Yamaha Enduro Line-up 2006

The Italian based UFO Corse Yamaha enduro team are pleased to announce details of the riders that will represent them in the eight-round 2006 World Enduro Championship (WEC), which starts in Sweden on March 18-19. Bringing together riders from three of Europe's leading enduro nations, the UFO Corse Yamaha team will again compete in two of the WEC's three senior classes and is this year represented by Italian, Spanish and French riders. With the new-look squad, an exciting mix of experience and youth, the UFO Corse Yamaha team are hoping to repeat the successes of past seasons while guiding the squad's enduro newcomers through their first year of World Enduro Championship competition. In the Enduro 1 class, Italian rider Maurizio Micheluz and Spaniard Arnau Vilanova will compete aboard Yamaha WR250F machines as they bid to stamp their mark on what will be one of the most competitive WEC classes. For Micheluz 2006 will be the start of his second season with the UFO Corse Yamaha team following a strong seventh place finish in the 2005 E1 world championship. Joining Micheluz in the E1 class is Arnau Vilanova, one of Spain's most promising young riders. After bursting onto the WEC scene in 2004, where he placed third in the highly competitive Enduro 2 class as a privateer, 2006 will see Arnau compete aboard a Yamaha for the first time in his professional career. Having already proved to have the speed to compete against the world's best, Arnau is looking to improve on his previous WEC successes and will be the UFO Corse Yamaha team's number one rider in the Enduro 1 class. In the Enduro 2 class Frenchman Johnny Aubert and Italian Fabrizio Dini will compete in the WEC for the first time. Under the watchful eye of the experienced UFO Corse Yamaha team, both riders hope to compete at the head of the Enduro 2 class while learning more about the series. Both compete on Yamaha WR450F machines and will need to adapt their motocross and supercross skills to perform at their best in the WEC. Both riders, despite being newcomers to the WEC, look set to battle it out with the series' established riders as they fly the flag for Yamaha in the Enduro 2 class. Furthermore the UFO Corse Yamaha Team will support young talent in 2006. Slovakian Robert Kapacik (age 19) and Polish Michal Szuster (age 20) will compete in the Enduro Junior challenge riding the WR250F. Enduro 1 class: Arnau Vilanova (Spain) + Maurizio Micheluz (Italy) Enduro 2 class: Johnny Aubert (France) + Fabrizio Dini (Italy) Rider Profiles WEC 2006 Arnau Vilanova Regarded as one of the most exciting young riders competing in the World Enduro Championship today Spaniard Arnau Vilanova has a point to prove in 2006. Competing as a privateer in the 2004 Enduro 2 world championship he finished his first full season of the World Enduro Championship in an amazing third position. Competing in only a handful of international enduro competitions during 2005, Arnau returns to the World Enduro Championship arena this season as the UFO Corse Yamaha team's number one Enduro 1 class rider. Having already proved that he has the speed and skills to mix it with the world's best Arnau is gunning for glory in 2006. Date of birth: 3 October 1981 Place of birth: Andorra la Vella (Spain) Nationality: Spanish Residence: La Seu (Spain) Weight: 75kg Height: 175cm Marital status: single Hobbies: everything in bike racing! Team: UFO Corse Yamaha Bike: Yamaha WR250F Class: Enduro 1 Career highlights: 2005: 1st Spanish Championship E1 class 2004: 3rd Enduro 2 World Championship 2003: 2nd 250cc Spanish Enduro Championship Maurizo Micheluz During 2005 Maurizio Micheluz continued to show that he is one of Italy's brightest Enduro talents. In only his second full season of the World Enduro Championship, his first as a member of the UFO Corse Yamaha team, Maurizio finished in a strong 7th position in the competitive Enduro 1 class. Finishing the season as one of the classes most consistent performers, the former 125cc European Enduro Champion placed just a handful of points behind some of the WEC's most experienced and well known riders. For 2006 Maurizio is looking to continue his rise to the top and has his sights set firmly on finishing amongst the world's best. Date of birth: 16 February 1976 Place of birth: Pordenone (PN) Nationality: Italian Residence: Aviano (PN) Weight: 75kg Height: 174cm Marital status: girlfriend Sandrina Hobbies: Mountain biking Team: UFO Corse Yamaha Bike: Yamaha WR250F Class: Enduro 1 Career highlights: 2005: 7th Enduro 1 World Championship, 3rd Italian Championship 'assoluti d'Italia 250 4T' 2004: 7th Italian 450 Championship 2003: 125 European Enduro Junior Championship. Junior four stroke Italian Championship 2002: Italian Champioin 'Cadetti Assoluto e 4t' Johnny Aubert 13 years after becoming 80cc World Motocross Champion Frenchman Johnny Aubert faces a new big challenge as he takes to the World Enduro Championship stage for the first time ever in 2006. Having raced in both the World Motocross Championship and in the US National Motocross Championship, Aubert will compete in the Enduro 2 class in this year's WEC series aboard a Yamaha WR450F. Bringing new blood to the eight-round World Enduro Championship, Aubert will call upon his years of motocross experience in order to perform at his best and deal with enduro racing's many technical and physical challenges. Although a newcomer to international enduro racing the Frenchman is no stranger to enduro racing having placed in fourth position at the 2005 Le Touquet Beach race. In 2006 Johnny Aubert will be looking to make a big impression on the World Enduro Championship. Date of birth: 31 March 1980 Place of birth: Maubeuge (France) Nationality: French Residence: Saulnes (France), second residence Pecrot (Belgium) Weight: 77kg Height: 183cm Marital status: single Hobbies: Jet ski, karting, cinema, computers Team: UFO Corse Yamaha Bike: Yamaha WR450F Class: Enduro 2 Career highlights: 2005: 4th Le Touquet Beach Race 2004: 125 AMA Supercross & 250 AMA Motocross competitor 2003: Motocross GP competitor 2002: 12th world championship motocross class 250cc 2001: 2nd German MX championship 250cc, 11th World championship MX 250cc 1999: National champion France, 125cc elite class, 15th World championship MX 125cc 1998: National champion France, Supercross 125cc, 2 wins in Paris-Bercy 1996: National champion France, Junior class 80cc 1993: World champion 80cc class. National champion France, rookie class 80cc Fabrizio Dini The second Italian within the 2006 UFO Corse Yamaha squad Fabrizio Dini is also the team's second newcomer to the World Enduro Championship. After many successful years competing at the front of the Italian motocross scene, Dini has decided it is time for a change in direction of his professional motorcycling career and will channel his energies into competing in the Enduro 2 class of the 2006 World Enduro Championship aboard an UFO Corse Yamaha prepared WR450F. While needing to develop new skills in order to master the challenges of the WEC series, Dini, like Aubert, comes equipped with years of experience of high-level racing - including world championship motocross - and as the 2005 Motocross Italian Champion. Looking forward to competing in the WEC Fabrizio Dini is only interested in one thing - battling against the world's best. Date of birth: 9 April 1976 Place of birth: Montevarchi (AR) Nationality: Italian Residence: Abbadia Agnano (AR) Weight: 82kg Height: 190cm Marital status: married to Roberta Hobbies: Fishing Team: UFO Corse Yamaha Bike: Yamaha WR450F Class:Enduro 2 Career highlights: 2005: National champion Italy, senior class 2004: injured 2003: 7th Italian championship Italy 500, 1st 'assoluti d'Italia' 2002: 15th Italian championship 500, 3rd 'assoluti d'Italia' 2000: 15th Italian championship 500, 3rd 'assoluti d'Italia' 1997: European champion 125 MX