Team Aspar :: News About The 125cc and 250cc MotoGP Aspar Aprilia Squads and their riders; Bautista, di Meglio, Talmacsi, Gadea and Smith

MotoGPMatters reports on the question of whether Alvaro will ride with Aspar in MotoGP next season as coming to a head this weekend at Brno, citing stories from the likes of Marca and GPOne that suggest Bati signed a pre-contract of some kind with Suzuki in the middle of 2008, and that a ride on the vacant Ducati seat in Aspar’s new MotoGP team is by no means a certainty.

Says David Emmett:
Aspar has a problem. Alvaro Bautista has already signed a pre-contract with Suzuki last summer, according to the reports, and is not inclined to pay the penalty which breaking that commitment would involve. As a result, Bautista is increasingly leaning towards finalizing a deal with Suzuki to ride for the Rizla squad for 2010. His choice is also influenced by the fact that he will be able to go straight to a factory team, Suzuki having received a dispensation from the rookie rule which forces new entrants to sign with satellite squads.

Up against this, Aspar can offer a contract directly with Ducati, but riding in the Aspar team. Bautista would be assured of strong support from Ducati Corse, and the option of moving up to the factory squad should his results be good enough. Of course, with so many riders struggling to tame the Desmosedici, Bautista may not want to risk that option, and the Spaniard has in the past flat out refused to ride the Ducati.

The various reports suggest that there will be emergency meetings in the Brno paddock with Aspar and Alvaro’s management to try and nail the matter – and that whatever the outcome, Jorge Martinez will name his rider this weeked, probably on Thursday or Friday.

"I'm really up for this race at Brno, because it's a track I know well and I am sure I'll be quicker there than at many other places. Additionally there will be lots of Hungarian support at the Czech race, so that's an extra motivation to try to show them the best of my capabilities. In the last race we were out in the early stages, so I hope that this weekend we can finish well and take home my first points in the world championship. During the time off I worked on recovery from my hand injuries in the gym, and now fortunately I am completely fit once again and have enjoyed the time around my family."

Julián Simón:
"Brno is a great circuit to race at, I love it. It's long and difficult and that makes it much more exciting, you have to work hard to ride quickly round there. I'm eager to get back to work as the championship has been sensational so far and we are being very consistent, which I think is crucial if you want to think about winning a world championship. Race by race we are working positively and fortunately the results have come with it. This weekend I hope to continue like at the last two races and will aim for another victory on Sunday if possible. If not, i will focus on finishing the race and picking up as many points as possible. These past two weeks I lowered my training intensity slightly, just to disconnect a little, so I am keen to get to Brno to get on the Aprilia again."

Sergio Gadea:
"To be honest, the break came at a really good time for me, and I enjoyed a few days in Madrid and some in Ibiza to relax. After the crash in the UK I want to wipe the slate clean and start again. Everything has been going well for us this season and we can't get down over a small error which was due to the rain. We simply have to continue working as we have done so far. Brno is a track I really enjoy and have had good results at in the past. It is quite fast and long, which means we'll have to work well on setting up the bike to not lose power anywhere. I'm sure Julián will continue to be strong, and we mustn't drop any more points to be able to challenge him. Whatever happens, we aim to keep our consistency up. This year we have had a great base setting and I'm certain that at Brno I can get back onto the podium."

Bradley Smith:
"I'm hoping for a positive race in Brno, I'm extremely determined to make it a good result after the crashes at Sachsenring and Donington. Brno is a technical and wide track, with ample opportunities for overtaking. In the 125s it will be difficult to escape because it's another long circuit where slipstreaming is key. It's a bit like Mugello, in terms of length and the combination of esses and elevation changes. That means it will be crucial to get the set-up right at Brno, and to be strong at the end of the race. I hope that after the last two wet races, we can enjoy another sunny weekend and good conditions for racing."

During an appearance at the BSB round in Brands Hatch this weekend, current 125cc Bancaja Aspar rider Bradley Smith told reporters that he has already reached an agreement with the Aspar Team to continue with them in the Moto2 class next year.
And official announcement has yet to be made.

Source: gpone.com

MotoGP 125cc championship contender, Bradley Smith, will be raising money for the official charity of MotoGP when he takes on British Formula One star Jenson Button in a motorsport showdown at the Mazda London Triathlon on 2 August 2009.

As well as attempting to make sure motorcycling comes out on top in the race, Smith will be raising money for the work of Riders for Health (www.riders.org). Riders for Health mobilises health care workers in rural Africa with reliable motorcycles and four-wheeled vehicles so predictable health care reaches even the most isolated communities. To support Bradley and the lifesaving work of Riders for Health you can donate through his JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/bradleysmith.

Bradley also joined the other stars of MotoGP to support the work of Riders for Health at the annual Day of Champions event on Thursday 23rd July. The event helped to raise an incredible £177,000 and Bradley boosted the total when the racing leathers he was wearing for the race on Sunday sold for £1,600 in the MotoGP auction.

Smith challenged Button after they met at Silverstone during the British F1 Grand Prix where Smith, in recognition of his achievement of being the first British rider in three decades to lead any Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship, was attending as a guest of Bernie Ecclestone.
Despite his young age, Smith is no newcomer to triathlons - the swimming, cycling and running events are a major focus of his training regime and his personal trainer is an ironman regular who has been passing on all his experience to Smith.

This is the 13th year of the Mazda London Triathlon and Bradley will be among the 13,000 competitors taking part in the world’s largest triathlon raising a combined total in excess of £3 million for charity.

The provisional 2010 calendar for MotoGP has been revealed...

April 11 * Qatar Doha/Losail
April 25 Japan Motegi
May 2 Spain Jerez de la Frontera
May 16 France Le Mans
May 30 Italy Mugello
June 6 Great Britain Silverstone
June 26 ** Netherlands Assen
July 4 Catalunya Catalunya
July 18 Germany Sachsenring
July 25 *** United States Laguna Seca
August 15 Czech Rep. Brno
August 29 Indianapolis Indianapolis
September 12 San Marino Misano
September 19 Hungary Balatonring
October 10 Malaysia Sepang
October 17 Australia Phillip Island
October 31 Portugal Estoril
November 7 Valencia Ricardo Tormo - Valencia

*: Evening Race
**: Saturday
***: Only MotoGP class

CLASSIFIED:

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 45m17.516s
2. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia + 5.723s
3. Mattia Pasini Aprilia + 36.161s
4. Marco Simoncelli Gilera + 36.776s
5. Mike Di Meglio Aprilia + 41.418s
6. Alex Debon Aprilia + 41.938s
7. Raffaele De Rosa Honda + 57.483s
8. Hector Barbera Aprilia + 59.975s
9. Thomas Luthi Aprilia +1m14.852s
10. Hector Faubel Honda +1m16.927s
11. Jules Cluzel Aprilia +1m21.356s
12. Lukas Pesek Aprilia +1m21.665s
13. R.Locatelli Gilera +1m29.576s
14. Karel Abraham Aprilia + 1 Lap
15. Shoya Tomizawa Honda + 1 Lap
16. Alex Baldolini Aprilia + 1 Lap
17. Imre Toth Aprilia + 1 Lap
18. Luke Mossey Aprilia + 1 Lap
19. Valentin Debise Honda + 2 Laps
20. Axel Pons Aprilia + 2 Laps
21. Aitor Rodriguez Aprilia + 2 Laps
22. Bastien Chesaux Honda + 2 Laps
23. Toby Markham Aprilia + 4 Laps

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

Rider | Bike | On lap
R.Wilairot Honda 18
Ralf Waldmann Aprilia 5
Balazs Nemeth Aprilia 0

CLASSIFIED:

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Julian Simon Aprilia 9m12.301s
2. Simone Corsi Aprilia + 0.390s
3. Scott Redding Aprilia + 3.072s
4. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 6.209s
5. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia + 9.509s
6. Luis Salom Aprilia + 11.211s
7. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia + 11.572s
8. D.Agerter Derbi + 13.703s
9. Efren Vazquez Derbi + 14.101s
10. Pol Espargaro Derbi + 15.422s
11. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin + 17.905s
12. Joan Olive Derbi + 25.625s
13. Johann Zarco Aprilia + 26.793s
14. Martin Glossop Honda + 27.916s
15. Marc Marquez KTM + 28.631s
16. Paul Jordan Honda + 28.999s
17. Lukas Sembera Aprilia + 30.564s
18. R.Krummenacher Aprilia + 34.468s
19. Luca Marconi Aprilia + 38.709s
20. Bradley Smith Aprilia + 38.938s
21. Luca Vitali Aprilia +1m14.040s

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

Rider | Bike | Laps
Jasper Iwema Honda 4
Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1
Alexis Masbou Loncin 1
Michael Ranseder Aprilia 1
Sergio Gadea Aprilia DNS
Sandro Cortese Derbi DNS
Esteve Rabat Aprilia DNS
Andrea Iannone Aprilia DNS
Stefan Bradl Aprilia DNS
Daniel Webb Aprilia DNS
Jonas Folger Aprilia DNS
Cameron Beaubier KTM DNS
Karel Pesek Derbi DNS
James Lodge Honda DNS
Tim Hastings Honda DNS

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since the Dutch TT of 1984, when Jorge Martínez "Aspar" took on the role of team manager Derbi but still showed his qualities as a rider by taking his first ever victory in the 80cc class. The man he had to beat was none other than local favourite Hans Spaan, which only made his final-lap win even more exciting. Afterwards Ángel Nieto told him: "No matter how many races you have won, savour this moment because you will never forget it."
Four world titles and no fewer than 36 victories later, the 'Apsar' who lined up on the grid in Argentina was an entirely different man to that 21-year-old who came of age ten years earlier at 'The Cathedral'. Ready to race his notoriously difficult Yamaha and with more than one Japanese job at stake, the veteran made a final corner pass on Ueda to secure the final victory of his stellar career. Today Jorge Martínez "Aspar" celebrates again, having watched his team take their 200th podium no long ago he is now left to reflect on a century of victories.

His own 37 wins as a rider have been complimented by another 63 as the leader of the Aspar Team, now a standard-bearing organisation within the MotoGP paddock. The circuit was Donington and the rider lucky enough to take the milestone victory and forever form part of the glorious Jorge Martínez "Aspar" story was Julián Simón. Faubel made his mark with seven wins, Elías and Porto with six each, Fonsi with five and his cousin Pablo with the only victory of his career; each has contributed to the Aspar Team's winning pedigree. However, it has been without doubt Álvaro Bautista, the team's leading light in the 250cc class, who has been the main heir to Jorge's legacy, taking sixteen victories so far in "Aspar" colours.

The world of motorcycling has changed and continues to change dramatically since those early days - the circuits, the bikes, the way it is viewed. but one thing that has always remained is that youthful gaze of a fifteen-year-old who has never stopped dreaming despite the success and the inevitable passage of time.
As well as his own take on this landmark, former Aspar riders lined up with their own praise for the man, his team and his vision...

Jorge Martínez "Aspar":
"Who would have thought back in '79 when I started racing that I could end up in such a privileged position? Looking back on everything we have achieved since then makes me enormously proud and happy. It is incredible to think back to when I was a 15-year-old, when I started racing bikes, and I have never been separated from my life's passion. I am enormously proud to have a team with six riders in the World Championship, with 200 podiums recently and now 100 victories. There have obviously been a lot of hard times with crashes, injuries, operations and lean financial periods - times when you feel like throwing in the towel. However, I think that one of the most important things in life is consistency, as well as self-belief and fighting for your dreams. I would like to thank all the people who have contributed to the success of this team, from the mechanics to the chief engineers and of course all the sponsors and brands who have worked with us and without whom we could have never reached this glorious milestone."

Álvaro Bautista:
"What more can I say other than that it is incredible to form part of this team. Everything I have achieved in my career has been here and I hope I can add to it. My objective is to win at least as many races as Jorge, to whom I will be eternally grateful for showing faith in me from the beginning."

Sergio Gadea:
"To have recently celebrated the 200th podium and now a century of wins is just an example of the greatness of this team. All of my victories and podiums have been here and I am really pleased that they gave me the chance to become a top rider. I would like to congratulate Jorge for reaching this impressive number and thank him for helping me to grow so much as a rider."

Julián Simón:
"Even though I only form part of the recent history of the Aspar Team, it is an honour for me to have contributed in making it even more successful, if that was possible! As a rider and a person Jorge is an example to follow and it is no coincidence that he has made it to 100 wins. I'm sure he will maintain this level for a long time to come."

Bradley Smith:
"I am one of the new Aspar boys and I already feel part of the living history of the team. Ever since I arrived I have felt at home, thanks to the warmth and professionalism of the team and this year I was fulfill a dream together with them by winning my first race."

Héctor Faubel:
"Every victory I have to my name was won together with the Aspar family. I remember them with great satisfaction and it is a source of great pride for me to have formed part of this great team. I would like to congratulate Jorge for his 100th victory and wish him all the best for the future."

Héctor Barberá:
"I scored the first victory of my career with the Aspar Team here at Donington, so that is a very special memory. For me those two years were a great learning experience within such an experienced team."

Pablo Nieto:
"It makes me proud to have contributed a small part to the Aspar Team and Jorge arriving at 100 victories and I hope there are many more."

Toni Elías:
"I am so happy for Jorge and the whole team because they have a real human touch and they deserve to arrive to as important a milestone as 100 wins. It is special to form part of the Aspar Team story."

Randy De Puniet:
"The victory that I took with the Aspar Team was very exciting, because it was pouring with rain en Donington and I went off track whilst fighting with Stoner and West, but was able to win. The track isn't one of my favourites, so I remember the race fondly. I want to offer my sincerest congratulations to Jorge for reaching this milestone."

Álex De Angelis:
"My time with the Aspar Team was a very important experience for me and a huge part of my career - in fact I scored my only win so far with them. I am happy for Jorge to have made it to 100 wins - he deserves it because he is one of the few people who is still in the paddock through passion and not business. Apart from that he is a very attentive manager who always puts the interests of his riders first."

Mattia Pasini:
"I remember my time with Jorge with a lot of nostalgia - it was a very positive experience from a sporting perspective. I won two races with the Aspar Team and it could easily have been a lot more. We made a really strong team."

Jorge Martínez "Aspar" will finally move his World Championship project up to MotoGP in 2010, courtesy of a deal with Ducati confirmed on Saturday at Donington Park. After three years of negotiating with various factories, an agreement has been struck for an ambitious stay in the premier class.

“It seems that after three years we are finally able to achieve our dream of presenting a MotoGP project. It’s been three years of fighting and looking for the best option and, after sounding out various factories, we have finally reached an agreement with Ducati,” declared Aspar at the British track. “I hope that this will be a fruitful arrangement that will continue in the long term. In theory we will have one rider in 2010, with the idea being to expand to two in 2011.”

The Aspar Team will be present in all three categories of the World Championship, with the MotoGP team joining 125cc and Moto2 squads.

“Our goal is primarily to grow strong in MotoGP from a technical viewpoint. We will continue with the 125cc team and compete in the Moto2 class, so we feel that this is a big step for the whole team. Today the big news is that we are moving up to MotoGP with Ducati, so the second thing that we have to do is confirm a rider. We hope to be able to do this by the time we get to Brno,” added the former three-time lower cylinder category World Champion, who was clear on his preferred choice for the available spot.

”It would be great to convince Álvaro Bautista to come up with us and he is our first option for the MotoGP team. He has been with us for a long time, winning a 125cc World Championship and finishing second in 250cc, so it would be great for him to continue with us,” he stated, referring to the rider currently involved in the 250cc title fight.

Source: motogp.com

250cc

5th Mike Di Meglio 1.32.643 (22 laps):
"I am really happy to be starting from the front of the second row. Obviously I would have preferred to be on the front row but considering how the session went this is a good result. My pace is good and the Aprilia is working perfectly, so I'm in good shape for my 100th Grand Prix. I will try and stay focused on getting a good start in the race and following the leade group. Hopefully I can learn from the mistakes I've mad in other races, continue learning and pick up as many points as possible. My objective was to qualify as high up the grid as possible and I think we've done that - we just have to cap it off tomorrow with a good performance. I have done a lot of laps on used tyres here and my feeling could not be better."

6th Álvaro Bautista 1.32.664 (23 laps):
"I feel a little better now than I did this morning. I was struggling in free practice after the crash because the elbow was swollen and sore but it has gone down now and I feel better. I was still struggling to turn the bike under heavy braking but I hope to be better tomorrow. It looks like it could be a wet race which isn't nice for anybody, especially with the low grip levels here, but even so we will try and leave Donington with as many points as possible. The objective is to get a good start and stick with the front group, which will be important from the second row. I could have gone a little faster towards the end of the session but I ran into traffic."

22nd Balázs Németh 1.36.202 (20 laps):
"I took some painkillers this morning and they seemed to do the job. I felt much better on the bike although I am still struggling in the direction changes, especially the left-handers, where I don't have as much confidence as I would like. In any case today was much better than yesterday and I am happy with the result. We have improved our lap times and as long as the hand doesn't play up I should have a good race. I felt comfortable on the bike at the start of qualifying but it got harder to stay in control of my Aprilia as time went on. Hopefully I can give it my best shot tomorrow and maybe even challenge for points."

125cc

1st Bradley Smith 1.37.442 (21 laps):
"That was a fantastic qualifying session for me - I felt like I had it under control all the way through and the bike was working perfectly. My confidence picked up as the laps went by and I was able to go faster and faster. I don't think we could ask for much more at the moment - just for the weekend to end successfully tomorrow! Whatever happens I have to stay focused because the points don't get dished out until tomorrow and that is when you've got to really produce the goods. The bike is more or less ready and we don't need to change anything before the race. Hopefully the weather is on our side and we have a dry race. It is important for us to get a good result tomorrow to keep our championship chances intact."

3rd Julián Simón 1.37.749 (14 laps):
"The conditions weren't ideal yesterday but I felt comfortable on my Aprilia this morning and my pace was pretty good. I was really hoping to fight for pole this afternoon and went out strong from the start. I was getting a lot of rebound from the front end and I crashed on my second lap but thanks to the work of the team I was able to get back on track quickly. I tried to take things more calmly from then because I didn't want to crash again and the track was a little dirty. I wasn't taking any risks and considering I crashed I am happy to have qualified third. We're not as clear about tomorrow as we were in Germany but we have a few things in mind that we think can help us set a good pace. There are a lot of riders capable of running up front so it will be important to start well."

4th Sergio Gadea 1.37.849 (17 laps):
"I'm really happy with the result because we had a gearbox problem at the start but once again the mechanics did a great job and we went into the final ten minutes of the session with a chance of fighting for pole. I pushed hard for a good time on the last couple of laps but ran into traffic and couldn't go any faster than a 37.8. The set-up should be good for the race and we're ready for rain or shine."

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Laps
1. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1m31.802s 24
2. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1m31.894s + 0.092s 20
3. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1m32.055s + 0.253s 21
4. Alex Debon Aprilia 1m32.268s + 0.466s 21
5. Mike Di Meglio Aprilia 1m32.643s + 0.841s 22
6. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1m32.664s + 0.862s 23
7. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1m32.883s + 1.081s 18
8. R.Wilairot Honda 1m33.046s + 1.244s 21
9. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1m33.145s + 1.343s 22
10. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1m33.203s + 1.401s 20
11. Raffaele De Rosa Honda 1m33.218s + 1.416s 24
12. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1m33.360s + 1.558s 17
13. R.Locatelli Gilera 1m33.405s + 1.603s 22
14. Hector Faubel Honda 1m33.503s + 1.701s 22
15. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 1m33.622s + 1.820s 20
16. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1m33.768s + 1.966s 20
17. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 1m33.901s + 2.099s 22
18. Imre Toth Aprilia 1m34.661s + 2.859s 21
19. Axel Pons Aprilia 1m35.351s + 3.549s 23
20. Ralf Waldmann Aprilia 1m35.408s + 3.606s 21
21. Valentin Debise Honda 1m35.600s + 3.798s 23
22. Balazs Nemeth Aprilia 1m36.202s + 4.400s 20
23. Bastien Chesaux Honda 1m36.309s + 4.507s 22
24. Luke Mossey Aprilia 1m37.227s + 5.425s 20
- Aitor Rodriguez Aprilia 1m38.638s + 6.836s 14
- Alex Kenchington Yamaha 1m38.657s + 6.855s 23
- Robin Halen Aprilia 1m41.680s + 9.878s 19

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Laps
1. Bradley Smith Aprilia 1m37.442s 21
2. Marc Marquez KTM 1m37.573s + 0.131s 21
3. Julian Simon Aprilia 1m37.749s + 0.307s 14
4. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 1m37.849s + 0.407s 17
5. Joan Olive Derbi 1m37.874s + 0.432s 21
6. Nicolas Terol Aprilia 1m37.989s + 0.547s 19
7. Pol Espargaro Derbi 1m38.117s + 0.675s 20
8. Sandro Cortese Derbi 1m38.367s + 0.925s 19
9. Esteve Rabat Aprilia 1m38.471s + 1.029s 17
10. Andrea Iannone Aprilia 1m38.484s + 1.042s 15
11. Scott Redding Aprilia 1m38.501s + 1.059s 20
12. Simone Corsi Aprilia 1m38.501s + 1.059s 21
13. Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1m38.555s + 1.113s 21
14. Daniel Webb Aprilia 1m38.570s + 1.128s 19
15. Jonas Folger Aprilia 1m38.848s + 1.406s 20
16. Efren Vazquez Derbi 1m38.879s + 1.437s 20
17. Michael Ranseder Aprilia 1m39.081s + 1.639s 18
18. D.Agerter Derbi 1m39.189s + 1.747s 21
19. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin 1m39.366s + 1.924s 20
20. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 1m39.393s + 1.951s 17
21. R.Krummenacher Aprilia 1m39.401s + 1.959s 18
22. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia 1m39.407s + 1.965s 18
23. Johann Zarco Aprilia 1m39.533s + 2.091s 18
24. Luis Salom Aprilia 1m40.342s + 2.900s 20
25. Jasper Iwema Honda 1m40.382s + 2.940s 21
26. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1m40.456s + 3.014s 20
27. Cameron Beaubier KTM 1m40.509s + 3.067s 17
28. Alexis Masbou Loncin 1m41.086s + 3.644s 15
29. Karel Pesek Derbi 1m41.129s + 3.687s 20
30. James Lodge Honda 1m41.571s + 4.129s 19
31. Martin Glossop Honda 1m41.778s + 4.336s 20
32. Lukas Sembera Aprilia 1m42.080s + 4.638s 19
33. Luca Marconi Aprilia 1m42.426s + 4.984s 10
34. Tim Hastings Honda 1m42.473s + 5.031s 19
35. Paul Jordan Honda 1m43.393s + 5.951s 16
36. Luca Vitali Aprilia 1m45.081s + 7.639s 4

In this exclusive interview, superfit superBrit Bradley Smith talks to Team Aspar about his health and fitness regime and how he stays in such phenomenal shape for such a demanding sport...

With preseason and the season itself we're talking about ten months of intense activity. Do you have a long-term training plan?
In preseason I do basic training, in other words long but intense continuous sessions with a low but progressive heart rate. Normally when we start competing in April or March I'm still not at 100%. It is a long season and you have to find a level that won't leave you too tired over the final races, which are demanding because of the travelling and the conditions. So basically I step up the intensity through the season up to August. Then I have a rest to make sure I look after myself and make it to the end of the season in the best shape possible. June, July and August are the months where I hit my peak and I maintain that to the end of the season.

Do you do any kind of specific training during a Grand Prix weekend?
To be honest no, although I usually train the same for the first three days of a Grand Prix week as I do in a normal week. For example on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I do swimming, cycling and running and then when I get to a circuit on a Thursday I do a few laps of the track either on my pushbike or on foot. Obviously the intensity is much lower because you're trying to save energy for the weekend but I don't stop training altogether. Once the Grand Prix gets started, I spend fifteen minutes maximum warming up on a stationary bike before each practice and the race. I also do ten minutes as a warm down after the race to loosen and stretch the muscles. I also eat recovery food and hydrate a lot. It is very important to recover quickly, especially when you have back-to-back races, and to keep your immune system strong to avoid any kind of illness or infection that could affect performance.

Do you need a special diet to go along with your training programme?
My personal trainer takes charge of everything to do with training, nutrition and of course rest. I also have a sponsor that provides me with all the supplements I need for my programme. At home I have quite a strange diet because on one hand I need enough energy to train but at the same time I have to be careful not to get too heavy for a 125. I don't eat any junk food and not much red meat - it's mainly white meat, fish and salads as well as carbohydrates like pasta. I rarely take in more than 2500 calories a day.

How and when did you meet your personal trainer?
We met at the end of 2007. It was the end of my time with the Repsol team and a friend recommended that I go and see Mark and after talking to him for five minutes I knew he had to train me. He has the experience and knowledge to turn me into a true athlete. He competes in a lot of triathlons and Ironman contests, which is a long-distance triathlon. It was a little bit tricky at the start for him to understand the dynamics of a motorcycle racer. Basically his training method is based around the prevention of illness and injury. If you train too hard you can tire yourself out and you have to stop, which hinders your development. If you train constantly at 80% your physical fitness will constantly increase. Personally I think every rider should have a personal trainer to organise their training, nutrition, etc. As a rider this is my job and I have to work constantly on achieving the maximum I can - it is my responsibility to my sponsors and to myself.

It sounds like the triathlon forms the basis of your training...?
Yes, I love all three disciplines and it's also a good way to completely disconnect from MotoGP. Between January and November I spend a lot of time riding motorcycles and even though we're not racing every weekend it is a long season. Triathlon is kind of an escape route for me and it came into my life thanks to Mark. It's wonderful sport, full of optimism, where everybody enjoys themselves a lot in the races and where you can be competitive at any level. To race in 125s the only training I do other than cycling, running and swimming is core training and stretching. When you're on the bike you need a strong core and arms to put up with the stress and the weight transfer. I spend an hour, two or three times a week, using a basic gym ball. Working with Mark we try to replicate the positions I get into on the bike. Occasionally I ride motocross or supermoto but during the season I do enough riding at the GPs.

I suppose the British weather has an effect on your training?
This year was the first time I spent a long time out of England to train and I think it worked out really well. At the beginning of winter I spent six weeks in Barcelona and in all that time it rained three or four times, whilst in England if you're lucky you get three or four days of sunshine! We get wind, snow and even hail and it is difficult to train, as well as being dangerous, whilst in Barcelona I was able to make the most of those six weeks and train in safety. Next winter I'll be back in Spain for my preseason training but I'd also like to try cross-country skiing - we just have to work out where.

Do you ever take time out for a break?
Yeah of course - usually once a week or every fortnight I take a day out to completely relax, recover and recharge my batteries. But I don't like to be doing nothing - I like to be busy all the time.

What about holidays?
Not during the season. If I go on holiday it's at the end of the year with the family, in November or December. I take a week off over Christmas doing absolutely nothing and allowing myself some of the 'sins' I miss out on the rest of the year. But I still spend 50 or 51 weeks of the year concentrating on my training and absolutely dedicated to racing motorcycles.

Do you think so much preparation is necessary or is it just part of your winning character?
I always want to be at the maximum level that my body and mind will allow, I am a very competitive person. As far as racing is concerned, I don't want my body to ever get in the way of me winning. I don't ever want to feel like I could have done better in a race if only I was a bit fitter. In 125 perhaps so much training isn't necessary but my attitude is to do everything I can to win. Suffering through training is fundamental for me and I think you need to suffer to maintain your hunger and a winning mentality.

How do you deal with the jetlag in Australia, the heat in Malaysia and racing at night in Qatar?
For Qatar I started incorporating training sessions at 8pm for a couple of weeks before the race, so I am used to being active at a time that is normally reserved for rest. For Malaysia I train inside a cabin that has heat and humidity control. It is a bit like a sauna but not as hot and you can regulate the temperature. As far as jetlag is concerned there's not much you can do about it - if you start to feel it I think the best option is not to worry about it and just sit up in bed reading or watching television. If I get tired during the day I try and have a little nap if I can. Jetlag is something you can't predict so I suppose the only way to fight it is to stay awake and get tired!

Surce: Aspar Media

250cc

Álvaro Bautista:
"Donington is a circuit I love and I had a great race there last year, despite another rider making what you could call an unorthodox pass on me at the end! Anyway, this is another year and I think things have changed for the better. We're up there and we're prepared to go head to head with anybody in any race. We're doing our job well at every circuit and the fiasco at Assen aside our hard work is paying off. Let's hope that nothing weird happens this weekend, that the weather is on our side, even though it could easily rain on at least one of the days, so that we can have another nice battle like the one for third place on Sunday - except this time over full distance!"

Mike Di Meglio:
"It was a shame not to round off the German Grand Prix with a good result but that is water under the bridge and now I just want to focus on finishing the race at Donington as high up the order as possible. I love the track and I'm going to work really hard over the two days of practice to qualify up near the front. Starting from tenth place, like at Sachsenring, limits you a lot because you have to take a lot of risks to make up positions and you use up your tyres too quickly. So my objective is to get a good grid position and run in the front group. Why not? For one reason or another I haven't performed at my best level for a while so now is the time to put things right."

Balázs Németh:
"I am really excited about returning to Grand Prix action at Donington this weekend. I have worked very hard on my rehabilitation programme since the injury to be ready as soon as possible. There have been some difficult moments since the operation. Unlike a lot of the other circuits on the World Championship calendar where I have never raced before I have been to Donington a couple of times and I suppose that will be an advantage. On both occasions that I have raced there it has rained so hopefully this Sunday will be different."

125cc

Julián Simón:
"The result at Sachsenring was magnificent and I think we deserved another win. Now we have to keep going like this, picking up podiums and fighting for wins in as many races as we can. It is still too early to think about it but the basic necessity in fighting for the title is to be consistent. Now we go to Donington, a circuit I love and where I scored my first ever win. Like Sachsenring it is a track I know I can do well at because it suits my riding style so we have to make the most of this opportunity and head into the summer break with an even bigger lead in the championship if possible. It would be wonderful to string two wins together. My first win here in 2005 was in heavy rain so hopefully on Sunday I can repeat the result in the dry! The team is working perfectly at every Grand Prix and I'm sure this one will be no different. Fortunately now we have a little more breathing space in the championship but we cannot afford to relax."

Sergio Gadea:
"Whilst I went to Germany with my mind set on a good result, my motivation for Donington, a circuit I like much more, is even higher. Either way, the team and myself are doing a good job and luck has been on our side so far, so I don't think there are circuits that are more favourable than others. We just have to stay focused on our job and I'm sure we'll be back up there again on Sunday. It will be tough because Julián is extremely strong in every session and race at the moment but we have to try and keep pace with him. It could easily rain at Donington but we have no need to worry about that because we've already shown this season that we can also be really fast in the wet. The objective, as always, will be to finish as high up as we can and not worry about the result."

Bradley Smith:
"I can't wait to get to my home race at Donington. The problems in Germany are behind us now and I'm only concentrating on recovering as many points as I can and putting on a good performance for the British fans. The crash at Sachsenring was disappointing but now we go to a circuit I love and where I know I can go fast from the start of the Grand Prix on Friday. Donington Park is a really fun circuit -my favourite section is probably the first few corners, with the downhill drop through Craner Curves. I am particularly fired up for this one and I want to score a good result for my fans so that I can head into the holidays on a high."

250cc

3rd Álvaro Bautista:
"With the worn tyre I could still feel very comfortable, but I had an early problem. The bike was sliding about and I couldn't feel at ease riding, so I had to regain my feeling step by step. I wasn't fully comfortable until the middle of the race; when I caught up with Barberá I saw that he was going faster than me, I decided to let him take me up to the front. When we got to Hiroshi and Faubel It was difficult to pass because of Aoyama's late braking, and there were only a couple of places at which I knew that I could pass him. I tried to overtake with two laps to go, but I saw a yellow flag and couldn't make the move. I got through later on and saw Álex ahead, and knew that catching him would be tough. I was with him on the last lap, but a move would have been risking things. Third is a good result, and Aoyama finished behind me which is important for the title fight."

Mike Di Meglio (DNF):
"At the start of the race I felt very comfortable and I made a quick start. From then on I was right behind the trailing pack and started to feel the front end moving around on the corners. I tried to ride around it, with the majority of my weight on the rear, but it was tough keeping my pace up. I tried to overtake Faubel and lost some time there too. The crash was truly unexpected, as the front seized up and I couldn't do anything. When I tried to rejoin the race the handlebars were too twisted to carry on. It's a pity and I'm annoyed more than at any other race, after working so well throughout the weekend and not being able to cap it off with a good result."

7th Aleix Espargaró:
"All weekend we'd gone well, and I think that today I could have fought with the front riders. When we were on the grid and the race had been declared wet I saw that there was nothing to lose, so I put on the slick rear and mixed front tyre to see what would happen. At the start of the race it was hard to keep up, because the bike was closing up in front. Lap by lap I picked up my pace and confidence, however, and at the end I was riding quickly. I was enjoying the ride, but I think that we should have gone with slicks on both the front and rear. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, because I think that we could have done even better. In any case, now is not the time for regret."

125cc

1st Julián Simón:
"I would say that today couldn't have gone any better. The only better feeling would be to win the World Championship I suppose. It has been an excellent weekend, as I was on top for every session and showed how well we are working. Today the key was the start, and I took off much better than in other races. I had a strong pace and nobody could catch me. It was a race like that in France from then on, as I had phenomenal guidance from my team and just had to concentrate. We just needed to keep up the same pace. I am very happy about the win, and when I crossed the line I made sure to keep on the gas and look behind me to avoid any surprises. We hadn't won since France, so this win is further motivation. Now we go to Donington, where I took my first win and hope for another good result."

2nd Sergio Gadea:
"Last night I prayed for a dry race, and I was in luck. I knew that I could be up at the front in the right conditions, but I knew that Julián had the same pace as I did. That is why he could keep the advantage in the race. He started strong and was impossible to catch. After winning in Assen, second place here is perfect and I'm satisfied. I saw the chance to catch Simón was too risky, so I settled for second and can be happy with the fabulous job that the team did. It is early to think about the championship, but we are going nearly perfect this year. I just have to carry on trying to get the maximum amount of points possible."

Bradley Smith (DNF):
"It seems like I shouldn't have got out of bed this morning. It is disappointing that I had such a good weekend end like this, but I think that the warmup crash affected us. I don't think that the front tyre had got up to temperature. That's why I got the feeling that I was running off track at every corner. The first crash was a blow to morale, and the second was a hit from behind that I couldn't do anything about. We just have to move on and concentrate on the next race in Donington, making sure that we are ready to regain points."

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Julian Simon Aprilia 39m57.337s
2. Sergio Gadea Aprilia + 9.415s
3. Joan Olive Derbi + 17.559s
4. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 17.587s
5. Pol Espargaro Derbi + 19.740s
6. Sandro Cortese Derbi + 20.778s
7. Andrea Iannone Aprilia + 20.908s
8. Daniel Webb Aprilia + 38.221s
9. D.Agerter Derbi + 38.434s
10. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin + 40.085s
11. R.Krummenacher Aprilia + 44.127s
12. Marcel Schrotter Honda + 45.051s
13. Luis Salom Aprilia + 59.604s
14. Cameron Beaubier KTM +1m18.157s
15. D.Kartheininger Honda +1m20.825s
16. Marc Marquez KTM +1m25.137s
17. Efren Vazquez Derbi +1m30.427s
18. Lukas Sembera Aprilia +1m30.528s
19. Jasper Iwema Honda + 1 lap
20. Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia + 1 lap
21. T.Finsterbusch Honda + 1 lap
22. Damien Raemy Honda + 1 lap
23. Johann Zarco Aprilia + 1 lap
24. Luca Marconi Aprilia + 1 lap

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

Rider | Bike | Laps
Scott Redding Aprilia 19
Stefan Bradl Aprilia 18
Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 17
Simone Corsi Aprilia 16
Jonas Folger Aprilia 15
Michael Ranseder Aprilia 8
Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia 6
Eeki Kuparinen Honda 3
Bradley Smith Aprilia 3
Esteve Rabat Aprilia 1
Alexis Masbou Loncin 1

FASTEST LAP:
Gadea, 1m28.337s on lap 6

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 27m11.034s
2. Alex Debon Aprilia + 0.479s
3. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia + 0.528s
4. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda + 0.866s
5. Hector Barbera Aprilia + 1.260s
6. Hector Faubel Honda + 5.972s
7. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia + 8.721s
8. Thomas Luthi Aprilia + 8.762s
9. Raffaele De Rosa Honda + 19.176s
10. R.Locatelli Gilera + 27.950s
11. Alex Baldolini Aprilia + 29.601s
12. Lukas Pesek Aprilia + 38.299s
13. Shoya Tomizawa Honda + 51.940s
14. Jules Cluzel Aprilia + 52.919s
15. Bastien Chesaux Honda +1m06.786s
16. Axel Pons Aprilia +1m20.573s
17. Toby Markham Aprilia + 1 lap
18. Imre Toth Aprilia + 1 lap
19. Joakim Stensmo Honda + 2 laps
20. Valentin Debise Honda + 4 laps

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

Rider | Bike | Laps
Mattia Pasini Aprilia 16
Mike Di Meglio Aprilia 16
Karel Abraham Aprilia 8
Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 0
R.Wilairot Honda DNS

FASTEST LAP: Bautista, 1m24.552s on lap 19

125cc

1st Julián Simón 1.28.594 (15 laps): “the truth is that we’ve taken a lot of positives out of today because this is a circuit I like a lot and I was highly motivated to do well. I was quickly able to tell that I was going to be able to enjoy riding the bike here and I was comfortable form the start, even though we still have some things to work on – in particular with the engine. We need to focus on adjusting the gear ratio to improve the acceleration and get out of the corners quicker. Hopefully the weather is better to us tomorrow so that we can everything sorted for the race. I’m happy with our performance in the wet because I did two laps and went pretty quick. I feel good one way or the other so we’ll wait and see what we can do tomorrow. I’d like to get the work done tomorrow that will allow us to fight for victory on Sunday because it is very important to hang on to the championship lead over these next two races.”

3rd Bradley Smith 1.29.423 (19 laps): “It was amazing how the conditions changed in just a matter of minutes. The good thing is that even though we didn’t have much time we were able to test things in the wet and in the dry. It is also good to have a basic idea about which direction to go in tomorrow, when we’ll be working a little more on the setting of the engine. It is a slow process so we have to work hard on making sure everything is right, without taking any risks because if not the race will be upon us before we know it. I’m happy because I know the team will be working hard on the bike tonight so that we only have small things to work on tomorrow.”

5th Sergio Gadea 1.29.776 (17 laps):“In general I’m very happy although we had a small carburetion problem in the dry - the bike was cutting out at the end of the straight, and it wouldn’t rev, especially at the top end. We were working hard on it and it seems as though we found a solution just before it started to rain. I felt comfortable in the wet and in the dry and I think we have a good base set-up, we just need to squeeze a bit more out of the engine now. I’m not obsessing about Sunday’s result – just making sure we work hard over the weekend as we have done so far and I know that will be enough to ensure we’re at the front in the race.”

250cc

5th Mike Di Meglio 1.25.493 (25 laps): “I am happy because I’ve spent the last couple of weeks relaxing and trying to prepare myself as well as possible to come here with my batteries fully charged and so far everything is going well. This is a tough circuit with the 250 but thanks to my mechanics, who did an incredible job, I was able to get a good feeling straight away. As the laps went by I found my reference points and worked out the characteristics of this track. The mechanics were on top of me throughout the session trying to find a chassis set-up that made the Aprilia feel as comfortable as possible. The engine worked well so basically as long as the weather is good tomorrow we’ll try our best to perfect the set-up for Sunday.”

8th Aleix Espargaró 1.25.771 (26 laps): “It was important for me to get a few laps in at the start of the session in order to get a feel for this circuit but the telemetry wasn’t working well and I had to do short runs, with several pit stops to try and solve the problem. I couldn’t get any rhythm together and when I did go out I got held up, so it was difficult. Thanks to the magnificent work by the mechanics we worked it out in the end and I was able to set four good laps. The truth is that once we found the solution everything was fantastic and I’m happy because I got my pace together and those four laps are the ones that count. I was a bit lost for the first part of the session but it’s fair to say I’m getting used to riding the 250 again. After a day of adaptation today, tomorrow will be when we really get to work. You spend virtually the whole time leaned over at this circuit so it will be important to get the Aprilia turning well.”

11th Álvaro Bautista 1.25.836 (30 laps): “We usually have set-up problems at this circuit and today I tried a couple of new configurations, one of which I like quite a lot. Being a second off the pace is a big gap but it could have been worse so we have to stay optimistic and be prepared to improve tomorrow. Sachsenring is a difficult circuit in that the faster you try to ride the slower you end up going, and you find yourself with more and more work to do. Let’s wait and see if we can improve things tomorrow, mainly on the front end. The key to it is in T2 and if we can improve through there we will be much closer. We knew things wouldn’t be easy here and now we’re even more determined to work at it tomorrow. I have confidence in the team and we’ll all give 100% to improve the set-up of the bike for the race.”

Held in dry conditions.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time
1 H. BARBERA SPA Pepe World Team 1'24.951
2 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 0.461
3 M. PASINI ITA Team Toth Aprilia + 0.464
4 A. DEBON SPA Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens + 0.530
5 M. DI MEGLIO FRA Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc + 0.542
6 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 0.579
7 H. AOYAMA JPN Scot Racing Team 250cc + 0.769
8 A. ESPARGARO SPA Balatonring Team + 0.820
9 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 0.862
10 K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing + 0.883
11 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 0.885
12 J. CLUZEL FRA Matteoni Racing + 1.119
13 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 1.293
14 H. FAUBEL SPA Honda SAG + 1.469
15 R. DE ROSA ITA Scot Racing Team 250cc + 1.537
16 A. BALDOLINI ITA WTR San Marino Team + 1.594
17 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 2.460
18 S. TOMIZAWA JPN CIP Moto - GP250 + 3.153
19 I. TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia + 3.236
20 V. LEONOV RUS Viessmann Kiefer Racing + 4.151
21 V. DEBISE FRA CIP Moto - GP250 + 4.564
22 B. CHESAUX SWI Racing Team Germany + 4.652
23 T. MARKHAM GBR C&L Racing + 5.311
24 A. PONS SPA Pepe World Team + 5.569

Out of limit time
J. STENSMO SWE Nordgren Racing
M. BECKER GER Yamaha Road Racing Team
R. HALEN SWE Promotion Scandinavia AB

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

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Friday, July 17, 2009

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