Budgie's new perch

Prumm job: Katherine Prumm will soon announce her new team

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Kiwi motocross hotshot Katherine Prumm is poised to announce a switch in teams for 2009.

The Yamaha factory rider is set to severe ties with the Dutch Van Beers team after a year to forget in 2008.

After dominating the sport in 2006 and 2007, Prumm was the hottest of favourites to to win this year's world championship in its inaugural FIM-sanctioned year.

However, two nasty crashes, which resulted in ruptured knee ligaments and a broken collar bone, destroyed her season.

"I also had some problems with my [Dutch] team," said Prumm, nicknamed Budgie, who was born in South Africa.

"I can't say much but I will be with a new team [in 2009] and I'm hoping that will get me back on track."

Prumm, 20, made her first tentative steps on her road to recovery yesterday in Swann Insurance International at Taupo, which hosted some of the sport's biggest names

Unlike previous years at the event Prumm declined to tackle the men's races, which this year featured a world class line-up including Kiwi Josh Coppins, Scot Billy MacKenzie, South African Gareth Swanepoel and Latvian Matiss Karro.

"I'm taking things pretty slowly," she said. "I had my knee done [by leading knee surgeon Barry Tietjens] 3 1/2 months ago. I am still getting used to being back on the bike.

"But things are feeling good. I can't wait for next year."

Women's motocross is expanding in Europe, thanks to its edgy image. Although Prumm remains relatively obscure in the motorsport world and "fame and fortune" has so far eluded her, the sport is on the cusp of major change.

Where once Prumm competed against a motley crew here and abroad, local races and world cup meets now feature fields of 150 riders at qualifying. Prumm said the added competition was exciting for the sport and would make 2009 especially challenging.

"More and more girls are keen to get a leg over," she said.

"They're getting into sports like snowboarding and mountain biking and motocross because once you give them a go they're addictive. We'll race in the US next year. They're catching on so that will be big for the sport."

Prumm heads back to Europe in March and the season starts in April. She expects to reveal her new team next month.

- © Fairfax NZ News