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Yamaha Racing News

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Tough start for Yamaha in Valencia

It wasn't the easiest start to the Spanish race weekend for Yamaha Sterilgarda riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland today. The unforgiving Ricardo Tormo circuit proved challenging for both British riders with low grip on the track surface. Crutchlow made several changes to the bike during the qualifying session, leaving little time for an unbroken run to fully test the changes, ending the heat in ninth. Team-mate James Toseland had found a set-up to test, but then suffered a small crash as he settled in for some quick laps at the end of the session. Although uninjured and able to continue, it left not enough time to improve on his 12th place time. Cal Crutchlow Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (9th, 1'35.052) "Today wasn't easy. We made good progress up to Portimao, unfortunately we are now at a track with much less grip which makes it again more difficult for us. Hopefully we can make improvements over the evening and into tomorrow. I look forward to getting started again in the morning and seeing how it goes." James Toseland James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (12th, 1'35.203) "A frustrating session for me today. I'd just put the softer tyre in at the end of the session, I came out of turn one really well but unfortunately I got my finger stuck under the brake lever and couldn't stop in time. I only just got the bike stopped right up by the barrier and then tipped it over. Luckily no damage to me or the bike so I got back on but by the time I'd cleaned all the dirt off them the performance of them had just dropped slightly. I was three tenths quicker than this morning and the time was there to be had but I ran out of time, frustrating as it was my error. We've got a lot of information from today so I'm looking forward to tomorrow." Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager "A difficult day, but it seems for many of the 4 cylinder machines it wasn't easy to get good grip here. With chassis set up changes and adjustments in the electronics area we hope to improve this for tomorrow and also help to reduce tyre wear. I'm confident we will be more competitive tomorrow in the next session."

Circuit Length: 4005 Weather: Hot and Sunny
Lap Record: 1'35.007 (Neil Hodgson, 23/04/2003) Fastest Lap Ever: 1'33.270 (Ben Spies, 05/04/2009) Last Years Winner: Noriyuki Haga
2010 WSB Spain - Valencia 09/04/2010 Qualifying 1 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1'34.220 2 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'34.502 3 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 1'34.690 4 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 1'34.771 5 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 1'34.780 6 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 1'34.886 7 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 1'34.935 8 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 1'35.049 9 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'35.052 10 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 1'35.132 11 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 1'35.189 12 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 1'35.203 13 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1'35.232 14 Troy Corser BMW AUS 1'35.279 15 Luca Scassa Ducati ITA 1'35.467
Alex Asigno

Crutchlow scores with second consecutive Superpole

Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike rider Cal Crutchlow put the challenges of yesterday's qualifying behind him today, calmly working through the Superpole sessions to lay down the fastest lap of the third heat and claim his second consecutive Superpole of the 2010 season. Unlike many of his rivals Crutchlow saved his Qualifier tyres for the second and third sessions, delivering fast enough laps on a race tyre to make it through the first heat. Team mate James Toseland was on equally impressive form, making it calmly through the first session without using a qualifying tyre. The second heat saw him switch to his first of the sticky tyres, putting in a solid 1'33.988 to claim third with five minutes to go. Unfortunately a flurry of competitive laps as the session closed saw him drop to ninth, a mere one thousandth of a second off eighth and a chance to compete in the third session. A breakdown of the timing screens at the end of the session added to the confusion, making it unclear for some time whether he was through or not. Cal Crutchlow Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (1st, 1'33.615) "It was good last year in Supersport, we had ten poles in total and we've now started the tally with two for this season which is great. The team have worked really hard this weekend as it's been difficult for us, quite like Australia, the grip level is not so good which is where we struggle. We went to Portugal and we had a lot of grip and the bike was fantastic, we've come here and it's hard work again but we're getting there. We'll have another late night tonight and then I'll look forward to the race tomorrow, it's alright doing one fast lap but 23 is a different story. I think we surprised a few people today, I used the same tyres in the first qualification session today as I used yesterday, finishing in 15th but I wasn't so worried. I knew if we could work through the stages we would be ok for the pole." James Toseland James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (9th, 1'33.988) "Lady luck doesn't seem to be shining on me at the start of this season! To lose out by one thousandth is a frustrating blow, especially as I knew the time was there. I wanted to save my second qualifier for the last Superpole session, for sure we could have done a similar time to Cal. It was definitely possible. Congratulations to Cal for another pole position, putting the bike where it should be. I'm disappointed for the team because we've worked really well this weekend and improved the bike again. To lose out on the top eight by such a small time and then the confusion when the screens went down is very frustrating. We've come a long way with the package so we just need to get a good start tomorrow because we know we have the race pace." Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager "We made a really good improvement from yesterday to this afternoon with both bikes. I'm so sorry for James, to lose the last Superpole by only one thousandth is something we were not expecting. By the time we realised, it was too late to do anything and go out again. I'm also really impressed with Cal, he made a very good last lap. Tomorrow I think it will be different but we're starting from pole so we will see!"

Circuit Length: 4005 Weather: Hot and Sunny
Lap Record: 1'35.007 (Neil Hodgson, 23/04/2003) Fastest Lap Ever: 1'33.270 (Ben Spies, 05/04/2009) Last Years Winner: Noriyuki Haga
2010 WSB Spain - Valencia 10/04/2010 Superpole Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'33.615 2 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1'33.840 3 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 1'33.860 4 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 1'33.961 5 Troy Corser BMW AUS 1'34.059 6 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 1'34.073 7 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1'34.235 8 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 1'34.261 9 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 1'33.988 10 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 1'34.021 11 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 1'34.100 12 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 1'34.246 13 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 1'34.273 14 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'34.280 15 Luca Scassa Ducati ITA 1'34.730
Qualifying 2 Pos. Rider Nat. QUAL I QUAL II 1 Max Biaggi ITA 1'34.771 1'34.218 2 Carlos Checa ESP 1'34.220 1'34.433 3 Jakub Smrz CZE 1'34.502 1'34.239 4 Shane Byrne GBR 1'34.690 1'34.265 5 Leon Haslam GBR 1'34.780 1'34.286 6 Michel Fabrizio ITA 1'34.886 1'34.356 7 Noriyuki Haga JPN 1'34.935 1'34.427 8 Lorenzo Lanzi ITA 1'35.049 1'34.441 9 Sylvain Guintoli FRA 1'35.189 1'34.442 10 Jonathan Rea GBR 1'35.232 1'34.458 11 Troy Corser AUS 1'35.279 1'34.476 12 Max Neukirchner GER 1'35.555 1'34.836 13 James Toseland GBR 1'35.203 1'34.894 14 Luca Scassa ITA 1'35.467 1'34.933 15 Cal Crutchlow GBR 1'35.052 1'34.938
Alex Asigno

MX-GP: De Dycker and Philippaerts log Portuguese top three finishes?

De Dycker in Portugal The Grand Prix of Portugal took place at a challenging Agueda circuit in front of 14,000 spectators as rain on Saturday turned into sunshine on Sunday and Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team's Ken De Dycker grabbed his first top three finish of the season on the new YZ450F with 3rd place in the second moto. Yamaha Monster Energy David Philippaerts was the highest-placed Yamaha runner with 5th overall and aced a rostrum slot in the first race. On Saturday, after refining his set-up with the help of the Ohlins technicians, Philippaerts was able to make a great start in the Qualification Heat and lead world champion Tony Cairoli to the finish line for his second pole position of the season. Showers that lasted most of the day on Saturday caused the track to soften and become rutty and bumpy. As the terrain dried and offered more grip on Sunday more racing lines appeared in the second moto. DP at Agueda 2008 world champion Philippaerts was chasing Clement Desalle hard for second place in the first moto when he inexplicably fell on the landing of a long jump adjacent to the start-straight. The Italian was able to quickly remount and although he secured 3rd was left nursing a painful left hand. The complaint would bother him in the second race and he was unable to run at a similar pace through the rough bumps, eventually finishing 8th. Ahead De Dycker was battling with Evgeny Bobryshev, Max Nagl and Desalle. The Belgian was in a resolute mood after a first lap crash in the opening race had forced his retirement with a damaged radiator and broken front brake. The DNF meant that the 25 year old was 10th by the end of the day although he was pleased with his fight to 3rd. Philippaerts is 3rd in the world championship standings, 28 points from second while De Dycker is 6th. The team will head east across Portugal and into Spain arriving at Bellpuig for the Grand Prix of Catalunya next week and round five of the series. In other news Spain's Carlos Campano still leads the MX3 World Championship after his second win of the season at round three in Argentina last week. In front of a decent 20,000 crowd the former Spanish Champion went 2-1 at La Rioja to clinch his spoils and edge a 6 point lead in the standings. "I am very happy," he said. I won in front of so many spectators and I am still leading the Championship." Ten rounds remain in the contest that is held in conjunction with the MX2 European series. Philippaerts after Moto1 David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team, 5th: "In the first moto I was following Desalle and my speed was good but on the third lap I had a big crash. I don't know the reason for it, similar to what happened in Mantova, and it was just one second in which my race was decided. I hurt my hand and that affected my feeling on the bike in the second moto. I did not have quite as much control or strength as before and it was not good for my corner speed because the bike was moving around a lot because of the bumps and I needed to hold on. Yesterday was very good but our races are being hit by some surprises. My lap-times are good and I am keeping consistent and now we must all work on getting our set-up right and the results we deserve." Ken De Dycker, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team, 10th: "I had some bad luck in the first race. I came into the rut and jumped it a little bit but the bike went sideways in the second part and I could not keep it up. The radiator was bent and the front brake was poking into the front wheel so it was not possible to go on. The second moto was better but hard work, and I lost the rhythm in some places. I am quite happy with how it went." Crowd: 14,000 Weather: Sunny
Last Years Winner: Antonio Cairoli 2010 GP of Portugal 09/05/2010 Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Maximilian Nagl KTM GER 40'37.687 2 Clement Desalle Suzuki BEL 0'14.633 3 David Philippaerts Yamaha ITA 0'17.055 4 Xavier Boog Kawasaki FRA 0'18.870 5 Antonio Cairoli KTM ITA 0'20.685 6 Tanel Leok Honda EST 0'22.020 7 Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 0'45.869 8 Sébastien Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 0'53.096 9 Evgeny Bobryshev Honda RUS 1'04.235 10 Marc De Reuver Suzuki NED 1'06.660 11 Rui Goncalves KTM POR 1'09.663 12 Kevin Strijbos Suzuki BEL 1'10.618 13 Anthony Boissière TM FRA 1'11.406 14 Nicolas Aubin Kawasaki FRA 1'25.652 15 Davide Guarneri Honda ITA 1'32.088 16 Tom Soderstrom Yamaha SWE 1'32.561 Race 2 - 20 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Antonio Cairoli KTM ITA 39'57.508 2 Clement Desalle Suzuki BEL 0'02.809 3 Ken De Dycker Yamaha BEL 0'04.569 4 Xavier Boog Kawasaki FRA 0'06.537 5 Maximilian Nagl KTM GER 0'09.288 6 Tanel Leok Honda EST 0'12.826 7 Evgeny Bobryshev Honda RUS 0'23.894 8 David Philippaerts Yamaha ITA 0'28.727 9 Sébastien Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 0'51.791 10 Davide Guarneri Honda ITA 0'52.578 11 Joshua Coppins Aprilia NZL 0'53.484 12 Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 0'56.710 13 Rui Goncalves KTM POR 1'13.304 14 Kevin Strijbos Suzuki BEL 1'16.923 15 Anthony Boissière TM FRA 1'26.064 Rider Standings 09/05/2010 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Antonio Cairoli KTM ITA 179 2. Maximilian Nagl KTM GER 161 3. David Philippaerts Yamaha ITA 133 4. Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 124 5. Clement Desalle Suzuki BEL 123 6. Ken De Dycker Yamaha BEL 114 7. Xavier Boog Kawasaki FRA 106 8. Tanel Leok Honda EST 96 9. Evgeny Bobryshev Honda RUS 79 10. Sébastien Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 75 11. Davide Guarneri Honda ITA 73 12. Joshua Coppins Aprilia NZL 63 13. Jimmy Albertson Honda USA 59 14. Gareth Swanepoel Honda RSA 57 15. Jonathan Barragan Kawasaki ESP 56 17. Manuel Monni Yamaha ITA 46 21. Tom Soderstrom Yamaha SWE 19 Manufacturer Standings 09/05/2010 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. KTM 197 2. Suzuki 169 3. Yamaha 156 4. Kawasaki 118 5. Honda 113 6. Aprilia 63 7. TM 37 8. CCM 11 RACE REPORT 09/05/2010 Osborne so close to Portuguese MX2-GP podium Osborne at Agueda The fourth round of the FIM MX2-GP World Championship saw Bike it Cosworth Yamaha's Zach Osborne miss a first podium result for the 2010 YZ250F - with increased agility due to a new chassis - by just one point as the American gets closer and closer to his first silverware of the season. Agueda hosted the Grand Prix of Portugal and thanks to copious rainfall on Saturday the course with many jumps, drops and climbs was a rougher prospect than usual for race-day. 14,000 spectators attended the event despite the changeable climate for the first of two back-to-back meetings on the MX-GP schedule. Osborne set a decent pace across a wet and slick layout in practice and qualification and was not far off the speed marked by the leaders in the motos themselves. The 2009 Turkish GP winner chased Shaun Simpson to finish 5th in the first moto and was exercising a degree of caution at the venue where he broke his scaphoid and ended his season twelve months ago. In the second moto Osborne gelled with the track and enjoyed a lengthy skirmish with Dutch GP victor Jeffrey Herlings, only losing out to the teenager after some fraught run-ins with backmarkers. With 3rd position by the flag Osborne gained his first entry into the top three and missed the podium by a single point. Kullas in Portugal Elsewhere Yamaha Monster Energy Gariboldi's Harri Kullas was 8th overall with a promising start and decent ride to 7th in Moto1. The Finn was slower getting away in Moto2 but persisted to the finish to gain 13th. Team-mate Christophe Charlier steered the third YZ250F into the top ten with 10th place overall. The 2009 European Champion was competing with an injured right hand after damaging thumb ligaments in a mid-week training crash. He defied the pain to reach the flag ahead of Kullas in Moto1 for 6th but a crash at the beginning of the second race dropped him to 15th. Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team's Loic Larrieu crashed in the Qualification Heat and had to enter the gate down in 33rd limiting his options at the start of the motos. The Frenchman also hit the ground during Sunday. Eventually he managed two points for 19th in the second sprint. Alessandro Lupino was 17th and 11th for 14th overall and his best points haul of the season, despite a sore right wrist. Osborne is currently the highest-placed Yamaha rider in the MX2-GP table with 6th position and 2 points from the top five. Kullas and Charlier are 9th and 10th. Yamaha 3C Racing's Chiara Fontanesi was 5th overall in the second round of the FIM Women's World Championship courtesy of two 6th positions and holds 4th in the seven-race series, the third edition of the competition, on the YZ250F. Round five of the world championship will take place at Bellpuig for the Grand Prix of Catalunya next week. Zach Osborne, Bike it Cosworth Yamaha, 4th: "I am a little disappointed that I did not make the podium because it would have been sweet revenge after getting hurt here last year. However a 5th and a 3rd and some good points mean that it has been a good weekend. I think I am catching those guys slowly but surely. My first race was not my best of the year but it was still solid, and in the second I held it out as long as I could up there but ran into some lappers and Herlings passed me. I gained some ground on him a little bit but again got mixed up with slower riders. I enjoyed the rough circuit. It was a GP track; gnarly, rough, hard to predict. It was definitely good. I am so happy with the way things are going with the team. Everyone is pulling together and it is such a joint-effort." Harri Kullas, Yamaha Monster Energy Gariboldi, 8th: "Overall I had one good, one bad. In the first race I had a good start and when Roelants crashed in front of me I had 7th. I could see Christophe in front of me but when I pushed he would do also and I could not get close enough. I was happy with 7th though. In the second moto I started badly and struggled to wake-up and this is something I need to work on. I rode smart but spent too much time behind Karro and Tonkov. Near the end I pushed as hard as I could. 8th overall was a good result for the day and I feel it is progress." Christophe Charlier, Yamaha Monster Energy Gariboldi, 10th: "I did the best I could today but it was definitely hard with my hand. I had a crash at the start of the second moto but the first one was pretty good in the circumstances. I just have to let my hand heal and hope it is a bit stronger for Spain." Crowd: 14,000 Weather: Sunny
Last Years Winner: Rui Goncalves 2010 GP of Portugal 09/05/2010 Race 1 - 19 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Marvin Musquin KTM FRA 39'09.201 2 Ken Roczen Suzuki GER 0'03.389 3 Jeffrey Herlings KTM NED 0'03.997 4 Shaun Simpson KTM GBR 1'02.518 5 Zach Osborne Yamaha USA 1'17.802 6 Christophe Charlier Yamaha FRA 1'20.932 7 Harri Kullas Yamaha FIN 1'23.221 8 Joel Roelants KTM BEL 1'24.333 9 Arnaud Tonus Suzuki CHE 1'47.796 10 Matiss Karro Suzuki LVA 1'50.706 11 Steven Frossard Kawasaki FRA -1Laps 12 Nikolai Larsen Honda DNK -1Laps 13 Mel Pocock Yamaha GBR -1Laps 14 Aleksandr Tonkov Suzuki RUS -1Laps 15 Petr Smitka KTM CZE -1Laps 17 Alessandro Lupino Yamaha ITA -1Laps Race 2 - 19 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Marvin Musquin KTM FRA 40'09.015 2 Jeffrey Herlings KTM NED 0'08.230 3 Zach Osborne Yamaha USA 0'14.284 4 Jeremy Van Horebeek Kawasaki BEL 0'20.023 5 Steven Frossard Kawasaki FRA 0'32.628 6 Ken Roczen Suzuki GER 0'50.167 7 Arnaud Tonus Suzuki CHE 0'51.004 8 Joel Roelants KTM BEL 1'03.928 9 Jake Nicholls KTM GBR 1'05.055 10 Dennis Verbruggen KTM BEL 1'16.926 11 Alessandro Lupino Yamaha ITA 1'19.092 12 Valentin Teillet KTM FRA 1'20.792 13 Harri Kullas Yamaha FIN 1'22.165 14 Matiss Karro Suzuki LVA 1'45.346 15 Christophe Charlier Yamaha FRA 1'46.923 18 Mel Pocock Yamaha GBR -1Laps 19 Loic Larrieu Yamaha FRA -1Laps Rider Standings 09/05/2010 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Marvin Musquin KTM FRA 179 2. Ken Roczen Suzuki GER 167 3. Jeffrey Herlings KTM NED 164 4. Steven Frossard Kawasaki FRA 133 5. Arnaud Tonus Suzuki CHE 116 6. Zach Osborne Yamaha USA 114 7. Shaun Simpson KTM GBR 105 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek Kawasaki BEL 101 9. Harri Kullas Yamaha FIN 83 10. Christophe Charlier Yamaha FRA 81 11. Joel Roelants KTM BEL 80 12. Jake Nicholls KTM GBR 76 13. Dennis Verbruggen KTM BEL 60 14. Alessandro Lupino Yamaha ITA 45 15. Matiss Karro Suzuki LVA 40 17. Mel Pocock Yamaha GBR 29 20. Loic Larrieu Yamaha FRA 16 29. Rudi Moroni Yamaha ITA 5 30. Ceriel Klein Kromhof Yamaha NED 4 31. Glenn Coldenhoff Yamaha NED 2 32. Ed Allingham Yamaha GBR 2 Manufacturer Standings 09/05/2010 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. KTM 200 2. Suzuki 167 3. Kawasaki 135 4. Yamaha 123 5. Honda 40 6. TM 9
Alex Asigno

Essentials of Motorcycle Breakdown Cover

Essentials of Motorcycle Breakdown Cover
When your motorcycle breaks down, especially if you are in a remote location, you are not alone if you have excellent motorcycle breakdown cover. First, and perhaps most important, is roadside rescue. Waiting out in the elements after a breakdown, especially in unfamiliar territory, is very unpleasant, to say the least. Most policies for motorcycle breakdown guarantee only a 40 minute wait for a rescue, and most bikes can be fixed roadside. Most classic motorcycle breakdown coverage plans will send a mechanic to you, if you are only a mile or less from home, and fix your bike on the spot. If that cannot be managed, then your bike will be taken to the nearest garage. Motorcycle breakdown cover on a bike that cannot be fixed roadside will ensure that you are not stranded, and that you, your bike, and passengers are taken to a local garage service to repair your bike. The best motorcycle breakdown cover will take you and your party on to your destination or back home, or else put you all up in a hotel. The best motorcycle breakdown cover will insure other drivers on your bike, not just you. This gives you peace of mind when someone else rides your bike. If you yourself drive many different bikes, perhaps it is a good idea to cover yourself as well. If you become injured in a motorcycle accident, some breakdown covers for motorcycles in the UK will even pay to have a driver return your bike to your home. If you are stranded, motorbike breakdown cover can also contribute a fair amount to pay for vehicle hire until your bike is repaired. Key cover can even replace your house keys in the event that they are lost or stolen.
 
European Breakdown Cover
For European breakdown cover you can add to your home policy a special single trip cover, with roadside assistance, return home guarantee, and English speaking operators to help you with any breakdown you may experience while on the continent, and your cover begins on the day of the trip, from home, to the ferry across and back home again. You could also buy European coverage that will cover multiple trips to Europe. European cover is available for both car and motorbike breakdown, and most are available 24 hours every day, and can deliver replacement parts, trip continuation, replacement vehicle, and even bed and breakfast expenses. If necessary, the return of your entire party to home in the UK can be covered. Be aware that some policies do not cover a motorcycle of more than a certain size engine. If you have a bike with a larger engine, you would do well to search around for a policy that has no limitation or upper limit on engine size.
Alex Asigno

2010 Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team riders

DP19 David Philippaerts and Gautier Paulin offer their thoughts on the off-season and the rapidly-approaching 2010 FIM MX-GP World Championship... David Philippaerts’ record in the premier MX1-GP category is enviable. The 25 year old Italian has won Grand Prix in each of his three seasons and finished 6th, 1st and 4th in that time. A mix of steely determination, acute fitness, a tidy but occasionally explosive riding style and a hint of Latin temperament create a formidable rider and one of the very best competitors in the division. Philippaerts will be aiming to regain his crown in 2010 while also refine the new YZ450F. You are the only MX1-GP rider for the team in 2010. Will this be an inconvenience? No, I don’t think so. Having a team-mate in MX2-GP instead of MX1-GP is not much different for me to be honest. We have different goals. The new bike means we have had more work to do for the set-up but overall I am very happy with how things are and how they look for 2010. How do you feel now that the pressure of being defending champion has gone? The sense of pressure is the same because I will continue to do my best, like I did in 2009, and again there are many riders that can do well in this championship. It was an up-and-down season last year. I pushed a lot in the winter-time and maybe this caused some of the physical problems that begun during the early GPs. I had a virus which meant that my body’s performance was not consistent. This was the big problem and then little things like the broken finger in Portugal did not help. I stayed at home a little bit more this winter, instead of training and working away and in Belgium, and did not go into the mountains for ski training until the New Year. Philippaerts The new 2010 YZ450F has proven a worthy machine so far... Yes, the bike has been kept quite close to the standard bike because it is already a strong machine. We have worked a lot to make the YZ450F personal and special for me and every time I ride or test I feel happy. The fuel injection makes it more responsive and feels very different to the carburettor; I like it. Ohlins suspension was a new feature for all of us but they work very hard and we will get some good data on this and other areas of the bike in the races we have ahead. The real test will be at the first GP. It is a new bike so we still have some things to learn when we compete at the highest level. The second Grand Prix is the first of two home races in 2010, at Mantova then Fermo... The track at Fermo is very natural and I know they have been working on the facility to make it ready for the GP but I think the layout will be different when we arrive. Fermo will be a new track for everyone, even the Italians! With the Starcross and Grand Prix we will have Mantova twice and then onto Fermo for the last round. The last time we ended a season in Italy was in 2008 and if we could have the same situation as we did (he was crowned champion at Faenza) then this is very good for me! What will be the key to another championship? I have to keep taking points and keep getting near the front in the races, cutting down the mistakes by not making small crashes and keeping pressure on the other riders. I will be doing my very best this year. I will have to push more than I did in 2008 because the level of the competition is higher with both the riders and the technology. I know I will have to win heats if I want the title. Gautier Paulin Soon-to-be 20 year old Frenchman and former BMX star Gautier Paulin brings his remarkable talents to the Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team and the 2010 YZ250F for his third attempt at the MX2-GP series. The likeable and professional youngster took a step into exploration of the AMA-SX championship with three appearances at the beginning of the year and a sustained period of training and preparation in the US. Paulin will be the first MX2-GP representative for the team since Cedric Melotte in 2005. Your first outings on a Yamaha were in an AMA SX arena. How was that for you? It was a really good experience and I had some great races. I was a bit tired after the first round in Anaheim because I had been training and recovering from my injury after the Motocross of Nations but I did OK in Phoenix and then again in Anaheim II. I had a good sensation about what I could do there and it was a boost to my confidence. I knew the level of the speed and competition would be very high, the tracks would be difficult and they all want to win, so I wasn’t surprised. I learnt where I was gaining and losing my time. If I can go back then I know what I have to do to be at the front. Supercross benefits from being inside a stadium and that helps with the image presentation but I think it says a lot about the world championship that our sport is very close for the organisation and overall good impression. So you trained and spent most of the winter in America? Yes, I was there more than two months and I felt my fitness improving and it is better than ever now; which is really cool. I have never felt in as good as shape as I currently am. When I got back from America and went running for the first time at home I killed my personal best time; all of this helps mentally. No. 21 How is it working with the Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team? To join a team like this is a great opportunity. I will be in a lot in Italy. I only live about 500km from the workshop, so it is not too far. They really are a ‘Team’; all the people are close, like brothers, and all totally have the same goal which is to provide the best for the rider. I like the image of the team and they have won and achieved so much. Last winter when I was deciding what to do for 2010 I asked to test the new bike and the next day I signed the contract because my mind was made-up. My dream is to go and race in America but with a team like this, when I see the organisation, the motivation and work that is done on the bikes, then I can stay in Europe. I have never had team treating me like this. What are your thoughts on the 2010 YZ250F... I was riding a lot on the Yamaha before I left and then did a lot of Supercross and motocross in California. The chassis on the production bike was the first really good point for me - it is crazy - it feels like a bicycle. The standard engine had a very strong bottom end which was also a big positive. We are now fine-tuning the race-bike. We have been working with Ohlins on the suspension. I don’t think that this team has to prove that they know what they are doing with the preparation of the bikes. It must have been tempting to switch to MX1-GP, especially after your win at the ’09 Nations... For sure I am fast on a 450 and many people like to tell me! They also say I am too big for MX2, but I had one eye on Supercross with the 250 and I knew that a full season on a 450 would very different; we have to be careful with the extra power and 15 GPs is different to just one race. I am young, still 19, and my goal is to get that MX2-GP title this season and think directly about MX1-GP. I had a strict diet over the winter and have made sacrifices to keep my weight down and keep fit and I have never taken these steps before. I really want to be at the front this season and will do whatever it takes. What will be the key to championship success? To be really fit, try not to be nervous and use some experience in the races. I know I am fast and I know I can have the best bike possible. I know I have the physical condition to race two motos at 100% so when I am on the bike I just need to pay attention to my technique and think about my riding.
Alex Asigno

Crutchlow and Toseland take ninth and tenth on the grid at Assen for raceday

Yamaha Sterilgarda riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland made it through the first Superpole heat this afternoon to secure ninth and tenth place on the third row of the grid for tomorrow's two World Superbike races at the Assen TT circuit. Both riders had spent the previous qualifying sessions working on their set ups for the afternoon's Superpole heats and had headed in to the Superbike shootout with confidence. They both made it through the first heat comfortably on race tyres, then switched to qualifiers midway through the second session. Crutchlow struggled to improve on his time in the second session leaving him just outside the top eight at the end. Team mate Toseland was on form and had nearly completed a hot lap which would have taken him through to the final eight when a violent wheelie three corners from the end at high speed disrupted his time. Cal Cruchlow Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (9th, 1'36.027) "I struggled with my qualifier tyre in the second Superpole heat, and couldn't make it through to the third. Both James and I are still working on some stability issues which could be seen on track as well. We need to work hard in tomorrow morning's session to see what we can change in the set up to make another step forward. We're all working really hard, and on the positive side the electronics issues we've had in the past are now working very well for us." James Toseland James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (10th, 1'36.061) "Frustrated is the word! It was a real surprise for the bike to do that in a place where I've never had that before, it kicked up and wheelied at over 180mph in fifth gear, it was a bit touch and go there but luckily I was able to save it. The lap was good up to that point, I only had two corners left to go and would have been through to the top eight and the third session. We've had so much work to do to get where we are, the team has done a great job trying to get the bike to work here. Tenth on the grid is not ideal and we're not sure about tyre life, depending on temperature tomorrow we might not be able to use the softer race tyre, everyone is waiting to see how warm it will be. I'm not too worried about race pace, it's all about what happens in those first few laps. The new fast section has effectively deleted a passing place so I'll have to get off the line well and see how we go." Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager "We still have one practice session left tomorrow morning, for sure we will never give up so we will spend the session working hard to make more improvements ahead of the two races. We will definitely find something to help us. James was very unlucky on his hot lap in the second Superpole session, it was good he managed to save it safely. He's got a good race pace so needs a good start tomorrow and we will see what he can do. Cal has shown this weekend that he also has a competitive pace, especially on worn tyres so we are confident both riders can perform tomorrow."

Circuit Length: 4555 Weather: Sunny
Lap Record: 2'04.685 (Chris Vermeulen, 01/01/2005) Fastest Lap Ever: 1'34.944 (Jonathan Rea, 25/04/2010) Last Years Winner: Noriyuki Haga
2010 WSB The Netherlands - Assen 24/04/2010 Superpole Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1'34.944 2 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'35.062 3 Troy Corser BMW AUS 1'35.306 4 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 1'35.330 5 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 1'35.633 6 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1'35.892 7 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 1'35.909 8 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 1'36.405 9 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'36.027 10 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 1'36.061 11 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 1'36.069 12 Ruben Xaus BMW ESP 1'36.094 13 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 1'36.327 14 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 1'36.348 15 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 1'36.574
Qualifying 2 Pos. Rider Nat. QUAL I QUAL II 1 Troy Corser AUS 1'36.489 1'35.621 2 Jakub Smrz CZE 1'36.041 1'35.939 3 Jonathan Rea GBR 1'36.339 1'36.211 4 Carlos Checa ESP 1'36.805 1'36.447 5 Leon Camier GBR 1'37.064 1'36.588 6 Leon Haslam GBR 1'36.618 1'36.891 7 Noriyuki Haga JPN 1'37.462 1'36.644 8 Shane Byrne GBR 1'37.081 1'36.655 9 Cal Crutchlow GBR 1'36.752 1'36.685 10 Michel Fabrizio ITA 1'37.165 1'36.689 11 Lorenzo Lanzi ITA 1'37.344 1'36.774 12 Sylvain Guintoli FRA 1'37.684 1'36.829 13 Max Neukirchner GER 1'37.453 1'36.859 14 Ruben Xaus ESP 1'37.685 1'36.872 15 Luca Scassa ITA 1'37.506 1'36.898 17 James Toseland GBR 1'37.166 1'37.084
Alex Asigno

Crutchlow conquers the first European Superpole of 2010 at Portimao

Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike rider Cal Crutchlow set himself apart from the class this afternoon, storming through the Superpole heats to take pole and breaking the Best Lap record in the process. Crutchlow unleashed the full potential of the Yamaha R1's power in ideal track conditions, leaving a gap of over four tenths of a second to second placed Aprilia rider Max Biaggi. Team-mate James Toseland had also been progressing well through the sessions with fast consistent speed until an unfortunate high-side on the last corner of the circuit in heat two relegated him to 15th on the grid for tomorrow's two Superbike races. Although bruised Toseland was luckily uninjured in the high speed crash. The second qualifying session of the race weekend earlier in the day saw both riders focussing on the set up for race day whilst ensuring they remained within the times for the subsequent Superpole sessions. Incredibly the first 14 riders of the session were within 0.7 of a second of each other. Crutchlow's time, just 0.6 off the front man was particularly impressive considering the entire session was run on just one set of tyres. Cal Crutchlow Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (1st, 1'42.092) "The Superpole lap wasn't really a surprise to me to be honest, we had a good session beforehand and I knew we could go really well in the qualifying session this morning. We left a lot in reserve, so down in 14th place I wasn't panicking. I knew we had a good pace for the pole session, I only used one qualifying tyre and we only needed one lap to do it. Yamaha's done a fantastic job in the last month, it was hard work but we've got there in the end, all working together. I'm quietly confident we'll do a good job tomorrow as well." James Toseland James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (15th, 1'49.401) "What a disappointing end to what has been a great qualifying so far this weekend. The Sterilgarda Yamaha Team have been brilliant in how they've transformed the bike from where we were in Phillip Island and I want to thank them for that. The mistake for me was that I was on the second lap on the qualifier tyre and I was trying to make it work hard on the last turn as if it had been the first lap on it. Unfortunately it was a mistake, I suffered a lack of grip and the consequence is I'm now 15th on the grid." Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager "first of all I think a big thanks to the guys to have done such a good job since our not so great performance in Australia. I have to say Cal did a fantastic lap, we are confident that we will be in there tomorrow. The pace Cal had in practice was really good so I'm expecting good things. Unfortunately James had a big high-side during the second Superpole session which was unfortunate, but he has a good race pace which will help. For sure it will be harder for him to start from the back but I think he knows how to fight his way through. Let's see what happens tomorrow.

Circuit Length: 4692 Weather: Sunny
Fastest Lap Ever: 1'42.092 (Cal Crutchlow, 28/03/2010) Last Years Winner: Michel Fabrizio
2010 WSB Portugal - Portimão 27/03/2010 Superpole Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'42.092 2 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 1'42.513 3 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1'42.586 4 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 1'42.596 5 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1'42.807 6 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'42.889 7 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 1'42.960 8 Troy Corser BMW AUS 1'43.152 9 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 1'42.984 10 Ruben Xaus BMW ESP 1'42.999 11 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 1'43.039 12 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 1'43.199 13 Max Neukirchner Honda GER 1'43.380 14 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 1'43.568 15 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 1'49.401
Qualifying 2 Pos. Rider Nat. QUAL I QUAL II 1 Jakub Smrz CZE 1'43.932 1'43.003 2 Max Biaggi ITA 1'43.688 1'43.003 3 Michel Fabrizio ITA 1'43.508 1'43.010 4 Leon Haslam GBR 1'43.476 1'43.037 5 Jonathan Rea GBR 1'44.042 1'43.053 6 Carlos Checa ESP 1'43.645 1'43.115 7 James Toseland GBR 1'43.755 1'43.320 8 Noriyuki Haga JPN 1'44.098 1'43.418 9 Tom Sykes GBR 1'44.559 1'43.485 10 Troy Corser AUS 1'44.203 1'43.491 11 Shane Byrne GBR 1'43.881 1'43.588 12 Sylvain Guintoli FRA 1'44.423 1'43.589 13 Ruben Xaus ESP 1'45.406 1'43.589 14 Cal Crutchlow GBR 1'43.769 1'43.616 15 Leon Camier GBR 1'44.041 1'44.037
Alex Asigno

Wilco Zeelenberg joins Fiat Yamaha as Lorenzo's Team Manager

Yamaha Motor Racing Srl is pleased to announce the appointment of Wilco Zeelenberg as Team Manager for Jorge Lorenzo in the Fiat Yamaha Team. Dutchman Zeelenberg joins the team from Yamaha's World Supersport Team, where he won the World Championship in 2009 with Cal Crutchlow. Zeelenberg previously had a successful career as a rider, contesting 100 Grands Prix from 1986 to 1995, racing with three different manufacturers including Yamaha. From 1995 to 2000 he then raced in the World Super Sport championship. On retirement from racing he joined Yamaha Motor Europe as Technical Coordinator and Test Rider until 2008, when he took over the role of Team Manager for the Yamaha World Super Sport Team. Zeelenberg lives in Holland and is married with two children. Lin Jarvis, Managing Director for Yamaha Motor Racing Srl, added, "I would like to congratulate Wilco on his appointment and wish him every success in his new challenge. I am confident that the Team and Jorge will benefit from Wilco's long experience as a rider, a Yamaha racing technician and more recently as a successful Team Manager. We look forward to integrating him into the Fiat Yamaha Team working alongside Davide Brivio, both Team Managers being under the supervision of Team Director Masahiko Nakajima." "After nine years working for Yamaha I am very proud to be joining the official Yamaha MotoGP team," said Zeelenberg. "It's a big reward and I am very excited about this new challenge. Jorge is a fantastic rider and I cannot wait to start working with him and the crew. The team is already a well-oiled machine and I am thrilled to be fitting into it. It's clear that there are four main contenders for the title and Jorge is one of those four. I am a very competitive person, I will do everything I can in the team to create the right atmosphere and fight for the championship title."
Alex Asigno

Philippaerts 5th at MX season opener

DP in Mantova Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team and the Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team kicked off their 2010 schedules at the Starcross International at Mantova last Sunday. After revealing the new black and green liveries and designs to be worn by the YZ450F and YZ250F the Friday prior to the gathering at the venue, the 2010 MX1-GP machine made its debut in front of a reasonable attendance that braved the temperate conditions. David Philippaerts was 5th overall under the Italian sunshine in what was very much a shake-down outing for the team. The 2008 MX1-GP World Champion started well in all three motos (of 20 minutes and 2 laps duration) and his finest finish was a determined push through to the runner-up slot in the first race. The sand was bumpy and rough after heavy rainfall. A small crash in the next outing dropped him to 8th while a steady run to 6th in the last moto of the day – with low sunshine obscuring some of the jumps - assisted in his priority to further refine the set-up of his new machinery. De Dycker at the Starcross Ken De Dycker was the sole representative of the Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX crew with Loic Larrieu still recovering from his shoulder injury and Alessandro Lupino nursing a sore wrist. French 19 year old Larrieu started riding three weeks ago. De Dycker, making his maiden appearance in Monster Energy colours and with Yamaha, again used the motos to flex his muscles after the off-season and learn more about his new mount in race conditions. He finished 9th twice before struggling slightly in the last race that necessitated a visit to the pits. He ended the day 12th overall. The opening round of the Italian Championship takes place next weekend at Montevarchi and will see a virtually full entry of the Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Teams. Larrieu will hold off participation until the International event at Valence in France in two weeks. Gautier Paulin will compete with the 2010 YZ250F for the first time after arriving back from the United States last week. Mantova Starcross International Classification: Moto1 1. Tony Cairoli, ITA 2. David Philippaerts, ITA, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team 3. Marc de Reuver, NED 9. Ken De Dycker, BEL, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team Moto2 1. Tony Cairoli, ITA 2. Clement Desalle, BEL 3. Tanel Leok, EST 8. David Philippaerts, ITA, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team 9. Ken De Dycker, BEL, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team Moto3 1. Tanel Leok, EST 2. Clement Desalle, BEL 3. Tony Cairoli, ITA 6. David Philippaerts, ITA, Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team 38. Ken De Dycker, BEL, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team David Philippaerts: “I am pretty happy. Today the first moto was good and we did some work with the bike. My main goal was to get time on the track and running the speed with the others. Many riders crashed and I did not want to make mistakes; the track was difficult. We collected some data, which was important and we are ready for the next step. The season has started earlier this year and I am not 100% but this is fine and I am pleased with the level we have.” Ken De Dycker: “Today was a start. We did some work and development of the bike to get the setting right for me and that was the main reason for coming here. The last moto was not going well and it was a little dangerous with the sun so low. We will continue with what we need to do and I may travel down to race at Montevarchi next week.”
Alex Asigno

MX GP: Larrieu out of first 2010 Grand Prix

Loic Larrieu Talented French teenager Loic Larrieu will miss the first Grand Prix of the year at Sevlievo in Bulgaria on April 3rd-4th. The 19 year old suffered a fall at Malpensa for the third round of the Italian Championship last weekend that left the Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX rider with a fractured left collarbone. Luckless Larrieu was coming back to speed and fitness after his shoulder injury during the winter but his accident, while attempting a downhill double at the steep circuit close to the Italian airport in Milan, means that he now needs further recovery time and will sit out the 2010 FIM MX2-GP World Championship opener on Easter weekend. Larrieu, who scored an impressive podium finish at the 2009 French GP in what was his first world championship campaign, had also been carrying a small fracture to his right big toe after a blameless spill the previous week at Sommières for the first round of the French national series. Before this latest setback Larrieu had been steadily developing the 2010 YZ250F for the Italian team whose MX2-GP efforts he will spearhead this term for his second season as a Yamaha rider.
Alex Asigno

Yamaha riders step up their pace in Portimao

The hard work of the Yamaha Sterilgarda Team following the opening round last month in Phillip Island was clearly seen in today's first Superbike sessions at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. Both James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow made the most of the ongoing set up developments to put in highly competitive times, improving on their Phillip Island performances. The first free practice session of the day gave the riders the opportunity to test out new electronic settings on their R1s. As the session progressed the improvements were clear as Toseland moved steadily up the times, taking the top spot with a 1'44.3 as the clock hit zero. Team mate Crutchlow was just over half a second behind in ninth having tested out some different tyres to Toseland during the session. The first qualifying session of the weekend saw both riders take turns at the top of the time sheet finding ever more speed as the grip levels increased. Intelligent tyre choices and a more effective electronics package saw both delivering consistently fast, competitive laps with the potential for more improvement in tomorrow's second session and subsequent Superpole. The session drew to a close with Toseland in fifth, less than three tenths off provisional pole and team mate Crutchlow less than one tenth of a second behind in sixth. James Toseland James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (5th, 1'43.735) "We've made some really good progress with our testing last week in Misano, we've gone in the direction we wanted to with the engine and electronics. We had a lot to try today, and we've gone in a really positive direction for the race set up with tyre life and things like that. We've got a little bit more to do but I'm really pleased with the work Frankie and the team have done since Australia to here so a massive thank you to the team and hopefully we can keep it going in the top five now." Cal Crutchlow Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (6th, 1'43.769) "I'm a lot happier today. We have definitely made improvements from Australia and we've also come back to a track with lots of grip. As the grip levels of the track improved over the sessions so have we. We still need to work on our bike to improve on really slippery track conditions and optimize our settings and performance. Tyre life is looking better, and there was no chatter here so that's that problem cured. We intend to keep working on our electronics and progress even further tomorrow." Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager "it seems that the work we've done since Australia is working well. To see where both riders are is very encouraging. This gives us real satisfaction. I think we've worked very well with our tyre choice and we're pretty happy with how they are working. Tomorrow we'll work again on the set up to see which will tyres we'll choose for the distance. For today we are satisfied."

Circuit Length: 4692 Weather: Sunny
Fastest Lap Ever: 1'42.412 (Ben Spies, 25/10/2009) Last Years Winner: Michel Fabrizio
2010 WSB Portugal - Portimão 26/03/2010 Qualifying 1 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 1'43.476 2 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 1'43.508 3 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1'43.645 4 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 1'43.688 5 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 1'43.755 6 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'43.769 7 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 1'43.881 8 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'43.932 9 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 1'44.041 10 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1'44.042 11 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 1'44.098 12 Troy Corser BMW AUS 1'44.203 13 Max Neukirchner Honda GER 1'44.272 14 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 1'44.423 15 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 1'44.559
Alex Asigno

Toseland and Crutchlow complete second day of testing in Phillip Island?

James Toseland Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike riders James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow have wrapped up the final day of the two day test in Phillip Island. Both British riders spent the two days working on the chassis set-up of the new 2010 Yamaha YZF-R1 in what was its first outing of the year. The riders now take a few days of rest before heading back out onto the Australian circuit for the first race of the 2010 season this weekend. James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World superbike Team (11th, 1’32.7) “It’s been a solid two days of testing working on the new bike. I still have some chatter problems as does Cal. The guys are going to go through the data and see what they can come up with for us over the next couple of days.” Cal Crutchlow Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (14th, 1’32.8) “We worked through a lot of stuff, unfortunately it’s not all worked yet. If we can get going in the right direction over the next couple of days for both of us then we can move forward. I’m looking forward to race weekend as always and will do the best job I can.” Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda world Superbike Team Manager “We have had a problem with chatter so we will spend the next few days before the race weekend studying the data to find a solution. We are confident that we will find the right one and give both James and Cal the best possible bike to race with.”
Alex Asigno

Double top five finish for Yamaha at 2010 Dakar

Fretigne in the dunes Portugal’s Helder Rodrigues has completed the 9000km, 14 stage loop through Argentina and Chile that formed the 2010 Dakar rally in a fine fourth place on the WR450F. The 30 year old was one position ahead of France’s David Fretigne who added to his Dakar stage win tally by earning victory on the second day. The WR accumulated 10 top three results in total through the endurance and skill of both riders in the 32nd edition of the historic and challenging event. Rodrigues was hunting for a podium place in the latter half of the two-week rally and traversed a variety of terrain and conditions in what was the second year of the spectacle being based in South America. The Enduro expert finished in the top three in four stages and dropped out of the first ten only once across the entire fourteen. Helder Rodrigues “I am really happy because I proved I have the speed and consistency to run at the front of the Dakar,” he said. “I am in good shape and arrived to the finish without any injuries or physical problems and I am really motivated to do well again here. I am one of the youngest riders among the leaders and after this result I feel that I win the Dakar; this will be a dream and I hope I can achieve it soon.” Although Rodrigues could not topple Cyril Despres, who had led from the third stage, to give Yamaha their tenth Dakar triumph he was nevertheless the highest runner for the brand, just over half an hour in front of Fretigne. The Frenchman, a former winner of seven Dakar stages prior to the 2010 trek and also a victor in the old 450cc classification, had a bittersweet run through the continent. Celebration in stage two and a further four more runner-up positions were ultimately undone by an electrical problem on stage three that cost the Dakar veteran the better part of two hours. “I did not achieve my goal of third place but to finish fifth despite losing one hour and forty-five minutes with a problem in the dunes, well, I could not hope for better,” reflected ‘Fretos’, who had charged from 20th place in the standings after his misfortune. “I won a stage and was pretty consistent throughout. I showed that I can be considered a candidate for victory.” Fretigne and Pain 2010 was the first year in which all motorcycles were operating near a level ‘playing field’ with a technical limit of 450cc; larger capacity machines faced air restrictions. Only 450cc bikes will be permitted in 2011. “Next year we will all be on 450s so I am already impatient for 2011 when we will all be on equal machines; the competition has been revived,” added Fretigne. Fellow Frenchman Olivier Pain was 9th overall, placing three Yamahas in the final top ten. Yamaha dominated the quad category thanks to the skills of Argentinean brothers Marco and Alejandro Patronelli respectively with their YFM700Rs. Marco, runner-up in 2009, clinched the title with a commanding lead of over two hours. Along with his older brother the South American’s ruled six stages. Yamaha filled five positions in the top six with Spain’s Juan Manuel Gonzalez in third, Poland’s Rafal Sonik in fifth and Argentina Sebastien Halpern in sixth. In total Yamaha grabbed ten stage wins from a possible fourteen. “In my dreams I could not have imagined this; two brothers finishing first and second at the Dakar! I think it is a bit of history for the rally,” said the winner. “This was a really hard Dakar and the toughest part was the climb through the north of Chile and Antofagasta, navigation was tricky and it seemed to never-end. I want to thank my team and my family who always supported me.”
Alex Asigno

MX GP: Philippaerts and Paulin win Italian Championship first round?

Philippaerts Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team’s David Philippaerts took a perfect 1-1 set of results at a cold and dark Montevarchi circuit for the first round of four in the Italian MX1 Championship. Completing a decent day of competition for the team Gautier Paulin enjoyed a successful debut on the 2010 YZ250F and in Monster Energy colours by also claiming two victories in the MX2 category. Ken De Dycker meanwhile triumphed at Lommel in Belgium. Philippaerts beat former Yamaha GP rider Davide Guarneri in both motos for an encouraging scorecard in what was just his second outing on the new fuel-injected rear slanting YZ450F. The Italian took to the tight, twisty and hard-pack track in order to gather more data and learn more about the settings of the machine under race conditions. It was a useful day as the wet terrain as slick and bumpy and far from easy. ‘I am happy with today, we had two good results and the races were not so easy,’ the 2008 MX1-GP World Champion said. ‘We worked a little bit on suspension and I am pleased with how everything is going. Even though there were not too many Grand Prix riders here the pace was still pretty good.’ Paulin In MX2 Paulin, who only returned from the USA and his brief outing in the AMA West Coast Lites SX series last week, was unstoppable in an emphatic opening statement for the team. He took the holeshot in both motos and won the first sprint by almost half a lap, going on to celebrate another victory later in the afternoon. ‘Two good starts and a positive way to begin the year with the team,’ he remarked. ‘I am pleased with what we did here and now we head to Valence and will continue to work and get ready for the season ahead.’ In second place behind Paulin was 2009 European Champion and Yamaha Monster Energy Gariboldi Racing’s Christophe Charlier. The French teenager will enter his first world championship term in 2010 and begin his racing activities this year with 3rd and 2nd positions. Team-mate Harri Kullas was an encouraging 4th overall. Further north in Belgium Ken De Dycker showed his customary precision in Belgian sand by taking the 2010 YZ450F to first place overall at a snowy and icy Lommel. The Belgian took a 3rd and 1st and celebrated his first garland with Yamaha by virtue of his second moto classification. Both Yamaha Monster Energy teams will line-up again this coming weekend, this time just south of Lyon for the Valence International.
Alex Asigno

Three Yamahas in Atlanta top six

Josh Hill in Atlanta Yamaha LandM San Manuel's Josh Hill finished 6th at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for round eight of seventeen in the AMA Supercross/FIM World SX Championship and keeps within 20 points of the 2010 title chase. The 20 year old was one of three YZ450F riders in the top six of the 32nd Main Event to be run in the Georgian capital. The highest finisher Saturday night in front of more than 69,000 spectators was Valli Motorsports Ivan Tedesco; the veteran taking his second best result of the year with 4th spot. The day started in a tough way for Hill who suffered a crash in which he bent his handlebars with his chest in the final timed period and negotiated the 20 lap Main Event in some discomfort. 'That was the hardest race I've ever had,' he said. 'I wasn't even going to race until about 6:30, and I started feeling a little better. But 20 laps out there in my condition, that was so hard. At least I'm still there in the points, but I'm just going to go home and try to heal-up for next week in Daytona." Justin Brayton 20 seconds in front of the youngster was Joe Gibbs Racing's Justin Brayton, who was hunting a way past Tedesco but ultimately had to settle for 5th in what is becoming a very solid campaign for the 2009 Bercy SX winner. Tedesco was the first of six 2010 YZ450Fs on the leader-board that filled positions down to 9th place. After Hill followed Michael Byrne, Jason Lawrence and Grant Langston. Hill is now back to second place in the championship behind Ryan Dungey as the winner of the last two rounds, Ryan Villopoto, could only cross the line in 19th in Atlanta after a mistake caused a crash and necessitated a visit to the pits. Brayton's excellent consistency, which has seen three top five finishes in the last four events, means he is 5th and 13 points away from moving up another spot. Round nine takes place next Saturday as the series move to Daytona on the east coast. Crowd: 69, 182 Weather: Dry

Lap Record: 0'52.919 (Ricky Carmichael , 01/01/2006) Last Years Winner: James Stewart
2010 AMA-SX Atlanta, GA 28/02/2010 Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 18'38.901 2 Trey Canard Honda USA 0'10.976 3 David D Millsaps Honda USA 0'13.239 4 Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 0'16.672 5 Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 0'17.157 6 Josh Hill Yamaha USA 0'37.668 7 Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS 0'41.606 8 Jason Lawrence Yamaha USA 0'45.254 9 Grant Langston Yamaha RSA 0'47.817 10 Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 0'49.766 11 Chris Blose Honda USA -1Laps 12 Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA -1Laps 13 Matt Boni Honda USA -1Laps 14 Kevin Windham Honda USA -1Laps 15 Jason Thomas Suzuki USA -1Laps 17 Weston Peick Yamaha USA -1Laps 18 Dan Reardon Yamaha USA -1Laps  
Rider Standings 27/02/2010 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 170 2. Josh Hill Yamaha USA 150 3. Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 147 4. David D Millsaps Honda USA 134 5. Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 121 6. Ivan Tedesco Yamaha USA 115 7. Kevin Windham Honda USA 113 8. Nicholas Wey Kawasaki USA 85 9. Michael Byrne Yamaha AUS 71 10. Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA 69 11. Andrew Short Honda USA 69 12. Grant Langston Yamaha RSA 66 13. Thomas Hahn Yamaha USA 61 14. Chris Blose Honda USA 60 15. James Stewart Yamaha USA 51 18. Jason Lawrence Yamaha USA 28 19. Dan Reardon Yamaha USA 25 28. Weston Peick Yamaha USA 7 35. Josh Grant Yamaha USA 1  
Manufacturer Standings 27/02/2010 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Suzuki 170 2. Yamaha 169 3. Honda 161 4. Kawasaki 156 5. KTM 3
Alex Asigno

Challenging start to the season for Yamaha Sterilgarda at Phillip Island?

It wasn't an easy start for Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland today at the season opening race in Phillip Island Australia. Race one saw both riders crash out, Crutchlow losing the front having run wide on onto a dirty section of track on lap two and Toseland highsiding on the fifth lap. Race two saw a fiercely contested battle for points with both riders fighting off riders including Biaggi, Corser and others to stay within the top ten. Combined with a less than perfect set up on both bikes and struggling for grip the riders put in an incredible ride to bring their bikes home in the points, Crutchlow in ninth and Toseland tenth. Crutchlow moves on to round two in Portimao in 12th position in the championship on seven points, team-mate Toseland sits just behind in 13th with six points. Cal Crutchlow Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (DNF, 9th) "Race one was unfortunate, I felt we had good pace and were running up in the top five quite comfortably, I just made a little mistake. I was a bit better than Rea into the hairpin so had to run wide to avoid him and lost the front on the dirt. The second race was hard, I felt like I had no grip from the start and still some chattering. If we had better grip we could have pulled more out of it. We need to go back to the drawing board and work some stuff out." James Toseland James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (DNF, 10th) "I really needed to finish the second race after the crash in the first. To only finish 14 seconds from the front with the issues we've had this weekend is not so bad. I was really disappointed with the first race, with my injury on Friday I wanted to have two good finishes today. Full credit to the team they've tried so hard but unfortunately we haven't had the software here to solve the issue. We know what the problem is and I've given enough feedback and input to give the guys a direction to go in. We've got a lot of work to do, no doubt, but even with all the problems we're not actually that far away. The package, the power, the balance and the suspension have come on leaps and bounds. On to Portimao now, it's a long season so we can do it." Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager "It was definitely a really tough weekend for us. We solved some problems, and some we still have to work on. As we spent the two day test and the first day of the race weekend resolving the chatter issue, qualifying and race day was our first opportunity to really test the 2010 bike set up. We've seen that we have the potential to do well so we will go home and start working on the solutions to be ready to fight for the Portimao races. The team have worked really hard over the last few days to try and solve the issues and both Cal and James have given 100% to meet the challenges."

Circuit Length: 4.445 Weather: Windy
Lap Record: 1'32.402 (Troy Bayliss, 01/01/2006) Fastest Lap Ever: 1'31.069 (Ben Spies, 01/03/2009) Last Years Winner: Ben Spies
2010 WSB Australia - Phillip Island 28/02/2010 Race 1 - 22 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 34'13.435 2 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 0'00.004 3 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 0'00.769 4 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 0'10.201 5 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 0'10.782 6 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 0'11.079 7 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 0'11.208 8 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0'16.522 9 Troy Corser BMW AUS 0'20.291 10 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0'26.352 11 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 0'29.775 12 Max Neukirchner Honda GER 0'30.155 13 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 0'31.951 14 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 0'31.957 15 Andrew Pitt BMW AUS 0'55.082
Race 2 - 22 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 34'16.428 2 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 0'00.307 3 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 0'00.434 4 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 0'00.837 5 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 0'03.453 6 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 0'11.530 7 Troy Corser BMW AUS 0'12.026 8 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 0'13.068 9 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 0'14.401 10 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 0'14.707 11 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 0'14.743 12 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 0'14.851 13 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0'15.143 14 Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 0'30.947 15 Andrew Pitt BMW AUS 0'41.855
Best Lap Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 1'32.193  
Rider Standings 28/02/2010 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 45 2. Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 36 3. Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 34 4. Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 27 5. Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 23 6. Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 23 7. Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 19 8. Troy Corser BMW AUS 16 9. Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 10 10. Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 9 11. Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 8 12. Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 7 13. James Toseland Yamaha GBR 6 14. Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 6 15. Max Neukirchner Honda GER 4  
Manufacturer Standings 28/02/2010 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Ducati 45 2. Suzuki 45 3. Honda 23 4. Aprilia 19 5. BMW 16 6. Yamaha 7 7. Kawasaki 3
Alex Asigno

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