn to Pedrosa. Maybe it was that striking Repsol Honda livery on the RC211V that caught my eye, or maybe it was the fact that he was blisteringly fast, yet quietly carried the tag of an underdog. Either way, I was hooked.

Over the next decade, that admiration for Pedrosa turned into full-blown fandom. If I remember correctly, one of my earliest Facebook display pictures was an animated image of Pedrosa. He was (and still is) my hero, period!

Pedrosa raced in MotoGP from 2006 to 2018, but never won a championship. But anyone who’s followed the sport over the past two decades knows that Pedrosa was always a championship contender. More often than not, it was injuries and sheer bad luck that held him back, and not his lack of speed! In many ways, he remains a king without a crown and, undeniably, one of the true legends of the sport.

As an auto journalist, I’ve been fortunate enough to attend several MotoGP races in Australia, Germany, and Thailand. But all of that came after Pedrosa had already retired. I never got to see his craft in person. In fact, I was supposed to be in Valencia in 2018, at his final race before retirement, and I was genuinely excited, but, as luck would have it, my visa was rejected. Not once, but thrice! Safe to say that one stung.

But, a couple of weeks ago, things came full circle as I found myself at the Kari Motor Speedway in the company of none other than Pedrosa. Not only did I get to chat with him to my heart’s content, but I was also fortunate enough to ride a race-spec KTM 390 Duke alongside him on this very track! As they say, good things come to those who wait…

KTM Cup Season 3 Finale

Pedrosa was in India to attend the final round of Season 3 of the KTM Cup in Coimbatore. For the uninitiated, the KTM Cup is the brand’s customer racing program, featuring three categories – Pro, Women, and Amateur. This season saw participation from over 800 racers across the country, with the top 15 in each category making it to the final round.

Alongside the main races, KTM India also organised a special media race, giving journalists a taste of the race-bred KTM 390 Duke.

Now, having someone like Pedrosa at an event like this might seem like a marketing masterstroke – and to an extent, it is – but for the participants, it meant a lot more. The fact that Pedrosa was present at the track across all three days of racing showed just how involved he was. He conducted an hour-long masterclass for the riders, sharing invaluable insights and technical know-how. If that wasn’t enough, he also joined riders from all categories during the morning practice sessions.

Since I was competing in the media category, I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow Dani Pedrosa for just over a lap. Watching him flow effortlessly through corners – while occasionally glancing back to keep an eye on me – was simply surreal, to say the least. It’s a moment that’s forever etched in my memory.

KTM Cup Season 3 Winners

After an intense day of racing, Johann Emmanuel emerged victorious in the Pro category, ahead of Mohammed Mikail and Jagadeesh.

In the Women’s category, Lani Zena Fernandez took top honours, followed by Saimah Ajaz Baig and Jagathishree Kumaresan. Karthik R claimed the win in the Amateur category, with Jobin Kharmalki and Aravind S finishing second and third, respectively. Along with their trophies, the winners from each category will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix – an opportunity of a lifetime.

KTM Cup Season 3 Issues

While KTM India deserves full credit for organising an exciting racing season and bringing Pedrosa to India, the event wasn’t without its share of criticism. A key concern raised by several participants was the consistency and upkeep of the machinery. As riders across categories shared the same pool of bikes, some experienced noticeable variations in performance between sessions.

In my own experience, my bike was swapped out multiple times due to crashes and mechanical issues. While I’m nowhere near a professional, I could still feel clear differences between machines. Personally, it didn’t impact my experience too much, as I was there primarily to cover the event. However, it’s easy to sympathise with racers whose results may have been affected by factors beyond their control.

That said, in conversations after the event, KTM representatives assured that rider feedback would be taken seriously, with improvements planned for future editions.

And well… it wouldn’t hurt if Dani Pedrosa dropped by again. Just saying.