Two Wheels

[wino]

Go Kal !

Crutchlow grabs career-first pole at Assen


Assen 2013 - MotoGP - Q2 - Highlights
Friday, 28 June 2013
Britain’s Cal Crutchlow will start from his first ever pole position for Saturday’s Iveco TT Assen. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider will share the front row with Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez and LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl. World Champion Jorge Lorenzo missed qualifying following his crash on Thursday.
A truly dramatic qualifying session for the 65th World Championship Dutch TT concluded with several riders grabbing provisional pole position, only to be demoted by their rivals just moments later. Rain had fallen earlier in the day but would not disrupt the grid-deciding period.
Yamaha Factory Racing’s Valentino Rossi, Bradl and Marquez all provisionally held the top spot before Crutchlow delivered the pole time of 1’34.398 to become the first British MotoGP™ pole-sitter since Jeremy McWilliams at Phillip Island in 2002. Behind him, Marquez qualifies in the top three for the first time since Le Mans and 2011 Moto2™ title winner Bradl seals his first front row start in the premier class. Honda’s Dani Pedrosa had looked likely to collect his third consecutive pole, but crashed at De Bult with six and a half minutes remaining and would tumble to fifth.
Rossi qualifies fourth which is his best of the year so far, whereas Tech 3’s Bradley Smith will line up behind Pedrosa in sixth - his best grid position to date. The third row will be headed up by Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro who has further raised the bar as the best ever CRT qualifier. It was also a positive day for teammate Randy de Puniet, who was quickest in Q1 and will start ninth.
Q1 was also full of surprises. Andrea Iannone crashed his Energy T.I. Pramac Racing machine when challenging for a place in the shootout, which leaves him 13th on the grid. Two places further back, Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso could manage no more than 15th which is his worst grid position since joining the top class in 2008. The field is completed by Ivan Silva, back on the grid with Avintia Blusens as substitute to Hiroshi Aoyama who picked up hand injuries at the last round in Barcelona.
After the session, both Dovizioso and Avintia Blusens’ Hector Barbera were handed penalty points by Race Direction. The latter was adjudged to have deliberately blocked the former during Q1, but the Ducati rider was also handed a penalty point for kicking out at his rival - 'an action prejudicial to the interests of the sport’. Saturday’s Iveco TT Assen will start at 3pm local time (GMT +2).

Lorenzo returns to Assen with hopes of racing


Lorenzo returns to Assen on Friday
Friday, 28 June 2013
After undergoing an operation for a broken collarbone in Barcelona during the early hours of Friday morning, Jorge Lorenzo has returned to Assen and plans to undergo a medical examination on Saturday morning with the hope of competing in the race.
The already dramatic race weekend was given a new twist when the Yamaha Factory Racing rider returned to the historic venue on Friday afternoon. The reigning World Champion, who broke his left collarbone in a heavy crash on Thursday afternoon, this morning received medical clearance to fly. He promptly boarded a privately charted flight from Barcelona, landing at Groningen Airport at 5pm.
The Mallorcan, highly keen to compete in the seventh round of the season, will head to the Medical Centre for his check-up at 8am local time (GMT +2) on Saturday.
“The collarbone was in three pieces,” Wilco Zeelenberg, Team Manager for Yamaha Factory Racing, explained to motogp.com. “They did a great job in Barcelona. The collarbone is very stable, so that means he can move around without actually moving it, so that is a good thing but he is very tired at the moment. He took the decision (to return) quite soon. A collarbone is a collarbone - it’s not a knee or an elbow or a wrist, which are much more important for riding the bike.”
When asked if there is a fear of further injuries for Lorenzo, Zeelenberg replied:
“Yes, of course we need to judge this very carefully, but these riders are risking a lot every race - even to win as he did at Mugello and Barcelona takes a lot of risk. To risk a little bit less tomorrow and finish the race is maybe not such a big risk for him…if he crashes tomorrow or within two weeks it will be the same result - a drama - but it will be like this for the rest of the season because the plate will stay inside (the collarbone) for a year.”
Should he be declared fit to race, Lorenzo will start from 12th on the grid. Despite not having set a lap time in Q2, he was officially entered into the pole shootout courtesy of his overall fastest time from across the opening trio of practice sessions; his leading FP1 time was not beaten in either FP2 or FP3, as both took place amid adverse weather conditions.

 

[wino]

well thats one of the bravest races I have seen, eva. Lorenzo proved to everyone how dedicated and just how hard he is. He will be a huge threat at the next round in 2 weeks time. It also proves that bloody pedrosa with a faster bike is likely to let another championship get away from him.
I wonder if there is a car racer out there ( in any catagory ) who could pull off the huge effort by Lorenzo?

Na not a chance.

Dutch MotoGP: Lorenzo: I didn't think this was possible

29 June 2013

'This fifth position is better than any victory I have had in my career' - Jorge Lorenzo

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Dutch MotoGP: Lorenzo: I didn't think this was possible
World champion Jorge Lorenzo lauded his against-the-odds fifth place finish in the Dutch MotoGP at Assen as 'better than any victory in my career'.

Lorenzo suffered a broken left collarbone in a fall during Thursday practice but incredibly took his place on the grid after returning to the Netherlands following surgery in Barcelona.

He rode through the pain barrier to finish behind championship leader Dani Pedrosa, with the Repsol Honda rider only increasing his lead at the top by two points to a nine-point margin.

“It would have been impossible to believe some minutes after my crash that this could happen,” said Lorenzo. “We were brave to make the operation the same day, if I had waited to Friday the doctors would not have let me race.

“We made the race today and I was very brave in the first laps because passing the riders with a collarbone like this under braking was really hard.

“I felt quite good physically at the beginning of the race but after lap seven every lap was worse; it was more difficult to change direction, to brake and to accelerate so I couldn't do more than fifth position,” he added.

“We only lost two points to Dani who is leading the championship.

“This fifth position is better than any victory I have had in my career.”

Lorenzo is now optimistic of his chances in the next race at the Sachsenring in Germany, even though the defending world champion will be still be far from fully fit.

“I hope to have a good recovery for Germany, I will not be 100% but I hope to be better than here,” said Lorenzo, who praised team-mate Valentino Rossi following the Italian's brilliant victory for the Factory Yamaha team.

“The victory for Valentino and the third for Crutchlow are good for the championship, I would have preferred Cal to finish in front of Marc but you can't always have perfection!” he said.

“I am happy for Valentino, more than two years without winning has been hard for him so I'm happy for my box partner.

“After Aragon I think he made some improvements and here he took profit from the opportunity.

“Lets see what happens in Sachsenring as last year we had some issues and the Hondas were strong but I think if I can improve my physical condition I can be more competitive than this race.”


Valentino Rossi returns to winning ways


Assen 2013 - MotoGP - RACE - Interview - Valentino Rossi
Saturday, 29 June 2013
Valentino Rossi has won the Iveco TT Assen, picking up his 80th victory in the MotoGP™ premier class and his first since the Malaysian Grand Prix of 2010. The nine-time champion shared the podium with Marc Marquez and pole-sitter Cal Crutchlow, with Jorge Lorenzo finishing fifth despite a broken collarbone.
The Dutch weekend of the 2013 season has proven to be action-packed, both on and off the track, ever since the MotoGP community arrived at Assen earlier in the week. Lorenzo generated many of the headlines, having been cleared to race less than four hours before the start and having travelled back from an operation in Barcelona.
Rossi’s afternoon started from fourth on the grid. A decisive pass on LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl saw the Yamaha rise to third in a very strong move at the chicane as the first lap came to a close. The Italian then proceeded to hunt down the Hondas, dispatching of Marquez on Lap 4 and Pedrosa on Lap 6 in what was a similar move to that of 2007. He would go on to take an emotional victory by 2.1 seconds - his first at Assen for four years.
Marquez’s second place boosts his championship situation, finishing ahead of Pedrosa and Lorenzo. Having sealed his first front row starting position since Le Mans, the 20-year-old ran third but caught Pedrosa on the 18th lap; his first attempt to overtake failed, but the reigning Moto2™ champion made the most of his next opportunity and seized second spot on the drag to the first corner.
Pedrosa would fall back one more place before the chequered flag, losing out to Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Crutchlow (the first British pole-sitter since 2002) who was fortunate to avoid a crash when he touched Marquez’s rear wheel on the final lap. Although fourth is Pedrosa’s worst result since Round 1 in Qatar, he still extends his championship lead by two points.
Lorenzo was mightily relieved to have scored 11 points, having suffered a heavy crash on Thursday before being operated on in the early hours of Friday morning. He arrived back at Assen on Friday afternoon and was given the green light to race after 11 o’clock this morning. Having risen to the top five from 12th on the grid by only Lap 2, he ran as high as fourth but fell back as pain kicked in.
Sixth place went to Bradl - who, from his first ever MotoGP front row - had briefly snatched second at the start, whereas GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista overhauled leading CRT rider Aleix Espargaro (Power Electronics Aspar) for seventh with six laps to go. On the final lap Ducati Team’s Nicky Hayden lost two places and fell to 11th, dropping behind Tech 3’s Bradley Smith and his own teammate Andrea Dovizioso. Avintia Blusens’ Ivan Silva finished 23rd covering for the injured Hiroshi Aoyama, whereas Came IodaRacing Project’s Lukas Pesek was the sole retirement.
Valentino Rossi’s success is his first since returning to Yamaha and, as well as being his 80th win in the top tier, is his 106th career victory and eighth at Assen. In the standings, Pedrosa maintains the lead (136 points) from Lorenzo (127), with Marquez (113) now the reduced margin of 23 in arrears of the leader. Round 8, the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, take places in two weeks’ time.

 

[wino]

Sykes Takes The SBK Championship Lead After Double Race Win!
WSBK, Imola, Italy, 30 June 2013
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) continued his untouchable form from qualifying into both 21-lap SBK races at Imola and in taking his second ‘double’ of the year also he took the championship lead.

This was Tom’s second such double win in three rounds and with previous championship leader Sylvain Guintoli finally finding bad luck with a DNF in race one, and finishing third behind Tom in race two, Sykes now leads by six points after 7 of 15 rounds have been completed.

Sykes once more put in a perfect weekend, as he took both race wins, his sixth Superpole of the year, a new fastest lap in qualifying and a new lap record of 1’47.274 in race one. He has now scored five wins in 2013, more than any other individual rider. He also took his career total of SBK wins into double digits, with ten in total. In the championship table Tom leads Guintoli by 235 points to 229.

Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) was in poor physical shape after a very fast fall on Saturday in Superpole and fought hard to be ninth in race one, unable to push hard because of the pain. After more effective treatment in time for race two, Loris was more like his competitive self and made good use of the improvements his crew and Kawasaki had found with him in recent Aragon tests. He finished race two sixth and is still sixth in the championship, with 126 points.

Federico Sandi (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) proved to be 13th in race one and 14th in race two.

In the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race the top Kawasaki rider was Lorenzo Savadori (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) who finished fourth, ahead of fellow Ninja ZX-10R riders Leandro Mercado (Pedercini) and Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki). In the points, Guarnoni is third overall, 25 points from the lead with half a season left to run.

Tom Sykes: “I have had two perfect weekends out of the last three events and for this I am truly happy. I enjoy this circuit so we have made the most of it. A perfect weekend so it could not have been any better. It is a special weekend for many reasons and also the incident last year with my 2012 team-mate Joan Lascorz. There was not one time on any lap when I have exited turn six and not thought about his accident. We are all thinking of Joan and I hope that this is a small, small tribute to him. Both the ZX-10R and myself have been working well. I have every single individual member of the Kawasaki staff and teams to thank, and our great technical sponsors. Without their help I would not be able to showcase myself so I truly am grateful. Hopefully now this is a beginning of a challenge but we will see how we go.”

Loris Baz: “The main problem for me in race one was the pain in my left shoulder after my big crash in Superpole but to be honest it was sore everywhere so I could not stay with the guys in front. I had great pain in my ankles so I cannot change direction fast and I cannot brake well with the rear brake. In race two it was better and I had some more effective painkillers. From the beginning I tried to stay with them and fight with them really hard behind Leon, then pushed hard in the middle of the race even though it was very tiring. I had good confidence with the bike and I am sure if I was 100% I would have been even closer to the front. But saving a top six position in these conditions was not too bad. I felt like I had done 80 laps at the end, I was just destroyed!” WSBK results
Imola

Sofuoglu Wins His Second WSS Race Of 2013

WSS, Imola, Italy, 30 June 2013
Kenan Sofuoglu, of the Kawasaki Mahi Racing Team India squad, scored a great start-to-finish win at Imola after the race was stopped and restarted due to an oil spill, and finally run over 14 laps.

Kenan’s second race victory of 2013 saw him finish almost four seconds ahead of his nearest challenger Sam Lowes, as Kenan clawed back five points in the championship fight to the English rider.

Kenan has now won 23 WSS races extending his all time class record in the process.

His team-mate Fabien Foret had a tough weekend in Italy all round and the set-up improvements he hoped for in the morning warm-up did not allow him to compete to the level he expected in the race. He was 12th and is third in the overall standings.

In the championship Lowes has 140 points, Sofuoglu 106, Foret 85 and sixth place rider at Imola, Luca Scassa (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) is also sixth in the points, with 63.

At his home round Scassa was in combative mood, fighting with Andrea Antonelli (Goeleven Kawasaki) right to the flag and holding off his fellow Ninja ZX-6R rider on the final corners.

Florian Marino (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) was only one place behind Antonelli and eighth, a positive result for a rider was 12th in qualifying and who has some set-up issues in the race.

Riccardo Russo (Puccetti Racing Kawasaki) did not finish, like Kevin Coghlan (Kawasaki DMC-Lorenzini Team) who crashed out of a strong top six place. Regular Kawasaki WSS rider Vladimir Ivanov (Kawasaki DMC-Lorenzini Team) suffered a left femur break in a crash and did not race at Imola.

Kenan Sofuoglu: “We had to have two attempts to win but we did it. I really like this track but normally I have very bad luck here and Friday proved to be very difficult. The team worked very hard to find something for me and we changed a lot of things on the bike, even parts and we had to set them up again each time as they were new. I knew I could have had a strong pace and I was confident. As we saw I was really strong enough to fight and win this race. Everything was normal today and I am very happy to win again.”

Fabien Foret: “We could not make the improvements we needed after practice and qualifying and I find it very hard to ride the bike at this minute. I think maybe it is electronics but I cannot ride it the way I want especially into the corner. That was the reason I was in the finish position of 12th. At this track you have to confidence in corner entries or you cannot make the lap times. I made a mistake because I was overriding to try and make up time. We move on now to Moscow.” WSS results
Imola

 

[wino]

No further damage to Lorenzo collarbone


Monday, 1 July 2013
MotoGP™ World Champion Jorge Lorenzo passed a further medical test on Monday afternoon which confirmed that his left collarbone has suffered no further injury than first revealed, following a heavy crash in practice for last weekend’s Dutch TT.
Lorenzo had his accident in second free practice on Thursday afternoon, then flying home to Barcelona where surgery was carried out in the early hours of Friday morning. He would return to Assen on Friday afternoon before – following two medical tests at the circuit – going on to finish in the top five of Saturday’s race.
On Monday, the Yamaha Factory Racing rider headed to the Hospital General de Catalunya (HGC) in Sant Cugat on the outskirts of Barcelona. He was attended to by Dr. Teresa Sola.
"The physical effort required in the Grand Prix of The Netherlands does not appear to have caused any repercussions," Dr. Sola explained, with Lorenzo’s latest assessment having involved revisions to control the wound, management of mobility and an x-ray which confirmed that the recovery of the left clavicle is well underway.
Lorenzo will not be prevented from taking part in next weekend’s German Grand Prix and he has now been permitted to begin full rehabilitation ahead of Round 8 at the Sachsenring.

MotoGP™ all set for Argentina testing


Monday, 1 July 2013
MotoGP™ will be spending this week in Argentina as a selection of riders get their first taste of the pristine Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo. Following a press conference on Tuesday, a two-day test will take place on Thursday and Friday.
The sport last raced in Argentina in 1999, as Kenny Roberts Jr. raced to victory in Buenos Aires. It is the capital that will play host venue to Tuesday’s press conference as the likes of Cal Crutchlow, Stefan Bradl, Alvaro Bautista and Hector Barbera gather, also joined by representatives behind the all-new Argentinian race event which is being planned to join the calendar from 2014.
Testing at the race track - located on the outskirts of Termas de Rio Hondo, 1,100 kilometres north-west of Buenos Aires - will take place between 10am and 5pm local time (GMT -3), with a one-hour break, on both Thursday and Friday. The outing will allow the aforementioned riders, as well as Moto2™’s Tito Rabat and Nico Terol, to get to grips with the clockwise, 14-turn 4.8km layout.
Extensive coverage of all of the happenings, including video updates and live timing direct from the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo, will be available on motogp.com.

 

[wino]

It dont matter where you put a catch fence. Bouncing bikes can jump them. Superpole Imola

 

[McM]

This is what I'm saving for

Der Hammer like we germans saying.

 

[wino]

Suzuki Targeting Rossi in 2015
by staff
Thursday, July 04, 2013

Suzuki recently announced it was delaying its return to MotoGP until 2015 instead of the expected 2014, claiming it needed more time to develop its new 1000cc prototype.
And in a shocking coincidence, it just so happens that seven-time World Champion Valentino Rossi is out of contract with Yamaha after 2014. And Suzuki test team manager Davide Brivio - team manager during Rossi's first stint at Yamaha - made no secret about Suzuki's interest in Rossi as a factory rider starting in 2015.
Brivio, who at one time was simultaneously the manager of the Yamaha MotoGP team and Yamaha rider Rossi's manager remains as Rossi's business manager today.
"We have to look at the best possible option, and Valentino is one of those, so why not?" Brivio said. "We have to try with everybody.
"We have seen and I am proud to say that when we were in Yamaha we got Valentino there, and that changed the history of Yamaha. We showed clearly how important the rider is, and that has become obvious for the last 10 years. If we have good riders, we can show our potential."
Brivio didn't seem to mention Rossi's two failed seasons at Ducati where after the entire team and motorcycle being developed around him he was so unable to find his way with it that he adopted Nicky Hayden's set up.
Of course, Rossi rode a previously moribund Yamaha to the World Championship in his first season with the Crossed Tuning Forks. And he won at Assen last weekend.
But this is a much older Rossi, who will be 36 at the start of the 2015 season. Still, the marketing and PR value of landing Rossi would be immense. Plus even if his speed has faded, The Doctor can help develop a conventional Japanese bike, proven by his tenures at Honda and Yamaha.
ENDS

No Asterisk
by staff
Wednesday, July 03, 2013
A margin of victory of 2.1 seconds after leading the majority of laps at the Dutch TT? It wasn't the way most felt a Rossi victory would play out. They were wrong.
image thanks, Bridgestone
Most pundits agreed: if Valentio Rossi didwin in 2013 it was going to be an asterisk race. A race where the outcome's subplot was just as well known as the winner.
Rossi hadn't been fast for long strings of laps since the season opener in Qatar and at times seemed to have reverted to the Rossi who rode for Ducati—where one wondered if that really was a nine time world champion in those leathers, as he didn't look much like the Rossi everyone remembered.
There were flashpoints of success—he was fastest in the second practice session at Catalunya, no small feat. But at what cost? When he pulled his AGV off after the session and smiled for the cameras, it was clear that what he'd just done came at considerable cost. Sitting in the Yamaha garage afterward, Rossi looked like he'd spent ten days in Vegas with a fresh credit card. His early, easy-living days when he might mention he would win the title riding one-handed (2001) were clearly well behind him.
If he won, they said, it was going to be in the rain, or after a pile-up took out Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Marquez, or a situation where he could barge his way though and then stay in the lead and be as impossible to pass as he could and hang in for the win.
In the end, Rossi's Assen victory had no asterisk. It was a straight up race win right out of Mike Hailwood's 1963 book "The Art of Motorcycle Racing". In it, Hailwood wrote The wisest plan is to go as hard as you possibly can from the moment the flag falls and try and put maximum distance between yourself and your rivals. That's how Rossi won Assen.
In the end, Rossi's Assen victory had no asterisk. It was a straight up race win right out of Mike Hailwood's book "The Art of Motorcycle Racing". In it, Hailwood wrote The wisest plan is to go as hard as you possibly can from the moment the flag falls and try and put maximum distance between yourself and your rivals. That's how Rossi won Assen.
Rossi's training regimen has always been more talked about than witnessed—he rarely rides a bicycle and gave the one a bike company sent him to his manager, so he does not take part in the most common form of training today for professional riders. It is said, he prefers to ride dirt bikes and the like to stay sharp. That said, if he was exhausted by the effort needed to nail his Assen win he didn't show it afterward. Winning can take ten years off a man and Rossi looked much younger as he leaped to the podium for his first winner's trophy in more than two seasons.
After the win, one of his Italian media friends asked him about Jorge Lorenzo's amazing performance, racing on a broken collarbone.
In his typical Rossi very unfiltered fashion, Valentino said Lorenzo's feat was a magnificent performance. Because if he broke his collarbone, Rossi said, he doubted he (Rossi) could even masturbate.
ENDS
















This Week's New MotoGP Rules
Tuesday, July 02, 2013
These just in from the FIM:
FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Decision of the Grand Prix Commission
The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Ignacio Verneda (FIM Executive Director, Sport), Herve Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA) in the presence of Javier Alonso (Dorna) and Mike Trimby (IRTA, Secretary of the meeting), in a meeting held on 28 June 2013 in Assen (NED), made the following decisions:
Technical Regulations MotoGP Class - Effective Immediately
The engine claiming rule is cancelled for any CRT entry using the official Magneti Marelli hardware and software.
MotoGP Class - Effective 2014
The engine claiming rule is cancelled completely.
Moto2 Class - Effective Immediately
Teams are currently permitted to request a change of official engine even if the Technical Director has decided that, in his opinion, there is no justification for a change. In the current regulations such requests risked forfeiting a deposit of Euro 20,000 if subsequent examination of the engine showed that it was performing within the normal parameters. In practice this penalty has never been applied and the teams have simply been charged the costs involved for engine stripping and testing.
The deposit which is subject to forfeit has now been reduced to Euro 7,500 with a supplement of Euro 2,500 for any subsequent changes by the same team/rider in the same season. This deposit/penalty requirement will henceforth be applied without exception.
The object of the rule change is to discourage teams from requesting engine changes for frivolous reasons or in the hope of being randomly allocated an engine that might have better performance.
ENDS


Argentina to host MotoGP™ until 2016 from next year


A first look at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit
Thursday, 4 July 2013
Dorna Sports is pleased to announce that MotoGP™ is officially returning to Argentina from next season to the newly built Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, which is currently hosting a preliminary MotoGP™ and Moto2™ test.
National Tourism Minister Enrique Meyer was present alongside Dorna Managing Director Events Area, Javier Alonso, to finalize the contract, which will see the premier class of motorcycle racing return to Argentina for the first time since 1999 on a three-year deal.
Meyer commented: “It is a great honour to receive this championship in Argentina in addition to other sporting events that take place in our country such as the Dakar Rally. We hope that the Argentine public can enjoy the top class of motorcycle racing, which hasn’t come to our country since 1999, and we will do our best to make sure MotoGP stays in our country for a long time.”
During his visit to the track today, Meyer was accompanied by the Governor of the Province of Santiago del Estero, Gerardo Zamora, and the Executive Secretary of the National Institute of Tourism, Leonardo Boto. Together they toured the circuit facilities and greeted the riders of both categories.
Meyer added: “We are getting very good reviews from the riders in relation to the circuit, due to the high speed corners in which competitors test their abilities. We are excited to host this event [the test], which serves as preparation for the Grand Prix in 2014.”
"Seeing all the motorcycle enthusiasts that have come to witness the MotoGP and Moto2 test is the most concrete proof that sporting events and tourism are two tools that go together and should be exploited for the better to maximize the benefits for each of the provinces of Argentina.”
TAGS 2013
Photos:






Lorenzo's Pad Burns
by staff
Monday, July 01, 2013
Jorge Lorenzo's roller coaster of a long weekend took a plunge when he reportedly learned that his new luxury apartment in Switzerland was destroyed in a fire.
Lorenzo broke his collarbone Thursday in a crash in practice at Assen, underwent surgery later that night in Barcelona, flew back to Assen Friday and raced to an incredibly courageous fifth-place finish in the Dutch TT despite having eight screws and titanium plate in his collarbone.
The destroyed penthouse apartment near Lugano apparently was just finished for two-time MotoGP World Champion Lorenzo, who had not moved in yet A number of riders, including retired World Champion Casey Stoner, have Swiss residences to reduce their income-tax burden.
Local authorities are still trying to determine the cause of the blaze, which reportedly spread rapidly due to a number of cartons sitting on the balcony.

 

[wino]

Sykes Reluctant To Try And Break Through MotoGP's "Spanish Ceiling"
by staff
Tuesday, July 02, 2013
Maybe it was euphoria, or maybe it was sincere, but Tom Sykes insists he wants to stay in World Superbike in 2014.
Sykes took the lead in the Superbike World Championship after winning both races last weekend at Imola. His contract with Kawasaki expires after this season season, and he could be a hot commodity for a satellite or production-racer ride in MotoGP next season if he continues the strong form that started last season by losing the SBK title by just one-half point to Max Biaggi.
But Sykes has no plans to move to MotoGP next year, preferring to stay with Kawasaki in WSBK.
"I'd be curious to try a MotoGP bike, but I would run only with a factory bike," Sykes said to Italian media. "It seems to me that there are many Spaniards in that environment, and most of the doors are closed. I had no contacts, and frankly I prefer to devote the work to be done here."
ENDS

 

[wino]

Sykes Reluctant To Try And Break Through MotoGP's "Spanish Ceiling"
by staff
Tuesday, July 02, 2013
Maybe it was euphoria, or maybe it was sincere, but Tom Sykes insists he wants to stay in World Superbike in 2014.
Sykes took the lead in the Superbike World Championship after winning both races last weekend at Imola. His contract with Kawasaki expires after this season season, and he could be a hot commodity for a satellite or production-racer ride in MotoGP next season if he continues the strong form that started last season by losing the SBK title by just one-half point to Max Biaggi.
But Sykes has no plans to move to MotoGP next year, preferring to stay with Kawasaki in WSBK.
"I'd be curious to try a MotoGP bike, but I would run only with a factory bike," Sykes said to Italian media. "It seems to me that there are many Spaniards in that environment, and most of the doors are closed. I had no contacts, and frankly I prefer to devote the work to be done here."
ENDS

 

[wino]

Rossi: Longest-serving premier class winner


Tuesday, 9 July 2013
Valentino Rossi’s historic victory at Assen was not only his 80th in the premier class of MotoGP™. The nine-time champion has now also established a new record in terms of being a winning rider in the series.
With his first top class win having come in the 500 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Donington Park in 2000, Rossi’s 2013 victory in the Dutch TT came 12 years and 355 days later. This beats the previous record held by Brazil’s Alex Barros (11 years and 204 days) and pushes Phil Read down to third place (11 years and 16 days).
‘The Doctor’ could still set the same record when considering all categories. Rossi’s current win span is 16 years and 345 days; if he wins at Sepang this year, he will beat Loris Capirossi’s 17 years and 49 days. Rossi’s first ever win came in the 125 Czech Grand Prix at Brno in 1996.

Redding rides Schwantz Suzuki of 1994

Moto2™ is powered by

Monday, 8 July 2013
Scott Redding was back at Belgium’s historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit on Sunday, this time sampling the Suzuki RGV500 motorcycle piloted during the 500 season of 1994 by Kevin Schwantz, then the reigning World Champion.
Redding, the current Moto2™ championship leader with Marc VDS Racing Team, rode the MotoGP™ Legend’s machine during the traditional 500GP parade at the annual Bikers’ Classic event. He was joined on-track by fellow former world title winners Giacomo Agostini, Phil Read, Wayne Gardner and Christian Sarron.
“Lining up on the grid with all these champions around me…it felt like I was actually taking part in a 500 GP race!” the Englishman stated.
“Sat there on the bike in front of a huge crowd, surrounded by the likes of Wayne Gardner, Christian Sarron and Didier de Radigues, I got a real good feeling for what it must have been like for Kevin Schwantz when he lined up to race this bike back in '94. It was an incredible experience.”
Although the event may have been dubbed a ‘parade’, instincts kicked in and a mini-Grand Prix soon took place. Redding finished a close second to 2009 British Supersport Champion Steve Plater who rode the Suzuki RGV500 XR88 on which Kenny Roberts Jr. finished runner-up to Alex Criville in the 500 campaign of 1999.

"I got a good start to lead through Eau Rouge, but this was my first time on the track on two wheels, on a bike I only slung a leg over ten minutes beforehand. The rest of the guys rode yesterday, so they had a bit of an advantage in the opening laps, but it didn't take me long to get a feel for the bike and to figure out the lines. I managed to push my way back up into second and then had a great battle with Steve Plater over the last few laps. In the end I couldn't quite find a way past him before the chequered flag, but second place isn't too bad for my first outing on a 500GP bike!"

The 1994 Suzuki RGV 500 XR84 ridden by Redding is owned by Northamptonshire businessman, Steve Wheatman, and is run at events by his own Team Classic Suzuki set up. The bike weighs just 135kg and produces around 195BHP from its 70° V-Four, 498cc two-stroke engine, enough to propel it to a top speed approaching 320km/h with the right gearing.

It's a very different animal to the four-stroke, 600cc machine that Redding campaigns in the Moto2 World Championship and, judging from the list of injuries Schwantz sustained during his career, a little less forgiving too!

"The bike was absolutely amazing. Okay, the brakes weren't great, but we were expecting that. The handling was incredible because the bike is so light; it was really easy to change direction. It accelerated hard too, with the front coming up in every gear. I didn't need a rev counter; I just changed up whenever I felt the front wheel was high enough! There was a lot of power, but it was pretty controllable, nothing like the razor sharp powerband I was expecting. It turns like a 125 and was still pulling in sixth. They should bring these back. It was absolutely mega to ride!"

With no engine braking from the two-stroke motor, Redding wasn't able to give the Spa crowd a demonstration of backing it in, for which he's well known in Moto2, but he did manage to show them what the elbow sliders on his leathers are for.

"I was knee down and I could see I was quite close with the elbow, so I just leant it over a bit more and down it went. I don't think they did that in 500GP back in 1994, but then the tyres we were using today offer a lot more grip than those Kevin Schwantz had to contend with when he raced the bike."

It was on this bike that Schwantz enjoyed his last World Championship success, winning the 1994 British Grand Prix at Donington Park, which, coincidentally, was also the scene of Redding's first ever Grand Prix victory in 2008.

By riding the Suzuki RGV500 at Spa, Redding is now one of a very small group of riders who have experienced both four-stroke and two-stroke Grand Prix machinery, having tested Ducati's Desmosedici MotoGP bike at Mugello in 2012.

"I'd like to say a massive thank you to Steve Wheatman for letting me loose on his rather expensive bike, and also to Olivier Aerts for organising the ride today. It was great fun and I hope I'll get the chance to repeat the experience in the not too distant future," concluded Redding.

Redding will now head East from Spa, to the Sachsenring, where he'll defend his Moto2 World Championship lead in the German Grand Prix next weekend.

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Racing Numbers: eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland


Thursday, 11 July 2013
Did you know that Valentino Rossi’s return to winning ways has left him with a career total of 4,646 points? That is just one of the curious pieces of MotoGP™ trivia as a thrilling championship chase heads to the Sachsenring…
4,646 – Following Valentino Rossi’s win at the Dutch TT, his total number of points during his Grand Prix career show a certain symmetry with his racing number.
44 years – On the day of qualifying at the German GP it will be exactly 44 years since Dave Simmonds won the 125 GP at the old Sachsenring circuit in 1969, becoming the first rider to win a world title on a Kawasaki-manufactured motorcycle.
24 – Prior to the Dutch TT, the previous 24 successive MotoGP races had at least one of either Jorge Lorenzo or Dani Pedrosa on the podium. The last occasion when neither of these two riders were on the podium was the final race of 2011 in Valencia, when Casey Stoner narrowly won from Ben Spies and Andrea Dovizioso was third.
23 – The current strength in depth of both rider and machinery in the MotoGP class is illustrated by the fact that none of the 23 riders that finished the MotoGP race in Assen were lapped by the race leader at the end of the 26-lap Dutch TT. The last time that as many as 23 riders finished on the same lap as the winner in a full-length race in the premier-class was the 1980 German 500 GP, which was run over just six laps of the original 22.8 km Nurburgring circuit.
23 – Dominique Aegerter’s third place finish at the Dutch TT was his 23rd successive points-scoring finish in the Moto2 class.
21 years – On the first day of practice at the German GP it will be exactly 21 years since Eddie Lawson won the 1992 Hungarian 500 GP to give Cagiva their first Grand Prix win.
19 – Two riders in the Moto3 class celebrate their 19th birthdays in the week of the German GP; Niklas Ajo is on the Wednesday before the race and John McPhee is on race day.
11 years – Cal Crutchlow’s pole position at the Dutch TT was the first pole for a British rider in the premier class of Grand Prix racing since Jeremy McWilliams was top qualifier for the Australian GP at Phillip Island in 2002, riding a two-stroke Proton KR.
7th – Aleix Espargaro’s seventh place on the grid at the Dutch TT is the best ever qualifying result by a CRT rider.
7 – Both Luis Salom and Maverick Viñales have finished on the podium at the first seven Moto3 races of the year. This is the first time since Kazuto Sakata in 1993 that any rider has opened the season with seven successive podium finishes in the lightweight class of GP racing.
5th – Jorge Lorenzo’s fifth place finish with a broken collarbone at the Dutch TT is only the third time since his rookie season of 2008 that he has finished a race outside the top four; the other two occasions were when he finished sixth at Assen in 2011 - after being knocked off on the first lap - and when he was seventh earlier this year at the wet race in France.
3 – Cal Crutchlow’s third place finish at the Dutch TT makes him the first British rider to have three podium finishes in a single season of the premier class since Ron Haslam in 1985.
0.416 seconds – Fifth place finisher in the Moto3 race at the Dutch TT, Alex Marquez, crossed the line just 0.416 seconds behind the winner Luis Salom, making the race the closest top five finish in a full-length race in the lightweight class since the Italian GP in 2008.


History-making Bradl returns home to Germany


Thursday, 11 July 2013
He strives for a maiden podium in the premier class, not least after his first front row start last time out at Assen. Even so, Stefan Bradl is already re-writing the history books when it comes to Germans competing in MotoGP™.
Bradl made his MotoGP™ debut in 2012, having beaten Marc Marquez to the Moto2™ crown a year earlier. He is now raising the bar when it comes to what Germans have achieved on two wheels in the upper tier of the sport.
Here are a few of the facts supporting the 23-year-old:
- His fourth place finish of Mugello 2012 was the best for a German since 1989, when Michael Rudroff finished on the podium – coincidentally, also at Mugello; however, leading riders had boycotted the race for safety reasons. On the other hand, the last time a German had finished inside the top five of a non-boycotted race was back in 1974, when Dieter Braun came home behind Phil Read and Giacomo Agostini at Spa
- Bradl collected 135 points in his debut premier class season of 2012 – the highest amount of points for any German in their rookie year
- The eighth place championship finish Bradl managed last season was the best for a German since 1974, when Dieter Braun ended the campaign seventh overall
- Bradl’s front-row start at the 2013 Dutch TT was the first ever top three grid slot for a German; the previous best was fourth, achieved by Ralf Waldmann at Brno in 1998 – at the time, the top four riders shared the front row of the starting grid
Heading to his home Grand Prix at the Sachsenring this weekend, Bradl lies seventh in the standings and is only 14 points behind Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso.

 

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Lorenzo out of action after Friday crash


More trouble for Lorenzo at the Sachsenring
Friday, 12 July 2013
Yamaha Factory Racing has announced that Jorge Lorenzo will miss this weekend’s eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland following a heavy crash on Friday.
Just 15 days after breaking his left collarbone at Assen, Lorenzo’s latest accident has resulted in damage to the titanium plate in the champion’s left shoulder; a further operation is now required.
Friday started well for the reigning title holder, who confidently returned from his dramatic Assen weekend to top the timesheets in opening practice.
Lorenzo’s crash occurred while he was running quickest in the afternoon session. The Yamaha Factory Racing rider lost control at Turn 10, highsiding his bike and landing heavily on his left shoulder. The Mallorcan was taken to the Clinica Mobile, where examinations indicated that the eight screws in his shoulder were in tact but that the titanium plate itself had been bent by the impact.
Lorenzo underwent further checks in the circuit Medical Centre, including an x-ray, and it was first suggested that he would require a rest period of 24 to 48 hours before any further surgery could take place. It was then confirmed that he would return to Barcelona for an operation (date and time TBC).
“For sure, he is not going to come back here,” Team Director Massimo Meregalli told motogp.com. “He should be operated on tomorrow morning and then he will inform us, probably on Sunday morning, whether he will be back at Laguna – because at the moment it doesn’t look like he will be.”
“I have decided to go home and recover after today's crash at the Sachsenring,” Lorenzo is quoted as saying in a team press release. “I prefer to focus on surgery to fix the plate that was unfortunately bent during the crash. I will try to recover and be back as soon as possible.”
It remains to be seen as to whether he will be able to return for the Laguna Seca race next weekend.




Marquez on pole position for German GP


Sachsenring 2013 - MotoGP - Q2 - Highlights
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Marc Marquez has collected his third MotoGP™ pole position for this weekend’s eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. As injured title rivals Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa both sat out after crashes, the Repsol Honda Team rider beat Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow and Yamaha Factory Racing’s Valentino Rossi.
Since practice action commenced on Friday, a number of incidents have been witnessed at the Sachsenring, not least for title holder Lorenzo and current championship leader Pedrosa who both have injured left collarbones after highside crashes. Lorenzo will miss at least this race, whereas in Pedrosa’s case it remains to be seen as to whether he will be able to rejoin the action on Sunday.
Marquez’s lap of 1’21.311 was within three tenths of a second of Casey Stoner’s best ever lap of the Sachsenring – which had been achieved in the era of qualifying tyres in 2008 – as he stormed to his third pole, after Texas and Le Mans. Crutchlow will start inside the top two for the third race in succession, despite two heavy falls on Friday which have left the Englishman in pain, while the front row start for Rossi is his first in 988 days; his last had been at the Portuguese Grand Prix of 2010.
Row 2 is headed up by LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl at his home event, whereas a top five result came thanks to a stunning effort from Aleix Espargaro on the Power Electronics Aspar CRT machine. Ducati Team will line up sixth and ninth, better than Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso had expected, whereas Tech 3’s Bradley Smith and GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista will fill slots seven and eight. Pedrosa was classified 12th, but was unable to take part in qualifying.
Highly impressive performances from Danilo Petrucci and Claudio Corti saw the pair of Italians topping Q1 and thus progressing to the Q2 shootout for the first time; Corti will start tenth on the grid for NGM Mobile Forward Racing, whereas Petrucci experienced an issue in Q2 and will set off from 11th for Came IodaRacing Project.
At the back of the grid and in 23rd place will be Energy T.I. Racing’s Andrea Iannone, who dislocated his right shoulder in a crash during the final practice session. Hector Barbera (Avintia Blusens, 14th) was also in discomfort after twisting his right ankle in morning practice, whereas GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Bryan Staring was left 22nd fastest after suffering a large highside on the exit of Turn 3.
Sunday’s eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland starts at 2pm local time (GMT +2).

 

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Espargaro cracks top five on CRT bike


Aleix Espargaro really happy with fifth
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Aleix Espargaro delivered a highly impressive performance in qualifying for the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, placing his Power Electronics Aspar ART bike fifth on the grid at the Sachsenring.
Not only is he fifth, but the Catalan rider was over a second quicker than the next CRT-specification machine. He is now thoroughly looking forward to starting on Row 2 for the first time, joined by Stefan Bradl and former champion Nicky Hayden.
“I’m really happy,” Espargaro told motogp.com. “This is not one of my favourite tracks on the calendar but our bike is really, really good because there is not a long straight; that means we lose less in respective to the MotoGP bikes. We do not have enough power to battle with them on other tracks, but it’s different here.
“I have pushed as much as I could all weekend; this morning we finished second, really close to Marquez, and in the afternoon my last two laps were really, really good – both 1’29. Tomorrow we are starting on the second row for the first time. I will try to make a good start and try to stay with the fast riders for a couple of laps.”
He stressed that the weather will have a significant bearing on proceedings.
“It also depends on the temperatures,” the 23-year-old began to conclude. “If it is colder, we will have a bit of an advantage. If it is hotter than today, we will struggle a lot, but let’s just start on the second row, enjoy the first part of the race and see where our limit is.”
So far in 2013, Espargaro’s best race result is eighth, which he has achieved at the last three races at Mugello, Barcelona and Assen.

 

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Marquez wins in Germany to take overall lead


Sachsenring 2013 - MotoGP - RACE - Highlights
Sunday, 14 July 2013
Marc Marquez has won the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, picking up his second MotoGP™ victory and seventh podium finish from eight races. In the absence of both Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa, the same three riders were on the podium as at the Dutch TT, with Cal Crutchlow and Valentino Rossi second and third.
The Sachsenring delivered another highly dramatic weekend, not least as numerous riders have suffered crashes. Crutchlow was one of them, heading into the race with injuries to his arms, hands and left leg, but heavy impacts for World Champion Lorenzo and erstwhile championship leader Pedrosa left both on the sidelines; the Yamaha Factory Racing rider bent the titanium plate in his shoulder, while the Repsol Honda Team rider sustained a small fracture, also to the left collarbone.
With both of his major rivals out of contention, Marquez – starting on his third pole position of the season – knew that a second race win (after Austin, Texas) would allow him to snatch back the advantage in the title race. A poor start saw the 20-year-old rookie drop to fourth place, but he picked off those ahead of him one by one and took the lead from home rider Stefan Bradl at the end of the sixth lap. Once Crutchlow took second, the Spaniard would manage the gap and win by 1.5 seconds.
Crutchlow’s own race started from second. Fighting the pain of his injuries after two large accidents on Friday, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider dispatched of Alvaro Bautista and Bradl before stealing second from Valentino Rossi in a strong move at Sachsen Kurve on Lap 16. He then looked to threaten for a career-first victory, but Marquez had been looking after his tyres and was able to comfortably control the gap until the end of the 30th and final lap; nevertheless, Crutchlow becomes the first British rider since Barry Sheene in 1982 to collect four podium finishes in one season.
Having returned to winning ways at Assen, Rossi has now claimed consecutive rostrum placings. From his first front row start since the Portuguese Grand Prix of 2010, the Yamaha Factory Racing rider seized the lead as the red lights went out. He proceeded to battle with local favourite Bradl but was overhauled by eventual winner Marquez on Lap 5. Three laps later, Rossi passed the Bradl to go second, but then fell back to the final podium spot when Crutchlow steamed ahead.
Bradl’s fourth place for LCR Honda MotoGP may have meant that he has still missed out on the podium, but the German has again equalled his career-best result. GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista completed the top five from eighth on the grid, while Tech 3’s Bradley Smith ended his day sixth - confirming two British riders in the top six of a premier race for the first time in two decades - from the impressive Aleix Espargaro; from fifth on the grid, the Power Electronics Aspar rider rode his CRT-specification bike in as high as third place before feeling the wrath of the prototypes.
Further down the order, the final points went to 13th-placed Colin Edwards (NGM Mobile Forward Racing) and the two riders who a day earlier had passed through to the Q2 shootout from Q1, with Danilo Petrucci and Claudio Corti 14th and 15th for Came IodaRacing Project and NGM Mobile Forward Racing, respectively. Two riders failed to see the end of the race, as there were crashes for both PBM’s Yonny Hernandez and Gresini’s Bryan Staring.
Round 9 of 18, the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, will be staged at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca next weekend. This, the second leg of the first double-header this year, will bring the curtain down on the first half of MotoGP™ 2013. Marquez now carries a two-point championship lead over Pedrosa, with Lorenzo 11 behind the leader.

 

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Doctors advise Lorenzo that rest is best


Tuesday, 16 July 2013

World Champion Jorge Lorenzo underwent further medical tests on Tuesday, following his shoulder surgery at the weekend, with doctors advising him that rest is best and that any decisión to ride at Laguna Seca is entirely up to him.


His additional surgery at the weekend on his broken collarbone after crashes at Assen and Sachsenring means that a period of rest and recuperation is advised, but of course with vital championship points in play, Lorenzo may be keen to return sooner rather than later.
Doctors observed that his immediate post surgery recuperation is going well but he has been advised that risking another crash could be costly.
Lorenzo has already stated via his official Twitter account that he intended to return to action at Indianapolis in August but his crew have travelled to Laguna Seca should he decide to return this weekend. Indeed his teammate Valentino Rossi stated a personal opinion during the Sachsenring weekend that ‘Jorge will be there’ for round nine in California.
Following Lorenzo’s medical examination at Catalunya General Hospital on Tuesday, Dr. Marc Cots commented: “His injury is healing well and looks completely normal. The plate we inserted is well positioned and we’re pleased with the progress the injury is making. Jorge is physically capable of riding again now, just as he did at Assen immediately after his pervious surgery.”
“However, our advice is to be cautious and avoid the risk of another crash, but the decision on when to return is entirely up to him and I suppose he’ll make that decision soon.”

MOTOGP »
German MotoGP: Rivals divided on Lorenzo Laguna comeback
15 July 2013

Valentino Rossi thinks Jorge Lorenzo will race at Laguna Seca MotoGP, but Marc Marquez and Cal Crutchlow are not sure it would be wise...

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German MotoGP: Rivals divided on Lorenzo Laguna comeback
Valentino Rossi has speculated that Jorge Lorenzo will be back on the grid for the United States MotoGP at Laguna Seca in less than a week's time, though his main rivals remain uncertain.

Following his heroic efforts in the Dutch TT, when he rode to fifth position with a freshly broken collarbone, Lorenzo then damaged the inserted plate in a fall during practice for the German GP, requiring another round of surgery and ruling him out of the event.

Yamaha insist no final decision on Lorenzo's US GP attendance has been made, although the rider himself indicated on Twitter that he did not want to take any more risks, adding 'See you in Indy' (the round following Laguna Seca).

That said, team-mate Rossi believes Lorenzo will give in to racer's instinct and be back on the bike for the US event, particularly in light of Dani Pedrosa's withdrawal from the Sachsenring.

New title leader Marc Marquez, Pedrosa and reigning double champion Lorenzo are covered by just eleven points at the top of the standings.

“So this is just my idea, but Jorge will race at Laguna,” he told reporters during the post-race press conference. “I don't know anything. It is just my feeling. Because he has one week, the surgery was okay. At the beginning for sure for Jorge it was scary and frustrating. But I know what happens in the mind after some days, you feel not so bad and you say 'why not?' But maybe I am wrong!”

However, while Marquez and Cal Crutchlow were both vocally respectful of Lorenzo's performance in the Netherlands, they are unsure whether such a swift return is a good idea.

“Like we said in Assen, what he did there we were surprised about, so we can expect anything,” said Marquez. “If he is ready [for Laguna Seca], why not? But the situation of the championship won't change his mind, is my opinion.”

“I think he will be a bit wiser this time to come back,” added Crutchlow. “It is a racer's instinct to come back straight away and he did a fantastic job at Assen. What he did was really remarkable. But I think now after a second operation he will not take the risk again, because he is already thinking for the career. If you want a longer career it is better not to get hurt.

“I think he came here with maybe a little too much confidence. On Friday morning he was already so fast and he made a small mistake. But I hope he comes back soon and we know as soon as he comes back he will be battling at the front and strong again. He may as well wait. It makes no difference I think.”

Laguna Seca is the last event before the summer break, with the Indianapolis round on August 16-18.

UPDATE: Pedrosa 'feeling better' plans to be at US MotoGP
UPDATE: Monday afternoon Tweet from Repsol Honda:

"Dani is feeling better and at the moment the plan is to be in Laguna! Thank you for all your kind messages."

Dani Pedrosa has revealed he was originally intending to race in the German MotoGP at the Sachsenring after initially being declared fit to race, but decided against it after suffering spells of dizziness and sickness.

The Repsol Honda rider, then leading the championship, was diagnosed with a small fracture to his collarbone after falling hard during FP3, but was passed fit to take part in the warm-up on Sunday morning.

However, Pedrosa took a turn for the worse just prior to heading out on track. Following another check-up by medical staff, he was declared unfit to participate.

"This morning I had my check up in the medical centre and I felt okay, my shoulder was painful but otherwise I felt fine. The doctors declared me fit to take part in warm up. Then shortly before the session I began to feel dizzy again and my blood pressure dropped.

“The doctors came to see me in my truck and we decided I shouldn't take part in the session. I returned to my motorhome to rest and still felt dizzy and sick. The doctors arrived at my motorhome and informed me that they did not consider I was okay to race and would therefore declare me unfit."

With the United States Grand Prix less than a week away, it is uncertain whether Pedrosa - who lost his series lead to Marc Marquez following his team-mate's victory in Germany - will participate.

With reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo also absent on Sunday - due to a collarbone injury - Marquez, Pedrosa and Lorenzo are now covered by just eleven points at the top of the standings.

Lorenzo has suggested he will not ride at the US GP but Yamaha state that the final decision is yet to be made.
MOTOGP »
Rossi on Marquez: 'This b*stard will be fast at Laguna!'
15 July 2013

No one can accuse Valentino Rossi of boring PR speak...

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Rossi on Marquez: 'This b*stard will be fast at Laguna!'
MotoGP rookie Marc Marquez retook the world championship lead with his second victory of the year, in Germany on Sunday.

But Marquez could face one of his toughest tests of the season at next weekend's US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca.

The 20-year-old has no prior experience of the unique Californian circuit, since the smaller grand prix classes do not race at the track and there are no MotoGP tests held at the venue.

So just how difficult will it be for Marquez?

That was the question put to Valentino Rossi, seated alongside Marquez after finishing third in Germany, during the post-race Sachsenring press conference.

"No, no, very easy!" Rossi laughed. "At Laguna... I expect that this f**king b*stard is fast from the beginning!

[More laughter with Marquez]

"Joking aside, Laguna is very difficult. It is a strange track. Something very particular. But I'm sure Marc will be fast. For him one weekend is enough to be competitive."

Cal Crutchlow, second at the Sachsenring, later offered some Laguna Seca 'advice' for Marquez: "The first corner is sixth gear!" he smiled.

Marquez, who has finished on the podium in all but one race this year, now leads the standings by two points from injured Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa.