Alex Asigno

Camel Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards both made progress on the development of the 2006-spec YZR-M1 in Malaysia today, despite the day being cut short by rain. The morning saw high temperatures and building humidity at the Sepang track before it gave way to a rainstorm in the mid-afternoon. Both riders decided not to carry on testing and now hope for good weather tomorrow in order to make the most of the final day. Ducati riders Sete Gibernau and Loris Capirossi both set fast times under the 2'02 marker today, but Edwards was close behind with a best lap of 2'02.00 after 58 laps. Rossi, who set a lap of 2'02.14 yesterday, was ninth fastest today with a best time of 2'02.62 after 41 laps Colin Edwards (2'02.00, 58 Laps) "Today went really well and I'm excited about the progress we're making already. Usually with a new bike you have to compromise in some areas to improve others, but it seems that with this bike they've improved it all over. Yamaha has done a really great job on it over the winter. The traction especially is much better. The crash yesterday has actually helped us to make progress and now we've found a setting that I really like. We've still got a tiny bit of chatter, but only in about three corners so we're not so worried and I am confident we can find a way to fix it." Valentino Rossi (2'02.62, 41 Laps) "Today was not perfect because the rain interrupted everything this afternoon and we didn't do as much work as we wanted to. Up to then we had concentrated mostly on fixing the chatter that we experienced yesterday and in the end we were successful. We realised that the problem was in the rear shock and now it's okay. I ran a lot on old tyres today and then it started to rain so we weren't able to try any of the new race tyres Michelin had brought. Tomorrow we will probably do a long run and hopefully we will also get the chance to try some of these new tyres." Davinde Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director "Unfortunately it rained this afternoon so we couldn't finish the day's work. Despite this both riders made some progress and Colin's times especially were quite fast. Tomorrow we hope that we have good weather and that we can complete everything that we need to do." Unofficial lap times 1. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati 2'01.50 2. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 2'01.80 3. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 2'02.00 4. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 2'02.02 5. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 2'02.26 6. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2'02.40 6. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 2'02.40 8. Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda 2'02.57 9. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 2'02.62 10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 2'02.70 11. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 2'03.26 12. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki 2'03.43 13. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 2'03.80 14. Kenny Roberts (USA) Honda 2'04.10 15. James Ellison (GBR) Yamaha 2'04.15 16. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 2'04.49 17. Jose Luis Cardoso (SPA) Ducati 2'06.06 Lap Record: Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2005 - 2'02.993 Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005 - 2'01.731 Ambient temperature: 29.2 degrees Track temperature: 43 degrees Humidity: 64.4%

Rossi and Edwards get underway at first test of 2006 The Camel Yamaha Team launched its 2006 campaign today, with the first of three-days of testing in Sepang, Malaysia. After a six-week holiday the team is back at its favourite testing venue alongside other MotoGP Teams from Yamaha, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki. A cloudy morning with a few spots of rain at one stage gave way to a sunny afternoon and Yamaha's Factory Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards were able to complete a full day of testing on their new 2006-spec YZR-M1s. Both riders concentrated on getting a feel for the new version of the M1, which they first tested in November last year. According to the unofficial lap times, Rossi was fastest with a time of 2'02.14, after 74 laps. Edwards meanwhile had a fall in the afternoon at turn nine, but was unhurt and able to continue for the rest of the afternoon on his second bike, setting a best lap of 2'02.61 after 69 laps. Valentino Rossi (2'02.14, 74 Laps) "It's always a little difficult to start again after the holidays, and I am never sure if I will be able to ride well straight away! Today however everything has felt good right from the start and I am already quite fast. The new M1 is a good bike, I like it and I can see that Yamaha has worked very hard over the winter. We had a few problems with it today; some chattering, but in reality it is good for this stage of the year. We still have a lot of work to do on it of course. The new bike is not so different from the 2005 bike, but still we have to understand completely its character and I have to get more confidence in it, then we can begin to make the modifications needed in order to improve it. Today has just been about understanding the bike, tomorrow we will concentrate more on tyres with Michelin." Colin Edwards (2'02.61, 69 Laps) "I came out this morning and felt good immediately. Straight away I felt happy on the bike and could notice all the improvements that Yamaha has made. I'm so accustomed to the 2005 bike at this track, but it was clear today that the new one is better in many ways. I am a bit out of practice after the holiday but once I got going I felt very comfortable to be back on the bike. After a few laps we began to play around with some fork settings and spring rates and in doing so we lost a little bit of feel. Then after lunch I had the crash.it was at turn nine and I just lost the front on the brakes. It all happened pretty slowly and I was fine, luckily. After that we didn't have time to go back to our good fork setting but anyway the times were still okay. Despite the mishap today I feel like I want to go faster and faster, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow." Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director "We begin this test with many new things, but the most important is that the new bike is at a good starting point and the riders have been able to do good work straight away. Of course we have many jobs ahead of us to work on the set-up and to test tyres for Michelin, but it has been a good start. Colin's crash was unfortunate and also something new, since he doesn't do it very often! Despite this we have had a more than satisfactory day and we hope to get some more important work done over the next two days." Unofficial Lap Times: 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 2'02.14 2. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 2'02.21 3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 2'02.23 4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 2'02.46 5. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 2'02.55 6. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 2'02.61 7. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati 2'02.77 8. Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda 2'03'57 9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki 2'03.77 10. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 2'03.80 11. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 2'03.90 12. Alex Hoffman (GER) Ducati 2'04.63 13. James Ellison (GBR) Yamaha 2'06.40 14. Jose Luis Cardosa (SPA) Ducati 2'07.70 Sepang Lap Record: Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2005 - 2'02.993 Sepang Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005 - 2'01.731 Ambient temperature: 30 degrees Track temperature: 49 degreesumidity: 49%

Day 14 - Stage 13 Friday 13 January 2006 Labé > Tambacounda Connection 7 km, Special 348 km, Connection 212 km, Total 567 km A very technical stage was set for Friday the 13th after two days without technical assistance. The reliable technique of the WR450F demanded only the obvious maintenance: oil and filters. Passing the highest points in this year's Dakar, the riders had to cross several steep and rocky passes. The nimble character of the WR450F gave David Frétigné good expectations to attempt an attack on the race leaders. David quickly found his rhythm in the special stage, confirmed by an eighth place on Check Point 1 (CP). After CP1, David had difficulties with the mounting of his road book causing him to stop several times, which set him back six minutes. Later that stage, just 15 kilometres before CP 2, two road crossing cows forced David into a ditch. This incident cost him valuable minutes in pursuit of the race leaders. Despite this mishap, David confirmed today's expectations by setting seventh place for the day. This gained David two places in the overall standings: from 18th to 16th place. Day 15 - Stage 14 Saturday 14 January 2006 Tambacounda > Dakar Connection 107 km, Special 254 km, Connection 273 km, Total 634 km The road to the capital of Senegal , being the last stage of importance before the finish line, was set significantly different compared to last year's. The numerous changes of direction forced the riders to be very attentive. Still, the changed route led to navigational errors for many of the top competitors as Cyril Despres (Fra), Alain Duclos (Fra) and Giovanni Sala (Ita), but not for David Frétigné. The World Enduro Champion managed to win his first stage in this year's Le Dakar, bringing his grand total to seven victories. Setting a third time on CP1, David kept on riding in a high pace and slowly caught up with leader Marc Coma (Spa). In the last part of the stage, David managed to pass Coma and he kept his leading position until Dakar finishing 33 seconds ahead of Coma. This victory was a well-deserved reward for the Yamaha WR450F rider. Gaining three places on the overall leader board, David ends the penultimate day in 13th position overall. David Frétigné - Yamaha France Ipone: "The last three or four days I was in good form. If I had not been confronted with yesterday's problems I could have won that special too. I left Tambacounda in seventh position and I did a good job in navigating today. Contrary to other riders it was a perfect day for me. Practically all day's special I drove up with Marc Coma. After CP1, he clinched to the group of Despres who seemed lost. I didn't stick to the beaten paths, knowing where I was. Relying on my road-book, Marc (Coma) noticed me taking another route and followed me. Then I made a small detour, but returned on the right path where I rejoined Marc Comas. After that I set the pace higher resulting in my seventh Dakar victory. It is very important for me, for Yamaha and for my technical team! We stopped at the finish of the special in Thiès to pay tribute to last year's deceased Fabrizio Meoni in a ceremony that the organisation had arranged for him. The remaining two kilometres I was filled with emotions, also knowing I was soon to be reunited with my wife and two children." Day 16 - Stage 15 Sunday 15 January 2006 Dakar > Dakar Connection 38 km, Special 31 km, Connection 41 km, Total 110 km In tribute to the two children who lost their lives during the passage of the Dakar caravan, the ultimate Lac Rose stage was not timed. The results timed after the 14th stage were to be the official times to end this year's Dakar. After 9.093 kilometres, of which 5.000 kilometres covered in specials, the 2006 Le Dakar has come to an end on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. From the 232 bikes attending the start in Portugal, only 93 had made it to this last stage, once again confirming its reputation of world's toughest Rally raid. David Frétigné - Yamaha France Ipone: "It was very relaxed today, rounding up the event. It was a bit disappointing that there wasn't a final confrontation due to the neutralization, but completely understandable. Although the main objective is to arrive in Dakar, it is victory that drives me. This year I had a competitive bike, good enough to win stages. With all occurred situations it wasn't really possible for me to live up to those expectations. The Dakar 2006 is finished and yet I am thinking about the next event in February: the Touquet enduro race, where I will be competing on a similar bike as current champion Arnoud Demeester. With my wife and children,I will stay in Dakar for another week to enjoy the good things in life. After that I will return home to prepare for Le Touquet. A moment of rest will follow to get ready for the new enduro season." Final overall standings 1. 002 COMA (ESP) KTM in 55h27:17 2. 001 DESPRES (FRA) KTM +1h13:29 3. 006 SALA (ITA) KTM +2h29:48 4. 009 BLAIS (USA) KTM +2h36:18 5. 004 DE GAVARDO (CHI) KTM +3h22:47 9. 055 RODRIGUES (POR) YAMAHA +6h54:41 12. 058 KNUIMAN (HOL) YAMAHA +8h29:27 13. 012 FRETIGNE (FRA) YAMAHA +8h45:56

Day 11 - stage 10 - Tuesday 10 January 2006 Kiffa > Kayes (Mali) Connection 1 km, Special 283 km, Connection 49 km, Total 333 km Due to the tragic accident of Andy Caldecott the Dakar organization decided that the day's stage was to be covered in liaison from start to finish for the bikes as a tribute to the unfortunate Australian rider. Instead of the 283 kilometer special, the day would not be timed for the riders. The cars and trucks were not excluded from competition and competed as planned. The neutralization for bikes offered Frétigné the opportunity to recover from the tragic event and the misfortune he experienced over the last few days. Day 12 - stage 11 - Wednesday 11 January 2006 Kayes > Bamako (Mali) Connection 50 km, Special 231 km, Connection 424 km, Total 705 km For the first time since 1996 the Dakar returned to the bush covered setting of Mali. On the first part of the 705 kilometer long stage in between forests and savannas, David Frértigné found a steady race pace, resulting in a seventh place on CP1 in pursue of race leaders Duclos (FRA) and Comas (ESP). On a steep stony ascent, Frétigné tumbled over, pulling the plug of his rear fuel tank. Unaware of this mishap, he switched to the last but emptied fuel tank 30 kilometers before arrival, leaving David stranded without fuel. Fortunately a helping hand from fellow Frenchman Michel Gau (KTM) gave Frétigné the opportunity to ride on and finish the day in 18th position. Day 13 - stage 12 - Thursday 12 January 2006 Bamako > Labé (Guinea) Connection 197 km, Special 368 km, Connection 307 km, Total 872 km A marathon stage from Bamako entering Guinea was an ideal setting for a specialized Enduro rider like Frétigné. David left Bamako in 18th position, riding the first part of the stage with fellow Yamaha riders Frans Verhoeven (NL) and Michel Marchini (FR), both on similar WR450F's. At CP1 Frétigné clocked a well deserved 12th time, leaving Verhoeven and Marchini behind on the last part of the special. Crossing the finish line in tenth position after this long stage was satisfying for David, resulting in the 18th position overall. Most importantly, since no assistance was available in the bivouac for all Dakar competitors, he brought in the bike without any significant damage. Portuguese Yamaha rider Helder Rodrigues now defends Yamaha's honour as top WR450F rider. At 27 years of age and a coveted enduro specialist, just like David Frétigné, Rodrigues has all the qualities needed to tackle the most challenging Rally-raid races; experience, speed, technique and stamina. Only 15 minutes behind 450cc class leader Alain Duclos and three days away from the finish in Dakar, Helder will have to do battle with Duclos for the 450cc class victory. Currently he is keeping ninth spot in the overall standings. Overall standings after day 13 /stage 12 1. 002 COMA (ESP) KTM in 47h01:21 2. 001 DESPRES (FRA) KTM +32:39 3. 006 SALA (ITA) KTM +1h45:15 4. 009 BLAIS (USA) KTM +2h06:50 5. 004 DE GAVARDO (CHI) KTM +2h26:55 9. 055 RODRIGUES (POR) YAMAHA +4h12:28 18. 012 FRETIGNE (FRA) YAMAHA +8h42:57

On January 9, 2006 Altadis abruptly announced that it had initiated arbitration proceedings against Yamaha arising out of an alleged breach by Yamaha of the two companies' sponsorship agreement for Yamaha's factory racing team. Yamaha would like to clarify several points in light of Altadis' wrongful statements. First, Yamaha no longer has any sponsorship agreement with Altadis, as the previous sponsorship agreement was terminated in all respects for the 2006 season. Second, Yamaha strongly denies that it has ever breached its previous sponsorship agreement with Altadis. Third, in the absence of any agreement in force between Altadis and Yamaha, there exists no legal obligation preventing Yamaha from contracting with a tobacco sponsor or any other sponsor for the 2006 season. Yamaha deplores the fact that Altadis' unreasonable actions have frustrated Yamaha's good-faith efforts to resolve this matter in an amicable fashion, and has seen fit to make its unmerited allegations in a public forum. To date, Yamaha has not been notified of any Request for Arbitration from Altadis. In any event, Yamaha will defend its rights vigorously, and reserves the rights to claim both pecuniary damages and declaratory relief with respect to the wrong and disparaging statements made by Altadis and the harm wilfully caused by its frivolous conduct, for the sake of Yamaha and all of its fans and supporters worldwide who continue to support and sustain the MotoGP sport and Yamaha's MotoGP factory racing team.

Day 7 - Friday 6 January 2006 Zouérat - Atâr (Mauritania) Connection 10 km, Special 499 km, Connection 12 km, Total 521 km A big dose of courage was needed to cover this special. Technically difficult as well as providing a tough test of navigation, the day's riding consisted of large dunes alternating with fast flat portions on treacherous ground - proving to be one of the toughest stages of the rally. Starting in reverse order, David managed setting sixth time on CP1 (checkpoint). Fellow Frenchman Gilles Algay, (Yamaha WR450F) surprised by setting the quickest time at CP1. After refilling the obligatory water and fuel at CP1, a high-speed crash at about 130 km/h ended David's ambitions of a top five ranking. Despite the shock and a severely damaged bike, he refused to activate the emergency flare and instead took off again, clocking the eighth time after the 499 km special. Frétigné arrived in Atâr leaving significant work for the mechanics and his physiotherapist. Considering the damage to the bike, eighth position overall could be considered a good result. Day 8 - Saturday 7 January 2005 Atâr - Nouakchott Connection 34 km, Special 508 km, Connection 26 km, Total 568 km The last stage before the much desired rest day was even more difficult in terms of navigation then the previous one. Bothered by physical discomforts of two serious crashes from a day earlier, Frétigné took off for the 568 km of the eighth stage. In search of a waypoint masque Frétigné lost one and a half hours on the top five riders. After finally reaching CP2 for the necessary refilling, David clocked a 33rd time, ending in 12th position for the night. Day 9 - Sunday 8 January 2006 Rest day at bivouac Nouakchott Several bikers have been given 2-hour time penalties today for missing out on a way point (WPM) during day 8. Among the top riders who missed the GPS point was Frétigné who lost 4 positions in the overall standings because of that, now 16th. Day 10 - Monday 9 January 2005 Nouakchott - Kiffa Connection 30 km, Special 599 km, Connection 245 km, Total 874 km Day 10 of the Dakar saw the longest stage set within Mauritania and a harsh environment displayed by the tragic death of KTM rider Andy Caldecott. Frétigné set a 17th time on CP2 but had a serious crash at kilometre 200. This crash damaged the front end of his bike, breaking off the support brackets of his navigation instruments. Therefore the remaining 600 km of stage could only be driven at a 30 km/h pace. David had to stop many times for temporary repairs to the bike. This resulted in a disappointing 45th place for the day, setting him back to 19th position in overall standings. Portuguese Yamaha pilot Hélder Rodrigues had a better day setting a third place for the day and improving his standing on the leader board to ninth position. Overall standings after day 10/stage 9 1. 002 COMA (ESP) KTM en 38h49:15 2. 001 DESPRES (FRA) KTM +22:47 3. 006 SALA (ITA) KTM +53:04 4. 005 ULLEVALSETER (NOR) KTM +1h27:42 5. 004 DE GAVARDO (CHI) KTM +1h35:15 19. 012 FRETIGNE (FRA) YAMAHA+8:06:54

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announces the start of a new partnership with JT International (JTI), a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco Inc., whose brand CAMEL will become the new title sponsor of Yamaha's Factory MotoGP Team for 2006. The Yamaha Factory MotoGP Team, consisting of reigning-World Champion Valentino Rossi and his team-mate Colin Edwards, will be known as the "Camel Yamaha Team" in 2006. Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Lin Jarvis commented "Yamaha is very excited to enter into this new partnership with JTI. JTI has been involved in motorsport at the highest level for many years and has been an active sponsor at the top level in the MotoGP class for the past three seasons. We look forward to working with JTI to enhance the respective images of our brands and to challenge together for victory, as Yamaha enters its "next 50 years" and aims to retain its MotoGP titles in 2006." "A new chapter in the history of Camel in motorsport is just beginning", commented Roberto Zanni, JTI's Regional President for Europe, "After three years of great satisfaction in the premier class of the World Road Racing Championship, we are today launching a new challenge for the title. Our new partnership with Yamaha, the historic, championship-winning Japanese manufacturer, will be highly motivating for us and it will be an honour to be by their side throughout the 2006 season. We share the same passion and desire for victory and, I am sure, success will not be long in coming." The Camel Yamaha Team will begin its 2006 campaign in Sepang, Malaysia with a three-day test on 23rd, 24th and 25th January.

Day 4 - Tuesday 3 January 2006 Er Rachida - Quarzazate (Morocco). Connection 56 km, Special 386 km, Connection 197 km, Total 639 km. Stage four of the Dakar 2006 event, from Er Rachidia to Quarzazate in Marocco, was to be another day covered in dust. Starting from 10th position, David Frétigné (Fra) needed all his physical strength and experience to overtake his opponents along the 86 km special stage. While the leaders set out first to navigate the route, the competitors that followed were able to make up ground with less navigation efforts, despite the dusty conditions. This second stage in Morocco was less technical than the previous one and was dominated by straights and sandy plates, not the ideal battle ground for David against the leading competitors with their bigger displacement bikes which have a higher top speed. Taking full advantage of the WR450F, Frétigné managed to end the day in 7th position, equalling his position on the provisional leader board. Day 5 - Wednesday 4 January 2005 Quarzazate - Tan Tan (Morocco). Connection 187 km, Special 350 km, Connection 282 km, Total 819 km A more technical stage from Quarzazate to Tan Tan (Morocco) was set out on the fifth day covering an impressive 819km in an ideal terrain to test the durability of the Yamaha WR450F Kit Afrique. It took Frétigné exactly 4 hours to cover the 350 km special, 13 minutes behind the day's fastest competitor Despres (Fra) before arriving in the bivouac in Tan Tan. The effort to keep up with the race leaders needed 100% dedication, especially because David suffered from a knee injury due to a fall earlier on in the stage. This led to difficulties with operating the rear break and standing on the foot pegs during technical parts of the stage. Not being able to ride as he wanted, Frétigné was taking calculated risks to keep up with the race leaders and still ended 10th fastest for the day. With 7th place overall after the third day in Africa, David prepared for a short night having to leave the bivouac at 02:00 at night for stage six. Day 6 - Thursday 5 January 2006 Tan Tan - Zouérat (Mauritania). Connection 336 km, Special 444 km, Connection 12 km, Total 792 km Hampered by the injury of his knee, David Frétigné left the last Moroccan bivouac as 10th rider for a 792 km long stage. Entering Mauritania the landscape changed from fast tracks to the preferential setting for the light and manoeuvrable Yamaha WR450F; dunes and camel grass. David Frétigné confirmed the positive expectations by improving his position on the leader board to a 6th position overall. David Frétigné (Yamaha WR450F Kit Afrique - Yamaha Motor France Ipone): "I slept only for three hours last night and today's stage was very long. The first 220 km didn't feel that good. On CP1 (Check Point) I clocked the 14th time, 7 minutes behind race leader Pujol (Spa) and Coma (Spa). After that it got very interesting with the appearance of the first real dunes and camel grass. I rode quite fast and navigation wasn't really a problem so I didn't follow the tracks of the leaders. I chose a different route and that worked out well. I made up three to four minutes by doing that and ended up in eight place for the day. My knee injury improved during the day. Alex, my physiotherapist, had a busy night yesterday. I did a good deal of stretching and he worked on the ligaments. Thanks to his work and a good bondage I had a good day without too much pain. The bike functioned perfectly all throughout the stage. Tomorrow the start will be inversed and it should be a positive day as well, leaving together with the race leaders. Knowing that Casteu and Despres had problems today, one can say the race is now really on! We'll be having some sleepless nights and more surprises will occur during the next three days. I have to remain vigilant and concentrated, but I don't really worry since I prepared myself well." Overall standings after day 6 1. 2 COMA (ESP) KTM en 18h15:45 2. 1 DESPRES (FRA) KTM +3:43 3. 3 ESTEVE PUJOL (ESP) KTM +4:25 4. 4 DE GAVARDO (CHI) KTM +5:57 5. 10 CALDECOTT (AUS) KTM +27:43 6. 12 FRETIGNE (FRA) YAMAHA +34:28

In the first days of the 2006 Dakar David Frétigné positioned himself amongst the favorites for winning the grueling Rally event. 233 bikes started from Lissabon to Portimão for the first day. With the starting order inversed, meaning that the highest starting number would depart first, Frétigné carrying number 12 was one of the last riders to depart. He finished the day in sixth position being hampered by rainy conditions and some slower competitors ahead of him. Day two of the event introduced the longest special stage in Europe ever with a length of 115 Km, entering Spain over mountainous terrain to finish in the port of Malaga from where the caravan would make the cross over to Africa. Frétigné did not make the mistake to answer to the challenges of the local heroes from Portugal and Spain, who made an extra effort for home glory. Instead he rode a calculated and defensive race, bracing himself for treacherous African conditions, knowing that only there the race will be decided. He ended the day ninth overall. The third stage in 2006 Dakar from Nador to Er Rachidia introduced the first African terrain; stony tracks and Moroccan cliffs. The same route has appeared on the maps already three times earlier in the Dakar history but every time the course is laid out different. This meant there was little advantage for those who rode the rally previously, since the 'old' GPS navigation technique is replaced by a sole source of navigation; the road book. 237 km of liaison prior to the 314 km special stage followed again by a final 121 km of liaison completed the total of 672 km of the 3rd day. Leaving the first African bivouac at 5:30, David Frétigné (Yamaha WR450F Kit Afrique - Yamaha Team France Ipone), could not foresee the upcoming problems with the power supply of his road book. 100 km within the special, the power supply failed and the rider had to rely on his navigation skills. Focussing on the main objective of keeping in touch with the current leaders, the Yamaha pilot finished in 12th position, improving to 7th position overall on the provisional leader board. David Frétigné (Yamaha WR450F Kit Afrique - Yamaha Motor France Ipone): "Again a good day of riding and I wasn't intimidated by the fast pace of Caldecott (Aus). I started today's special at 9:20 and before CP1 (Check Point), problems occurred with the electrical supply for the road book. I tried to operate it by hand but it was too dangerous. I was glad that I could stay on the stage and the follow the route. The lack of a GPS system made it very difficult, but I quickly rediscovered my navigation skills. I was accompanying Cyril Despres. Later on, when we passed a group of riders, Despres drove away from me and I was pretty much alone. After CP2, visibility was poor due to the dust. Caldecott is a contender that knows how to navigate in poor visual conditions. In 2004 I was still impressed by his speed in the Australian Safari but in this years Dakar event I'm not. Physically I'm fit and the WR450F is fast. The work that been done in the Shamrock rally-raid on suspension gives me a lot of confidence. While focussing on problems with my road book, I had a 'moment' every now and then, but the bike reacted very well. Six minutes behind after day three in general standing is not really a problem. I take every day as it comes and I am not going to worry too much about the time I'm behind the leaders. I have to concentrate on each individual stage. There will be good and bad better days, but that's Dakar. Standings after day 3 1. 1 DESPRES (FRA) KTM - 6h03:12 2. 2 COMA (ESP) KTM + 1:16 3. 179 PELLICER (ESP) KTM +1:39 4. 10 CALDECOTT (AUS) KTM +3:41 5. 4 DE GAVARDO (CHI) KTM +3:41 7. 12 FRETIGNE (FRA) YAMAHA 5:49 Yamaha Racing Communications Hoogte Kadijk 61 HS / 1018 BE Amsterdam / The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0) 20 330 2709 / Fax +31 (0) 20 420 9470

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. hereby announces that Altadis/Seita's sponsorship regarding Yamaha's Factory MotoGP Team will not continue after the end of the 2005 season. For more than 40 years, Yamaha has successfully participated in the Road Racing Grand Prix World Championship and it has become the leading manufacturer of the MotoGP competition. Altadis/Seita have been sponsors of the Yamaha Factory MotoGP project for the past three seasons under both the Fortuna and the Gauloises brands, during which time the companies shared two world championship victories in the MotoGP class in 2004 and 2005. Yamaha will announce its 2006 MotoGP program in January 2006.

Yamaha ends promising first R6 test 15/12/2005 Yamaha Motor Germany completed a promising two-day test at Valencia today, the first outing for the team's 2006 model YZF-R6. Experienced Australian Kevin Curtain was satisfied with the performance of the new machine, recording a best lap time of 1:38.6 on a machine that is still in its first stage of development as a race bike. The 39-year-old was able to enjoy two dry and trouble free days on the circuit, allowing him to complete a full test programme, evaluating numerous suspension and tyre options on the R6. Curtain's team-mate Broc Parkes was only able to complete a handful of laps today after crashing at the final corner on his first session of the morning. The 24-year-old lost rear end grip, no doubt due to the low track temperature. Parkes took a knock to his ankle but escaped serious injury, although his bike fared less well and his test was curtailed due to a lack of spare parts. His best lap time was a 1:38.8, set yesterday. Yamaha Motor Germany's next test is scheduled to take place at Phillip Island in Australia next month. Round one of the 2006 Supersport World Championship takes place at the Losail circuit, Qatar, on 25 February. Three other R6 riders were in attendance at the test. David Checa rode a machine fitted with prototype YEC 2006 kit parts while the Lorenzini by Leoni squad was also in attendance. The Yamaha Motor Italia supported squad only received their bikes last week, although Massimo Roccoli and Gianluca Vizziello recorded respectable times despite their machines being virtually stock. Kevin Curtain "I'm really happy with how things went over the past two days. The guys did a really great job to get the bikes ready in time and running without any problems, although it shouldn't be a surprise as they are such a meticulous team. The temperatures were still a bit low today but we were able to get through pretty much everything we planned. I've been really impressed with the bike. The engine has so much more mid-range than the R6 I rode last season and the chassis, especially the levels of front end grip, is amazing. I'm going home to Australia confident that the bike can challenge for the title next year." Broc Parkes "It was a big crash I'm hurting all over and I can't move my left ankle much, but at least it seems that nothing's broken. It was early and cold and I got caught out, lost the back end and that was it. It's a shame I wasn't able to get more time on the bike but at least we were able to get through most of what we needed to yesterday. Despite everything though it's been a good first test and we've already got a good base to work from. I'm heading back to Australia tomorrow and the boys will no doubt have made some more developments for our test in Australia next month. After three days in Phillip Island we should be in good shape for the start of the season." Terrell Thien (Team Manager) "It's been a positive first test, although it was a shame that Broc wasn't able to finish his test programme today. The track temperature was only about 5°C and he lost the back end. Unfortunately the bike was too badly damaged to continue and we do not yet have enough spares to rebuild the bike. Overall though it has been very positive. At present our bike is maybe only 50 per cent of its potential, so it's very encouraging to already be at the level of last year's bike. We have three days testing at Phillip Island next month, after which we should be in good shape for the start of the season." Lap times Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany YZF-R6) 1:38.6 Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany YZF-R6) 1:38.8 Massimo Roccoli (Lorenzini by Leoni YZF-R6) 1:39.7 Gianluca Vizziello (Lorenzini by Leoni YZF-R6) 1:39.9 David Checa (Yamaha GMT94 YZF-R6) 1:39.9 Nakatomi debut ends on a low note 15/12/2005 Shinichi Nakatomi's first ride for the Yamaha Motor France team with whom he will compete in the 2006 Superbike World Championship ended on a low note after the Japanese rider ended the day in hospital with a hand injury. The 27-year-old joined team-mates Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert at the two-day test at the Valencia circuit in Spain, impressing on what was his first ride on any circuit outside his native Japan, despite ending the day in the medical centre after crashing during his final session. Like many riders at Valencia, Nakatomi lost the front after pushing too hard on a cold tyre. He has been taken to hospital and is undergoing further examination. The team worked on development of Yamaha's YEC kit parts and tested numerous parts, including new suspension and swingarms, with Abe and Nakatomi running new Soqi suspension today and Gimbert concentrating on engine development. The team will use the data gained from the test to build its 2006-specification machines over the winter. Abe ended the test as the fastest rider, setting a best lap of 1:36.8, with Gimbert recording a 1:37.0 and Nakatomi 1:38.2. Also in the Yamaha Motor France garage was David Checa, who was running a YZF-R6 fitted with prototype YEC racing parts. Norick Abe "We tried three different types of front suspension and one new rear. On one of the front forks I was able to do a 1:36.8, which is probably my best ever testing lap around here! I was quite happy with this fork and I would like to carry out further tests when we go to Phillip Island next month so that we can decide which brand to use on the race bike." Sebastien Gimbert "Quite a good test. I concentrated on evaluating the engine parts and I think we have found some good improvements from the bike I rode last year. I'm feeling fit and I'm happy with my times, especially considering the cold weather makes grip levels low at these tests." Shinichi Nakatomi "I had been enjoying my first experience in Valencia until the crash. I was making good progress to learn the bike and tyres and I was happy with my lap times. Now I must wait for a full diagnosis from the doctor and hope that the injury is not too serious."

Yamaha Motor Germany riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes had their first outing on the race-spec YZF-R6s they will race in next year's Supersport World Championship at the Valencia circuit in Spain today. The two Australians flew into Spain especially for the test and spent the day making shakedown runs on their bikes, respectively completing 72 and 60 trouble-free laps around the 4.05km circuit on the first of two days testing. The German squad has been working hard in conjunction with its suppliers over the past months to prepare two immaculate machines for the test. Both bikes have been fitted with Öhlins race suspension, although further development work is still to be carried out on the engine prior to the first race of the season, at Qatar in late February. Sunny conditions ensured that the riders were able to get maximum track time, although cool track temperatures meant that grip levels were limited. Today's test programme concentrated mainly on checking systems and machine familiarisation for both the riders and mechanics rather than setting outright lap times. Tyre supplier Pirelli has also brought along a range of rubber for the team to test. Sharing the Valencia circuit were the Yamaha Motor France world superbike team, who gave Japanese newcomer Shinichi Nakatomi his first outing on their YZF-R1 alongside team-mates Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert. Also at the test were the Yamaha Motor Italia-supported Lorenzini by Leoni team, which will enter Massimo Roccoli and Gianluca Vizziello in the world supersport series and Claudio Corti in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup. David Checa, riding a YZF-R6 for the Yamaha GMT94 team, and the Virgin Mobile Yamaha British superbike team are also in attendance. Copyright-free photography (for editorial use) from today's test is available from the photo gallery section of www.yamaha-racing.com - further information will be available after tomorrow's final day of testing. Kevin Curtain "I really can't say how happy I am with the new bike. Even at this stage everything is an improvement over the R6 I rode last year. At the moment we're still running one of Öhlins off-the-shelf shocks but even so I felt really confident with the chassis. I really noticed it when I had a slide coming out of one of the right hand corners - I was half expecting it to pitch me off, but instead it was really predictable. Of course there were a lot of little things we had to fix today, like the gear lever and handlebar positions, but overall it's a very positive start. My lap times are already matching what we did last season and I can't wait for when we've got everything finished and how I want it." Broc Parkes "For a first day it's been perfect really. The bike feels good and so are the times. The track temperature has been too low to really push the bike but already my lap times are close to what we did last year, although that wasn't really the point of today. It's been two months since I last rode and so it was as much a case of remembering where the handlebars are as much as anything else! We've still got heaps of improvements to make, especially with the suspension settings, but that's the whole point of today and we've got a good idea of the direction to take." Terrell Thien (Team Manager) "It's been a good start. This is our first time running these bikes yet any problems we encountered today were small - like the gearlever position not being to Kevin's liking - but generally everything has worked well. All the electronics: the YCC-T system and our Motec engine management system, have worked perfectly and the rider's comments have both been good. The chassis is a major step forward and this bike has been built to race. Our lap times are already good and we will find improvements tomorrow. I'd like to thank all of our suppliers for their hard work in supplying us with the parts we needed to be ready for this test, especially Becker Carbon and Gillies Tooling, and to our mechanics, who have worked constantly for the past month, often through the night, to get the bikes ready."

Yamaha Motor Italia completed their first year in the Superbike World Championship yesterday, taking part in a three-day test session at the Losail circuit in the Gulf state of Qatar. The test, organised by championship tyre suppliers Pirelli, was attended by all but one of the series' designated development teams and gave riders Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt an opportunity to test some new Ohlins suspension parts on their YZF-R1 machines, as well as a host of new tyre options. In contrast to the rain which affected last February's race at the long Losail circuit, the riders were welcomed by surfaces temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius. Typically, Haga chose not to run a qualifying set-up - recording a best of 2:00.46 on race settings. Pitt did run the soft qualifying rubber on the third day to set a best lap of 2:00.56. Both riders were over two seconds faster than in their last visit to the desert circuit, almost 10 months ago, an indication of the development of both the machine and tyres. Ducati rider Troy Bayliss topped the timesheets after three days of running, with a 1:58.66 lap on qualifying tyres. Yamaha Motor Italia completed their first year in the Superbike World Championship yesterday, taking part in a three-day test session at the Losail circuit in the Gulf state of Qatar. The test, organised by championship tyre suppliers Pirelli, was attended by all but one of the series' designated development teams and gave riders Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt an opportunity to test some new Ohlins suspension parts on their YZF-R1 machines, as well as a host of new tyre options. In contrast to the rain which affected last February's race at the long Losail circuit, the riders were welcomed by surfaces temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius. Typically, Haga chose not to run a qualifying set-up - recording a best of 2:00.46 on race settings. Pitt did run the soft qualifying rubber on the third day to set a best lap of 2:00.56. Both riders were over two seconds faster than in their last visit to the desert circuit, almost 10 months ago, an indication of the development of both the machine and tyres. Ducati rider Troy Bayliss topped the timesheets after three days of running, with a 1:58.66 lap on qualifying tyres. The next official superbike test takes place at Phillip Island in Australia, between 17 and 20 January. Round one of the series takes place at Losail on 25 February. Noriyuki Haga "The new suspension is very good. The front worked straight away without any changes! The rear is also good and with some changes we should find some further improvement. Now I am happy to go on holiday. We have hardly stopped since the end of the season and even as early as January we are back testing." Andrew Pitt "It's been a satisfying test and I was pleased to find that on the few times I was lapping with Bayliss my R1 was a little faster than his Ducati. Certainly the engine upgrades are working good, as is the new suspension. We also fitted a new shock at the end of the test and this will be one of the key development areas at our next test." Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator) "We have improved massively since the first race of last season, especially with the chassis, and we suffered none of the front tyre wear problems we had when we raced here. We still have to work on the settings of the new shock absorber, but this looks like a step forward. We also tested engine durability here and completed almost 1,600 kilometres without any problems whatsoever. Also at this test we tried various different injection mappings to give a sweeter power delivery and better drive. Over the next few weeks we will build our 2006-specification engines and at the next test we expect to have several new developments, especially with the engine." High resolution copyright free (for editorial use) images are available from the photo gallery section of www.yamaha-racing.com

Tracks Anglesey http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=238583&Y=367476&A=Y&Z=5 Brands Hatch http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=557500&Y=164500&A=Y&Z=5 Cadwell Park http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=529375&Y=380854&A=Y&Z=5 Castle Combe http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=385709&Y=176572&A=Y&Z=5 Croft http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=428440&Y=507201&A=Y&Z=5 Donington Park http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=442060&Y=325995&A=Y&Z=5 Goodwood http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=487989&Y=107485&A=Y&Z=5 Knockhill http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=305368&Y=693745&A=Y&Z=5 Lydden http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=623127&Y=146768&A=Y&Z=5 Mallory Park http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=445468&Y=300594&A=Y&Z=5 Mondello Park Oulton Park http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=358874&Y=364584&A=Y&Z=5 Pembrey http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=240923&Y=203804&A=Y&Z=5 Rockingham http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=489735&Y=291273&A=Y&Z=5 Snetterton http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=600446&Y=289139&A=Y&Z=5 Silverstone http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=467709&Y=242286&A=Y&Z=5 Thruxton http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=428235&Y=145810&A=Y&Z=5

Biker Meets Ace Café, Old North Circular Road, Wembley – Sundayhttp://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=519550&Y=183850&A=Y&Z=1 Tel: 020 8961 1000 http://www.ace-cafe-london.com Boxhill, Ryka's Cafe, Old London Road, Dorking - Sundayhttp://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=517150&Y=152050&A=Y&Z=1 Carlisle Parade, Carlisle Parade, Hastings, Sussex - Wed Evehttp://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=581550&Y=109250&A=Y&Z=1 Cat & Fiddle Inn, Macclesfield Forest, Cheshire - Saturday, Sundayhttp://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=397850&Y=372950&A=Y&Z=3 Tel: 01298 23364 Devils Bridge, Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancashire - Tue, Fri Eve, Sundayhttp://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=361550&Y=478250&A=Y&Z=1 Dick Turpin, Arterial Rd, Wickford, Essex - Tue Evehttp://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=575150&Y=190950&A=Y&Z=3 Tel: 01268 726205 Hartside Top Café, Alston Moor, Cumbria – ???http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=368776&Y=543049&A=Y&Z= Tel: 01434 381036 Earl of March, Lavant, Chichester, Sussex - Thu Evehttp://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=485750&Y=108250&A=Y&Z=1 Tel: 01243 774751 Matlock Bath, Matlock, Derbyshire - Saturday, Sundayhttp://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=430050&Y=360050&A=Y&Z=1 Rivington Barn, Hampson St, Horwich - Sundayhttp://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=363550&Y=411850&A=Y&Z=1 http://www.rivingtonbarn.com Squires Milk bar, Newthorpe Lane, Newthorpe, Leeds – Wed Evehttp://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=445751&Y=432956&A=Y&Z=1 Tel: 01977 684618 Westgate Street, Newcastle upon Tyne – Saturday, Sundayhttp://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=423950&Y=564150&A=Y&Z=1 Whiteways, A29, Arundle, Sussex - Saturday, Sundayhttp://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=500150&Y=110950&A=Y&Z=3

Yamaha Motor France will enter the 2006 Superbike World Championship with a three-rider line-up that sees former Japanese 250cc champion Shinichi Nakatomi join the team's 2005 riders Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert. Twenty-seven-year-old Nakatomi is an experienced R1 pilot, having ridden for Yamaha's YSP Racing Team in the Suzuka Eight-hour and Japanese JSB1000 championship since switching to four-strokes in 2003. Having never raced outside his native Japan, Nakatomi is looking forward to the adventure of racing in the world championships, experiencing the western culture and racing the YZF-R1 at world level. Yamaha Motor France's squad will again be run by experienced tuner Martial Garcia, whose company is responsible, in conjunction with Yamaha's Japanese headquarters, for the development of Yamaha's YEC racing kit parts development programme for the YZF-R1 and YZF-R6. The team expects to use these parts as the base of their 2006 machines and will use the series as well as an opportunity to test and develop the 2007 range of customer race parts. Completing the squad are Abe and Gimbert, both of whom are looking to improve on their Superbike rookie seasons in 2005. Experienced Grand Prix rider Abe ended his first superbike season in 13th place but, having learned the circuits and the characteristics of the YZF-R1 and championship controlled Pirelli tyres, is looking to become a regular feature in the battle for podium finishes in 2006. Gimbert suffered an injury-plagued 2005 campaign but showed his speed early in the year with a lap record in Qatar and a sixth place in Valencia. The Frenchman will again also feature in Yamaha Motor France's squad at the classic 24-hour races of Le Mans and Bol d'Or. Shinichi Nakatomi "Although I still haven't finished the big task of winning the All-Japan JSB1000 title on the YZF-R1, I am going to start a new next season in world superbike and try to focus everything I have learned over the past three years with Yamaha and do the best I can. I don't intend to use my first year in the championship just as a year for learning. I intend to go out there and race aggressively, and I hope to be up there in the race for the championship." Norick Abe "This year was my first season racing in the world superbike series and there was a lot that I had to learn. But now, with this season of experience behind me, I am anxious to work on improving the things I wasn't able to do in the off-season and during the season this year so that I can approach the coming season better prepared. Our overseas tests will begin in December and my first aim is to do the best preparation possible during these tests." Sebastien Gimbert "I am looking forward to a second year in world superbikes and also staying with the Yamaha Motor France team. My leg injury weakened my performances last season but now I am fully fit and feeling strong. The experiences of myself and the team will allow us to go to each circuit with invaluable knowledge and I believe that we can give a greater representation of our abilities."

Yamaha Motor Italia riders Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt were on track yesterday at a two day test at Valencia circuit, arranged by championship tyre supplier Pirelli for its official development teams. Running time was limited after Monday's action was washed out due to heavy rain. Pitt was one of only four riders to brave the conditions, completing just a handful of laps on the slippery surface. Day two saw the arrival of sunshine but the track failed to dry out in the morning, leaving just three hours of dry running. Both riders ran their R1s in virtually the same specification they finished the 2005 season with, the main evolutions being updated Ohlins suspension, which was tested for the first time, and some new specification tyres from Pirelli. Despite the limited running time, both riders were comfortably faster than their times from April's race. Haga concluded the test with the fourth fastest time of the 12 riders present, a 1'36"6, while Pitt was seventh fastest with a 1'37"2. Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) was fastest overall with a 1'35.7. Team Coordinator Massimo Meregalli commented: "The bad weather reduced the time available and we were only able to get through a small amount of the work we'd planned. However it went well and this test has given us the opportunity to work with three new team members and for them to become familiar with our working practices. Next we have a test in Qatar early next month where we hope to have more track time. We ended the 2005 championship growing in confidence and for 2006 our intention is to be one of the main challengers for the championship title."

David Frétigné (Yamaha WR450F - Yamaha Moto France Ipone) confirmed his ambitions for the legendary Dakar rally raid by claiming his fourth consecutive win in the Shamrock rally, that took place in the Marroccan Sahara from the 28th of October to the 6th of November. After his season competing in national and international enduro races, 'the Shamrock' marked Frétigné's traditional switch to rally-raid. The likeable Frenchman quickly adapted to the terrain and his bike. Frétigné, 35, took five day wins at the eighth edition of the Shamrock and added his fourth overall victory to his already impressive tally. David showed great speed in both fast and technical stages, making the best of his past experience in Marocco. However the main goal of the race was to let Frétigné and his team get used to his new WR450F and prepare for the Dakar. The 28th edition of the Dakar rally will take place from the 31st of December to the 15th of January 2006. After the rally had already started in France and Spain, it will this time take off from Lisbon, Portugal to end nearly 10,000 kilometres later at the coast of Dakar, Sénegal. In only his second Dakar participation this year David Frétigné finished fifth overall. He was the only rider to have won three specials in 2005 and he repeated his 450 class win of last year. David Frétigné (Yamaha WR450F - Yamaha Moto France Ipone) - overall winner "Above all I have used the Shamrock to prepare for Dakar. It's nice that I have won with an advance of more than 2 hours over the second, but for more it's even more important to know that we have done our homework for the Dakar. I have concentrated on getting the right setting for my suspension over the past week and everything turned out great. Apart from that we did the usual stuff with a new bike: adjusting pedals and handlebars, learning to work with the new GPS and so on. We have not touched the engine, but even under demanding situations the WR450F engine behaved brilliantly. In general the bike gave me even more confidence than before, and we will keep the bike as it is for the Dakar. The next step in my preparation is to rest and perfect my physical shape till the end of November, after that I will start studying the maps to get my mind set for the 2006 Dakar. I will also have the bike with me to continue to ride and practice my navigation." FINAL STANDINGS SHAMROCK RALLY 2005 1. David Frétigné (Yamaha), 2. Thierry Bethys (Honda), 3. Christophe Meillat (Honda), 4. Olivier Cubaynes (Yamaha), 5. Patrick Moreno (Suzuki), 6. André Lenoble (Suzuki), 7. Christophe Rougeot (Yamaha), 8. Philippe Pennarun (Yamaha), 9. Jean-Michel Redal (Polaris), 10. Eric Beaudoin (Kawasaki)

Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt will race for the Yamaha Motor Italia squad in the 2006 Superbike World Championship, fulfilling the team's desire to retain the services of both its riders from the 2005 campaign. Both men played an important role in developing Yamaha's YZF-R1 in its first year of world superbike competition with Japanese ace Haga recording 10 podium finishes, including two wins, on his way to third place in the championship. Australian Pitt ended the year eighth in the standings with a best result of fourth in the opening race of the season in Qatar. The Yamaha Motor Italia squad will again benefit from the official backing of Yamaha Motor Europe and for 2006 will use the updated YZF-R1 as the base for their world superbike contender. Preparations for the new season have already begun, with the first test of the 2006 season due to take place in Valencia on 14-15 November. Noriyuki Haga "I wanted to stay with Yamaha as we ended the year very strongly and I am very pleased that we have been able to agree terms. We had a good first year together and it would have been a shame not to take advantage of all the development work we carried out. Yamaha knows what it has to do to make the bike into a championship winner and it was important for me to know that I have the support needed for 2006. We came close to winning the title in 2000 and my motivation to become champion is still as strong as it ever was. Becoming world superbike champion is the goal I still have to achieve and I believe that Yamaha can give me what it takes to turn this dream into reality." Andrew Pitt "When I signed for last year we always knew that it would be 2006 before we could really see the benefits of our work, therefore I'm delighted to continue with the team and hopefully take advantage of the hard work we put in last year. I enjoy working with this team and we've seen that the bike can be a winner. We know what we have to do to take it to the next level and with a year's experience of the class, the bike and the Pirelli tyres I feel that I can show my true ability next year." Laurens Klein Koerkamp - Racing Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe "We were quite late in starting this project last year and I said that our objective would be to develop the bike and put ourselves in a situation where we were winning races by the end of the year. By the middle of the season we were well on track, and we have shown that we can compete with the best in the class. For 2006 we can take advantage of our year's knowledge. We now have base settings for each circuit we race on, a year's development work behind us and some chassis improvements from the new YZF-R1. The team will again be run by Massimo Meregalli and working with Andrew and Noriyuki gives us great stability. Our learning year is over and we now know exactly what is required to challenge for the title. It will not be easy, but ultimately it is our goal for 2006."

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Valentino Rossi scored his sixteenth podium from seventeen races in the final round of the 2005 MotoGP World Championship to put the shine on Yamaha's 0th Anniversary celebrations at Valencia. The Italian started from his lowest grid position of the season but produced a dramatic ride to end the race in third place, lapping quicker than eventual winner Marco Melandri (Honda). A crowd of 124,520 watched Rossi make up seven positions with an incredible surge on the first lap, although the early pace of Melandri and Nicky Hayden (Honda) provided them with an advantage that proved impossible to breach in the second half of the race. Round: 17 - MotoGP Valencia Circuit: Valencia Date: 6 November 2005 Crowd: 124520 Temp: 21ºC Weather: Sunny Rossi's Yamaha Factory team-mate Colin Edwards suffered a disappointing end to his first season with the team, losing three positions on the first lap after starting from sixth and only managing to recover one place by the end of the race. Nevertheless, the American has made significant progress with a new riding style over the course of the weekend and he is now looking forward to winter testing as he prepares for his second season as a Yamaha rider. In the meantime, Yamaha is left to reflect on a stunning Anniversary season, in which it has swept the board, taking the riders', teams' and constructors' World Championship titles. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Team), 3rd "The second part of the race was very positive because my pace was fast and I rode well but if you want to win a race then you can't start from fifteenth on the grid. I made a mistake yesterday with the crash but the truth is that we were struggling all weekend with the setting and we didn't understand until this morning what the problem was. We worked it out and in the race I was able to ride how I wanted to, but it was too late. It was good fun, I pushed hard but it wasn't enough. In the future we have to make sure we work better in practice. It's been a fantastic season and everyone has worked hard to achieve all our targets. Now we look forward to some holidays and some hard work during winter testing!" Colin Edwards (Yamaha Factory Team), 8th "I didn't ride great today. In the middle of the race I started to push hard and caught up again with the middle of the pack, but by that time I had abused my tyres a lot, they were moving around and so I decided to hold station. I have never been at the last race of a season counting down the days for winter testing to start. We have a lot of work to do and I want to get going as soon as possible. It's been an average season but we've learnt a lot for next year and the whole team has worked very hard for me. I want to thank them and thank Michelin and I'm looking forward to working with everyone over the winter and coming out strong next year." Davide Brivio - Yamaha Factory Team director "Basically we lost the race in practice, both with the setting difficulties we had and Valentino's starting position for the race. It is always going to be difficult from the fifth row, but he was 4.9 seconds down on the leader after four laps and by the end it was 2.9 so his pace was even better than the race winner. It's been a long season from January, when testing started, to November. We have won everything available, scored eleven race victories and right now I would accept the same statistics next season - only with Colin higher in the championship. That is our aim for next year but for now I just want to say thank you to all our staff, engineers, crew and both of our riders. It has been a fantastic season." Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 10th "We had a difficult weekend as we could not solve the problems we had on the first day. However, I still gave my best. I think it was a season where I built up very valuable experience. I have learnt a lot and, despite the injury that kept me out for a while, I think I have progressed well. Now I am going to rest for a few days which I think I deserve! I want to thank everyone at my team, the mechanics and everyone who has supported me." Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 15th It has been a difficult year in which I have been battling to adapt to the YZR-M1, but it has proved difficult. Today was another hard one, but despite not enjoying myself much on the bike, we got one point. I must look forward now and keep fighting." Race classification MotoGP Round: 17 - MotoGP Valencia Circuit: Valencia Circuit Length: 4005 Lap Record: 1' 33.043 (Marco Melandri, 2005) Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 31.874 (Sete Gibernau, 2005) Race: 30 Laps Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 M. Melandri Honda ITA 46' 58.152 2 N. Hayden Honda USA +0.097 3 V. Rossi Yamaha ITA +2.959 4 C. Checa Ducati ESP +18.718 5 A. Barros Honda BRA +20.706 6 M. Biaggi Honda ITA +21.254 7 L. Capirossi Ducati ITA +23.142 8 C. Edwards Yamaha USA +25.678 9 M. Tamada Honda JPN +36.710 10 T. Elias Yamaha ESP +39.116 11 S. Nakano Kawasaki JPN +41.136 12 R. Kiyonari Honda JPN +45.691 13 J. Hopkins Suzuki USA +46.507 14 A. Hofman Kawasaki GER +49.856 15 R. Xaus Yamaha ESP +1' 19.443 Fastest Race Lap: Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 M. Melandri Honda ITA 1' 33.043 Championship standings MotoGP Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points 1 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 367 2 Marco Melandri Honda ITA 220 3 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 206 4 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 179 5 Max Biaggi Honda ITA 173 6 Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 157 7 Sete Gibernau Honda ESP 150 8 Alex Barros Honda BRA 147 9 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 138 10 Shinya Nakano Kawasaki JPN 98 11 Makato Tamada Honda JPN 91 12 Toni Elias Yamaha ESP 74 13 Kenny Roberts Suzuki USA 63 14 John Hopkins Suzuki USA 63 15 Troy Bayliss Honda AUS 54 16 Ruben Xaus Yamaha ESP 52 Manufacturers standings MotoGP Pos. Manufacturer Points 1 Yamaha 381 2 Honda 341 3 Ducati 202 4 Kawasaki 126 5 Suzuki 100 6 Blata WCM 13 7 Proton KR 1 8 Moriwaki 1 Team standings MotoGP Pos. Team Points 1 Yamaha Factory Team 546 2 Repsol Honda Team 379 3 Team Movistar Honda MotoGP 370 4 Ducati Marlboro Team 295 5 Honda Camel 220 6 Kawasaki Racing Team 150 7 Fortuna Yamaha Team 130 8 Team Suzuki MotoGP 126 9 Konica Minolta Honda 103 10 D'Antin MotoGP 25 11 Blata WCM 14 12 Team Roberts KR 1 Race classification GP250 Round: 16 - Valencia GP250 Circuit: Valencia Circuit Length: 4005 Lap Record: 1' 35.792 (Daniel Pedrosa, 2005) Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 35.298 (Daniel Pedrosa, 2005) Race: 27 Laps Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 D. Pedrosa Honda ESP 43' 33.395 2 J. Lorenzo Honda ESP +3.448 3 C. Stoner Aprilia AUS +14.372 4 A. de Angelis Aprilia SMR +17.771 5 H. Barbera Honda ESP +26.233 6 H. Aoyama Honda JPN +31.244 7 Y. Takahashi Honda JPN +35.518 8 R. de Puniet Aprilia FRA +36.488 9 A. Dovizioso Honda ITA +43.129 10 R. Locatelli Aprilia ITA +43.960 11 A. Debon Honda ESP +55.494 12 J. Smrz Honda CZE +57.265 13 M. Cardenas Aprilia COL +58.185 14 S. Guintoli Aprilia FRA +58.545 15 T. Sekiguchi Aprilia JPN +1' 1.485 Fastest Race Lap: Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 D. Pedrosa Honda ESP 1' 35.792 Championship standings GP250 Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points 1 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 309 2 Casey Stoner Aprilia AUS 254 3 Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 189 4 Hiroshi Aoyama Honda JPN 180 5 Jorge Lorenzo Honda ESP 167 6 Sebastian Porto Aprilia ARG 152 7 Alex de Angelis Aprilia SMR 151 8 Randy de Puniet Aprilia FRA 138 9 Hector Barbera Honda ESP 120 10 Sylvain Guintoli Aprilia FRA 84 11 Yuki Takahashi Honda JPN 77 12 Alex Debon Honda ESP 67 13 Roberto Locatelli Aprilia ITA 61 14 Simone Corsi Aprilia ITA 59 15 Mirko Giansanti Aprilia ITA 36 Manufacturers standings GP250 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1 Honda 349 2 Aprilia 339 3 KTM 30

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Valentino Rossi faces an uphill battle in the final round of the 2005 MotoGP World Championship tomorrow after qualifying fifteenth fastest at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. Rossi slid from his YZR-M1 machine just over eleven minutes from the end of this afternoon's qualifying session and, despite returning to the track on his second machine, he lost several positions in the final push for times. The Italian will start from the fifth row of the grid as he aims to score his twelfth victory of the season and repeat the success he has enjoyed at this circuit for the past two years. MotoGP : Yamaha Factory Racing face Sunday challenge at Valencia Round: 17 - MotoGP Valencia Circuit: Valencia Date: 5 November 2005 Temp: 19ºC Weather: Sunny Rossi's Yamaha Factory team-mate Colin Edwards benefited from a more productive afternoon, making major progress with his new riding style and knocking almost two seconds off his best practice time from yesterday. For the second successive race the American will start from the second row of the grid in sixth place as he aims to improve his championship position with a good finish tomorrow. Pole position went to Sete Gibernau (Honda) in a new record time of 1'31.874 and the Spaniard is joined on the front row by Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden (both Honda), who will fight for the runner-up spot behind Rossi in the championship in tomorrow's race. Colin Edwards (Yamaha Factory Team), 6th - 1'32.456 "I'm halfway happy with the result. We had a few problems early in the session but we worked things out and I was able to set a decent time on a qualifying tyre. The second row isn't terrible but we have work to do to find a better race pace. We made more progress with the new riding style but in reality I need 100 laps to perfect it, so I can't wait for winter testing! It takes me five or six laps to get going and we just need to get it ingrained in my system. The team has worked hard today and Michelin has given us some good options for tomorrow - I am determined to finish the season on a high. The stadium style atmosphere here is always fantastic so I'm looking forward to tomorrow." Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Team), 15th - 1'33.503 "When I crashed I was pushing hard with the qualifying tyre and honestly I felt confident that I could do a good time. I was maybe a little too aggressive and when I touched the brake I just lost the front and went down. I was going fast and I have some small bruises on my elbow and on my leg, but I will be fine tomorrow for the race. I was lucky. The grid position is not so good, my worst for a very long time! The situation on the track is actually not so bad; the rhythm is okay, although we do have some problems and for sure I am slower than some of the other riders. The main problem is that it's hard to overtake at this circuit. A lot will depend on how many riders I can pass at the start and in the first lap. Anyway, we will try to make some progress tomorrow morning and see what happens in the race. My target is to be in the top five, any higher is maybe too difficult, but it's going to be a good battle!" Davide Brivio - Yamaha Factory Team director "We are in a strange situation. Colin is on the second row but his race pace is not as good as we would like, whilst Valentino is on the fifth row with a better race pace than his team-mate. We need to combine the two! Valentino's starting position is going to make it very difficult for him and it will not be his easiest race, but that is the reality of the situation and we have to deal with it. Luckily we have already won everything but we still want to have a good last race. It's going to be tough but we'll work hard in the morning and see what the race brings." Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 13th - 1'33.005 "This morning I had a spectacular crash without getting any injuries. Unfortunately this afternoon we did not have the same pace as in the morning session. Throughout the day we've been working with a full fuel tank and a race tyre and we've got a good pace even though we do not have a top position. This will make the race more difficult for me but I hope I will have a good start and will be able to get in touch with the top group as fast as I can." Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 17th - 1'34.874 "It's hard to do things right when you're in a difficult situation like now, but I'm not looking for excuses. I'm working hard to get a good feeling and the bike itself is working fine. Tomorrow I hope to find a good rhythm and to score some points." Round: 17 - MotoGP Valencia Circuit: Valencia Circuit Length: 4005 Lap Record: 1' 33.317 (Valentino Rossi, 2003) Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 31.874 (Sete Gibernau, 2005) Date: 5 November 2005 Temp: 19ºC Session 1 : Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. 1st Qualifying 1 S. Gibernau Honda ESP 1' 31.874 2 M. Melandri Honda ITA 1' 32.111 3 N. Hayden Honda USA 1' 32.217 4 C. Checa Ducati ESP 1' 32.374 5 M. Biaggi Honda ITA 1' 32.384 6 C. Edwards Yamaha USA 1' 32.456 7 L. Capirossi Ducati ITA 1' 32.482 8 A. Barros Honda BRA 1' 32.518 9 S. Nakano Kawasaki JPN 1' 32.663 10 M. Tamada Honda JPN 1' 32.682 11 J. Hopkins Suzuki USA 1' 32.785 12 A. Hofman Kawasaki GER 1' 32.966 13 T. Elias Yamaha ESP 1' 33.005 14 N. Aoki Suzuki JPN 1' 33.393 15 V. Rossi Yamaha ITA 1' 33.503 16 R. Kiyonari Honda JPN 1' 33.846 17 R. Xaus Yamaha ESP 1' 34.874

Yamaha Factory Racing riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards began making preparations for the final round of the 2005 MotoGP World Championship at Valencia today, with the cloudy conditions at the Ricardo Tormo circuit brightened by the return of the factory's traditional red, white and black racing colours. Both riders' YZR-M1 machines and leathers are decorated in the famous livery, in commemoration of Yamaha's 50th Anniversary and its extraordinarily successful year in racing this season. MotoGP : Yamaha Factory Racing riders prepare for final push Round: 17 - MotoGP Valencia Circuit: Valencia Date: 4 November 2005 Temp: 21ºC Weather: Dry Rossi was seventh fastest in both sessions as he worked on adapting the set-up of his machine to the demands of a tight and twisty circuit after the fast and flowing characteristics of Phillip Island and Istanbul. There is certainly more to come from the Italian tomorrow after he ended the day with a lap time which was over 1.5 seconds outside his pole position record of 1'32.478, set two seasons ago. Colin Edwards also made a steady start to the weekend, lapping tenth fastest as he continued to work on a new riding style designed to increase his corner speed. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Team), 7th - 1'34.040 "I like the colour scheme very much - it is like going back to the 1970s. The bike and the leathers look really nice. Today we're having a few problems with the front end and also with acceleration. We are losing a lot of time in the slow corners and we are not strong at the end of the lap in general. We have some problems and some of the others are very fast but I am not too worried. We've had difficulties before on a Friday and worked them out for Saturday so I am confident we can overcome them on this occasion too. Everybody is tired because seventeen races in a season is a lot but we will keep pushing until the end." Colin Edwards (Yamaha Factory Team), 10th - 1'34.129 "I am getting to grips with this new riding style and I feel I have made a big step forward already this weekend. Every time I go out on the track I make progress and the team has been very helpful. My Crew Chief Daniele is showing me where I can be faster and where I can be later on the brakes, which is really helping - there's definitely a team effort going on. I feel the times are there this weekend but I now have to find the confidence in myself to push on and keep moving forward. We will see what else we can come up with tomorrow." Davide Brivio - Yamaha Factory Team director "It was another slow start to the weekend for us, something we have become used to this season! The positions don't look good but there are a lot of riders who are close together and if we make the improvements we know we are capable of, then both our riders should be much higher up tomorrow. As usual on a Friday we analyse the information and try to find as many solutions before practice continues tomorrow." Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 11th - 1'34.161 "We've been improving in the right direction though this circuit is really difficult and there are riders with many different riding styles. If you make one small mistake you can lose a lot of time here. The race will be very difficult and we cannot do big steps from all the problems we've had this season. We give our best, trying to improve for a good result on Sunday." Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team), 19th - 1'36.057 "This morning were not sure about the condition of one of our engines so we really had only one bike left, so our morning practice was a little bit different than usual. In the afternoon we've been improving step-by-step even though we still need some extra corner speed. The bike is working quite good here and I hope to leave Valencia with a good result." Round: 17 - MotoGP Valencia Circuit: Valencia Circuit Length: 4005 Lap Record: 1' 33.317 (Valentino Rossi, 2003) Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 32.478 (Valentino Rossi, 2003) Date: 4 November 2005 Temp: 21ºC Free Practice : Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Free Practice 1 M. Melandri Honda ITA 1' 33.464 2 C. Checa Ducati ESP 1' 33.506 3 S. Gibernau Honda ESP 1' 33.523 4 N. Hayden Honda USA 1' 33.722 5 L. Capirossi Ducati ITA 1' 33.730 6 A. Barros Honda BRA 1' 33.967 7 V. Rossi Yamaha ITA 1' 34.040 8 M. Biaggi Honda ITA 1' 34.094 9 M. Tamada Honda JPN 1' 34.103 10 C. Edwards Yamaha USA 1' 34.129 11 T. Elias Yamaha ESP 1' 34.161 12 N. Aoki Suzuki JPN 1' 34.512 13 J. Hopkins Suzuki USA 1' 34.651 14 A. Hofman Kawasaki GER 1' 34.778 15 S. Nakano Kawasaki JPN 1' 34.832 16 R. Kiyonari Honda JPN 1' 35.157 19 R. Xaus Yamaha ESP 1' 36.057

Valencia, Spain To commemorate Yamaha's 50th Anniversary and its extraordinarily successful year in racing this season, Yamaha has decided to race the last round of the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the company's traditional red, white and black racing color scheme. This follows the Yamaha Factory Team's earlier showing of the yellow and black traditional US racing colors in the US MotoGP round at Laguna Seca. As a result the YZR-M1 machines of Yamaha Factory Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will sport the red, white and black colors as seen on many of Yamaha's past factory racing bikes. In fact in 1975, exactly 30 years ago, Yamaha won its first GP500 world championship with Giacomo Agostini riding the then revolutionary two-stoke OW23 YZR500, also painted in Yamaha's corporate racing colors. The team will present itself with the riders and bikes on Thursday, November 3 at 17.00 on the main straight for a photo call. Yamaha has enjoyed probably the most successful year in racing ever, winning no less the seven world titles across the MotoGP, MX1 and MX2 World Championships in truly dominant style. By racing in the traditional corporate racing colors Yamaha endeavors once more to exceed expectations and touch people's hearts, making sure the 2005 racing season will be remembered for a long time to come as Yamaha enters "the next 50". The media can visit www.yamahamotogp.com for pictures of the team presentation and other related content, while members of the public can go to Yamaha's official racing site www.yamaha-racing.com

2004 MotoGP race summary At Valencia Valentino Rossi secured his ninth and final win of his world championship winning first season with Yamaha. Down in sixth after a tricky start he used his improving pace to good effect, winning 0.425 seconds ahead of second-placed rider Max Biaggi (Honda) and final podium finisher, Troy Bayliss (Ducati). After a difficult start, when Rossi did not get the drive he wanted, he immediately set about reducing the margin of advantage enjoyed by early leader Makoto Tamada (Honda), and on lap six he made a determined inside pass to lead the race for the first time. A gritty duel between the pairing saw Tamada pass on turn one of lap seven, leading the ranks ahead of Rossi, Nicky Hayden (Honda) and Biaggi. To the rapture of the 122,000-strong crowd, Rossi went back into a final leading position with a pass on the entrance to the last chicane. Circuit: Valencia Country: Spain Track length: 4005 m Opened: 1999 Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 32.478 (Valentino Rossi, 2003) MotoGP lap record: 1' 33.317 (Valentino Rossi, 2003) Last year MotoGP winner: Valentino Rossi Circuit tel: +34 96 2525220 Circuit web site: http://www.circuitvalencia.com Colin Edwards had a less rewarding time at Valencia only finishing in eight position, still this was enough to secure a very commendable fourth position in the final 2004 standings. 2005 set-up report YZR-M1 Valencia is a circuit that offers a slightly undulating layout with good camber combined and an abrasive surface. It has many stop-and-go 90-degree corners, bumps and a tight design which has claimed many of victims losing the front-end. This is especially the case with the faster and heavier MotoGP machines. For this reason riders will be chasing security on this very point, followed by stability under brakes, while still offering the agility to deal with a circuit that is more suited to a 250 than a 240Hp MotoGP four-stroke. The latest spec YZR-M1 offers all the traits that a winning MotoGP bike should have; agility, drivability off slow and medium speed turns, enough horsepower to survive on the straights and all of this offered consistently throughout an entire race. The linear character of the 'big-bang' YZR-M1 power plant is supported by state-of-the art electronic engine management systems that offer a much more rider and tyre friendly delivery - making it easier to get on the power earlier in the turn and with more confidence. This is essential in the final turn - the run onto the front straight and the start/finish line. With all of these qualities secured, the main challenge will be to set-up the bike giving enough front-end confidence on corner entry in order to not fall victim to a low side crash. Regarding the geometry and suspension set-up, the Yamaha will have a front-end lifted slightly, compared to most other circuits, and the rear lowered. Combined with the right front spring rates and preload, all controlled by the rebound, this will allow for improved stability under brakes and a planted front-end. With good camber, except for the penultimate sweeping turn, the ability to leap the M1 hard off the turns is essential. Especially with the high corner speeds Rossi likes to carry. To ensure this the rear suspension preload will be set to prevent an excessive amount of rear-end squat - reducing understeer - while still offering a plush enough ride to provide good, consistent traction.

Yamaha Engineering Corporation (YEC) is again producing a full range of racing parts for the YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 machines, designed in accordance with FIM superbike and supersport regulations. YEC is a Yamaha subsidiary company based in Japan. One of its activities is the production of high performance racing parts, which provide that vital edge for Yamaha riders to compete successfully on race tracks the world over. Among the successful riders that used YEC kitparts in 2005 were Noriyuki Haga, winning two races in the Superbike World Championship, and the Yamaha GMT94 team, winning the Le Mans 24-hour race. For 2006, YEC has developed a range of parts to turn the all-new YZF-R6 into a world and national level supersport racer. Next to that, new YZF-R1 parts are also available to order now. As an additional service, European YEC customers competing at national, European or world championship level will be invited at the end of December to sign up, free-of-charge, for the Yamaha Race Training (YRT). YRT is a three-day course where teams receive invaluable technical training from Yamaha's Japanese and European race engineers, with ample track time available for pre-season testing. This special training will be held at the Valencia circuit in Spain between 22-24 March 2006 (limited places available). Motocross riders are catered for too with their own range of racing parts developed by Yamaha Rinaldi Research and Development (YRRD), the company that is also responsible for preparing the factory Yamaha YZ450FM machines of MX1 world champion Stefan Everts. YRRD parts are available for the YZ450F, YZ250F and YZ125 models. Further information on YEC, including recommended retail prices, YRRD parts and copyright-free high-resolution images, as well as more YRT information, is available by visiting www.yamaha-racingparts.com. The order deadline for the first delivery of 2006 is November 14. To order, customers are requested to contact their national Yamaha distributor.