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Yamaha Racing News

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Fiat Yamaha riders seal front row starts for desert challenge

Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards carried on from where they left off yesterday on day two of the seasonopening Grand Prix of Qatar, topping the time sheets again in this morning's free practice before taking first and third in a gripping Qualifying session this afternoon. Rossi will start from pole for the 46th time in his Grand Prix career with his team mate two places away from him, the pair separated only by the Ducati of Casey Stoner who was just five-thousandths of a second slower than the Italian.
With the new tyre restrictions meaning the Yamaha duo had only two qualifying tyres to work with in the session, the first forty minutes were focused on perfecting the set-ups of their 800cc M1s and both continued to show a consistently strong pace on race tyres. Already holding the top spot after a string of fast laps inside the last twenty minutes, Edwards' first qualifying tyre saw him consolidate first place with ten minutes to go, his team-mate moving into second place behind him a few minutes later. The last five minutes saw a flurry of activity with Rossi, Edwards, Stoner, Toni Elias and Dani Pedrosa (both Honda) all putting in quick flying laps in a tense finale. All five riders lapped under last year's pole time but it was Rossi who took the honours with a lap of 1'55.002, over half a second faster than the existing record.
Valentino Rossi Position: 1st Time: 1'55.002 Laps: 26 Laps "It's great to have my first pole of the season at the very first race and it's extra special for me because it's pole number 46 of my career! I hope this is a good omen for tomorrow. I'm really happy for this pole position because everyone has worked so hard; all my mechanics, engineers, Michelin…everyone involved. Yamaha has built us a great bike. Anyway tomorrow is another day and the real race, but we're starting from first and Colin is on the front row too so I hope we can put in a good Yamaha show! We have a couple of things to check in morning practice but we're more or less ready. I really like this track, the grip is great, it's fast and technical and it's possible to have a lot of fun with the new Yamaha. It's also quite quiet here, with not too many people and this is a nice atmosphere in which to start the season as I can focus completely on racing without too many other distractions! I think tomorrow there are three or four riders who can fight at the top with Colin and me, but we're feeling confident in our garage."
Colin Edwards Position: 3rd Time: 1'55.223 Laps: 24 Laps "Yamaha, Michelin, Valentino and I have all worked so hard and it's really exciting to be up there together on the front row...although of course I would like to try to reverse the order tomorrow! Our bike is going so well so far this year, everywhere we go we've got a plan and it seems to work and the lap times are just amazing. It's a great feeling. I love this track and the set-up we have seems to be spot-on, really we don't have anything left to do tomorrow morning except double-check everything and make our final tyre choice. I've got a choice of two but honestly I'm not too worried, they both work well and I don't think either will be the difference between winning and losing - Michelin seem to have it all under control for us! It's going to be a matter of getting a good start and seeing how it goes. I think there's a few that can run with us but our race pace is pretty good so I am confident I can be up there fighting!" Davide Brivio - Team Director "It's a very good start for us and we're very happy! The weekend so far has been very good for us and both riders are working in a very smooth, confident way. Tomorrow is the important test and it will be the final proof of where we are, but we feel that we're ready to race and I hope we'll be able to enjoy a great result together with both Colin and Valentino."
Circuit Length: 5380 Temp: 27 Weather: Dry     2007 MotoGP Qatar - Doha/Losail 09/03/2007 Qualifying 1 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'55.002 2 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 1'55.007 3 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 1'55.233 4 Toni Elias Honda ESP 1'55.358 5 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'55.361 6 John Hopkins Suzuki USA 1'55.833 7 Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 1'55.851 8 Randy De Puniet Kawasaki FRA 1'55.933 9 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 1'56.041 10 Marco Melandri Honda ITA 1'56.222 11 Shinya Nakano Honda JPN 1'56.306 12 Carlos Checa Honda ESP 1'56.609 13 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 1'56.639 14 Olivier Jacque Kawasaki FRA 1'56.754 15 Alex Barros Ducati BRA 1'56.814 16 Sylvain Guintoli Yamaha FRA 1'57.257 19 Makoto Tamada Yamaha JPN 1'58.024
Alex Asigno

Rossi launches 800cc challenge with hard-fought second in Qatar

Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi finished second in the inaugural Grand Prix of the 800cc era today after losing out in a close battle with Casey Stoner (Ducati), who took his first MotoGP win. After starting from pole position for the 46th time in his career, Rossi got a good start but surrendered his lead to the eventual winner as they crossed the line at the end of the first lap with Dani Pedrosa (Honda) and John Hopkins (Suzuki) in close contention. From then on seven-time World Champion Rossi stalked the Australian youngster with both showing their strength in different parts of the track; Rossi's Yamaha was generally faster in the corners whilst the Ducati claimed the advantage on the straights. With four laps to go Rossi made his move and passed but Stoner passed him back over the line and Rossi was unable to stay with him in the final few laps. Stoner eventually took the chequered flag 2.8 seconds clear of Rossi with Pedrosa just holding on for third ahead of Hopkins.
After being consistently fast throughout the practice sessions and also starting from the front row in third, today was not to be Colin Edwards' day and a small slide off the start line saw him lose his grid position into turn one before dropping to seventh by the end of the first lap. The Texan had a few problems during the race and was unable to make it back up to the front group, settling into a best position of fifth before Marco Melandri (Honda) eventually relegated him to sixth with three laps to go.
Valentino Rossi Position: 2nd Time: +2.838 "It was a great race today and a good battle, although of course we would have preferred to start the season with a win! After the practice this morning we were a little bit scared because we had some problems with the tyre, but we understood what to do and I definitely made the right tyre choice with Michelin, so I am happy for that. I got a great start and my M1 worked very well, I could ride it how I wanted on the limit and keep pushing. I wanted to push Casey and try to take the fight to him more, but in fact he was perfect today. He didn't make a single mistake as far as I could see and he rode very well; he deserved to win so congratulations to him. I could see that he was faster on the straight and so I knew that if I got in front I was going to need to make a gap from him, but in fact he was too strong! In the last few laps we were getting faster and faster and I thought I still had a chance, but then he kept on going and my tyre started to slide a little bit so I wasn't able to stay with him to the finish. Anyway, we only waved the white flag right at the end so I am happy about this! Of course it's not perfect but my team have worked very hard and it's much better to have 20 points like this than two like last year! Now we need to find a little bit more horsepower, but Yamaha is working very hard and I am confident that we will continue to improve."
Colin Edwards Position: 6th Time: +18.647 "I spun off the line on the dirty part of the track and so my start wasn't great, which was annoying. I had a bit of a feeling just before we went out that we would be slower in the first few laps as the tyre was going to take time to heat up and unfortunately that was the case; I just couldn't push hard enough in those vital first few laps. Anyway after that I was holding pace okay and thought I could stay with the top group but then I had a near crash on lap seven or eight coming into turn seven, to the extent when I was holding the bike up on my knee and elbow! I somehow figured out how to get it back up after 30 metres but we lost quite a bit of time. From then on my rhythm was okay and honestly the race as a whole wasn't so bad, but the tyre felt a bit greasy and I was lacking some front grip, which was strange after it had been perfect all weekend. We definitely need more power - that was obvious today, so that's priority number one for Yamaha I guess! Anyway, we've learnt a lot this weekend so let's go forward from here."
Davide Brivio - Team Director "It could be a better start for us and it's not what we hoped for after starting on the front row with both riders, but anyway it's not so bad! Our bike is good and we can fight for the victory as Valentino showed today, but we have some more work to do. Colin unfortunately wasn't able to match the potential he showed during the practices, but I am sure he will be back at the top in Jerez. In some areas our bike is very strong and in other areas less so; now we will do our best to even this out. We gathered a lot more important information this weekend which will help our engineers over the coming days and I am sure we will be ready to fight again in Jerez."
Circuit Length: 5380 Temp: 29 Weather: Dry     2007 MotoGP Qatar - Doha/Losail 10/03/2007 Race 1 - 22 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 43'2.788 2 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 0'2.838 3 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 0'8.530 4 John Hopkins Suzuki USA 0'9.071 5 Marco Melandri Honda ITA 0'17.433 6 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 0'18.647 7 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 0'22.916 8 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 0'23.057 9 Alex Barros Ducati BRA 0'25.961 10 Shinya Nakano Honda JPN 0'28.456 11 Alex Hofmann Ducati GER 0'35.029 12 Olivier Jacque Kawasaki FRA 0'42.948 13 Kenny Roberts KR212V USA 0'42.977 14 Toni Elias Honda ESP 0'42.989 15 Sylvain Guintoli Yamaha FRA 0'51.639 16 Makoto Tamada Yamaha JPN 0'57.853
Best Lap Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 1'56.528
 Rider Standings 10/03/2007
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 25 2. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 20 3. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 16 4. John Hopkins Suzuki USA 13 5. Marco Melandri Honda ITA 11 6. Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 10 7. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 9 8. Nicky Hayden Honda USA 8 9. Alex Barros Ducati BRA 7 10. Shinya Nakano Honda JPN 6 11. Alex Hofmann Ducati GER 5 12. Olivier Jacque Kawasaki FRA 4 13. Kenny Roberts KR212V USA 3 14. Toni Elias Honda ESP 2 15. Sylvain Guintoli Yamaha FRA 1
Team Standings 10/03/2007
Pos. Team Points 1. FIAT Yamaha Team 30 2. Ducati Marlboro Team 25 3. Repsol Honda Team 24 4. Rizla Suzuki 22 5. Honda Gresini 13 6. Pramac D'Antin 12 7. Konica Minolta Honda 6 8. Kawasaki Racing Team 4 9. Team Roberts 3 10. Tech3 Yamaha 1
Manufacturer Standings 10/03/2007
Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Ducati 25 2. Yamaha 20 3. Honda 16 4. Suzuki 13 5. Kawasaki 4 6. KR212V 3
Alex Asigno

Yamaha’s Motocross line-up for 2007

The 2007 FIM Motocross World Championship sees Yamaha once again retain a strong and potent line-up of teams, riders and, importantly, equipment to tackle the MX1 and MX2 classes over the sixth month, fifteen round series. Top priority of course will be to maintain the riders and manufacturers titles won and practically owned by the Rinaldi Team in the premier category since 2001. From 500cc to MXGP and then the last three years in MX1, Yamaha has toasted championship success every season this century. Thanks to Team Yamaha De Carli the company also has one of the most talented riders in the MX2 competition, Antonio Cairoli, pushing for a second title in three years this coming term. The YZ450FM and the YZ250F have set benchmarks in their respective circles since 2003 and now carry the current Yamaha fleet - outlined below - as the FIM World Championship celebrates 50 years of existence when the paddock reconvenes on April 1st.
Yamaha Motocross Team The Yamaha Motocross Team may have an all-new rider line-up for 2007 but their pedigree and immense record of results is well-known and feared in the paddock. The Rinaldi brothers (Michele and Carlo) have moulded a highly professional crew from their Italian base since first embracing Yamaha’s four-stroke technology in 1999 with Andrea Bartolini claiming the 500cc World Championship. The small but technically proficient group have won a further seven titles in the last eight seasons thanks to a prosperous alliance with now-retired-Stefan Everts and their expertise with the factory’s innovations in motocross machinery. 2006 was something of a zenith as the team scored 14 from 15 MX1 Grand Prix wins on the latest aluminium-framed version of the YZ450FM. This year they will assist double World Championship runner-up and widely touted favourite for the ’07 crown Josh Coppins. The 30 year old is one of only six riders to have won an MX1 Grand Prix since the inception of the category in 2004 (and one of only two currently still in the series). Famed for his work ethic and dedication, Coppins has already adapted well to his new ‘steed’ with pre-season victories at meetings in Italy and France.
‘The whole bike is a step above what I had been using so it was a really positive experience from day one,’ the New Zealander commented on his initial tests with the YZ. ‘I felt comfortable right away and as I have been working with it more and more over the last couple of months I have found the strong points, the chassis among them.’ ‘I feel like I have adapted to a new bike very fast and I have a decent speed already; the team have helped so much in this respect and could not do any more for me,’ he added. ‘Regarding 2007 and beyond I will never be a Stefan Everts and win multiple world titles but I’ll do everything to win the title too with Yamaha; that’s my goal and I have some work to do.’ Coppins will be backed-up in his plight by MX1 debutant Marc de Reuver. The 24 year old has won two Grand Prix in the MX2 category but his tall frame and determined character means that this colourful Dutchman should be a valid threat in his maiden campaign on the YZ450FM. ‘I have some more to learn but it is coming along,’ he assessed. ‘Riding a 450 is very different. It hurts your body more. With an MX2 bike you are working hard with the cardio-vascular but the bigger bike makes your arms and legs ache! The Yamaha is really an awesome machine, powerful yet predictable and very strong at starts.’ ‘The Rinaldis are very passionate and take a lot of interest,’ he continued on his new team. ‘They want to know what you are up to and they go with you riding and testing. When you get off the bike they immediately want to know what is good, what is wrong, they want feedback and have meetings. It is very productive and professional.’
Of course Carlo Rinaldi will be marshalling his unit of six personnel for the two riders and is clear about his goals for 2007. ‘I believe that Josh can win and I am confident in him but it will be difficult and we must keep our feet on the ground a little bit,’ he said. ‘There are many people saying Josh is the title favourite and this is perhaps the first time he has ridden under this kind of pressure; in my experience pressure can affect riders in different ways. We have every confidence in him though.’ ‘With Marc he has the potential to be one of the top guys and has shown that he is as fast if not faster than the others at different circuits,’ he states. ‘He needs to work on his consistency though and still be able to find a result even on a bad day. I have seen him mature since he has been working with us and I am confident that this will have a positive effect on the track.’ Concerning the evolution of the YZ450FM: ‘We have improved the bike quite a bit again which I did not really think would be that possible especially because it was already so good last year. We have two new riders now though and we have found some settings and we have made some significant changes to the engine to match the riders’ requirements. That has left us very satisfied with the package we have.’
YZ450FM specifications Engine Engine type: Single cylinder liquid-cooled 4-stroke, DOHC 5-valve Displacement: 449cc Carburation: Single Keihin FCR 39mm carburettor Ignition: YRRD Lubrication system: Semi-pressurized wet sump Maximum power: 60ps Exhaust: Full Titanium TransmissionType: 5-speed Primary drive: Gear Clutch: Wet with 9 plates: Hydraulic operated Final drive: Chain
Chassis and running gear Frame type: Aluminium semi-double cradle Rear frame: Carbon fibre Triple Clamps: CNC machined from billet, made by Ergal Front suspension: Factory fully adjustable 50mm upside down Kayaba forks Rear suspension: Monocross with factory Kayaba gas shock absorber with titanium spring Front/rear wheels: 20/21 inch front, 19 inch rear Front brake: Ø270mm single disc, - radial calliper Rear Brake: Ø245mm single disc Weight: 101 kg Fuel capacity: Carbon fibre, 8 litres capacity
Technical partners: Acerbis ; Afam ; Arrow ; Braking ; Brembo ; Champion ; Domino ; DT 1 ; Pirelli-Metzeler ; Regina ; Technical Touch ; Tommaselli ; Yamalube
Josh Coppins - #6 Personal profile Date of Birth: 11/03/1977 Place of Birth: Motueka, New Zealand Nationality: Kiwi Residence: Motueka, New Zealand and Balen Hulsen, Belgium Height: 177cm Weight: 73kg Marital Status: Single Hobbies: Watersports, BMX, Trials
Career highlights 2006: 7th, Motocross MX1 World Championship (injured) 2005: 2nd, Motocross MX1 World Championship + British Champion 2004: 3rd, Motocross MX1 World Championship + British Champion 2003: 12th, MXGP Motocross World Championship (injured) 2002: 2nd, 250cc Motocross World Championship 2001: 6th, 250cc Motocross World Championship 2000: 4th, 250cc Motocross World Championship 1999: 7th, 250cc Motocross World Championship 1998: 13th, 250cc Motocross World Championship 1997: 17th, 250cc Motocross World Championship 1996: 23rd 250cc Motocross World Championship
Marc de Reuver - #14 Personal profile Date of Birth: 21/02/1983 Place of Birth: Amstelveen, The Netherlands Nationality: Dutch Residence: Lommel, Belgium Height: 191cm Weight: 75kg Marital Status: Single Hobbies: Surfing on internet
Career highlights 2006: 5th, Motocross MX2 World Championship 2005: 20th, Motocross MX2 World Championship 2004: 14th, Motocross MX2 World Championship 2003: 7th, Motocross 125 World Championship 2002: 9th, Motocross 125cc World Championship, 125cc Dutch Champion 2001: 8th, Motocross 125cc World Championship, 125cc Dutch Champion 1988: Started racing
Members Yamaha Motocross Team Michele Rinaldi (ITA) Team owner Carlo Rinaldi (ITA) Team Manager Massimo Raspanti (ITA) Technical coordinator Gerald Wever (GER) De Reuver's mechanic Fabio Santoni (ITA) Coppins' mechanic Andrea Zirri (ITA) Engine mechanic Manuel Volpato (ITA) Assistant mechanic Giovanni Pelizza (ITA) Logistics coordinator
Team Yamaha De Carli Yamaha’s MX2 arm with the YZ250F is led by Team Yamaha De Carli. The Italian outfit has become one of the leading squads in the category since 2004 thanks to the achievements and eye-catching style of Antonio Cairoli. ‘Tony’ has won 26 motos from 96 and 10 Grand Prix from 48 in the last three years, as well as giving the 250 four stroke its first crown in 2005. The 21 year old Sicilian has finished third, first and second in the last three seasons of MX2 competition and adopts the race number ‘222’ for 2007; the digits with which he debuted on the international stage in 2004. ‘The YZ250F in 2007 has improved again and my team have done some excellent development work,’ Cairoli said, who leads the Italian Championship after three rounds. ‘It has been difficult to train in Belgium in the last few years because of the weather so we have committed to the first four rounds of the Italian Championship. They say there is no better training than racing but then there is also the risk of competition and giving 100% for the win! Obviously my objective is to regain the world title this season. I want to avoid the mistakes I committed in 2006 and I am hopeful.’ Cairoli is backed up by fellow 21 year old Matteo Bonini, who is hoping to shake off his bad luck with injury that blighted his first season with the team in 2006, and new highly rated teenager Alessandro Lupino (16 years old) who has already posted some very encouraging top ten results in Italy. ‘I am satisfied with our development and speed at the moment; we have reached a base that I believe is very good,’ said Team Principal Claudio De Carli. ‘The Italian Championship started well for us and is continuing to be positive. Tony is in good condition even if not still 100% and also Bonini has recovered and we expect some good results from him in the World Championship. We will also be running young Alessandro Lupino this year and we want him to mature and get some experience. He is only sixteen years old but has a lot of promise. He has made some good finishes in the Italian Championship and we hope this will carry on.’  
Yamaha Van Beers Racing Team The Netherlands based Yamaha Van Beers Racing Team came to prominence during the 2006 MX1 World Championship when rider Manuel Priem finished a lofty eight in the final classification and they also celebrated two Dutch championships thanks to the efforts of Priem and Aigar Leok. The Dutch squad now offer Yamaha potentially excellent options in MX1 and MX2. 21 year old Estonian Leok graduates to steer the YZ450F while promising 19 year old Dennis Verbruggen is Belgium’s next star-in-the-making and attempts his first full MX2 campaign after winning the Under18 World Championship in 2005 and the European MX2 title in 2006 aboard his Yamaha. Leok and Verbruggen will start this season with renewed YRRD kits for both their bikes.
Yamaha Team Ricci The second of three heavyweight Yamaha teams in the MX2 class is Yamaha Ricci who field Grand Prix winner Kenneth Gundersen, GP moto victor Davide Guarneri and Nicolas Aubin who surprised many at the Bulgarian and British Grand Prix last year with his speed on a privateer entry. All three riders can now benefit from the improved 2007 YRRD kits available for the YZ250F. The Italian set-up completed test sessions throughout February and Guarneri in particular seemed to be placing an injury-perturbed 2006 season behind him with some impressive podium finishes in the three rounds of the Italian Championship run to-date (that in itself is becoming a Yamaha ‘mini-series’ with De Carli and Ricci team members disputing the leading positions).
Bike it Yamaha UK Dixon Racing Yamaha’s intent to regain number one status in the MX2 class extends to the calibre of Britain’s Bike it Yamaha UK Dixon Racing Team who have provided the YRRD kitted YZ250F with further victories and at least one triumph every season since 2004. Double British MX2 Champ Carl Nunn returns to the fold where he debuted in great style by winning the French 125cc GP seven years ago. Now 27, Nunn was Britain’s top ranked rider in all categories last year with a decent sixth position in the MX2 standings. The Brit will be partnered by another new Dixon signing Carlos Campano. Spain’s most recognised MX2 participant means that Yamaha’s cosmopolitan line-up in the World Championship includes representation from the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Britain, Norway and Belgium.
Laurens Klein Koerkamp – Department Manager Racing Division Yamaha Motor Europe NV 'After winning 6 world titles in the last 6 years, for 2007 there a new challenge in MX1 with two new Yamaha riders. Josh has lots of experience, has shown a strong pre-GP season performance and used it to get to know the YZ450FM in each and every detail. We expect him to fight for race wins from the beginning and fight for the championship. Marc is extremely talented, has gelled into the team perfectly and with the Rinaldi experience and focussed rider-approach on and off the track we believe he can be a top MX1 rider.
In MX2 Cairoli is fully determined to get back his world title. We expect Guarneri to come through as a next top MX2 rider with improved consistence. Kenneth Gundersen and Carl Nunn have the experience already and should be up there from the beginning. Interesting will is what the young guys will be doing : with Dennis Verbruggen, Nicolas Aubin, Bonini and Lupino Yamaha is investing in the future. They all get good support in professional teams and have the chance to show their skills and gain experience.
Race Calendar 01 Apr 2007 – GP of Benelux, Valkenswaard 15 Apr 2007 - GP of Spain, Bellpuig 22 Apr 2007 - GP of Portugal, Agueda 06 May 2007 - GP of Italy, Mantova 13 May 2007 - GP of Germany, Teutschenthal 27 May 2007 - GP of Japan, Sugo 10 Jun 2007 - GP of France, St Jean d'Angely 17 Jun 2007 - GP of Bulgaria, Sevlievo 01 Jul 2007 - GP of Sweden, Uddevalla 15 Jul 2007 - GP of Republic of South Africa, Sun City 29 Jul 2007 - GP of Czech Republic, Loket 05 Aug 2007 - GP of Belgium, Namur 19 Aug 2007 - GP of Northern Ireland, TBA 26 Aug 2007 - GP of Great Britain, Donington Park 02 Sep 2007 - GP of Netherlands, Lierop
Alex Asigno

Fiat Yamaha Team look to build on strong start at Jerez

The second round of the MotoGP World Championship welcomes the Fiat Yamaha Team to Europe next weekend with Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards looking to continue their strong start to the season at Jerez. After starring in an intriguing curtain-raiser to the season in Qatar, where the pair dominated in practice only to see Casey Stoner (Ducati) storm to his debut victory in the race, the Italian and the American will be looking to use data from positive tests at the Spanish circuit just over three weeks ago to propel them to victory next Sunday.
Second place for Rossi in the desert dust of Doha leaves him lying second in the championship, five points behind the Australian youngster, whilst Edwards holds sixth place after suffering grip problems on the unpredictable Losail surface in the race. Both riders lapped well at Jerez in the final Official Test of the pre-season, when Rossi took the top spot in a televised 'qualifying' session - smashing the pole record with a best lap of 1'38.394.
Rossi's record at Jerez in competitive action is unmatched, the 28-year-old having won there on six occasions riding five different types of motorcycle since his first appearance in the 125cc class in 1996. Edwards, meanwhile, had never ridden at the Spanish venue previous to his debut MotoGP appearance in 2003 and the Texan has enjoyed limited success at the circuit since then, his best finish coming with seventh spot in a wet race three seasons ago.
Jerez could barely provide a starker contrast to the scenes at Losail, with the rolling green Andalusian hills providing the ideal setting for a natural amphitheatre that has become known as the Spanish Mecca of motorcycle racing, with upwards of 120,000 fans making the annual pilgrimage. The track itself challenges the riders to pick the most effective racing line, with few hard braking points and little opportunity to fully open the throttle. The 4.423km layout features regular and quick changes in direction, meaning that the rider requires a responsive overall set-up and good grip at maximum lean angles.
Valentino Rossi - "We're in good shape" Valentino Rossi has reiterated his confidence in the ability of Yamaha's engineers to respond to the top-speed challenge laid down by Ducati at Qatar as he looks to end his longest run without a win since his debut victory at Donington Park in 2000. Stoner's machine had the top speed advantage over Rossi's down the long Losail straight but 'The Doctor' fully expects the deficit to reduce over the coming weeks and says that the extra corner speed of his M1 will prove crucial at tighter circuits such as Jerez.
"I think Qatar showed that, although we have some areas to improve, our bike is working well and we won't be making the same mistakes as last year," said Rossi. "I'm feeling confident for Jerez, I think it will suit our bike very well, even better than Qatar, and we were very strong there in the test. We know we lack a bit of horsepower but I think this will improve race-by-race and Yamaha are working very hard. I don't expect it to be a big problem in Jerez as it's a different type of track".
"Jerez is one of my favourite circuits and I've had some great races there in the past so I hope this is another good year for me there. Qatar was very quiet, which was a good way to start the season because there were no distractions for me, but Jerez is always a great party with a fantastic atmosphere, so now I am really looking forward to that and I hope we can give the fans a good show. I expect that Pedrosa will be very fast here, as he was in the test, and I expect a big battle with him at his home race."  
Colin Edwards - "Learn and move on" Despite his unexpected problems in the race at Losail, sixth place for Colin Edwards was still a decent points haul for the opening round and the Texan is confident of adding considerably to that tally at Jerez. The more predictable nature of the Spanish track conditions should allow the 33-year-old to fully exploit the excellent set-up work he completed there during pre-season testing and allow him to once again run at the top of the time sheets throughout the Grand Prix.
"I'm looking forward to Jerez, our bike worked pretty well there during the test and we made some good changes to it there so I am expecting to be running at the top again - just this time I hope to be able to do it in the race, too!" says Edwards. "Qatar was disappointing of course because we were so good all week and then the race didn't work out. It wasn't what we expected but we just have to learn from it and move on".
"Last year Jerez wasn't great for us, I got a good start but then got caught up in Valentino's crash and ran through the gravel at turn one but both he and I will be looking to avoid anything like that this year! We've got a good setting to start with in Jerez and we'll go from there. We know we need to work on a few things and I know Yamaha are working hard to improve our top speed a bit, but hopefully that won't be too much of an issue in Jerez".  
Davide Brivio - "Podium priority" Fiat Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio outlined the importance of Rossi's opening-race podium in what promises to be another unpredictable season of MotoGP racing. Whilst the team's focus is clearly on winning races, Brivio points out that the priority is to be on the rostrum in as many events as possible as the team put together another championship tilt. The Italian added that his staff are now looking forward to the next challenge, with Jerez high on the list of favourite venues for any paddock regular.
"We're happy with the way the season started in Qatar because we saw that our bike is competitive and ready to win races " says Brivio. "We were on the podium and that is our target at every race this season because that's where the serious points are. Now we're looking forward to Jerez, a circuit where we tested well at and got lots of good information, so hopefully there will be no surprises. We're also confident that the difference between our bike and others in straight-line speed won't be as much of an issue there".
"Qatar is a nice place to go but it clearly doesn't have the atmosphere and sense of occasion of Jerez. It's nice to be in such a great motorcycling arena, with lots of people bustling around the paddock and thousands of screaming fans in the grandstand. I think it is the kind of atmosphere Valentino responds to and he will want to put on a great show for the fans. It's a great motivation for all the riders and there is no reason why Colin can't repeat his form at the tests and challenge with Valentino for the podium this Sunday."  
Valentino Rossi: Information Age: 28 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 84 (57 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 174 (115 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 46 World Championships: 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP)
Colin Edwards: Information Age: 33 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 67 x MotoGP World Championships: 2 World Superbike
Jerez Lap Record (990cc) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005, 1'40,596
Jerez Best Lap (800cc) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2007, 1'38,394
2006 Spanish Grand Prix Results 1. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 45'57.733 2. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda +4.375 3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda +9.996 11. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha +37.930 14. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha +1'05.766
Alex Asigno

Corser and Haga make progress at Valencia tests

Troy Corser Circuit Length: 4005m Temp: 23 Weather: Sunny, windy on day two Yamaha Motor Italy WSB riders Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga each worked hard to find good base settings at a very windy but dry Valencia circuit, with Corser taking fifth fastest lap of the tests on his YZF-R1, with Haga just one place behind in the final ranking. With the YZF-R1 an all-new machine this season, Haga and Corser still have many development parts to try out and after the experiences of the first two races of the year, each concentrated great efforts in matching machine set-up to tyre choice, to make rear traction last over full race distance. In contention for fast times throughout, Corser also worked through new brake components and rated them an improvement, an important factor at a circuit with many turns and frequent braking points. Haga survived two crashes unharmed, but left knowing he still has to find an optimal set-up for Valencia’s race weekend itself, in one month’s time. Team YZF Yamaha's Shinichi Nakatomi continued his never-ending cycle of development on his R1, testing new suspension parts and settings from Kayaba, and finding improvements through the test. He was 15th fastest overall. Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italy WSB Team) "We tried a few new links on the back of the bike and it has definitely made the bike better and easier to ride. It doesn’t seem to matter which tyres we got today because none of them seemed to work over race distance any better than the others. We found an improvement in the mapping to improve the response in the midrange, even if it is still a bit too flat in that area. Overall the test was not so bad and we tried some different brakes and callipers as well - and they were better. We have a pretty good bike set-up around here, we just need to get the tyres matched up in terms of compound. I think everyone else is in the same boat."  
Noriyuki Haga Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italy WSB Team) "I found a good front tyre here, but I cannot take too much satisfaction away from these two days. I tried a lot of different settings but this morning I had two crashes, one on the left side and one on the right side. We continued to work a lot on the suspension and the linkage but I could not find a really good feeling. The wind really did not help me as well. But I had good confidence with my qualifying tyres, better than in Phillip Island and Qatar races. But we still have a lot of work to do on the suspension when we get here for the race.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italy WSB Team) "We worked our way through a lot of different settings and links for the rear suspension at this test. Our main job was just trying to find a way to make things easier for the rear tyre, to make it last better over full race distance. We also had new exhausts on one of Troy’s bikes for comparison with the previous system, as part of our development programme."  
Shinichi Nakatomi Shinichi Nakatomi (Team YZF Yamaha) "I tried many new suspension settings on the machine in this test and some new parts. We worked a lot on suspension. We were looking for a base setting for the Valencia race and the feeling with the bike got better and better. We set the best lap time in the last session, even in the strong wind, so that proves that we made improvements." 1 Bayliss T. Ducati 1'34.102 2 Xaus R. Ducati 1'34.565 3 Lanzi L. Ducati 1'34.584 4 Biaggi M. Suzuki 1'34.708 5 Corser T. Yamaha 1'34.851 6 Haga N. Yamaha 1'35.029 7 Nieto F. Kawasaki 1'35.410 8 Muggeridge K. Honda 1'35.470 9 Neukirchner M. Suzuki 1'35.532 10 Laconi R. Kawasaki 1'35.639 15 Nakatomi S. Yamaha 1'36.832 Curtain fastest after strong test results for Yamaha riders Yamaha World Supersport Team rider Kevin Curtain secured the quickest supersport lap time after two days of official testing at Valencia, and in a highly positive shakedown for all Yamaha riders, four of the top six riders were YZR-R6 mounted. Curtain, concentrating his efforts on race distance testing and preparations for the Valencia race in mid April, was still clearly the fastest rider on show, with second quickest time overall going to Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni). Broc Parkes, Curtain’s team-mate, was fifth fastest, and like Curtain, expended his energies on tyre endurance and race set-up. The tests were blessed by warm conditions and a dry track on each of the two days, but on day two the ever-present wind peaked in its intensity, making conditions tricky for all in the last afternoon session. Kevin Curtain (Yamaha World Supersport Team) "We accomplished a little bit at this test. We spent a bit of time working on suspension settings to get more life out of the rear tyre and I guess we doubled the life we could expect to get. That was pretty good. There was a lot of wind across the track today but the times I did this morning were a little bit better. It would have been good to get into the 1’36s but we were not really here to do fast single lap times; but you have to ride at race pace to test properly. So all we did were long runs and long runs. I think we did about 60 laps each day. We’re pretty happy, and this was a step in the right direction." Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport Team) "We did a lot of race testing here, concentrating on tyre endurance after the last couple of rounds, and we went in a good direction. We worked through a few new springs and settings and we did more work on the new rear suspension units that we started the year with. I think they are really ready now. I didn’t put in a tyre in to try and do a single fast lap, but even my times on a race set-up, with a full tank of fuel, were still pretty fast. It all looks good." Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) "This proved to be a good test for us because I have sometimes had problems at this track in the past, so to set the second fastest time was a good result. Also we found a good set-up for the race here, and worked a lot with the suspension and tyres, so I think we will be ready for the race." 1 Curtain K. Yamaha 1'37.126 2 Roccoli M. Yamaha 1'37.498 3 Foret F. Kawasaki 1'37.556 4 Fujiwara K. Honda 1'37.590 5 Parkes B. Yamaha 1'37.635 6 Salom D. Yamaha 1'37.984 7 Alfonsi L. Honda 1'38.104 8 Riba P. Kawasaki 1'38.145 9 Kallio V. Suzuki 1'38.333 10 Peris C. Yamaha 1'38.724 11 Ivanov V. Yamaha 1'38.575 14 Peris C. Yamaha 1'38.724 19 Talmacsi G. Yamaha 1'39.966 20 Forner D. Yamaha 1'40.174 24 Vincent A. Yamaha 1'40.622 25 Enjolras J. Yamaha 1'40.883  
Claudio Corti Corti fastest after positive test at Valencia One day before the Supersport and Superbike classes had their chance to start testing at Valencia the Superstock riders made their last test before the start of the season at Donington Park on April 1. Claudio Corti showed the potential of the new 2007 YZF-R1, scoring the fastest lap of all and setting himself up well for the first round, while his team-mate Michele Pirro was an impressive fourth quickest, despite feeling that he still has a lot of learning to do in the Superstock class. Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) “I am very pleased with the performance of the new rear suspension and it makes all the difference to the steering. The front forks are also very good with the latest settings, and the new tyres we use in this class this year are going to make a big difference. I am confident for the new season.” Michel Pirro (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) “I think I am riding the bike too much like a 250 and not enough like a big four-stroke Superstock bike. I need to learn how to brake properly on this bike but I am sure as time goes on I can be competitive on the machine.” 1 Corti C. Yamaha 1'37.420 2 Badovini A. MV Agusta 1'37.582 3 Canepa N. Ducati 1'38.211 4 Pirro M. Yamaha 1'38.320 5 Sacchetti D. MV Agusta 1'38.616 6 Van Keymeulen D. Yamaha 1'38.685 7 Baiocco M. Yamaha 1'38.686 8 Aitchison M. Suzuki 1'38.769 9 Simeon X. Suzuki 1'39.027 10 Dell'Omo D. MV Agusta 1'39.085 13 Mahr R. Yamaha 1'39.400 18 Tangre C. Yamaha 1'39.906 19 Gieseler T. Yamaha 1'40.103 21 Giuseppetti D. Yamaha 1'40.361 25 Depoorter O. Yamaha 1'41.324 27 Schouten R. Yamaha 1'42.003 29 Van Den Broeck W. Yamaha 1'43.192
Alex Asigno

2007 FIM World Enduro Championship - Round 1, Ostersund

Cristobal Guerrero The opening round of the '07 World Enduro Champion saw Finland's Juha Salminen claim a double Enduro 1 class win in Ostersund, Sweden where the five-time WEC champion and two-time US GNCC series winner claimed two commanding day wins. With the snow covered special tests expected to favour the Scandinavian riders Juha placed ahead of Swede Niklas Gustafsson on day one with Poland's Bartosz Oblucki third. On day two Salminen was followed home by Fredrik Georgsson from Sweden with Finn Tomi Peltola third. For the three UFO Corse Yamaha team riders competing in Sweden the event proved to be a difficult one. With conditions playing right into the hands of the Scandinavian competitors it was the team's newest member, former Enduro Junior World Champion Cristobal Guerrero from Spain, who recorded the best results. Despite his lack of experience in the winter conditions Cristobal placed in eighth on day one and then a highly impressive sixth on day two. Italian UFO Corse Yamaha team riders Simone Albergoni and Maurizio Micheluz had a hard time of things in Ostersund with reigning E1 class runner-up Albergoni struggling to master the frozen conditions placing just inside the top 10 on day one in ninth before dropping to 13th on day two following numerous crashes on the one-lined special tests. Picking up a five minute penalty on day one after receiving help untangling a track banner from his rear wheel, Micheluz dropped from ninth to 14th before going on to finish seventh on day two. Cristobal Guerrero (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1 eighth, Day 2 sixth: "It has been a very hard race. The enduro test on day one was incredibly long, and because of the conditions very difficult also. Finishing eighth on day one was ok, but I made a few small mistakes. Finishing sixth on day two is really good. I crashed twice on the motocross test and then in the last test my chain came off. I think that with out my problems I could have finished sixth overall or even fifth. The next race of the championship is my home race in Spain, which I'm looking forward to."  
Simone Albergoni Simone Albergoni (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1 ninth, Day 2 13th: "I've had too many crashes this weekend. On Saturday I was crashing a lot and again on Sunday I found it really difficult in the frozen conditions. I just couldn't find a good rhythm. If I pushed too hard then I crashed if I tried to ride smooth I was just too slow. It is so difficult riding a special test when it is just one long frozen rut from the start to the finish. I'm really disappointed with my results."  
Maurizio Micheluz Maurizio Micheluz (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1 14th, Day 2 seventh: "Day one wasn't good. I finished ninth but I was penalised five minutes because someone helped me take some track marking banner out from my rear wheel. It was a stupid penalty and I dropped to 14th. "Day two was better because I finished seventh. I only crashed once, which I was happy with considering the conditions. I haven't enjoyed the race. The conditions were really difficult with the snow and mud on day one and then the cold and snow on day two."  
Crowd: 3750
 
2007 Enduro 1 Sweden 19/03/2007Race 1Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Juha Salminen KTM FIN 103'35.490 2 Niklas Gustafsson KTM SWE 2'53.910 3 Bartosz Oblucki Husqvarna POL 3'51.880 4 Tomi Peltola Suzuki FIN 3'59.600 5 Alessandro Belometti KTM ITA 5'4.720 6 Marc Germain Yamaha FRA 5'16.970 7 Frederik Georgsson KTM SWE 5'38.310 8 Cristobal Guerrero Yamaha ESP 5'47.920 9 Simone Albergoni Yamaha ITA 7'22.000 10 Mike Hartmann KTM GER 8'6.130 11 Tobias Burman KTM SWE 8'19.190 12 Per Korsell Husqvarna SWE 8'59.250 13 Anthony Roberts Honda AUS 10'47.280 14 Maurizio Micheluz Yamaha ITA 11'0.490 15 Juraj Dozsa KTM SVK 13'10.500 Race 2Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Juha Salminen KTM FIN 71'43.690 2 Frederik Georgsson KTM SWE 2'53.150 3 Tomi Peltola Suzuki FIN 2'56.160 4 Bartosz Oblucki Husqvarna POL 3'39.970 5 Alessandro Belometti KTM ITA 3'49.320 6 Cristobal Guerrero Yamaha ESP 3'59.090 7 Maurizio Micheluz Yamaha ITA 4'7.030 8 Marc Germain Yamaha FRA 4'23.430 9 Niklas Gustafsson KTM SWE 4'31.340 10 Tobias Burman KTM SWE 5'13.760 11 Torbjorn Back Honda SWE 5'15.850 12 Per Korsell Husqvarna SWE 5'48.560 13 Simone Albergoni Yamaha ITA 6'5.590 14 Mike Hartmann KTM GER 7'3.310 15 Anthony Roberts Honda AUS 8'56.930 Rider Standings 17/03/2007 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Juha Salminen KTM FIN 50 2. Tomi Peltola Suzuki FIN 38 3. Bartosz Oblucki Husqvarna POL 38 4. Frederik Georgsson KTM SWE 36 5. Niklas Gustafsson KTM SWE 34 6. Alessandro Belometti KTM ITA 32 7. Marc Germain Yamaha FRA 28 8. Cristobal Guerrero Yamaha ESP 28 9. Maurizio Micheluz Yamaha ITA 21 10. Tobias Burman KTM SWE 21 11. Simone Albergoni Yamaha ITA 20 12. Mike Hartmann KTM GER 18 13. Per Korsell Husqvarna SWE 18 14. Anthony Roberts Honda AUS 14 15. Juraj Dozsa KTM SVK 11 Manufacturer Standings 17/03/2007 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. KTM 50 2. Suzuki 38 3. Husqvarna 38 4. Yamaha 30 5. Honda 18 RACE REPORT 19/03/2007 2007 FIM World Enduro Championship - Round 1, Ostersund, Sweden, March 17-18 Johnny Aubert Finnish riders Samuli Aro and Mika Ahola shared victory in the Enduro 2 class at the opening round of the '07 World Enduro Championship with Aro topping day one and Ahola day two. Revelling in the typically Scandinavian winter conditions the two riders placed comfortably ahead of countryman Valtteri Salonen on both days as the three ensured that the podium on both days was an all Finnish affair. Knowing that the Scandinavian riders he will be battling against during the '07 Enduro 2 world championship would be all but impossible to beat in the specialist winter conditions in Sweden, Yamaha mounted Frenchman Johnny Aubert simply did the best he could considering the unfamiliar frozen terrain and claimed two solid fifth place finishes. In doing so he placed as the first non Scandinavian rider in the E2 class results on both days. Aubert's UFO Corse Yamaha team-mate Fabrizio Dini found the conditions tough and finished in 17th and 12th.  
Johnny Aubert (UFO Corse Yamaha Enduro 2 class - Day 1 fifth, Day 2 fifth: "The first day went pretty well for me really and I finished fifth. I crashed on one of the motocross tests and I got stuck under my bike, which cost me one minute. The Scandinavian riders at the top of the Enduro 2 class are so fast in the winter conditions. I am happy with fifth. Day two was much the same as day one. I made one mistake on the enduro test, which cost me about 45 seconds. I went into a big hole full of snow and I had to get off my bike and push it out. Apart from that things went well and I was just trying to make the best result I could. The E2 championship is going to be very competitive all season so it was important for me to finish both days as best I could, which I did."  
Crowd: 3750
2007 Enduro 2 Sweden 19/03/2007Race 1Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Samuli Aro KTM FIN 103'1.720 2 Mika Ahola Honda FIN 0'0.230 3 Valtteri Salonen HusaBerg FIN 3'44.870 4 Jari Juha Mattila Beta FIN 4'58.110 5 Johnny Aubert Yamaha FRA 5'9.890 6 Patrik Wicksell KTM SWE 6'21.580 7 Fabien Planet KTM FRA 6'49.960 8 Stefan Merriman Aprilia AUS 7'53.520 9 Nicolas Paganon Aprilia FRA 8'23.350 10 Xavier Galindo KTM ESP 9'20.020 11 Fritz Andersson KTM SWE 9'43.930 12 Nathan Kanney Husqvarna USA 10'32.220 13 Patrick Caps GasGas BEL 10'38.000 14 Thierry Klutz Sherco BEL 11'10.220 15 Nicolas Deparrois Husqvarna FRA 11'28.140 17 Fabrizio Dini Yamaha ITA 13'27.770 Race 2Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Mika Ahola Honda FIN 69'51.090 2 Samuli Aro KTM FIN 0'47.090 3 Valtteri Salonen HusaBerg FIN 2'33.660 4 Patrik Wicksell KTM SWE 2'56.180 5 Johnny Aubert Yamaha FRA 3'54.560 6 Jari Juha Mattila Beta FIN 4'16.660 7 Fabien Planet KTM FRA 4'40.930 8 Fritz Andersson KTM SWE 4'50.720 9 Nicolas Paganon Aprilia FRA 5'58.630 10 Stefan Merriman Aprilia AUS 6'17.530 11 Rodrig Thain Suzuki FRA 7'25.950 12 Fabrizio Dini Yamaha ITA 7'30.230 13 Nicolas Deparrois Husqvarna FRA 8'24.960 14 Xavier Galindo KTM ESP 8'29.090 15 Thierry Klutz Sherco BEL 8'33.140 Rider Standings 17/03/2007 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Samuli Aro KTM FIN 47 2. Mika Ahola Honda FIN 47 3. Valtteri Salonen HusaBerg FIN 40 4. Jari Juha Mattila Beta FIN 33 5. Patrik Wicksell KTM SWE 33 6. Johnny Aubert Yamaha FRA 32 7. Fabien Planet KTM FRA 28 8. Stefan Merriman Aprilia AUS 24 9. Nicolas Paganon Aprilia FRA 24 10. Fritz Andersson KTM SWE 23 11. Xavier Galindo KTM ESP 18 12. Nicolas Deparrois Husqvarna FRA 14 13. Thierry Klutz Sherco BEL 13 14. Fabrizio Dini Yamaha ITA 13 15. Patrick Caps GasGas BEL 13 Manufacturer Standings 17/03/2007 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Honda 47 2. KTM 47 3. HusaBerg 40 4. Beta 33 5. Yamaha 32 6. Aprilia 25 7. Husqvarna 17 8. GasGas 13 9. Sherco 13 10. Suzuki 10
Alex Asigno

Rossi and Edwards look for grip at chilly Jerez

The first European race of the season got off to a slightly shaky start for Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards today, with the Fiat Yamaha Team riders struggling for rear grip at the Andalucian circuit of Jerez. The Italian and the American finished the day in sixth and ninth respectively and the weekend promises to be a close battle, with the top 12 riders all within half a second of each other after two free practice sessions. Despite clear skies and sunshine, this morning's first practice was run in cold temperatures and, with the track temperature reaching a maximum of only 15 degrees, the conditions did not provide the riders with much chance to really get to grips with bike and tyre set-up. This afternoon was considerably warmer and both Rossi and Edwards improved their times and their general race-pace, but neither rider was able to find the perfect tyre combination with the current setting on their M1 and will hope to make considerable improvements tomorrow. The best time of the day was recorded by Honda rider and Spanish favourite Carlos Checa, who set a best lap of 1'40.851.   Rossi, "Today was quite difficult for us, compared to how we began in Qatar! Unfortunately the situation with the tyre is not perfect, we don't have enough grip and the problem is made worse because the condition of the track isn't so good either. We have a lot less grip than we had at the test here so now we need to work more on the setting of the bike in order to improve the grip with the tyres we have. This morning the problem was a lot worse and we were quite worried after the first session, but we've worked very hard today and the situation this afternoon is a lot better. Anyway we're not that far away at the end of the day, only sixth, and all the riders are very close together so I don't think we need to worry yet. It's clear that some of our rivals are very strong and it's going to be a hard battle, so we need to make the most of the time we have left. I hope that the track grip will improve tomorrow as more rubber is laid down and I hope it will also be a little bit warmer in the morning so we can work properly during free practice."   Edwards, "We've definitely got a little bit of a problem to deal with and I can't say we're in the same shape we were in at this stage of the Qatar race! We know what tyre worked here at the test and the bike is basically the same, with a few improvements, but the conditions here today are pretty different and it seems things aren't quite working the way we expected. The main problem is that we can't get the rear to hold on and we're just sliding around a bit. It's disappointing because at the test here our grip and our speed through the corners was our best thing, but here it seems we've lost that a bit and we're not entirely sure why at the moment! We've tried quite a few different tyres but we couldn't find something that worked perfectly today. We're obviously restricted with our tyre choice because of the new rules, so now we're going to need to make some changes to the bike in order to get it to work with what we've got. The bike feels great and I'm happy with it, it's just a matter of grip. We've got a lot of ideas and we'll have a good chat about it tonight and start again in the morning. I am sure we'll be able to come up with something!" Davide Brivio - Team Director "Compared to the test we have a lot less grip so now we have to work at 100% to find a way to make the bike work with the tyres we've got. The team and riders are working hard together to find the right combination between the elements and tomorrow we will keep going. Obviously the situation isn't perfect and we need to come up with some good ideas as at the moment we're not in the best race-shape, but we're confident we can make some big improvements tomorrow. This morning was very cold and it was difficult to work properly like that so really we only had the afternoon. Let's hope it's warmer tomorrow!" Free Practice                                         Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 1'40.851 2, Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, ESP, 1'40.906 3, Toni Elias, Honda, ESP, 1'40.972 4, Casey Stoner, Ducati, AUS, 1'41.171 5, Kenny Roberts, KR212V, USA, 1'41.182 6, Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, ITA, 1'41.198 7, John Hopkins, Suzuki, USA, 1'41.245 8, Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki, AUS, 1'41.305 9, Colin Edwards, Yamaha, USA, 1'41.339 10, Alex Barros, Ducati, BRA, 1'41.362 11, Loris Capirossi, Ducati, ITA, 1'41.409 12, Marco Melandri, Honda, ITA, 1'41.418 13, Nicky Hayden, Honda, USA, 1'41.536 14, Randy De Puniet, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'41.666 15, Alex Hofmann, Ducati, GER, 1'41.835 16, Makoto Tamada, Yamaha, JPN, 1'42.097 17, Shinya Nakano, Honda, JPN, 1'42.199 18, Sylvain Guintoli, Yamaha, FRA, 1'42.311 19, Olivier Jacque, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'42.402
Alex Asigno

Front-row start for Rossi in Jerez as Edwards just misses out

Valentino Rossi will start from second position for tomorrow's Grand Prix of Spain in Jerez after an exciting and extremely close qualifying battle today, while his team-mate Colin Edwards will be just behind him in fourth having lost out on third position in the dying moments of the session. It is Rossi's eighth consecutive top-three start for Yamaha, the Italian having started from the front row in the final six races of 2006 and at this season's opener in Qatar. After struggling for grip once again this morning and finishing free practice way down the order in 18th position, it was clear from the start this afternoon that warmer temperatures and the latest changes made to the setting of his M1 had improved Rossi's package and he quickly posted his fastest time of the weekend so far. Edwards and his crew had made drastic changes to his bike setting overnight and he too showed a marked improvement to his race pace both this morning and again this afternoon, as he and Rossi used the improved track conditions in their quest to find the right tyre package ahead of tomorrow's 27-lap race. With eight minutes to go Rossi moved into pole position with the first of his two Michelin qualifying tyres, only to be ousted by his team-mate less than a minute later as the Texan set his first flying lap. The last five minutes saw the usual flurry of quick laps and position-changing amongst the leading protagonists before Rossi took the top slot once again with a lap of 1'39.453, before being pushed into second by Spaniard Dani Pedrosa (Honda), who set the eventual pole time of 1'39.402. Edwards' final lap seemed sure to give him a front-row slot alongside his team-mate but he fell victim to another local favourite as Carlos Checa (Honda) claimed third in the last seconds of the session. Valentino Rossi  "It's been an up and down weekend for us so it's good that we've achieved our number one goal of getting onto the front row. It's going to be very important for tomorrow's race I think. It was a good qualifying session and my lap was quite good, but we know it's possible to be a lot quicker because last month at the test I was more than one second faster! We knew it would be difficult to match the 1'38.394 I did then however, because then we had four qualifying tyres and with the new tyre restrictions now we only have two. With the race tyre we were struggling quite a bit yesterday and this morning it was even worse, so we were a bit worried, but we looked at the situation together with Michelin and found a good solution and this afternoon we were in much better shape. I think tyres are going to be the biggest issue tomorrow and the last ten laps especially are going to be very hard and difficult for everyone. I think it's going to be an exciting race for the fans!" Colin Edwards  "I'm pretty annoyed to have missed out on the front row by so little! I didn't have quite enough speed into turn one with my last qualifying tyre and so lost a little bit of time in the first section and that proved to be the difference that mattered. Anyway, you live and learn! We were a bit worried last night but my team turned the bike upside down overnight and it felt much better this morning. Then this afternoon we used the tyre we're planning to use for the race and things improved again, so I'm feeling quite happy about my race pace now. We've still got a few things to tweak and a couple of decisions to make before tomorrow afternoon but we're more or less there so hopefully we're going to be able to get a good start and run a good race. It was pretty close today and everyone's really stepped up their game, I think it's going to be one hell of a race tomorrow! Finally I want to say thank you again to my team for working so hard last night to come up with a good setting - they did a great job." Davide Brivio - Team Director "Well things are much better when it's warmer! This afternoon we could really work properly and get some proper testing done. In fact Colin was much better this morning and again this afternoon, he seems happy with his tyre choice now so I think he can do a good race tomorrow. Valentino had some troubles this morning but we found a good solution and this afternoon the situation was more normal. It was a shame Checa pushed Colin off the front row and we missed having them both there, like in Qatar, but anyway second and fourth is not so bad and I think they both have the pace to fight at the front now. We're in a good position for the race." Qualifying 1                                         Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, ESP, 1'39.402 2, Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, ITA, 1'39.453 3, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 1'39.406 4, Colin Edwards, Yamaha, USA, 1'39.486 5, Casey Stoner, Ducati, AUS, 1'39.524 6, John Hopkins, Suzuki, USA, 1'39.625 7, Shinya Nakano, Honda, JPN, 1'39.632 8, Toni Elias, Honda, ESP, 1'39.660 9, Marco Melandri, Honda, ITA, 1'39.722 10, Kenny Roberts, KR212V, USA, 1'39.727 11, Nicky Hayden, Honda, USA, 1'39.834 12, Randy De Puniet, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'39.883 13, Alex Barros, Ducati, BRA, 1'40.196 14, Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki, AUS, 1'40.328 15, Loris Capirossi, Ducati, ITA, 1'40.391 16, Olivier Jacque, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'40.405 17, Makoto Tamada, Yamaha, JPN, 1'40.617 18, Alex Hofmann, Ducati, GER, 1'40.710 19, Kousuke Akiyoshi, Suzuki, JPN, 1'41.202 20, Sylvain Guintoli, Yamaha, FRA, 1'41.219
Alex Asigno

Double podium glory for Fiat Yamaha Team in Jerez

Valentino Rossi returned to the top step of the podium today after leading for all 27-laps of the Grand Prix of Spain, taking his first victory since Sepang last year and his 46th win of the four-stroke MotoGP era. Rossi's 26th win for Yamaha also makes him the most successful rider at Jerez in the premier class, with five wins at the Spanish track. He was joined for the podium celebrations by his team-mate Colin Edwards, who rode a strong race from fourth on the grid to stay in contention behind Dani Pedrosa, eventually finishing third and taking his seventh MotoGP podium in front of a record crowd of 138,000.
Both Yamahas got a good start off the line, Edwards riding around the outside of Carlos Checa to take third at turn two and Rossi passing pole-sitter Pedrosa to take the lead shortly after. By the fourth lap the leading trio had begun to pull away from Nicky Hayden and John Hopkins and Rossi had started to stretch his lead on Pedrosa, setting the fastest lap of the race on lap five. Despite a strong showing from the Spaniard in front of his home crowd, Rossi's lead never looked in jeopardy and he eventually crossed the line 1.246 seconds in front. Edwards meanwhile never stopped pushing in third place, spurred on by the looming Honda of Toni Elias in the latter stages. Tyre worries for the pair proved unfounded as their Michelins worked well to the flag and Rossi and Edwards now take first and fourth in the Championship after two rounds of the eighteen-race season.    Valentino Rossi Position: 1stTime: 45'53.340 "After the situation at this race last year, this is much, much better! Our first priority today was to get points and I knew that to win I would have to ride at the maximum, but today my Yamaha really flew and I was able to do a great race. It feels like a long time since I last won and this is a great emotion and a very special victory for me, especially in Jerez in front of this great crowd. Qatar was good but to taste victory again is a wonderful feeling. We had some problems on Friday and again yesterday and then after this morning's warm-up we made some more small modifications; I have to thank my team, from Jeremy Burgess to all my mechanics and engineers. They did a fantastic job for me this weekend and they all deserve this win. My tyre worked very well today and Michelin have done a good job too in difficult conditions, so thank you to them. I got a great start, didn't make any mistakes and had a good battle with Pedrosa, who we knew would be the danger today. I'm really happy for Colin too and to have both Yamahas on the podium shows that we're in good shape for what's going to be a long season. Now we have two race tracks which might be difficult for us so it's very important to leave here leading the championship."    Colin Edwards Position: 3rdTime: +2.701 "On Friday morning you wouldn't have thought we would end up on the podium, but here we are and it was a good race for me. I've got to say an enormous thank you to all my guys because they worked non-stop all weekend and came up with some pretty good solutions to the problems we had. Michelin also had something up their sleeve for us and seemed to know what would work and they were proved right - they've done a good job for us this weekend. I got a good start and my best move was getting past Checa so quickly; I knew I had to find some clear air and try to hang onto the back of Valentino and Pedrosa. I made a couple of small mistakes and they were able to pull away from me a bit which was a pity, but my bike was working well so I was able to keep a pretty good pace throughout. Towards the end I could see Elias had appeared behind me and I didn't like the idea of him getting spurred on by his home fans and trying to snatch a podium, so I really had to keep hammering away! The last few laps were a little hairy at times as I started to slide but anyway we managed to make it and it feels great to be up here on the podium again."
Davide Brivio - Team Director "It's great to be back with both riders on the podium and especially here in Jerez where we struggled so much in last year's race. It's a really positive sign and shows what a good job our Yamaha engineers have done with our new bike. Everyone has worked very hard over this weekend and the entire team deserves congratulations. The new tyre regulations mean we have to manage what we have very carefully and this is a great result for us. It's also a very important result because we now have two tricky circuits and it's good to be going into this stage of the season in front. Thanks again to all the team and everyone involved, we're very happy today!"
More championship points for Dunlop Yamaha Tech3 Team
There were smiles aplenty in the Spanish sunshine for the Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3 Team when both riders, Sylvain Guintoli and Makoto Tamada finished in the points at the Spanish Grand Prix, held in front of over 131,000 screaming fans at the technically demanding Jerez circuit. It wasn't only the points that made the team happy as both riders on the new smaller capacity 800cc machines completed the race in a faster time than 2006 confirming the constant improvement of the Dunlop tyres. Both riders became embroiled in their own duel that lasted until the flag as they both exchanged places a number of times, Makoto pipping Sylvain for 14th position by just 0.091 of a second after 27 gruelling laps of the 4.423km track.
In his rookie year of MotoGP, Guintoli, 24-year-old Frenchman, improved his performance every time he left the pit box replicating his efforts of the previous race in Qatar confirming that it will be a season that produces every improving results.
His Japanese team mate is now moving in the same direction as he becomes attuned to his return to Dunlop tyres and with this confidence producing result both riders expect to be closer to the leading battles with the championship now moving to Istanbul for the Grand Prix of Turkey on April 22.    Makoto Tamada Position: 14thTime: +36.653 "Although it wasn't perfect I am happy with the result as I was held up by another rider during the early laps. He was faster in some spots and I was faster in others which caused me to lose a little bit of time but when I got past him I could get away quickly and come back to where Sylvain was so we fought out the rest of the race together which was very good. I was very happy with the bike setting as we used a new front tyre that I hadn't used before. I had a very good feeling with it although the rear spun a little but even at this early stage of the season I know that this will improve as well. Saying that, it was very consistent during the entire race. We have a gap of just three tenths of a second each lap compared to the mid pack so it was only a small gap in comparison to the last race. Being three seconds faster than my race time last year made me happy as well. The fight with the field this year is a lot more than last year and I know my team are happy with me because I kept fighting until the end. This will help everyone because it is important to fight until the very end so we can give the information to Dunlop so they can continue to improve."
Sylvain Guintoli Position: 15thTime: +36.744 "We had had a pretty good weekend and to score another point scoring place is very encouraging. In reality, we have done a much better job here because we are only 36 seconds from the win and six seconds quicker than the time Checa did last year considering the race was four seconds quicker as well. For me it is a big improvement because Jerez is a place I have never done very well at as I've had many troubles here in the past. The entire weekend was a big improvement tyre-wise and I am getting more used to the bike as well. I had a bad first lap but then I caught the group in front of me that were fighting for 10th but I just couldn't manage to stay with them. I had a good fight towards the end with my teammate Makoto which was a lot of fun. I had a very good front tyre which gave me the confidence to push hard throughout the race. The rear was excellent for the early laps which allowed me to catch the group in front and do low 42's. Then like everyone else the grip level dropped off slightly but I could still maintain a rhythm in the high 42's. I am confident of continuing the improvement at the next Grand Prix in Turkey."
Herve Poncharal - Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3 Team Manager "I'm very happy today as I think both our riders had a very good and consistent race. Sylvain had a great start and pushed really hard but Makoto was a bit more cautious. By mid race they were both together and had a very good battle between them so that was great to see. With both riders in the points it's a very good result for us as there was only one crash during the race - that says a lot for the progress we are making. Also more importantly the group in front of us with Capirossi, Barros and De Puniet was very, very close and with just 0.3 second a lap quicker we would've been with them so that's very encouraging - and don't forget Capirossi won here last year. We have made a big step forward especially compared to the previous race, so we are happy. We know the points aren't easy to come by this year considering how close the lap times are, so with both our guys in the points this is a good result and a good boost to our confidence. I am also happy with the lap times throughout the race because they are very consistent doing mid to high 1'42's which is very close to the pack, so I think if we can achieve a better grid position and have a bit more speed in the first five or six laps we will have better results. We are staying here to test for the next couple of days. Unfortunately the weather forecast is for rain, but Dunlop have a big wet test program for us anyway."   Circuit Length: 4423 Temp: 19 Weather: Sunny     2007 MotoGP Spain - Jerez de la Frontera 25/03/2007 Race 1 - 27 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 45'53.430 2 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 0'1.246 3 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 0'2.701 4 Toni Elias Honda ESP 0'4.351 5 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 0'4.993 6 Carlos Checa Honda ESP 0'10.000 7 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 0'14.146 8 Marco Melandri Honda ITA 0'19.969 9 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 0'24.786 10 Shinya Nakano Honda JPN 0'24.955 11 Alex Barros Ducati BRA 0'25.008 12 Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 0'25.852 13 Randy De Puniet Kawasaki FRA 0'26.445 14 Makoto Tamada Yamaha JPN 0'36.653 15 Sylvain Guintoli Yamaha FRA 0'36.744
Best Lap Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'40.905
 Rider Standings 25/03/2007
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 45 2. Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 36 3. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 36 4. Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 26 5. Marco Melandri Honda ITA 19 6. Nicky Hayden Honda USA 17 7. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 16 8. Toni Elias Honda ESP 15 9. John Hopkins Suzuki USA 13 10. Alex Barros Ducati BRA 12 11. Shinya Nakano Honda JPN 12 12. Carlos Checa Honda ESP 10 13. Alex Hofmann Ducati GER 5 14. Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 4 15. Olivier Jacque Kawasaki FRA 4 18. Makoto Tamada Yamaha JPN 2 19. Sylvain Guintoli Yamaha FRA 2
Team Standings 25/03/2007
Pos. Team Points 1. FIAT Yamaha Team 71 2. Repsol Honda Team 53 3. Ducati Marlboro Team 40 4. Honda Gresini 34 5. Rizla Suzuki 29 6. Pramac D'Antin 17 7. Konica Minolta Honda 12 8. Honda LCR 10 9. Kawasaki Racing Team 7 10. Tech3 Yamaha 4 11. Team Roberts 3
Manufacturer Standings 25/03/2007
Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Yamaha 45 2. Ducati 36 3. Honda 36 4. Suzuki 20 5. Kawasaki 7 6. KR212V 3
Alex Asigno

Yamaha Teams Fired Up for 20th Anniversary Round at Donington

This weekend sees the third round of the World Superbike Championship come to Donington Park for the first of three rounds in the UK. Donington hosted the very first championship round on 3rd April 1988 and it is returning to the circuit for the first time in six years to mark the championship's 20th anniversary.
The track is known for its two-faced character - fast sweeping corners combined with slower first gear sections. The Yamaha team's technicians will have a challenging job in finding the best compromise between stability at high-speeds and agility for quick changes of direction. The track is an ideal setting for spectators as it is a natural amphitheatre with spectator banking around most of the circuit.
After an extensive test session in Valencia last weekend, the Yamaha Motor Italia Team has gathered new data that will help them find the best setting for the upcoming race. With the focus on tyre-life at race distance the riders lapped multiple race distances on their 2007 YZF-R1s.
As a result of last week's testing session the team will be looking to improve on their results in the championship so far this season. Corser claimed the first third place podium for the team at Qatar while Haga gave the team another third position at Phillip Island. Currently Corser lies in fifth position in the championship standings so far and Haga in fourth.
  Haga comes to Donington looking to fight for race wins and to potentially repeat his double win at Donington in 1998. His third place at Phillip Island was achieved in spite of him having a cold so he is determined of a better result, now he is back in peak fitness. With Corser being victorious in two races during the 1996 round, both riders have proven to be winners on this venue. "I'm looking forward to Donington very much because it is where I took part in my first European round of WSB in 1998!" Haga says, "I won both races that time, so I'm hoping I can repeat it again this year. It is a very exciting circuit to race at because it is demanding both technically and mentally, I like it and, with the right set up, it suits my riding style. We tested many things at Valencia which I am sure will help with the race set up at Donington - you will be able to see for yourself from the result of the race!"
Following on from a slightly disappointing home round at Phillip Island and then a productive testing session at Valencia, Troy Corser is positive about success at one of his favourite circuits where he also managed a double win in 1996. "I'm glad to be back at Donington Park" he says. "Hopefully the weather will be good. Whenever I have raced there previously I have done pretty well. I like the track and, at Valencia last week, we got to try out lots of new set-up options that we hadn't tried before so I'm expecting a good result this weekend."  
The Yamaha World Supersport Team hopes to improve on the mixed results at Phillip Island. Parkes scored a good but hard fought third place at the second round, leading for all but the final three laps, when he ran out of grip. Curtain struggled as well with rear end traction due to tyre problems which saw him drop from the battle for top spot to 11th position. In spite of the disappointing result at the last round, Curtain put in the quickest lap at last week's Valencia testing session. Parkes came in fifth fastest, leaving the team feeling upbeat going into the third round.
Kevin Curtain states, "I haven't been to Donington since 2001, but I do like the circuit and am really happy to be back there. I was just getting to know it when it was taken off the calendar! During the test in Spain last week we worked on suspension settings to get more life out of the rear tyre. With the set-up alterations we made the bike showed some consistent speed during the long runs, which is a good step forward for this round."  
Donington also marks the first round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup. Claudio Corti and Michele Pirro got some pre-season testing in at the official FGSport tyre test in Valencia last week. Corti posted the fastest time overall while youngster Pirro ended an impressive fourth quickest despite still getting to grips with the Superstock class. Both riders are planning to show their fighting form at Donington on Sunday, with Corti looking to demonstrate his championship winning capabilities. Pirro is looking to focus on adapting his riding style from the 125cc machines he has ridden previously to the inline four cylinder engine of the YZF-R1. 2005 Superstock 1000 champion ,Didier van de Keymeulen returns to the class for the 2007 season and will try hard to regain his championship status.  
Donington Park Track length: 4023 Opened: 1977 (original circuit 1931) Fastest lap ever: 1'32.824 (Neil Hodgson 2000) Race record: 1'33.470 (Troy Corser 1996) 2001 WSB race winner: Pierfrancesco Chilli (Suzuki), Neil Hodgson (Ducati) Circuit tel: +44 1332 814320 Circuit website: http://www.donington-park.co.uk/
Alex Asigno

Rossi returns to the front row at Mugel

Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi will start from the front row of the grid for the first time this season in tomorrow's Grand Prix of Italy after the home hero set the third quickest time in today's single qualifying practice. The session took place under a blanket of thick grey cloud, with cool ambient temperatures of 16ºC and just 18ºC on track, but the threat of rain held off and the teams and riders were afforded crucial dry track time as they adjusted their machine set-up ahead of tomorrow's 23-lap race. Rossi's best lap of 1'49.167 came on his penultimate effort and was inside his previous pole record here by almost a tenth of a second. However, it wasn't quite enough to dislodge Sete Gibernau and Loris Capirossi (both Ducati) from the top two grid spots as the Spaniard took his first pole position of the season for the Italian factory. After falling behind with set-up work due to adverse weather conditions yesterday, Rossi's Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards was unable to make up for lost time today and he could only manage the 14th fastest time, meaning he will start from the middle of the fifth row tomorrow. This afternoon Rossi will present a brand new R6 in unique Yamaha MotoGP colours to Marco Ponti, from Gallarate in the Varese region of Italy, who took part in a contest as part of the 'Yamaha Open Weekend.' Valentino Rossi (3rd - 1'49.167; 26 laps) "It is a good feeling to be back on the front row - I don't think I've been there since Phillip Island last year so it is a long time and I'm glad it came here at Mugello. For sure this is one of my favourite tracks and with all my fans, family and friends here I really want to get a good result. The front row is important for this because in the past few races I have had to fight really hard at the start of the race to pass riders so hopefully I can get a better start tomorrow. We're not on pole but Michelin and Yamaha have worked really hard to improve our performance on a qualifying tyre and this is a big step forward. Anyway my race pace is quite good so I hope to give my fans a lot of reasons for a party tomorrow night. My new helmet design is by a famous Italian cartoonist called Milo Manara. He has drawn a kind of mythical story of my life, with some of my heroes like Steve McQueen, Enzo Ferrari and Jim Morrison, with other characters like my dog Guido, Osvaldo the chicken and lots of beautiful women! I really like it and Milo is somebody I have admired for a long time."  Colin Edwards (14th - 1'50.405; 26 laps) "I'm not too happy at all. This track seems to have a curse over me because I always seem to be unlucky here. Yesterday the weather played against us when we were trying to find some settings for the new chassis so we had to stick to the old one today and for whatever reason it hasn't worked. We haven't managed to work out the root of the problem yet but it seems everything that was good at China and Le Mans has evaporated here. It's not for a lack of trying - I'm pushing really hard but maybe I'm pushing in the wrong place, I don't know! We've had no time this weekend to test and use the new chassis so maybe we're paying the price for that. All we can do is squeeze the most out of what we have in the warm-up and see how much progress I can make in terms of positions in the race." Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director "I'm very happy for Valentino, it's nice for him to be back on the front row. We've made some improvements to the performance of the bike on qualifying tyres, which is an area we have struggled with so far this season, so we are very satisfied with that. It looks as though Valentino also has confidence with the race setting and he set a good rhythm on race tyres so we hope he can put on a great show tomorrow. Unfortunately Colin was unable to get anything extra out of the qualifying tyre so he is starting from a difficult position. He isn't comfortable with the setting of the bike so our goal is to improve this situation during the warm-up and give him a chance of producing the kind of ride he showed in the last race at Le Mans, when he fought back from a lowly position to score some good points."     Round: 6 - 2006 MotoGP Mugello Circuit: Mugello Circuit Length: 5245 Lap Record: 1' 50.117 (Max Biaggi, 2005) Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 48.959 (Sete Gibernau, 2006) Date: 3 June 2006 Temp: 16ºC Session 1 :  Pos.  Rider  Manufacturer  Nat.  1st Qualifying 1  S. Gibernau  Ducati  ESP   1' 48.969   2  L. Capirossi  Ducati  ITA   1' 49.058   3  V. Rossi  Yamaha  ITA   1' 49.167   4  N. Hayden  Honda  USA   1' 49.212   5  S. Nakano  Kawasaki  JPN   1' 49.328   6  M. Melandri  Honda  ITA   1' 49.343   7  J. Hopkins  Suzuki  USA   1' 49.478   8  D. Pedrosa  Honda  ESP   1' 49.516   9  C. Stoner  Honda  AUS   1' 49.915   10  M. Tamada  Honda  JPN   1' 50.084   11  K. Roberts  Team Roberts KR  USA   1' 50.181   12  T. Elias  Honda  ESP   1' 50.196   13  C. Checa  Yamaha  ESP   1' 50.347   14  C. Edwards  Yamaha  USA   1' 50.405   15  C. Vermeulen  Suzuki  AUS   1' 50.430   16  R. De Puniet  Kawasaki  FRA   1' 50.597   17  J. Ellison  Yamaha  GBR   1' 51.866
Alex Asigno

Rossi takes dramatic home victory at Mugello classic

The dramatic scenery of the Mugello circuit in Tuscany provided the backdrop to one of the most exciting MotoGP races in living memory today as Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi clinched his second victory of the season in a heart-stopping Italian Grand Prix. The local hero produced one of his best ever performances in front of the adoring 89,200 crowd, emerging from an intense battle with his compatriot Loris Capirossi (Ducati) and a host of other riders to take the chequered flag with a 0.575 second advantage after 23 laps of pure drama.
Rossi got an excellent start from the front row of the grid, passing early leader Sete Gibernau (Ducati) on the first lap and attempting to escape a hungry chasing pack. However, the Spaniard refused to lie down and after a brief battle between the pair the Italian took control to lead for ten laps. Capirossi soon recovered from a bad start and by lap fourteen he was in the hunt for the lead, passing both Gibernau and Rossi, who dropped back to fifth place as Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden (both Honda) also came through. Within four laps Rossi was back on Capirossi's tail and the pair went head-to-head in a thrilling finale, which saw the Yamaha rider snatch the lead on the last lap and open out a crucial gap that carried him to the line. Rossi's team-mate Colin Edwards, meanwhile, battled through another tough race after being run wide into the gravel on the second lap. The Texan fought back from last place to finish in the points in twelfth place but has lost ground in the championship, dropping to eighth. Rossi's win moves him up to fifth overall, 34 points behind leaders Capirossi and Hayden, who are currently tied on points. In addition to the activity on the track, Valentino's dance around the Mugello hills were enjoyed today 1,500 Yamaha fans at the Factory's Materassi stand. Every time the Yamaha riders passed the Yamaha tribune, the sound of the engines was accompanied by a standing ovation from a sea of yellow.
Valentino Rossi (1st; 42'39.610) "That was for sure one of the toughest battles of my entire career. I got a really good start and after I passed Sete I tried to escape but it was impossible, he was so strong today. For a long time I didn't know where Loris was because he had a bad start but once he arrived I knew I was in for a hard fight. I decided to let him pass and run behind him for a while but I didn't realise so many other riders were so close and they all came through! Suddenly I was down in fifth and had it all to do again. It was just an amazing fight for everybody and I think it is fantastic that it went down to the final lap between two riders, two factories, two tyre manufacturers but just one Country! This is great news for our sport. If I had to bet on who would win the last lap I honestly wouldn't have been able to choose. I don't think I took a breath over the last two laps but I made it and I am unbelievably happy. To do it in front of so many fans, family and friends is a special emotion and I won't be thinking about the championship tonight - just this wonderful race." Colin Edwards (12th; + 0'30.678) "We made a dramatic change this morning and I went for the new chassis with Valentino's settings because I knew the bike we had from yesterday was not going to be good enough for the race. Basically I braked a little earlier than normal into turn one and Makoto Tamada drafted up the inside, pulled straight in front of me and left me with nowhere to go but the grass. After that the race was just a test session for me really with the new chassis. It felt good but we need to adapt the setting to me because I didn't have enough grip on the rear. We've got a day of testing tomorrow so we will have time to do that and get the chance to complete some of the work that we weren't able to do during the Grand Prix." Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director "It has been a perfect day for Valentino and for Italy after this fantastic battle to the final corner. It was just what we needed after the bad luck of recent races - Valentino needed to win and you could see how much it meant to him. Yamaha have done a great job to bring our package back up to a competitive level and now I hope we can keep fighting for wins until the end of the season. My sincere thanks to all our staff because it has been difficult over the last few weeks but once again we have seen that this is a team that never gives in and this is a great reward for all the hard work and belief. Colin's race didn't go as we had hoped it might, after the problem he had on the second lap, but he's taken some important information away from here and hopefully he can come back to the top in Barcelona next week." Disappointment for Tech 3 Yamaha Team in Italy The encouraging signs of qualifying for the Tech 3 Yamaha Team turned to disappointment in the Grand Prix of Italy as Carlos Checa and James Ellison struggled throughout with tyre problems to finish in 15th and 16th places respectively at the undulating and technically demanding Mugello circuit situated in the picturesque hills of Tuscany. Both Carlos and James had encouraging starts to be among a hard battle with a group of riders but after just a handful of laps encountered problems that negated their charge. The team will remain at the Mugello track for a day of testing tomorrow. Carlos Checa (16th, Fastest lap 1'51.652: lap 3) "I am very disappointed in the result as I really expected that we would have a good race pace especially after what we learnt at the Le Mans test. We thought the tyre we chose for the race was a strong one but it only lasted a few laps. After three laps the performance dropped off, then after eight laps it dropped again and so for the final half of the race the feeling from the rear was very bad. "I was in a good battle with some riders on factory bikes and I was sure that I could stick with them and fight hard but unfortunately this didn't last very long. "Again the problem is with the consistency of the rear tyre and this is why I couldn't keep the right pace for the whole race. We tried one way to go and everyone was optimistic after the Le Mans test and what we learnt during practice and qualifying for this race. "Now we have lost that optimistic feeling so I guess we just have to keep on trying to improve. We have the test tomorrow so hopefully we can learn some more things and find another direction that we can move forward. James Ellison (16th Fastest lap 1'52.224: lap 2) "The race wasn't too bad at the start. I got off the line well and picked off a few riders through the first few turns. I thought that I could get away from them and stick with Carlos but only a few laps later the rear tyre lost grip and I couldn't maintain the pace of the opening laps. "It's very frustrating as before the grip drops off, we know we can run with these guys and you can see where you are faster. We lose out when the tyres start moving about. "There are some good tyres in Dunlop. It's a matter of finding the mixture and obviously going to all the different circuits it's always changing. I'm sure for the test tomorrow we will get some better results but truthfully it is really, really frustrating not being able to race so hopefully we will find some solutions very soon and we can all get back to riding hard for the entire race." Herve Poncharal - Tech3 Yamaha Team Director "Honestly this is a disappointing result because after qualifying yesterday we thought we would be much closer to Vermeulen an de Puniet . Although we did an ok start and the first few laps were quite quick, we lost grip so the second part of the race was quite long. Carlos tried everything but it was impossible to finish in a better place. After the good test in Le Mans and the first two days at Mugello we thought we would be much closer. We hope we will have good weather tomorrow for our one day test and we also have something to try from Yamaha. We just have to keep on working "For James his first three or four laps were quite fast as well but then the same thing happened, so it is all very frustrating. "We knew this year would be hard but to get a good direction that lifted the team and for this to happen is difficult to accept but this is racing and we have to understand that sometimes it will be very hard. We can just hope for better weather at the next race in Barcelona and that we can continue the direction we were heading before this race." Race classification MotoGP Round: 6 - 2006 MotoGP Mugello Circuit: Mugello Circuit Length: 5245 Lap Record: 1' 50.117 (Max Biaggi, 2005) Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 48.959 (Sete Gibernau, 2006) Race: 23 Laps Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 V. Rossi Yamaha ITA 42' 39.610 2 L. Capirossi Ducati ITA +0.575 3 N. Hayden Honda USA +0.735 4 D. Pedrosa Honda ESP +2.007 5 S. Gibernau Ducati ESP +3.070 6 M. Melandri Honda ITA +11.793 7 T. Elias Honda ESP +18.999 8 K. Roberts Team Roberts KR USA +19.172 9 M. Tamada Honda JPN +19.231 10 J. Hopkins Suzuki USA +19.821 11 S. Nakano Kawasaki JPN +19.863 12 C. Edwards Yamaha USA +30.678 13 R. De Puniet Kawasaki FRA +37.198 14 C. Vermeulen Suzuki AUS +41.712 15 C. Checa Yamaha ESP +56.256 16 J. Ellison Yamaha GBR +1' 13.387 17 J. Cardoso Ducati ESP +1 lap(s) Fastest Race Lap: Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 L. Capirossi Ducati ITA 1' 50.195 Championship standings MotoGP Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points 1 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 99 2 Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 99 3 Marco Melandri Honda ITA 89 4 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 86 5 Casey Stoner Honda AUS 65 6 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 65 7 Toni Elias Honda ESP 53 8 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 49 9 Sete Gibernau Ducati ESP 44 10 Makato Tamada Honda JPN 40 11 Shinya Nakano Kawasaki JPN 37 12 Kenny Roberts Team Roberts KR USA 28 13 John Hopkins Suzuki USA 27 14 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki AUS 21 15 Carlos Checa Yamaha ESP 16 18 James Ellison Yamaha GBR 5 Manufacturers standings MotoGP Pos. Manufacturer Points 1 Honda 131 2 Ducati 99 3 Yamaha 94 4 Suzuki 41 5 Kawasaki 37 6 Team Roberts KR 28 Team standings MotoGP Pos. Team Points 1 Repsol Honda Team 185 2 Ducati Marlboro Team 143 3 Fortuna Honda Team 142 4 Camel Yamaha Team 114 5 Honda LCR 65 6 Rizla Suzuki 48 7 Kawasaki Racing Team 48 8 Konica Minolta Honda 40 9 Team Roberts KR 28 10 Tech3 Yamaha 21 11 Pramac D'Antin 6 Race classification GP250 Round: 6 - 2006 GP250 Mugello Circuit: Mugello Circuit Length: 5245 Lap Record: 1' 54.332 (Alex de Angelis, 2005) Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 54.332 (Alex de Angelis, 2005) Race: 21 Laps Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 J. Lorenzo Aprilia ESP 40' 35.185 2 A. de Angelis Aprilia SMR +0.111 3 A. Dovizioso Honda ITA +0.320 4 Y. Takahashi Honda JPN +0.334 5 A. Debon Aprilia ESP +3.315 6 R. Locatelli Aprilia ITA +3.327 7 M. Simoncelli Gilera ITA +7.930 8 A. West Aprilia AUS +26.048 9 S. Aoyama Honda JPN +26.616 10 A. Ballerini Aprilia ITA +30.570 11 S. Guintoli Aprilia FRA +32.854 12 M. Poggiali KTM SMR +33.743 13 S. Porto Honda ARG +1' 13.549 14 A. Tizon Honda ESP +1' 16.159 15 F. Perren Honda ARG +1' 18.533 Fastest Race Lap: Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 R. Locatelli Aprilia ITA 1' 54.749 Championship standings GP250 Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points 1 Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 108 2 Jorge Lorenzo Aprilia ESP 88 3 Yuki Takahashi Honda JPN 80 4 Hector Barbera Aprilia ESP 78 5 Hiroshi Aoyama KTM JPN 75 6 Roberto Locatelli Aprilia ITA 67 7 Alex de Angelis Aprilia SMR 55 8 Sylvain Guintoli Aprilia FRA 43 9 Marco Simoncelli Gilera ITA 40 10 Shuhei Aoyama Honda JPN 34 11 Jakub Smrz Aprilia CZE 27 12 Anthony West Aprilia AUS 27 13 Martin Cardenas Honda COL 22 14 Sebastian Porto Honda ARG 20 15 Manuel Poggiali KTM SMR 17 Manufacturers standings GP250 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1 Aprilia 131 2 Honda 113 3 KTM 79
Alex Asigno

Business as usual for Everts in Bulgaria

Career win number 93, six Grand Prix in succession, the third double on the trot and nine consecutive moto victories fell to Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross team's Stefan Everts at the fast Sevlievo circuit for the Grand Prix of Bulgaria and the sixth round of fifteen in the 2006 FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship. 25,000 spectators (weekend figure) witnessed the 33 year old Belgian and absolute series leader own another two motos in vastly different weather conditions in which the YZ450FM excelled once more. The wide expanse of the Sevlievo track, situated in the modern and impressive infrastructure of the circuit, was quick and dry for the first moto but then the heavens opened and dropped a plethora of rain onto the venue creating a difficult and technical test, as well as constituting the first wet race of the season. Despite insisting that a repeat of his Japanese domination would be unlikely Saturday afternoon, Everts faced little opposition in both races after taking the lead within the first two laps of both sprints. He controlled the distance assimilated both times over Kevin Strijbos and his superiority has now translated into an 81 point advantage from Kawasaki's Tanel Leok in the World Championship standings meaning that he can afford not to finish three motos and still be in front. Cedric Melotte completed only three laps today during the first outing. The Belgian fell heavily on Saturday and hit his head. Feeling dazed and unable to concentrate he elected to retire frustrated instead of risking further mishap. The 27 year old did not take to the line for the second race. Melotte has also been suffering from reduced energy and stamina possibly brought on by over-training. He had several tests after arriving back from Japan and his body was found to be lacking certain minerals. "Cedric had been training quite hard, as normal but has been feeling bad after the races, which is unusual for the condition he should have," said Team Manager Carlo Rinaldi. "The season has been up and down for him. Portugal was bad but then Teutschenthal was better after he had some rest. Japan was again not so good, so we rested him before this GP. The blood tests said he was low on iron and some B12 among other things in line with the symptoms of over-training. Cedric needs to rest and renew his levels and we should see an improvement." The trip to Bulgaria represented the first of three consecutive meetings. The teams now travel directly to Italy and the Montevarchi circuit before then heading to Matterley Basin and the British Grand Prix. Stefan Everts, Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross Team: "Any race is a new race so anything can still happen but I have managed to keep the pace up and not make any mistakes. The second moto was difficult because of the conditions and I had to lose my goggles after a few laps. I had to slow down because of all the mud in my eyes but overall I am happy with the day. Coming here I was unsure because this is not the best track for me to try and win like Japan but I was consistent with my speed. The bike has been great on the starts and being able to push hard in the first ten to fifteen minutes really makes a difference." Cedric Melotte, Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross Team: "I had a big crash on Saturday and I found that I could not concentrate on my riding today. I tried to make some fast laps but it was getting dangerous so I decided to stop. I am having very little luck at the moment." Carlo Rinaldi, Team Manager Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross Team: "It was two different races today because of the track conditions and Stefan proved that it doesn't matter what weather or demands he faces. He made two very consistent and error-free races. The rhythm was strong at first but he could deal with it. The bike came through very well because there was a lot of water and you can sometimes have a strange problem like with the electrics. We made some changes between the motos to cope with the changing terrain and they worked out fine." Race classification MX1 Round: 6 - 2006 GP of Sevlievo, Bulgaria Circuit: Sevlievo Circuit Length: 1695 Race 1: 21 Laps Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 S. Everts Yamaha BEL 40' 47.650 2 K. Strijbos Suzuki BEL +6.971 3 S. Ramon Suzuki BEL +11.846 4 B. Jorgensen Honda DNK +16.978 5 P. Leuret Honda FRA +27.050 6 W. Avis KTM RSA +31.597 7 K. De Dycker Honda BEL +33.118 8 J. Bill Yamaha GBR +35.635 9 T. Leok Kawasaki EST +47.909 10 J. Garcia Vico Honda ESP +56.167 11 G. Crockard Honda GBR +58.292 12 C. Desalle Suzuki BEL +59.949 13 M. Van Daele Honda BEL +1' 3.002 14 M. Priem Yamaha BEL +1' 11.247 15 C. Federici Kawasaki ITA +1' 17.882 16 A. Pyrhonen TM FIN +1' 19.780 17 A. Salvini Suzuki ITA +1' 27.943 18 B. Verhoeven Kawasaki NED +1' 29.174 19 D. Theybers Suzuki BEL +1' 35.502 20 L. Freibergs Suzuki LVA +1' 38.832 Race 2: 18 Laps Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 S. Everts Yamaha BEL 40' 51.233 2 K. Strijbos Suzuki BEL +2.117 3 S. Ramon Suzuki BEL +3.631 4 T. Leok Kawasaki EST +27.962 5 B. Jorgensen Honda DNK +39.143 6 K. De Dycker Honda BEL +1' 40.327 7 P. Leuret Honda FRA +1' 53.287 8 J. Garcia Vico Honda ESP +1' 59.266 9 M. Van Daele Honda BEL +2' 5.055 10 A. Salvini Suzuki ITA +1 lap(s) 11 C. Federici Kawasaki ITA +1 lap(s) 12 C. Desalle Suzuki BEL +1 lap(s) 13 A. Pyrhonen TM FIN +1 lap(s) 14 W. Avis KTM RSA +1 lap(s) 15 B. Verhoeven Kawasaki NED +1 lap(s) 16 L. Freibergs Suzuki LVA +1 lap(s) 17 G. Crockard Honda GBR +1 lap(s) 18 A. Bobkovs Honda LVA +1 lap(s) 19 J. Noble Honda GBR +1 lap(s) 20 M. Norlen Suzuki SWE +1 lap(s) Championship standings MX1 Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points 1 Stefan Everts Yamaha BEL 292 2 Tanel Leok Kawasaki EST 211 3 Kevin Strijbos Suzuki BEL 209 4 Ken De Dycker Honda BEL 197 5 Steve Ramon Suzuki BEL 191 6 Jonathan Barragan KTM ESP 150 7 Pascal Leuret Honda FRA 123 8 Manuel Priem Yamaha BEL 106 9 Cedric Melotte Yamaha BEL 105 10 Brian Jorgensen Honda DNK 102 11 Sebastien Tortelli KTM FRA 99 12 Marvin Van Daele Honda BEL 97 13 Julien Bill Yamaha GBR 90 14 Javier Garcia Vico Honda ESP 84 15 Antti Pyrhonen TM FIN 82 16 James Noble Honda GBR 79 17 Danny Theybers Suzuki BEL 60 18 Wyatt Avis KTM RSA 43 19 Stephen Sword Kawasaki GBR 40 20 Alex Salvini Suzuki ITA 31 Manufacturers standings MX1 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1 Yamaha 292 2 Suzuki 245 3 Kawasaki 211 4 Honda 205 5 KTM 202 6 TM 82 MX2 : Cairoli takes fourth moto win of the season but leaves Bulgaria disappointed Round: 6 - 2006 GP of Sevlievo, Bulgaria Circuit: Sevlievo Date: 4 June 2006 Crowd: 25000 Temp: 18ºC Weather: Rain World Champion Antonio Cairoli became the rider with the most moto victories this season after taking his fourth success at Sevlievo for the Grand Prix of Bulgaria and the sixth round of the MX2 World Championship. The Italian would limp away from the impressive venue however after two crashes in a very wet and slippery second moto forced a second DNF from the twelve heats in total held so far. The track was fast, dry and bumpy in the first sprint but showers during the lunch break meant a far muddier and more slippery prospect for the MX2 riders later in the afternoon. Cairoli weathered a late first race attack from Championship leader Christophe Pourcel for a very convincing win in a moto he had pretty much set the pace from the start. In contrast he crashed on the first corner of the second heat and was on the fringes of the top ten in very tricky conditions when he crashed on the rhythm section and went down heavily. The Sicilian hurt his knee in a spill that snapped his brace and damaged his Yamaha too much to continue. Kenneth Gundersen shared a similar fate in race1 when he fell on the first lap and collected fellow Yamaha compatriot Billy Mackenzie. The Norwegian pulled into the pits. He was however able to obtain 11 points for tenth later on. Winner of the Japanese Grand Prix two weeks ago Bike it Yamaha UK Dixon Racing's Mackenzie was also to leave Bulgaria disappointed. The 22 year old was last after falling when Gundersen hit the deck right in front of him and slipped off again before retiring far behind any possible points. The Scot had broken his left hand a week prior at the fourth round of the British Championship and despite using painkillers could only trail Gundersen in the second moto for a lowly ten point haul from the whole meeting. Gundersen's team-mate Davide Guarneri was eigth in the first moto but was given a one minute penalty in the second race due to a damaged exhaust exceeding the permitted noise limit. JK Racing's Luigi Seguy was ninth overall although he did suffer a spill in the opening forray. Yamaha Team Ricci's Alessio Chiodi had to miss the meeting after his injured knee, sustained as a result of his Japanese practice accident, was diagnosed as a torn muscle. The Italian should be back for his home Grand Prix and round seven next week at Montevarchi. The standings reveal four Yamaha riders in the top ten. Cairoli is fourth 32 points behind Tyla Rattray and just 27 points in front of Billy Mackenzie who has dropped one position to sixth. The Grand Prix was won by KTM's Marc de Reuver with David Philippaerts second and Christophe Pourcel third. The World Championship continues at pace now with two more Grand Prix - in Italy and Great Britain - taking place in the next two weeks. Antonio Cairoli: "This year is not going so well at the moment. When I finish the first lap in the top three I can win but when I don't start OK or go down early on then my result is not great. I felt fast here and even though I was at the back in the second moto by the fifth lap I was near the top ten. The track was very slippery and I made a small mistake and it was a big punishment. I lost a lot of points and I don't feel very lucky so far this season. Physically I am OK but I feel bad inside for the loss today." Kenneth Gundersen: "In the first race I had a crash with Mackenzie when I was running fifth on the first lap. My bike was destroyed so I could not finish. In the second heat I was right near the front but on the first corner I almost crashed so I went from virtually first to last. I came back to ninth and could not do any better than that. In terms of riding I am happy with the last race. I am not having much luck at the moment. During practice yesterday there was a haybale on the track and I landed on it and hurt my wrist. I got some points today though and for that I am happy." Billy Mackenzie: "I was really looking forward to this GP but as the weekend it went on the track became more hard-pack and faster and I felt like I was losing speed and holding people up on the uphill sections purely because of my weight. It became a horsepower race rather than any technical ability and my hand was bothering me a little bit because I could not grip the bike like I wanted. Anyway, I could not avoid Gundersen in the first race and it went from bad to worse at the back of the pack. In the second moto I lost my goggles early on but I was still able to pass a few people. It was disappointing to lose so many points. I was on a real downer after the first race and with Philippaerts making the podium it has been a poor weekend in terms of the Championship Race classification MX2 Round: 6 - 2006 GP of Sevlievo, Bulgaria Circuit: Sevlievo Circuit Length: 1695 Race 1: 21 Laps Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 A. Cairoli Yamaha ITA 40' 35.110 2 C. Pourcel Kawasaki FRA +1.274 3 D. Philippaerts KTM ITA +11.806 4 S. Pourcel Kawasaki FRA +23.350 5 T. Rattray KTM RSA +26.069 6 M. De Reuver KTM NED +36.806 7 N. Aubin Kawasaki FRA +41.223 8 D. Guarneri Yamaha ITA +49.615 9 G. Swanepoel Kawasaki RSA +52.725 10 A. Boissière Yamaha FRA +58.522 11 C. Nunn KTM GBR +1' 2.918 12 M. Monni KTM ITA +1' 5.056 13 L. Seguy Yamaha FRA +1' 8.415 14 A. Leok Yamaha EST +1' 9.178 15 C. Campano KTM ESP +1' 19.566 16 M. Seistola Honda FIN +1' 25.012 17 M. Schiffer KTM GER +1' 30.278 18 T. Searle Kawasaki GBR +1' 35.721 19 R. Goncalves KTM POR +1' 37.503 20 X. Boog Yamaha FRA +1' 53.541 Race 2: 19 Laps Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 M. De Reuver KTM NED 41' 34.286 2 T. Rattray KTM RSA +2.234 3 D. Philippaerts KTM ITA +19.618 4 C. Pourcel Kawasaki FRA +45.692 5 S. Pourcel Kawasaki FRA +55.654 6 R. Goncalves KTM POR +56.996 7 C. Nunn KTM GBR +1' 0.230 8 M. Monni KTM ITA +1' 2.588 9 L. Seguy Yamaha FRA +1' 36.083 10 K. Gundersen Yamaha NOR +1' 42.325 11 B. MacKenzie Yamaha GBR +1' 44.308 12 M. Schiffer KTM GER +1 lap(s) 13 M. Kohut Honda SVK +1 lap(s) 14 S. Simpson Honda GBR +1 lap(s) 15 T. Church Kawasaki GBR +1 lap(s) 16 A. Boissière Yamaha FRA +1 lap(s) 17 P A. Renet Honda FRA +1 lap(s) 18 D. Guarneri Yamaha ITA +1 lap(s) 19 G. Swanepoel Kawasaki RSA +1 lap(s) 20 T. Searle Kawasaki GBR +1 lap(s) Championship standings MX2 Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points 1 Christophe Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 236 2 Marc De Reuver KTM NED 234 3 Tyla Rattray KTM RSA 219 4 Antonio Cairoli Yamaha ITA 187 5 Billy MacKenzie Yamaha GBR 160 6 David Philippaerts KTM ITA 160 7 Carl Nunn KTM GBR 143 8 Kenneth Gundersen Yamaha NOR 122 9 Alessio Chiodi Yamaha ITA 111 10 Tommy Searle Kawasaki GBR 109 11 Rui Goncalves KTM POR 107 12 Sébastien Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 104 13 Gareth Swanepoel Kawasaki RSA 101 14 Luigi Seguy Yamaha FRA 83 15 Davide Guarneri Yamaha ITA 80 16 Anthony Boissière Yamaha FRA 66 17 Manuel Monni KTM ITA 64 18 Aigar Leok Yamaha EST 53 19 Patrick Caps Honda BEL 46 20 Maximilian Nagl KTM GER 45 Manufacturers standings MX2 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1 KTM 268 2 Yamaha 262 3 Kawasaki 240 4 Honda 94 5 Suzuki 6
Alex Asigno

Yamaha XJR Owners Club

Yamaha XJR Owners Club
The XJR1300 is no ordinary muscle bike – it’s muscle that can hustle. The XJR’s colossal air-cooled engine proves the old saying that nothing succeeds like excess, with 106Nm of torque at 6500rpm for awesome acceleration, whichever gear you happen to be in. It’s the kind of power that’s always right there, ready and waiting. But this is one heavyweight that doesn’t need wrestling into submission. The XJR is awe-inspiring but not overwhelming, because it’s got a sports chassis with box-section aluminium swingarm and trick Öhlins gas shocks that really handle that motor. Which is why this muscle bike is all grunt and no groan.
Whether you have are an owner of a 2003 Yamaha XJR, or an owner of 2006 Yamaha XJR this is a fun club to be a member of. Why don’t you let us know all about your new Yamaha XJR at our Yamaha XJR Owners Club Forums. Here are the Yamaha XJR 1300 Owners Club Forums
 
2006 Yamaha XJR Technical specifications 
XJR 1300 EngineEngine type: 4-stroke, forward inclined parallel 4-cylinder, DOHC Engine cooling: Air cooled Displacement: 1,251cc Bore x stroke: 79 x 63.8mm Compression ratio: 9.7:1 Maximum power: 78.1kW (106.2 HP) @ 8,000rpm Maximum torque: 106.2Nm (10.8 kg-m) @ 6,500rpm Lubrication system: Wet sump Carburettor: Mikuni BS37/4 Clutch type: Wet, multiple-disc Ignition system: TCI Starter system: Electric Transmission system: Constant mesh, 5-speed Final transmission: Chain Fuel tank capacity: 21 litres (4.5 litres) Oil tank capacity: 4.2 litres ChassisFront suspension system: Telescopic fork Front travel: 130mm Rear suspension system: Swingarm Rear travel: 120mm Front brake: Dual discs, Ø 298mm Rear brake: Single disc, Ø 267mm Front tyre: 120/70 ZR17 (58W) Rear tyre: 180/55 ZR17 (73W) DimensionsLength (mm): 2,175mm Width (mm): 775mm Height (mm): 1,115mm Seat height (mm): 790mm Wheel base (mm): 1,510mm Minimum ground clearance (mm): 120mm Dry weight (kg) 224 kg
Alex Asigno

Italy falls to the factory Yamaha's World Championship siege

The list of adjectives to describe MX1 World Championship leader Stefan Everts and his YZ450FM is growing perilously short after the reigning number one maintained his 100% record this season by winning the Italian Grand Prix in front of 26,000 fans at Montevarchi today. The 33 year old claimed both motos to stretch his haul of consecutive victories to eleven, and seven from seven Grand Prix. His career total now stands at a phenomenal 94 and he has eight remaining rounds from which to reach a magical 100. Everts claimed his second pole position of the season and his second inside one week on Saturday with a lap-time over a second quicker than nearest pursuer Suzuki's Kevin Strijbos. The result of the Timed Practice ran straight into the first moto where the World Champion enjoyed the holeshot and promptly set his own pace ahead of the Suzuki representative. Despite running close together Everts was again faultless and stretched his run of consecutive moto victories to ten. The Montevarchi course was dry, fast and twisty under sunshine and windy conditions but the Yamaha Intur Sports representative proved that he is a true master of all terrain by leading both races from start to finish. He was handicapped slightly by a cracked exhaust in the second heat. The Yamaha YZ450FM was extremely close to exceeding noise limits and Everts himself had to weather a fiercer attack from Strijbos but he reeled off a series of laps at a crucial stage to again break his countryman. Cédric Melotte was feeling better after his light concussion from Bulgaria last Sunday even though he is still endeavouring to regain full fitness after a recent blood test revealed deficiencies in his body's vitamin levels. The Belgian's confidence can best be described as fragile after his poor luck with physical problems and a lack of results to justify his obvious speed. He did however obtain a decent start in the first moto and was holding third for the first half of the race until he was swamped in the final stages and slipped back to eighth. Later in the afternoon a collision with KTM's Jonathan Barragan led to a broken rear brake and he retired for the third time in the last four motos. Everts has stretched his lead to 89 points with almost half the season gone. Melotte rests in tenth spot. The eighth round of the World Championships will commence the second half of the 2006 campaign and ends a busy three week consecutive run of events. The British Grand Prix will get underway next Saturday at the new Matterley Basin circuit. Stefan Everts, Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross Team: "I don't get bored with winning because every race is a hard job! Kevin did well today to put some pressure on me, especially in the second moto. He is keeping me focussed lately and I have to keep pushing to stay in front. It was a good close race for the crowd. It is not coming that easily for me. Every weekend is a new challenge, there are still many races to go and I want to stay in good shape." Cédric Melotte, Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross Team: "I am just riding to do my best and enjoy myself now. In the first race I made a great start and could follow the leaders for four or five laps. I had to slow down because I needed to find my own rhythm. We have a set-up on the bike from the start of the year and because of my problems we have not been able to work on it. I hope to test after the British GP to help get me riding smoother on the bike because I cannot make that same speed from the first ten minutes of the moto for the entire duration. The bike was moving around a lot and it was frustrating to lose those positions but I did my best. In the second race I crashed together with Barragan and he took away my front wheel. I restarted but the rear brake was broken and I had to stop. I enjoyed the first part of the day but the track was horrible." Carlo Rinaldi, Team Manager, Yamaha Intur Sports Motocross Team: "Stefan once again was close to perfection. He had very good starts and the pattern of the races was similar to one we have already seen this season. He made the gap just big enough to keep the lead and his concentration. Cédric was looking better after Bulgaria and had recovered quite well during the week. In the first moto he proved that the speed is still there but physically he is not 100%. It was a shame that Barragan's bike broke his rear brake and he could not continue. Stefan had a small crack on the exhaust in the second moto but it was not very loud and everything turned out OK." Race classification MX1 Round: 7 - 2006 GP of Montevarchi, Italy Circuit: Montevarchi Circuit Length: 1650 Race 1: 21 Laps  Pos.  Rider Manufacturer  Nat. Total Time  1   S. Everts Yamaha  BEL  39' 58.623  2   K. Strijbos Suzuki  BEL  +7.556  3   K. De Dycker Honda  BEL  +15.670  4   S. Ramon Suzuki  BEL  +20.976  5   J. Barragan KTM  ESP  +23.426  6   J. Garcia Vico Honda  ESP  +24.285  7   T. Leok Kawasaki  EST  +27.861  8   C. Melotte Yamaha  BEL  +45.620  9   J. Bill Yamaha  GBR  +1' 1.739  10   P. Leuret  Honda  FRA  +1' 5.510  11   A. Salvini Suzuki  ITA  +1' 9.784  12   L. Freibergs Suzuki  LVA  +1' 10.435  13   G. Crockard Honda  GBR  +1' 10.905  14   R. Jelen Suzuki  SVN  +1' 22.435  15   C. Desalle  Suzuki  BEL  +1' 26.128  16   D. Theybers Suzuki  BEL  +1' 26.501  17   J. Moze  Suzuki  SVN  +1' 31.077  18   B. Jorgensen Honda  DNK  +1' 32.498  19   M. Priem Yamaha  BEL  +1' 37.790  20   K. Salaets Yamaha  BEL  +1' 43.482  Race 2: 21 Laps  Pos.  Rider Manufacturer  Nat. Total Time  1   S. Everts Yamaha  BEL  40' 26.487  2   K. Strijbos Suzuki  BEL  +8.683  3   T. Leok Kawasaki  EST  +26.828  4   S. Ramon Suzuki  BEL  +40.982  5   J. Garcia Vico Honda  ESP  +46.607  6   B. Jorgensen Honda  DNK  +1' 7.361  7   K. De Dycker Honda  BEL  +1' 13.155  8   P. Leuret  Honda  FRA  +1' 17.459  9   M. Priem Yamaha  BEL  +1' 23.597  10   M. Van Daele Honda  BEL  +1' 23.750  11   J. Noble Honda  GBR  +1' 33.642  12   A. Pyrhonen TM  FIN  +1' 38.337  13   D. Theybers Suzuki  BEL  +1' 38.801  14   L. Freibergs Suzuki  LVA  +1' 40.490  15   A. Salvini Suzuki  ITA  +1' 41.047  16   J. Bill Yamaha  GBR  +1' 46.482  17   R. Jelen Suzuki  SVN  +1' 47.245  18   W. Avis KTM  RSA  +1' 58.566  19   J. Dobes Suzuki  CZE  +1 lap(s)  20   G. Crockard Honda  GBR  +1 lap(s)  Championship standings MX1 Pos.  Rider  Manufacturer  Nat. Points  1   Stefan Everts Yamaha  BEL 342  2   Kevin Strijbos Suzuki  BEL 253  3   Tanel Leok Kawasaki  EST 245  4   Ken De Dycker Honda  BEL 231  5   Steve Ramon Suzuki  BEL 227  6   Jonathan Barragan KTM  ESP 166  7   Pascal Leuret  Honda  FRA 147  8   Manuel Priem Yamaha  BEL 120  9   Brian Jorgensen Honda  DNK 120  10   Cedric Melotte Yamaha  BEL 118  11   Javier Garcia Vico Honda  ESP 115  12   Marvin Van Daele Honda  BEL 108  13   Julien Bill Yamaha  GBR 107  14   Sebastien Tortelli KTM  FRA 99  15   Antti Pyrhonen TM  FIN 91  16   James Noble Honda  GBR 89  17   Danny Theybers Suzuki  BEL 73  18   Alex Salvini Suzuki  ITA 47  19   Wyatt Avis KTM  RSA 46  20   Stephen Sword Kawasaki  GBR 40  Manufacturers standings MX1 Pos. Manufacturer Points  1  Yamaha 342  2  Suzuki 289  3  Kawasaki 245  4  Honda 241  5  KTM 221  6  TM 91  MX2 : Cairoli runner-up at home Grand Prix thriller Round: 7 - 2006 GP of Montevarchi, Italy Circuit: Montevarchi Date: 11 June 2006 Crowd: 26000 Temp: 26ºC Weather: Sunny World Champion Antonio Cairoli entertained his many fans with two exciting motos at a sunny Montevarchi today for the seventh round of the MX2 FIM World Championship. The De Carli Yamaha rider had the 26,000 attendance on its feet as he fought with friend and rival David Philippaerts for victory until the last laps but eventually had to settle for a brace of runner-up positions. Cairoli aced his qualification heat yesterday and, along with Philippaerts, looked easily the strongest rider on the tight and stony course. 'Toni' started well in both motos but lost the lead to KTM's Philippaerts and then second place to Tyla Rattray in the first race as he struggled with a sore wrist that was numbing his arm. He eventually found a better rhythm to pass Rattray and set off after the leader resulting in the first of two finales that proved to be the highlights of the Grand Prix. The second race quickly became 'part two' of the all-Italian scrap and Cairoli was again powerless to pass Philippaerts who had recovered well from a crash while leading that had dropped him to third. With Christophe Pourcel not enjoying one of his best days, Rattray falling out of the second moto and De Reuver also registering a DNF because of a faulty gearbox, Cairoli has narrowed the margin in the World Championship standings and now lies 15 points from second place. Kenneth Gundersen could, and should, have finished higher than his final classification of 10th. The Norwegian started badly in the first moto and rose only as high as 8th, without a rear brake, on a track that was not easy to pass and afforded varying levels of grip. A promising start and third position was squandered on the first lap when the front wheel of his YZ250F slid out and dumped the number '12' on the floor. His resulting effort terminated with 17th spot by the chequered flag. Davide Guarneri was unlucky not to take pole position on Saturday as the Italian's silencer on the Ricci Racing Yamaha unbelievably came loose again (as in Bulgaria last week) and the resulting one minute penalty for violating noise regulations meant that he had to qualifying for his home Grand Prix via the Last Chance session and confirmed 26th spot. He was 7th in the first moto but could not make the finish in race two. Bike it Yamaha's Billy Mackenzie was no match for the Italian's speed on home turf. The Japanese GP winner was taken out of the race by Luigi Seguy in the first foray and slipped back to 13th after a decent start in the second outing. The 22 year old is still bothered by a broken bone in his left hand. Alessio Chiodi could not avoid the fallen Fabio Mossini on the first lap of the second MX2 heat yesterday and the crash relegated him to the back of the pack. The former multi World Champion left his fast lap late in the Last Chance session (and needed the help of team-mate Guarneri) and disappointedly entered the gate in 28th. During the motos he was always struggling to make up ground but tried his best in front of a willing partisan crowd. He finished the day with 18th and 11th for 14th overall. The eighth round of the series will take place at the new Matterley Basin circuit in England for the British Grand Prix. The visit to the UK will end a hectic three week spell of consecutive races. Antonio Cairoli, Team Yamaha De Carli: "For sure I wanted to win in my country but today David was very fast. I lost concentration in the second heat when I saw Rattray and Goncalves crash. I was riding a bit stiff and didn't have a good feeling but afterwards when David came back I was able to pick up my speed. It was very hard to pass him here and I didn't want to make a mistake because the standings would be much closer. For me and for the Championship this is a good GP." Kenneth Gundersen, Yamaha Team Ricci: "I felt really good in the first race but after twenty minutes I lost the rear brake. Otherwise I believe I could have finished top three in that race. In the second moto I lost the front end and was half a lap behind before I was really going again. Normally I could have finished on the podium at a track like this but again bad luck." Alessio Chiodi, Yamaha Team Ricci: "I have to say thank you to Davide in the Last Chance yesterday because he gave me a tow and helped me qualify. I did not have the speed to make a single lap like that. To be low in the gate was not good but I tried my best. The first moto was not that bad but I crashed and hit my knee again and after that it was so difficult. One point is better than none though so I kept pushing. This was a hard GP for me. I am disappointed for the fans because their support was fantastic. I hope I will be OK for the British GP, I have one more week to recover now."    Race classification MX2 Round: 7 - 2006 GP of Montevarchi, Italy Circuit: Montevarchi Circuit Length: 1650 Race 1: 21 Laps  Pos.  Rider Manufacturer  Nat. Total Time  1   D. Philippaerts KTM  ITA  39' 36.141  2   A. Cairoli Yamaha  ITA  +0.574  3   S. Pourcel Kawasaki  FRA  +16.917  4   C. Pourcel Kawasaki  FRA  +17.706  5   T. Rattray KTM  RSA  +23.075  6   G. Swanepoel Kawasaki  RSA  +36.401  7   D. Guarneri Yamaha  ITA  +45.930  8   K. Gundersen Yamaha  NOR  +53.511  9   M. De Reuver KTM  NED  +55.889  10   A. Leok Yamaha  EST  +1' 1.470  11   R. Goncalves KTM  POR  +1' 6.108  12   M. Monni KTM  ITA  +1' 9.536  13   M. Seistola Honda  FIN  +1' 12.376  14   C. Nunn KTM  GBR  +1' 16.020  15   T. Searle Kawasaki  GBR  +1' 16.379  16   C. Campano KTM  ESP  +1' 23.003  17   P A. Renet Honda  FRA  +1' 23.712  18   A. Chiodi Yamaha  ITA  +1' 24.317  19   M. Schiffer KTM  GER  +1' 32.455  20   J. Wing KTM  SWE  +1' 36.226  Race 2: 20 Laps  Pos.  Rider Manufacturer  Nat. Total Time  1   D. Philippaerts KTM  ITA  39' 12.775  2   A. Cairoli Yamaha  ITA  +3.369  3   C. Pourcel Kawasaki  FRA  +23.136  4   G. Swanepoel Kawasaki  RSA  +27.544  5   S. Pourcel Kawasaki  FRA  +32.296  6   R. Goncalves KTM  POR  +35.024  7   T. Searle Kawasaki  GBR  +52.100  8   C. Campano KTM  ESP  +56.315  9   M. Seistola Honda  FIN  +56.779  10   L. Seguy Yamaha  FRA  +1' 1.998  11   A. Chiodi Yamaha  ITA  +1' 2.677  12   C. Nunn KTM  GBR  +1' 8.173  13   B. MacKenzie Yamaha  GBR  +1' 13.787  14   F. Mossini Suzuki  ITA  +1' 14.195  15   P A. Renet Honda  FRA  +1' 15.457  16   A. Pellegrini Suzuki  ITA  +1' 25.976  17   K. Gundersen Yamaha  NOR  +1' 30.079  18   A. Meo Honda  FRA  +1' 32.919  19   M. Schiffer KTM  GER  +1' 37.490  20   J. Wing KTM  SWE  +1' 43.147  Championship standings MX2 Pos.  Rider  Manufacturer  Nat. Points  1   Christophe Pourcel Kawasaki  FRA 274  2   Marc De Reuver KTM  NED 246  3   Tyla Rattray KTM  RSA 235  4   Antonio Cairoli Yamaha  ITA 231  5   David Philippaerts KTM  ITA 210  6   Billy MacKenzie Yamaha  GBR 168  7   Carl Nunn KTM  GBR 159  8   Sébastien Pourcel Kawasaki  FRA 140  9   Kenneth Gundersen Yamaha  NOR 139  10   Gareth Swanepoel Kawasaki  RSA 134  11   Rui Goncalves KTM  POR 132  12   Tommy Searle Kawasaki  GBR 129  13   Alessio Chiodi Yamaha  ITA 124  14   Davide Guarneri Yamaha  ITA 94  15   Luigi Seguy Yamaha  FRA 94  16   Manuel Monni KTM  ITA 73  17   Anthony Boissière Yamaha  FRA 66  18   Aigar Leok Yamaha  EST 64  19   Matti Seistola Honda  FIN 61  20   Patrick Caps Honda  BEL 46    Manufacturers standings MX2 Pos. Manufacturer Points  1  KTM 318  2  Yamaha 306  3  Kawasaki 280  4  Honda 114  5  Suzuki 13 
Alex Asigno

Camel Yamaha Team aim to continue revival at Catalunya

Next weekend the Circuit de Catalunya hosts the MotoGP World Championship for the fifteenth successive season since opening to coincide with the Olympic Games in 1992 and sees the Camel Yamaha Team looking to strike gold for the second consecutive race. Following on from Valentino Rossi's epic victory at his home Grand Prix in Italy less than two weeks ago, and backed up by encouraging data from a subsequent day of testing at the Mugello circuit, confidence could not be higher for a repeat result as the team look to close down the points gap to joint series leaders Loris Capirossi (Ducati) and Nicky Hayden (Honda). Rossi travels to Barcelona, one of his favourite cities in the world, having reached several milestones thanks to his 55th career MotoGP victory at Mugello. As well as taking him above Mick Doohan to second place in the all-time winners list behind Giacomo Agostini, it was also his 22nd success with Yamaha - the same number achieved by Kenny Roberts and bettered only by Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson - and it made Rossi the second highest points-scorer of all time behind Doohan. He will join the Australian as one of only two riders ever to pass 2000 career points if he finishes first or second at Catalunya. Rossi's team-mate Colin Edwards has also been making his mark in the history books despite not yet hitting his best form this season. Despite running into the gravel early in the race at Mugello, the Texan managed to fight his way back to finish in twelfth place to extend his run of successive points scoring finishes to 27. Only Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner, Eddie Lawson and Valentino Rossi himself have ever put together a longer run. Edwards' target this weekend is to celebrate number 28 on the podium. Virtually 57 years to the day since the first ever World Championship Grand Prix at the Isle of Man TT in 1949, this weekend's event will provide the latest chapter in one of the most exciting and unpredictable eras in the history of the sport. After six rounds there are just 34 points covering the top six riders.  Valentino Rossi: Lucky seven? Catalunya is one of Valentino Rossi's most successful events, being one of three circuits where he has already stood on the top step of the podium on seven occasions - the others being Donington and Phillip Island. For the past two seasons he has taken victory for Yamaha and he is hopeful of repeating that feat as he aims to reduce a 34-point deficit to the championship summit. "Barcelona is always a great race for me and I've won there the last two years with Yamaha, so hopefully we can do it again," says Rossi. "Last year Gibernau set a fast pace and I tried 100% to follow him. Then I set the fastest lap three laps from the end, which at a track like Catalunya is amazing. Hopefully we can get this level of performance out of the bike and tyres again. Also I get a really good reception in Spain and it is always a pleasure to ride there. "I am looking forward to this weekend because now I think we have finally arrived where we should be with the bike. It worked really well at the Mugello test and now I think we've really shown that we can fight at the front again and win. From a technical point of view, since the new chassis has been available we've been able to ride like in the past. Now we're very fast but it's still hard to win races! This championship is very balanced between Ducati and Honda and Yamaha and the other riders are at a great level so it was very important for us to win at Mugello. Now we have an eleven race championship and we have to be on the podium at every round." Colin Edwards: Double chassis bonus After a week's break with his family on the beaches near Barcelona, Colin Edwards tackles the seventh round of the campaign in refreshed and determined mood following an indifferent run of early season results. The American has been hindered by a series of unfortunate incidents in recent races but the news that two units of the updated YZR-M1 chassis, which he tested with positive results at Mugello, will be at his disposal from the opening practice of the Spanish round has given him a vital boost. "I've been run into the gravel for the last two rounds but we've come out of them both in the points so I have to use that as springboard to better things over the next few races," admits Edwards. "There is no use lamenting about what could have been - I have never done that and I won't start now. The positive thing to come out of Mugello was the performance of the new chassis and I'm really looking forward to adapting the setting even more at Barcelona. It's another fast circuit so hopefully the bike adapts quickly and we can be on the pace from the start." Like Rossi, Edwards has positive memories of the Catalunya circuit thanks to his performance there in the official pre-season tests, when he drove home in a new car as a prize for setting the fastest time. "That seems a long time ago now but it's true that we went well there with an early version of this year's bike. We've made progress since then but the conditions will be very different so we'll have to wait and see." Davide Brivio: Triple target Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio is targeting a three-pronged attack on the MotoGP World Championship this weekend as he leads a continued revival for his team following a mixed start to the season. As well as building on positive recent development with the YZR-M1 machines, the Italian is hoping for another maximum points return from Valentino Rossi and a second podium of the season for Colin Edwards. "Before Mugello I said that our mission for the next few races was to recover points for Valentino and we had the perfect start to that with the victory," says Brivio. "Now we have an extremely important run at Barcelona, Assen and Donington where we must continue with this job and try to win every race. Valentino likes all three tracks and this is another reason why he was still so upbeat and optimistic after the disappointments in China and Le Mans. "For Colin this is also an important weekend because he found a good way with the new chassis at Mugello and we have high hopes that he can make a lot of progress with it in Barcelona. Both riders will be on the same specification bikes, with two units of the new chassis each, so we are starting from a good point. Continuing evolution with the bike, recovering more points for Valentino and getting Colin back on the podium; these are our three targets for Catalunya." Technically speaking: Catalunya according to Nicolas Goubert The Circuit de Catalunya offers a main straight capable of encouraging speeds exceeding 335kmh, and is completed by a sequence of long radius, medium/high speed sweepers and two tight left-hand hairpins. The combination of long radius corners riddled with a variety of cambers makes it demanding on chassis balance and means front-end feel is a key concern for every rider. These characteristics also mean that tyre life is a key topic in many pit box discussions between riders, crew chiefs and tyre technicians. "Catalunya can be very demanding on the front because there are a lot of downhill corner entries," explains Nicolas Goubert, Michelin's chief of motorcycle competition. "For the rain we've got only one specification, one profile with different programs depending on the conditions we have. For the slicks it is much more interesting because we have two different profiles. One has a smaller width, which means that the tyre is lighter and it's easier to tilt the bike from one side to the other. We have also started to work with a bigger size but the Yamaha riders prefer the small one. The reason is because they want to keep the character of having durability for the bike. For them it is an advantage and it is suited to their needs on their bike." "We are quite confident with both types of tyre from last year because we had very good results at Catalunya. It was the first time ever that the surface was new, the lap time was really good and Valentino set a new lap record at the very end of the race with a time that would have put him tenth on the grid. It was the first time ever that this happened so we are very happy with that and we just hope that our Yamaha riders will be as fast or faster this year." Valentino Rossi: information Age: 27 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 81 (55 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 163 (103 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 40 World Championships - 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP) Colin Edwards: Information Age: 32 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 54 x MotoGP World Championships - 2 World Superbike Montmelo Lap Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 - 1'43.195 Mugello Best Lap: Sete Gibernau (Honda) 2005 - 1'42.337 2005 Results 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha, 43'16.487 2. Sete Gibernau (ESP) Honda, +1.094 3. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda, +7.810 7. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha, +18.762
Alex Asigno

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