Second year rider targets title for Repsol KTM squad.

Having had a year to get used to the category after graduating from the 125cc class, Julián Simón has set his sights on being a consistent contender for Repsol KTM in the 2008 250cc world championship.

Currently in Jerez after enjoying a good pre-season with his new machine, Simon makes no secret of his ambitions for the coming year, which sees him switch back from Honda to KTM, a marque he knows well from his time in the junior category.

"Our sights are set quite high," he admitted, "We have a very competitive bike that won the last two races in 2007 and KTM's goal - with Kallio, Aoyama or with me - is to win the world title, and that means that the goal for the Repsol KTM Team will be no less than that.

"We want to get to a good start this year, unlike last year, where we had problems with injuries, and our goal will be to always be among the first group and, why not, if all goes well, contest for the world title.

"This bike is much more competitive than the [KTM] I had in 125cc some time back. I think they have done a brilliant job with this bike, and I'm sure it will improve race by race. I'm very happy to be back with this brand, which I have put a lot of hope into. I'm confident that we'll have a great year together as we're running with a great bike."

Remaining within the Repsol set-up, Simon is also confident that he has the right environment in which to thrive.

"For the time being, everything is quite positive," he reported, "At Jerez, we carried out the first test with the 2008 bike and, while it didn't go too well, we were able to collect a good deal of information to analyse later. We didn't have the right set-up for the bike because I wasn't comfortable with the handlebars we had, but, in Valencia, all this changed. KTM soon sent us new handlebars, more similar to Honda's, and I soon noticed the difference. I easily managed better times."

Asked who he considered to be his main rivals, Simon preferred instead to look on those he is racing against as yardsticks for his own performance.

"The big advantage I have this year is that I will have a very strong reference by my side in Mika Kallio," he revealed, "I think, too, that the 125cc world champion of two years back, Bautista, will also be running good races, so I think they will be the two main references. Right from the start, we'll have to make sure they don't get away."