SBK: Bayliss on Winning Roll at Season Mid-Point June 22, 2006
The 2006 World Superbike Championship heads down Italy’s Adriatic coast to the Santamonica circuit for the half-way point in the series, the traditionally scorching hot San Marino Round at Misano Adriatico. All eyes will be on runaway championship leader Troy Bayliss, who currently has a healthy lead of 76 points after an impressive run of seven successive victories in the first ten races.
Troy’s main aim this weekend will be to add further wins to his total to equal the nine-race winning streak of Colin Edwards (Honda) and Neil Hodgson (Ducati). The last time the 37-year-old Australian raced at Misano was …
The KTM 450 SX-F
The new 450 SX-F underwent a baptism of fire in great style at the highest level. MX1-factory rider Jonathan Barragan, who has been playing an important and consultative role in the development process, demonstrated the immense potential of the new motocross ‘generation’ in Bellpuig. He was an excellent 4th just behind nine times World Champion Stefan Everts in the first race as well as scoring 7th in the second at the Spanish Grand Prix last week underlines the performance potential of the new KTM 450 SX-F.
Following the very successful start to the 2006 Motocross World Championships, KTM presents this season …
MotoGP: Kawasaki look forImprovement at revamped Assen
After the disappointment of the Grand Prix of Catalunya last weekend, Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet head for Assen determined to resurrect their respective championship campaigns with a strong performance in Saturday’s 26-lap Dutch TT.
Both Nakano and de Puniet lost places in the World Championship standings as a result of not finishing the Catalunya race, but both riders remain confident that the advances made in Spain with the Ninja ZX-RR during practice and qualifying make a good result in Assen a realistic target.
Formerly the longest circuit on the MotoGP calendar, the Assen track has been reduced in length …
MotoGP: Capirossi ready, Hofmann to replace recuperating Gibernau
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi is looking forward to returning to action during tomorrow’s first practice sessions for Saturday’s Dutch TT. The Italian has been undergoing physio from Clinica Mobile staff following the battering and bruising he sustained in last Sunday’s turn-one accident at Catalunya.
Meanwhile team-mate Sete Gibernau is recuperating from the operation he underwent yesterday in Barcelona to plate the left collarbone he fractured in the multiple pile-up. It is expected he will have to wait between three and five weeks before he can ride again.
The Ducati Marlboro Team has chosen D’Antin Ducati’s Alex Hofmann as his substitute …
MotoGP: Melandri gets Medical Approval to ride RC211V
Fortuna Honda team rider Marco Melandri, who arrived at the Assen circuit yesterday after being discharged from the Catalunya General Hospital (Barcelona), spoke to the media today for the first time since his accident. The Italian sat and chatted with journalists, despite still suffering with stiffness in his neck, after getting the green light from doctors to return to action on his Honda RC211V tomorrow. He will undergo a further medical examination after taking part in the second free practice session.
MARCO MELANDRI:
“I am satisfied with my recovery. I would never have thught that I could be here after the accident …
MotoGP: Fortuna’s High Hopes for Assen
A gruelling run of three races in three weekends enters phase two this week after a major transport mission to move the paddock from Barcelona in Spain to Assen in Holland. On Monday the teams and riders began arriving at the legendary circuit where the race is traditionally held on a Saturday. For Marco Melandri, Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau, the three riders injured in the first corner crash at the Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday, their recovery process has become a race against time. Fortuna Honda rider Marco Melandri has progressed well and on Tuesday was released from the …
SBK: Team Alstare positive for Misano
Following its disastrous weekend at Silverstone, Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra is going to round six of this year’s Superbike World Championship at Misano in a positive frame of mind.
Misano is a track reigning World Champion Troy Corser knows well and, although the track does favour twins, he is hoping that the good test work done by his team mate Yukio Kagayama in Brno last week will pay dividends. Kagayama has had a bit of a topsy-turvy season and although he is not fully fit, he too is determined to get back on the podium.
For Alstare Engineering rider Fabien Foret, …
SBK: Foggy Petronas Racing pair focus on Italian job
Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Steve Martin and Craig Jones are on a Misano mission for the sixth round of the Superbike World Championship this weekend.
After recent mishaps at Monza and Silverstone, the focus is on solid performances at the fast and flowing circuit on the Adriatic coast of Italy.
Both riders have recovered fully from injuries sustained in heavy crashes at Silverstone and are confident that recent set-up progress will have a positive effect on their Misano lap times.
It will be Craig’s second visit to the circuit, following a test there in April, but Steve has a good track record, having …
MotoGP: Capirossi heads to Assen, Alex Hofmann to replace Gibernau June 20, 2006
Sete Gibernau underwent an operation to fix the fracture in his left collarbone today. The Spanish rider now needs a period of recovery and he will be replaced by Alex Hofmann at the Dutch TT. Loris Capirossi, undergoing physiotherapy to get back in shape as soon as possible, is already on his way to Assen.Sete underwent surgery at Dexeus Hospital in Barcelona, where Dr Xavier Mir and Dr Ignacio Ginebrera replaced the metal plate already present in his collarbone from a previous incident with a new one in titanium. Dr Mir declared that a recovery period of 3-5 weeks will …
MotoGP: Rizla Suzuki goes Dutch this weekend
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will be in Holland this weekend for the Dutch Grand Prix, looking to carry on from last Sunday’s best team result of the season - so far - in Catalunya.
John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen finished in fourth and sixth places respectively at Barcelona, and both will be aiming to continue their good form into this Saturday’s race.
The famous Assen TT circuit is the only racetrack to have staged a motorcycle Grand Prix since the beginning of the modern World Championship in 1949. It has been newly configured for this season with track length being reduced from 5,997m …