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MX2-GP World Champion Antonio Cairoli has undergone surgery on his left knee after scans yesterday in Belgium revealed a damaged ACL. Renowned specialist Dr Claes performed the successful procedure and the repercussions of the injury sustained last weekend in South Africa and the subsequent recovery period mean that the 2008 series is over for the unlucky Sicilian. Cairoli twisted his knee trying to keep control of his YZ250F after being touched negotiating a crowded fourth turn on the first l

UFO Corse Yamaha team rider Simone Albergoni finished the sixth round of eight in the 2008 WEC series - a dry Grand Prix of France staged in Uzerche - with two 5th place results as team-mate Cristobal Guerrero claimed his first podium of the season with 3rd on Day2. Looking to finish on the podium as he did in Wales recently title contender Albergoni struggled to master the dry French special tests and as a result failed to perform at his best. Although he was the highest UFO Corse Yamaha team

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) and Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) took second and third places respectively after impressive performances in the second Brands Hatch race, both riders changing their tyre choices from race one. An unhappy outcome to a promising first race saw Haga fall on lap seven while Corser dropped back from the leading group to go eighth, on a track surface that had started off slick after a fall of rain shortly before the scheduled 12 midday kick-

The Yamaha Monster Motocross Team endured one of their hardest and most dramatic days of the 2008 FIM MX1-GP world championship as Josh Coppins finished 7th and David Philippaerts 10th through the notoriously heavy and difficult sand of the Lommel circuit for the Grand Prix of Belgium and the eleventh round of fifteen in the current campaign. Arguably one of the toughest tests for man and machine on the GP calendar, the rough and absorbing sand in central Belgium was suitably demanding, and th

1 – What’s been the biggest change to the M1 this year? “We have made many changes to the 2008 M1 compared to the 2007 version and we have improved it a lot; Valentino is satisfied with our work so far. Of course the biggest change for us has affected Valentino’s side only – the change of tyre manufacturer. After the switch we had a hard time learning how to get the best performance from the new tyres and of course we had no data. Last however year Valentino predicted that changing would be the

Only three rounds remain in the 2008 MX1-GP World Championship after a brilliant meeting for the Yamaha Monster Motocross Team at the Loket circuit for the Grand Prix of Czech Republic represented the twelfth meeting of fifteen on the series schedule. David Philippaerts obtained his second victory of the season and his third moto success to regain control of the standings and snare the red plate once again for the front of his works YZ450FM. Team-mate Josh Coppins was struck by a freak moment of

Valentino Rossi moved two races clear at the top of the championship with his fifth win of the season today, enjoying an easy ride home after his closest rival Casey Stoner crashed out on lap seven. Rossi, starting from second, lost some time at the first corner getting past John Hopkins and for the first couple of laps Stoner looked in danger of clearing off, but the Italian soon found his rhythm and was gradually making up time on the Australian when he saw him slide off into the gravel. The

Eugene Laverty, the young 22 yr old Northern Irish 250 GP rider has been picked by the Yamaha World Supersport Team to replace injured rider Fabien Foret for the next two rounds of the World Supersport Championship at Donington and Vallelunga. Laverty is no stranger to the Supersport class, having raced successfully in British Supersport previously. He gave a strong performance in the 2006 championship, battling throughout the year to take third in the overall standings. The talented rider was

After a three week hiatus the factory Yamaha Monster Motocross Team now prepare for an intense culmination to the 2008 FIM MX1-GP World Championship with the first of the three final Grand Prix taking place in three weeks this weekend just outside the city of Dublin. Series leader David Philippaerts holds a 7 point advantage over world champ Steve Ramon with team-mate Josh Coppins 35 points from the lead in third spot with a total of 150 still to be won. Trips to Holland and Italy will close the

Valentino Rossi reached another milestone in his outstanding career today by matching the all-time premier-class win record. His 68th premier-class victory brings him level with his great countryman Giacomo Agostini and the fact that he was able to do it at his home track of Misano made it all the more special for the flamboyant Italian. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo put the icing on the cake for Yamaha with an impressive return to the podium to make it the second one-two finish for th

Yamaha Monster Motocross Team's David Philippaerts still leads the 2008 FIM MX1-GP World Championship after finishing in 4th position overall under decent weather conditions at the new Fairyhouse circuit for the Grand Prix of Ireland and the thirteenth round of fifteen. As the campaign heads towards its penultimate stages next week, Philippaerts was just two points away from his eighth podium of the season in Dublin but keeps hold of the red number plate - for the tenth time in thirteen events

Yamaha Ricci Racing will have their 2009 FIM MX2-GP World Championship line-up bolstered by the addition of talented youngster Loic Larrieu next season. The 17 year old Frenchman (18 before the start of the ’09 campaign) has signed to compete alongside countryman Nicolas Aubin and Italian Davide Guarneri on YZ250F machinery for the Italian crew. Larrieu, from Sete, near Montpellier, has shone in the 2008 European Championship despite carrying a shoulder injury for the majority of the campaign

Prumm on steady recovery path The final round of the FIM Women’s World Championship this weekend at the Lierop circuit for the Grand Prix of Benelux will not be able to count on the participation of one of the main stars of the series. Double Women’s World Cup winner and Yamaha rider Katherine Prumm is currently recovering from operations to her right knee and left wrist as well as the collarbone break that prematurely ended her season while leading the standings of the inaugural championsh

Yamaha Livery Design Competition winner Ben Leeves is in an enviable position this weekend at Donington as he becomes the first member of the public to see their design realised on a Yamaha Motor Italia YZF R1 Superbike. The design was revealed by Yamaha riders Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser on stage at the WSB paddock show to an audience of race fans and sporting media, following an exciting Superpole session at the Donington circuit for round 11 of the World Superbike Championship. Ben’s des

Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) secured a fine third place in the second race at Donington, in what was otherwise a particularly challenging weekend of action at a wet and dry Donington Park. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) was ruled out of each Donington race after a technical issue in race one saw him penalised for not stopping his machine in time after it developed a fault caused by a rider colliding into him, and then mistiming a subsequent ride through penalty. Nei

Yamaha Monster Motocross Team's David Philippaerts produced another stellar performance in a strong 2008 FIM MX1-GP season to-date to secure 4th position in the sand of Lierop for the Grand Prix of Benelux and extend his lead in the series from 5 to 14 points with just one round remaining. Team-mate Josh Coppins was extremely close to winning the second moto and ended up with 5th place. Lierop, near the city of Eindhoven, represented the third time the riders encountered the physical and techni