THE BRAND

Tom Vialle, an atypical career path

 

By winning a World Championship title on his twentieth birthday, Tom Vialle has achieved an unprecedented performance by being crowned in his second season in the World Championship.

 

Before he was spotted by the KTM factory at the end of 2018, Tom Vialle had never had the opportunity to join an official structure on a full-time basis. Evolving since his motorcycle debut in the small family structure set up by his father Frederic, himself a former top level motocross rider (third in the 125 World Championship in 1996) Tom had as many crossed one by one the stages leading to the top level.

 

Engaged in competition from the age of 10 years in the category 'minivert' reserved for children, Tom will impose himself as of his second season by capping the title Minivert 65cc. Mounted in 85cc in the same time, he will remain four seasons in this category finishing twice on the final podium (second in 2013 and third in 2015) while attacking the European championships. At the end of 2015 Tom and his father made a novel decision to move out of the 125 class, going straight from an 85 to a 250! A gamble that will pay off, even though he will be racing mainly in France in 2016 before attacking Europe the following year. Beginning the season in the family structure and achieving a first podium in Spain and then a first partial success in Russia, Tom will join a professional team during the year in which he will highlight himself by climbing on the podium of the last two events of the year!

 

Competing against other riders in a winter test organized by the KTM factory, Tom will hit the jackpot in October 2018 by being selected to join the most successful team in the last ten years in the MX2 category. Living in Belgium where most of the Grand Prix riders are based, training daily alongside Joël Smets (five-time World Champion), Tom will surprise his world from his first world campaign by finishing fourth in the championship with a first success in Sweden! With his team-mate Jorge Prado switching categories after winning his second World title, Tom will be going into the 2020 season as leader of the KTM Red Bull team. A status that will change neither his state of mind nor his serenity, Tom taking the lead of the World Championship from the second Grand Prix of the year and never leaving it! Winner of 14 of the 18 events of the year, Tom will put his MX2 title back on the line in 2021 before going on to challenge the stars of the discipline in the MXGP premier class.