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| Fiat Yamaha Team target more glory as MotoGP lands in Europe | | |  | The MotoGP circus has its first European port of call this weekend, at Jerez de la Frontera in Southern Spain. After the rain-interrupted first two races, springtime in Andalucia will hopefully bring calmer weather for the riders and the capacity crowd of passionate Spanish fans. The Fiat Yamaha Team is riding high after a one-two from Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi in Japan last weekend and the pair will be targeting more glory this week as they look to continue their stunning start to the season.
Rossi has a huge Spanish following and an impressive six victories in all classes to his name at Jerez, two of which have come with Yamaha in 2005 and 2006. The 30-year old finished runner-up there last year, his opening podium of the season and his first on Bridgestone tyres. After two second places on the bounce this year he will be out to claim his first win and wrest the championship lead from his team-mate, who he currently trails by just one point.
After a brilliant second MotoGP win last Sunday at Motegi, Lorenzo comes to his home Grand Prix brimming with confidence and leading the championship. Last year he took his second pole position and went on to finish third and he will be hoping to make the most of his home advantage this weekend and take a first MotoGP win on Spanish soil. The Mallorcan, who turns 22 on Monday, made history at Jerez back in 2002 as the youngest rider ever to qualify for Grand Prix and he took victory there in 2006 and 2007 on the way to his two 250cc titles.
Jerez is a Mecca for Spanish motorcycle racing and always draws one of the biggest crowds of the season, with more than 120,000 filling the natural amphitheatre and creating a unique carnival atmosphere. 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 - "A step up"
"We've made a good start to the season with two podiums which shows we are consistent, but now we need to make the step up. Motegi was a good race but we had one or two problems, which we need to fix. We have a lot of data from Jerez because we tested there twice in the winter so I hope that this will help us to find a good setting straight away. I also hope that the weather is good because we've had two difficult races for this and I have had enough of the rain now! As a rule we are very strong at the track and it is always great fun riding there. I love Jerez, it's always a brilliant atmosphere and the fans make a big, big party for three days; I hope I can be part of the party this time! The championship is becoming very interesting now so let's hope for an exciting race this weekend."
Jorge Lorenzo - "A special circuit"
"My motivation is high because I am arriving as the World Championship leader in my own home. I can't ask for more! I had a very good feeling in Japan, and I enjoyed riding the bike in every corner. I have to be careful however because I am still learning all the time how to ride with the new Bridgestone tyres. I think that Jerez is maybe one of the most special circuits in the world, to be a MotoGP rider there is like a dream, all the people surrounding you… The last test in Jerez was very good. I was always in the three first positions so I hope to be fast from the start this weekend. I would like another podium, like last year in Jerez and like the first two races in 2009. I am confident!"
Davide Brivio - "Try and win as soon as possible"
"It's nice to be back in Europe after two races away, and to be starting the European stretch with two good results behind us. Jerez is the start of an important period of racing and it's key that we continue the same form and consistency. Our first target still remains to be on the podium every time, but of course we want to try to win a race as soon as possible!"
Daniele Romagnoli - "Extra motivation"
"The next race will be very exciting! Last weekend's win has given Jorge extra motivation and confidence; we know that the podium is possible now every time for us and at Jerez we know that he will give the maximum once again. We need to keep our feet on the ground and keep the concentration level high because our rivals are very strong. We have a good base setting and it seems to be working very well at different tracks and now we just need to continue working in the same way. It will be a great show in Jerez."
Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 30
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 97 (71 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 212 (152 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 52 (42 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
World Championships: 8 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 5 x MotoGP)
Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 21
Lives: London, UK
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 23 (2 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 113 (19 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 30 (4 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 (250cc, 2006/7)
Jerez: Record Lap
D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2008, 1'40.116
Jerez: Best Lap
J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2008, 1'38.189
Grand Prix Results: Jerez 2008
1. D.Pedrosa (Honda) 45'35.121
2. V.Rossi (Yamaha) +2.883
3. J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) +4.339
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| Stewart close to title after penultimate win | | | Yamaha's James Stewart stands on the brink of capturing the 2009 AMA Supercross and FIM World Championships after clinching his eleventh win of the season and the thirty-sixth of his career at the Rice-Eccles Stadium and watched by 40,612 spectators in Salt Lake City for the penultimate round of the campaign.
The 23 year old guided his YZ450F - a motorcycle that has owned 12 of the 16 races run thus far - to the chequered flag ahead of main title rival Chad Reed and now holds a 6 point advantage with just one meeting remaining. Stewart became the first rider to give Yamaha eleven victories in a season and have increased the manufacturer's total to 67 triumphs since the turn of the century, more than a third more than their nearest competitor. |
| "My biggest thing is just to try to stay away from the drama because at the end of the day, you want to race a guy and go to sleep knowing that you raced him as hard as you could, and clean, and didn't take anybody out," said Stewart on the tense situation between himself and Reed.
"He wanted to win tonight, and I wanted to win tonight, and I think I just got lucky enough and I was able to pull it off, so I feel great," added the LandM San Manuel rider who won the sixth main event to take place in Utah and became the first rider to gain victories in both classes at the venue. |
| Stewart dealt Reed a swift blow as the reigning champion gained the holeshot but was unable to sprint away from the challenger. With half the Main Event gone, Stewart pounced for the lead and defeated the Australian in a straight shoot-out.
Joe Gibbs Racing's Josh Grant was sixth and now stands a good chance of confirming 4th place in the championship thanks to a 5 point gap over Kevin Windham.
The season curtain closer will fittingly take place on a spectacular stage with the Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas hosting round seventeen this weekend. |
| Circuit Length: NA
Crowd: 40,612
Weather: Dry | | | 2009 AMA-SX Salt Lake City, UT 27/04/2009 | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | 1 | James Stewart | Yamaha | USA | 17'39.037 | | 2 | Chad Reed | Suzuki | AUS | 0'03.732 | | 3 | David D Millsaps | Honda | USA | 0'31.107 | | 4 | Ryan Villopoto | Kawasaki | USA | 0'35.629 | | 5 | Andrew Short | Honda | USA | 0'42.756 | | 6 | Josh Grant | Yamaha | USA | 0'46.607 | | 7 | Kevin Windham | Honda | USA | 0'50.524 | | 8 | Matt Boni | Honda | USA | 0'51.605 | | 9 | Thomas Hahn | Kawasaki | USA | 0'54.277 | | 10 | Ivan Tedesco | Honda | USA | 0'55.365 | | 11 | Paul Carpenter | Kawasaki | USA | -1Laps | | 12 | Nicholas Wey | Yamaha | USA | -1Laps | | 13 | Billy Laninovich | Kawasaki | USA | -1Laps | | 14 | Heath Voss | Honda | USA | -1Laps | | 15 | Broc Hepler | Yamaha | USA | -1Laps | | 20 | Kyle Chisholm | Yamaha | USA | -20Laps |
| Rider Standings | 25/04/2009 |
| Manufacturer Standings | 25/04/2009 | | Pos. | Manufacturer | Points | | 1. | Yamaha | 388 | | 2. | Suzuki | 355 | | 3. | Honda | 300 | | 4. | Kawasaki | 253 | | 5. | KTM | 73 |
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| Cairoli keeps series lead with Benelux podium | | |  | Yamaha Red Bull De Carli's Antonio Cairoli scaled a world championship podium for the second time in succession with the runner-up position at the Eurocircuit in Valkenswaard and the Grand Prix of Benelux for the fourth round of fifteen in the 2009 FIM series. The Sicilian keeps his position as leader of the standings and with a chequered flag in the first outing in Holland has secured three moto victories from the last four. He was joined on the rostrum by team-mate Tanel Leok who took third spot on the YZ450F, and with Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team's David Philippaerts in fifth and Josh Coppins in seventh, four Yamahas filled the top seven.
Several new jumps and sections had been added to the dark and rutted sand at the all-weather circuit near Eindhoven. The surface churned up and became rougher throughout the meeting, increasing the physical and technical demands of the two motos. The qualification heat on Saturday saw Coppins take third position but Cairoli and Philippaerts were victims of a first corner tumble and pile-up. Cairoli emphatically attacked the terrain from almost last to finish 7th while Philippaerts - restarting even further back - was 14th. Tanel Leok was 5th.
Race-day dawned overcast and damp thanks to rainfall during the night. Thankfully the conditions became brighter later on for the 20,000 spectators, and some fantastic racing lay ahead with up to six riders disputing podium positions at the end of an unforgettable and almost indescribable first moto.
Cairoli took his third chequered flag in succession when he emerged victorious from a frantic scrap in the final five minutes of the opening race that saw crashes for protagonists Steve Ramon and Marc de Reuver. Positions changed seemingly with every corner as the clock ticked down on the moto. Cairoli's achievement was all the more remarkable for the fact that he had broken three spokes on his front wheel on the third lap. Philippaerts -who led at one point - tired in the closing stages and was just beaten to 5th by Leok. |
|  | A bad start for Cairoli kept him away from the front-running twosome of Jonathan Barragan and Leok, who flew from the mid-top ten to circulate in second place during what was a calmer Moto2. The Estonian would earn 3rd overall for his second podium of the season and his first since victory in Faenza. Cairoli made his way to 3rd while Philippaerts - who again was leading in the formative stages - was 6th.
It was not a happy day for Bulgarian GP winner Coppins who felt the harsh physical effects of a blood disorder and did not have the energy to be in contention negotiating the sand. The New Zealander had to be satisfied with 27 points and 7th place overall.
Cairoli continues to control the world championship and now has an advantage of 15 points over Barragan. With Philippaerts, Coppins and Leok filling slots 4th, 5th and 6th, YZ450F and YZ450FM machinery occupy four places in the first six. Yamaha also front the manufacturer's standings with a 31 point gap over their nearest rivals.
A trip across the Iberian Peninsula represents the next phase of the world championship. Round five takes place at Agueda for the Grand Prix of Portugal while the sixth race occurs one week later on the opposite coast at Bellpuig for the GP of Catalunya.
Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 2nd:
"I was third in the first lap of the first moto and I tried to pass Steve Ramon but he almost crashed and stopped so I caught my front wheel with his footpeg. I could see the wheel was broken and I was pretty scared. I dropped back to 12th place because I wanted to see if I could keep on racing. I was not doing many jumps and nursing the bike but it was OK, and I increased the speed and pushed. I could pass Steve and then he had a big crash, and also Philippaerts. There have been a lot of things happening that I didn't expect this year in MX1. It was a surprise to win here but I am having a lot of fun on the bike and I want to keep it this way until the end of the championship. I was really happy to win that race. My second start was really bad and I had some contact with other guys in the first corner. I was riding well after that and passed a lot of people but I had some trouble overtaking Desalle for a few laps and that held me up. I wanted to reach Tanel but in the last minutes I was quite tired and just stayed steady to the flag."
Tanel Leok, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 3rd:
"I lost a lot of points in Turkey so this helps towards getting some back. I made some silly mistakes in the first moto but really that was the only negative part of the day. I am feeling good and fit and it showed in that second race. It has been really good to be riding and training with Antonio and I am happy with how things are going for me." |
|  | David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team, 5th:
"I had some good times and felt fast at the beginning of the races but I felt tired towards the end as the track was pretty hard and the conditions were warm for the Benelux! Things are still going well and although this was a physically tough race, more than the others so far, I could take some good points and keep consistent. After twenty minutes of each moto here I had to ride conservatively because crashing would have been worse than losing another position."
Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team, 7th:
"I'm done, it was a tough weekend and I knew it would be like that before I arrived here. I have been suffering with a blood problem. We have been working on it and I had some injections but it hasn't helped. I want to get healthy and be able to actually battle with the guys instead of just surviving out there; that is the hardest thing, not the result but knowing that I can't affect the race. It is not fun to take a good start and then just hang on. There is still so far to go in the championship and the result is not as disappointing as the fact that I could do nothing at this GP. I will go for some tests tomorrow and will try to improve for Portugal." |
| Circuit Length: 1750
Crowd: 20,000
Weather: Cloudy Last Years Winner: Ken De Dycker | | | 2009 GP of Benelux 26/04/2009 | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | 1 | Antonio Cairoli | Yamaha | ITA | 39'47.158 | | 2 | Marc De Reuver | Honda | NED | 0'04.286 | | 3 | Jonathan Barragan | KTM | ESP | 0'07.183 | | 4 | Ken De Dycker | Suzuki | BEL | 0'08.550 | | 5 | Tanel Leok | Yamaha | EST | 0'09.808 | | 6 | David Philippaerts | Yamaha | ITA | 0'09.939 | | 7 | Kevin Strijbos | Honda | BEL | 0'17.209 | | 8 | Billy MacKenzie | Honda | GBR | 0'23.940 | | 9 | Clement Desalle | Honda | BEL | 0'39.108 | | 10 | Joshua Coppins | Yamaha | NZL | 0'50.965 | | 11 | Maximilian Nagl | KTM | GER | 0'58.686 | | 12 | Cedric Melotte | Honda | BEL | 1'19.903 | | 13 | Steve Ramon | Suzuki | BEL | 1'22.028 | | 14 | James Noble | Suzuki | GBR | 1'22.244 | | 15 | Bradley Anderson | Honda | GBR | 1'28.951 | | 18 | Rob van Vijfeijken | Yamaha | NED | -1Laps |
| Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | 1 | Jonathan Barragan | KTM | ESP | 40'18.300 | | 2 | Tanel Leok | Yamaha | EST | 0'06.449 | | 3 | Antonio Cairoli | Yamaha | ITA | 0'21.339 | | 4 | Kevin Strijbos | Honda | BEL | 0'27.157 | | 5 | Joshua Coppins | Yamaha | NZL | 0'37.250 | | 6 | David Philippaerts | Yamaha | ITA | 0'43.042 | | 7 | Steve Ramon | Suzuki | BEL | 0'46.374 | | 8 | Clement Desalle | Honda | BEL | 1'18.127 | | 9 | Ken De Dycker | Suzuki | BEL | 1'31.576 | | 10 | Aigar Leok | TM | EST | 1'34.994 | | 11 | Gert Krestinov | KTM | EST | 1'36.882 | | 12 | Gareth Swanepoel | Kawasaki | RSA | 1'40.470 | | 13 | David Vuillemin | Kawasaki | FRA | 1'42.218 | | 14 | Billy MacKenzie | Honda | GBR | 1'44.021 | | 15 | Rob van Vijfeijken | Yamaha | NED | 2'03.410 |
| Rider Standings | 26/04/2009 |
| Manufacturer Standings | 26/04/2009 | | Pos. | Manufacturer | Points | | 1. | Yamaha | 166 | | 2. | Suzuki | 135 | | 3. | KTM | 134 | | 4. | Honda | 118 | | 5. | Kawasaki | 60 | | 6. | TM | 48 | | 7. | Aprilia | 35 | | 8. | CCM | 21 |
| Aubin scores third place on 21st birthday | | |  | Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team's Nicolas Aubin gave himself a pleasant 21st birthday by taking pole position and third place overall at Valkenswaard for the Grand Prix of Benelux and the fourth round of fifteen in the 2009 FIM MX2 World Championship. The Frenchman buried the memory of a lacklustre appearance in Turkey two weeks ago to show good speed in the sand and his finishes of 5th and 2nd were rewarded with his first silverware of the season.
The rough and demanding terrain punished the slightest mistake and saw riders struggling to maintain the same race rhythm for the duration of the two 35 minute and 2 lap motos.
Aubin, starting from the first slot in the gate, suffered two small falls in Moto1, the first while holding second position, but was nevertheless content with his pace to rise from mid-pack to the top five. In Moto2 he was more decisive and reached the runner-up position by the last third of the race.
In fourth spot overall was team-mate Davide Guarneri; the Italian enjoying one of his best performances on the sand. He pushed hard in Moto1 to rise from outside the top ten to third and was missing some energy for Moto2 in which he could only manage ninth.
A crash in the qualification heat on Saturday left Utag Yamaha.com's Zach Osborne with an uphill task in the Netherlands, but the Turkish GP winner rode well on his first visit to Valkenswaard and despite a problem with his rear brake he was 4th and 7th for 6th overall.
In the world championship standings Guarneri is third, 29 points from the peak of the table. Osborne is fourth and just 11 points from being the first Yamaha rider. Aubin has moved up to seventh.
The Grand Prix of Portugal at the Agueda circuit will represent the fifth round of the series in two weeks time.
Nico Aubin, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team, 3rd:
"I felt a bit nervous in the first moto and that led to some mistakes. I came back from sixteenth and was fast but made another error when I reached Musquin and we crashed together. It was a pretty good race regardless. In the second one I tried to catch Rui but everyone knows he is fast in the sand. My priority today was not to take big risks but to get some points and I am happy I did that. It is nice to get a podium on my birthday, but I would have preferred a win!" |
|  | Davide Guarneri, Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team, 4th:
"It was a good day and I felt good in the sand; I was quite surprised to be the fastest in practice yesterday. The heat race was unlucky and with three crashes I was down in 21st, which was not a good position in this gate. I was quick in the first moto and it was no problem to pull through from 14th to 3rd but I felt the effects in the second moto and when I reached 5th place I had nothing left to give. The result was not bad at all."
Zach Osborne, Utag Yamaha.com, 6th:
"I fell at the start in the heat race which did not give me the best pick in the gate today. I was a bit nervous about being that far down but got a good start and worked my way up to fourth, which I was happy about. In the second race I did my best to pass through the pack. I lost the back brake about five minutes into both races and that made it tougher. I enjoyed the track. It was hard on Saturday but once I got the rhythm and worked out the flow, things went well. I have put together some consistent finishes now and rising up to fourth in the championship. I wanted to be in the top five today and I feel with that first race I did OK to get up to that position." |
| Circuit Length: 1750
Crowd: 20,000
Weather: Cloudy Last Years Winner: Tyla Rattray | | | 2009 GP of Benelux 26/04/2009 | | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | 1 | Shaun Simpson | KTM | GBR | 39'30.097 | | 2 | Rui Goncalves | KTM | POR | 0'19.692 | | 3 | Davide Guarneri | Yamaha | ITA | 0'36.610 | | 4 | Zach Osborne | Yamaha | USA | 0'40.292 | | 5 | Nicolas Aubin | Yamaha | FRA | 0'43.298 | | 6 | Xavier Boog | Suzuki | FRA | 0'45.718 | | 7 | Gautier Paulin | Kawasaki | FRA | 0'48.671 | | 8 | Marvin Musquin | Honda | FRA | 0'53.618 | | 9 | Matiss Karro | Suzuki | LVA | 0'54.654 | | 10 | Arnaud Tonus | KTM | CHE | 0'54.854 | | 11 | Dennis Verbruggen | Honda | BEL | 1'01.423 | | 12 | Manuel Monni | Yamaha | ITA | 1'05.434 | | 13 | Mike Kras | Suzuki | NED | 1'09.178 | | 14 | Herjan Brakke | Honda | NED | 1'15.298 | | 15 | Loic Larrieu | Yamaha | FRA | 1'15.780 | | 16 | Alessandro Lupino | Yamaha | ITA | 1'16.395 | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | 1 | Rui Goncalves | KTM | POR | 40'09.337 | | 2 | Nicolas Aubin | Yamaha | FRA | 0'19.978 | | 3 | Shaun Simpson | KTM | GBR | 0'24.363 | | 4 | Gautier Paulin | Kawasaki | FRA | 0'32.063 | | 5 | Jeremy Van Horebeek | KTM | BEL | 0'34.490 | | 6 | Joel Roelants | KTM | BEL | 0'38.323 | | 7 | Zach Osborne | Yamaha | USA | 0'55.543 | | 8 | Davide Guarneri | Yamaha | ITA | 0'58.023 | | 9 | Loic Larrieu | Yamaha | FRA | 0'58.428 | | 10 | Marcus Schiffer | KTM | GER | 1'02.131 | | 11 | Steven Frossard | Kawasaki | FRA | 1'04.401 | | 12 | Marvin Musquin | Honda | FRA | 1'08.797 | | 13 | Dennis Verbruggen | Honda | BEL | 1'12.014 | | 14 | Manuel Monni | Yamaha | ITA | 1'17.363 | | 15 | Xavier Boog | Suzuki | FRA | 1'18.965 | | Rider Standings | 26/04/2009 | | Manufacturer Standings | 26/04/2009 | | Pos. | Manufacturer | Points | | 1. | Kawasaki | 149 | | 2. | Yamaha | 141 | | 3. | KTM | 133 | | 4. | Honda | 131 | | 5. | Suzuki | 98 |
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