Catalunya Injury Update

By Kropotkin | Sun, 18/06/2006 - 20:03

The three riders injured in today's first corner pile up seem to be less badly injured than was first thought.
 

Marco Melandri was diagnosed with a collarbone dislocation, minor concussion, and various minor injuries. He was airlifted to hospital, where he underwent various scans.
Loris Capirossi had scans to his chest and abdomen, to check he hadn't aggravated the internal injuries he suffered at Phillip Island last year. Nothing serious showed up on the scans, but he is being kept in hospital for observation.
Sete Gibernau was doubly unlucky: He will need an operation to fix a fractured collarbone, and the ambulance taking him to hospital was involved in a traffic accident just short of the hospital, Sete's second crash of the day. Fortunately, Sete suffered no further injury during the traffic accident.

MotoGP Catalunya 2006 Qualifying

By Kropotkin | Sat, 17/06/2006 - 15:57

Thousands of Spanish fans, and many observers, including your humble reporter, expected the Gran Premi de Catalunya to be a festival of Spanish racing, with Spanish, or rather Catalan, riders starting from the front row of the grid, to take a Catalan win in front of their home crowds. The fact that most of the Catalan riders are on Michelins, the tires which dominated last year's race weekend, only reinforced this expectation. But this evening, the bars of Barcelona will be filled with despairing Spanish fans, wondering what happened to their local heroes. Sometimes, things just don't work out as you expected.

Sebastian Porto Retires From 250 Class With Immediate Effect

By Kropotkin | Thu, 15/06/2006 - 19:01

At a dramatic press conference at the Barcelona race track, Sebastian Porto, Repsol Honda's 250 cc class rider, announced his retirement from motorcycle racing with immediate effect. The 27 year old Argentinian has had a dismal season so far, his best result a 7th place in Qatar, a severe disappointment for the man who came a very close second in the championship in 2004.

2006 Catalunya Round Preview - Into The Lion's Den

By Kropotkin | Wed, 14/06/2006 - 22:01

If Spain is the heart of motorcycle racing, Catalonia is its soul. The separatist region along Spain's Northeastern coast positively pulsates with racers and racing history. Of the five Spanish riders contesting the GP de Catalunya, four of them are Catalan natives, all of them born within a GP's distance of the Barcelona race track. But it's not just the riders: Dani Pedrosa's mentor, former GP star Alberto Puig, current MotoGP team manager Luis d'Antin, and Spain's only 500cc world champion Alex Criville are all Catalan. Everywhere you go in Catalonia you see billboards of Pedrosa, Checa and Gibernau peering down at you, posted along swooping mountain roads to die for. A day's riding through Catalonia and you understand why the MotoGP paddock is simply awash with Catalans. So while there was plenty of atmosphere at the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, the Grand Prix de Catalunya will be simply electric. The question is, of course, with so much to choose from, who will the Catalan crowd be backing?

Pride and Prejudice

Ellison To Be Replaced At Tech 3 Yamaha?

By Kropotkin | Wed, 07/06/2006 - 11:56

Dutch racing website Racesport.nl is reporting that not James Ellison, but French 250cc rider Silvain Guintoli, rode James' Tech 3 Yamaha during the Mugello post-race testing session. Guintoli set a testing time of 1:52.1, faster than Ellison's 1:52.224 race lap. Speculation is rife that Guintoli will step in to replace the British rider, who has failed to live up to his pre-season form, or match team mate Carlos Checa's results. In James' favor is the fact that he is the only British rider in the championship, which could be important to the BBC, who broadcast MotoGP in the UK.

The news is also over on MotoGP.com

 

2006 Mugello Race - The Titans Meet in Tuscany

By Kropotkin | Sun, 04/06/2006 - 17:37

Motorcycle racing is a sport haunted by injustice. Chance lies waiting at every corner, turning a dream race into a nightmare, where engines can blow, tires can tear themselves apart, or an overcooked corner can end in the gravel traps. But sometimes, Fate takes a step aside, and races turn into a direct reflection of the real strengths in the paddock. That this should happen at Mugello seemed only fitting: great races belong at great racetracks.

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