From a press release issued by d’Antin Ducati:

XAUS & HODGSON READY TO GET DWON TO THE RIO GP BEAT

With no time for rest after the Dutch TT, the World Championship lands in Brazil this weekend, a short break away from the European leg of the calendar. Since 1996 this race has taken place at the Jacarepaguá circuit, on the outskirts of Río de Janeiro, the city which lends its name to the race. The track is famous for being quick, but the surface can often be bumpy and not offer too much in the way of grip.

The d´Antin MotoGP riders have gradually settled into the class, increasingly playing a bigger part in the outcome of races, with Rubén Xaus currently heading the Rookie of the Year standings after three fantastic races in a row, whilst Neil Hodgson has a smile back on his face after the latest Grand Prix in Assen, where he achieved his primary objective of finishing amongst the top ten. Both riders arrive in Rio full of hope, and determined to shine once more at the handlebars of their Ducati Desmosedici.

RUBÉN XAUS flew straight to Río from Assen, making the most of the days off to do a little bit of sightseeing, although he has been to the area before when he raced here in 1996. “I came to race in Río when I rode as a replacement for a 250cc rider during five races. I was very young and inexperienced, but I picked up the provisional pole in the wet on the first day, and that’s a memory you just can’t forget about. I remember that I liked the circuit although the asphalt was quite bumpy, but I’m coming to this race as excited as ever. We’re doing some good work at the moment, and we’re consistently performing well. At first it was hard for us to get going, but that’s normal because everything was new for us. We mustn’t forget, as I frequently repeat, that we are still in a learning process, but I’m confident of my continued improvement as the season goes on.”

NEIL HODGSON, who took a couple of days out at his Isle of Man residence, will have his morale boosted as he arrives in Rio: “I was satisfied with my result in Holland after what was a truly difficult weekend. I had a good race pace and I honestly believe that if I had got a better grid position I could have ridden with the second group no problem. After the tests in Barcelona we made a huge step forward and it’s almost as if we’ve started the season again now. I raced in Rio in 1995 and the main thing I can remember is the undulating asphalt, but I’m sure it will have improved since then, and in any case, the most important thing is that I’m optimistic going into this race and I hope to continue to enjoy riding my Ducati, just like I did in Assen.”