DUCATI MARLBORO MEN SET FOR FINAL TEST Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau look forward to their final pre-season test at Jerez this weekend, just two weeks before the 2006 MotoGP World Championship gets underway at the Andalucian track. Capirossi and Gibernau are hoping for a sunny weekend and are confident of continuing the progress made during the useful session at Catalunya last weekend. Though he was not in the “spotlight” during the 40′ timed session, Sete was able late in the afternoon to set the fastest time of the day during his first ride on the wet with his Desmosedici GP6, and Loris announced he was happy with Bridgestone’s latest tyres, despite a stomach bug that kept him off the track for almost an entire day. The three-day session will give the pair a chance to conclude their winter development duties and start working towards a machine set-up and tyre choice that will deliver the best race-long performance at the flowing Jerez circuit. Vittoriano Guareschi will also be present at Jerez, continuing in his role as test rider. LIVIO SUPPO, Ducati MotoGP project leader “Overall we have had a pretty good winter, now we are looking forward to this final test and the first race of the 2006 season. Catalunya demonstrated the excellent progress made by Bridgestone over the last few months but the weather wasn’t good enough for us to do any real endurance runs, so we hope the conditions are better at Jerez. If the weather is okay, our focus will be doing long runs, so we can give Bridgestone a real idea of what’s required for the Jerez race on March 26.”