Sete Gibernau underwent an operation to fix the fracture in his left collarbone today. The Spanish rider now needs a period of recovery and he will be replaced by Alex Hofmann at the Dutch TT. Loris Capirossi, undergoing physiotherapy to get back in shape as soon as possible, is already on his way to Assen. Sete underwent surgery at Dexeus Hospital in Barcelona, where Dr Xavier Mir and Dr Ignacio Ginebrera replaced the metal plate already present in his collarbone from a previous incident with a new one in titanium. Dr Mir declared that a recovery period of 3-5 weeks will be necessary before the Spanish rider can return to the track. “The operation went well”, declared Dr Mir. “We removed the plate covering the old injury to Sete Gibernau’s left collarbone and repaired the new fracture by applying a new titanium plate. The rider will now have to wait between 3 to 5 weeks before being able to race again”. Thanks to the Pramac d’Antin MotoGP Team and its sponsors, Luis d’Antin, Paolo Campitoti and Alex Hofmann, the Italian team will however be in a position to race both its Desmosedici GP6 machines at the imminent race in the Netherlands, despite the short period of time between Barcelona and Assen. For the Dutch TT, Sete Gibernau will be replaced by the German rider. Loris Capirossi (2nd place in World Championship with 99 points) After being kept in overnight for observation on Sunday at Catalunya General Hospital, Loris returned to Monte Carlo with his physiotherapist Roberto Brusi. Both men immediately got down to work with a massage therapy aimed at eliminating as quickly as possible the effects of the bruising Capirossi received during the horrific first-corner incident at Barcelona. The gutsy Italian rider is now on his way to Assen for the Dutch TT race. “That was a big crash but luckily I got off quite lightly. I received a nasty blow to the chest, which is still bothering me. My physiotherapist Roberto has been with me all the time and we immediately began to work on rehab, with a series of massages to help the bruising go down. I’d like to thank the Clinica Mobile and Dr Costa, whose assistance as always has been absolutely priceless. I’m not yet 100% fit but the important thing is to get back on the bike as soon as possible and see how it goes: I’m going to Assen with even more fighting spirit than usual!” Livio Suppo (Ducati MotoGP project leader) “I am relieved to see that the consequences of last Sunday’s crash are being resolved relatively easily. Loris is undergoing rehabilitation and is now on the way to the Netherlands in his usual determined frame of mind. Sete has just come out of the operating room and the doctors confirmed that the operation was successful. We are very sorry that he has to miss the next two GPs, but it could have been worse so we must breathe a sigh of relief and hope that Sete completely recovers as soon as possible. I would like to thank Alex Hofmann, Luis D’Antin, Paolo Campitoti, all the Pramac D’Antin MotoGP Team and their sponsors for the availability they have shown towards us. Although the Assen race comes just 6 days after the incident at Barcelona, we will now be in a position to line up with both of our bikes”.

After sustaining injuries at the recent Brno tests, world championship leader Sebastien Charpentier underwent an operation last Thursday, during which doctors in Paris inserted one plate in his collarbone and one in bone three of his pelvis. Seb is recovering well after his restorative surgery and should be back for a Lausitz tyre test session, just a week before Brno race on 23 July. Arie Vos will take Charpentier’s spot during the Misano weekend. The Dutch rider is back again with the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team after last year’s experience outing at Magny-Cours. Arie knows the bike, the tyres and the track very well and should be able to achieve a positive result on the Italian circuit. For the team’s regular second rider, Kenan Sofuoglu, it will be the first time with his Honda CBR 600 on this circuit, and last year a broken hand prevented him from competing in the Superstock Championship. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “Obviously it’s quite sad to lose Sebastien in the middle of the championship, even for a race. The crash in Brno made him suffer extensive injuries, but he is now in good hands in Paris. For sure he will be back for the Brno race or even one week before for the Lausitz test. We know he can lose some points this weekend but hopefully not too many. His position on the bike will be taken by Arie Vos, who already knows the bike and the track and could, for sure, ride for a good placing at Misano. Arie is the rider from our satellite team in Holland and is already doing quite a lot of test work on parts for us. For Kenan, after the disastrous weekend in Silverstone, he bounced back fully during the Brno test and he was the quickest guy of all Supersport riders. This was pretty good because we could see his confidence was right back. We are looking forward to this Misano race because we know our bikes work quite well, even if we didn’t share the test with other teams last month. However, the conditions on the track will be much different. They tested there with 16 or 18 degrees of air temperature while we will experience probably more than 30 degrees.” Kenan Sofuoglu Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “After the Brno test I feel stronger. In Silverstone I didn’t feel strong enough but now I can say I am back. This will the first time in Misano for me because last year I had a broken hand, but I am sure that after Friday, which I will use mainly to learn the circuit, I will be ready to compete with the fastest in final qualifying and the race. I am confident in what I can do, and I can’t wait to go to Misano.” Arie Vos Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “Last year I raced on this track for the first time and I really enjoyed it. It’s fast and it suits to my style of riding. I am also working a lot on fitness because I know it will be a very hot weekend and therefore it will be very important to be at a peak of physical condition. I already know the bike quite well because I compete on a similar bike and I tried the 2005 Winston Ten Kate Honda last year at Magny-Cours. I also know the team well and I am sure we will work together in a really good way. They are great people and true professionals. This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I’ll try to use it in the best way possible. I still hope that Sebastien will be back soon because he still has a championship to conquer.”

After a recent test session at Brno the Winston Ten Kate Honda Superbike squad approaches the halfway point of the 2006 season at Misano with spirits high at the prospect battling for top placings once more. New electronics packages were tested at Brno, and may be used at Misano, to help riders James Toseland and Karl Muggeridge move further up the championship table. A regular venue on the SBK calendar, Misano is a circuit of contrasts, with ultra-fast left hand corners leading onto the back straight, mixed in with a plethora of tighter corners and two chicanes. Hot Adriatic weather is expected to add to the intensity of the challenge, with track temperatures often the highest encountered all season. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “We had a very good Brno test where we played with the new electronic system on the bike. We still have to decide if we’ll use it for the first time in Misano but so far it looks like we will, as the first impressions have been quite positive. We also tested many news parts on the bike to further improve chassis set up. We also tried out a lot of tyres and all the work went very well. We proved to be consistently fast, although we didn’t work too much on qualifying tyres, mainly concentrated on full race settings like we usually do during testing.” James Toseland Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “I like the Misano track although I’ve had some bad results in the last couple of years there, so I’m looking forward to erasing them with two strong results. It’s a great race track in a great area. It’s going to be a good weekend of racing, and my family will come along, so I don’t want to disappoint them. Last year I could have one win, but I didn’t qualify too well and that prevented me from winning. After the Brno test, where we tried lots of new things, I believe we are going to Italy even stronger than before so we will try our best to bring home as many points as possible.” Karl Muggeridge Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “I’m always happy to go to Misano, it’s a beautiful place. The test in Brno was been quite successful for me and I am sure we will carry all the things we learned from the Czech republic to Italy. In the three days of work at Brno we tried many new solutions and they have made us confident for Misano; I am sure we’ll have a good couple of rides. My physical condition has also improved and this gives me even more hope for Sunday’s races.”

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will be in Holland this weekend for the Dutch Grand Prix, looking to carry on from last Sunday’s best team result of the season – so far – in Catalunya. John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen finished in fourth and sixth places respectively at Barcelona, and both will be aiming to continue their good form into this Saturday’s race. The famous Assen TT circuit is the only racetrack to have staged a motorcycle Grand Prix since the beginning of the modern World Championship in 1949. It has been newly configured for this season with track length being reduced from 5,997m to 4,555m. This will enable fans the chance to get more action as the race has increased to 26 laps from 21. The circuit has kept its characteristic banked curves and high speed corners and the new additions to the layout are designed to keep Assen as a true riders’ and fans’ favourite. Practice will begin on Thursday and all riders will be given an extra half-hour in the morning session to assist them in learning the new layout. Two more hour long sessions will be held on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, before the all-important qualifying session on Friday afternoon. The Dutch TT is traditionally held on the last Saturday in June and this year is no exception. The flag will drop to signal the start of round eight of the 2006 MotoGP World Championship at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) on Saturday 24th June. Paul Denning Team Manager: “The team and riders did a great job last weekend, but this is a new race and we must begin all over again and build on what we have started. All the riders are coming to Assen without prior knowledge of the new layout so it will give us a good idea of how Chris has come on as a GP racer – as everybody will be learning the circuit from scratch. Assen was traditionally one of the fastest circuits on the calendar, with its many high-speed corners and we hope that the new layout will favour the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R and both riders. John is still searching for that illusive first pole position and podium and I have no doubt that both are within his grasp over the next few races, he knows it is coming it is just a matter of when! Holland is an important market for our title sponsors Rizla, and we will certainly be aiming to put on a good performance for them.”

After the terrible incident that last Sunday on the Catalan track of Montemelò involved 6 riders, Marco Melandri’s physical conditions are improving and this morning he left the General Hospital of Catalunya in Sant Cugat (Barcelona) where he underwent treatment and CAT scans and was treated for a dislocation of the acromion-clavicular and mild concussion. Strong and determined, Marco left the Hospital this morning and together with Doctor Claudio Costa from Clinica Mobile, he took a flight to Amsterdam and then reached Assen by train. Marco’s neck still hurts a lot but the young Italian rider hopes to go back on track, if possible already in Assen. The Fortuna Honda rider is optimistic. At the moment his participation to the Dutch TT is still uncertain. The decision will be taken only on spot after the medical check. MARCO MELANDRI: “Thanks to the therapies I feel better. I’m recovering and yesterday I could make a short walk. This morning Doctor Costa of Clinica Mobile has reached me in Barcelona and together we flew to Amsterdam and then to Assen by train. My neck hurts a lot and I think this will be the main problem. Anyway the final decision will be taken later on before the first day of practices. I have seen the layout of the modified track in Assen, they have changed the most technical and difficult part, so in this moment this can be positive for my current physical conditions.” Also Marco’ team-mate, the Spaniare Toni Elias looks forward to race in Assen. Toni hopes to solve the problems he is suffering in the last races and to start to conquer some good results. TONI ELIAS: “Assen is one of my favourite track, it’s technical, fast and demanding. I hope to make a good race there and do a real step forward. I still cannot drive as I would like to as I need to improve my feeling with the rear and find the traction we need. I really look forward to race at the Dutch TT. I hope that the changes at the North Loop haven’t changed too much the beauty of this track. But before arriving to Assen, I’d like to wish Marco, my team mate a prompt recovery.” DUTCH TT- THE TRACK Built :1955 Modified: 2006 Length: 4.555 m Width : 10-14 m Pole position:left Right turns:6 Left turns :11 Longest straight: 560 m RECORD: track Record: modified track pole position: 2005 Rossi (Yamaha) 1’58″936 2005 race: 1° Rossi (Yamaha), 2° Melandri (Honda), 3° Edwards (Yamaha)

FRESH CHALLENGE AWAITS CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM AT HISTORIC ASSEN The MotoGP World Championship returns to its oldest venue this weekend with a fresh new challenge awaiting it at the legendary Dutch TT. With major changes having taken place at the Assen circuit since last season, the whole of the Northern Loop section making way for a new car park and expanded viewing areas, the Camel Yamaha Team venture into the unknown this weekend as they look to extend their winning run to three straight races. The 76th edition of the Dutch TT welcomes MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi in top form, the Italian having taken consecutive victories at Mugello and Catalunya in the last two rounds to put his title defence firmly back on track. Rossi has won at Assen for three of the last four editions of the world-famous race and nothing less than another success will do as he aims to cut back a 29-point deficit to current series leader Nicky Hayden (Honda), who has yet to win a race this year. Rossi’s team-mate Colin Edwards himself took three victories at Assen in the World Superbike series, including a double win on his way to the title in a gripping climax to the 2002 season. Last season he joined Rossi on the MotoGP podium after finishing in third place and, after continuing set-up work on the new version YZR-M1 chassis at Catalunya, he is confident of rejoining the battle for a top three position in Holland. VALENTINO ROSSI: A GREAT EMOTION Valentino Rossi is looking forward getting back out on track just five days after the 56th victory of his illustrious career in Barcelona. Despite his opposition to such a hectic run of races, which will almost certainly see some of the riders injured last Sunday missing at least one round, the Italian sees the next two weekends as a valuable opportunity to maintain his momentum and pull even closer to the championship lead. “Having three consecutive races is a problem because if you are injured in the first then you risk not being able to ride for two more races,” comments Rossi. “By the third race the riders are also tired and begin to lose concentration so it’s very tough for everyone. In the past Assen was one of my favourite tracks and it was always a great, great emotion to ride a MotoGP bike at the limit there. Sadly the track has been changed so I am not as excited about it as usual, because it seems from reports that some of the ‘Assen magic’ has gone. Anyway, I hope that it’s still a good track and I know it will still be fun to race there; it always has a fantastic atmosphere and the Dutch fans are wonderful. “We have now won two races in a row and if we hadn’t had the problem in Le Mans then that would be three, which means we are now more or less at the same level that we were at this time last year. These races are really important so I hope that we can manage to win as many as possible. I have moved up to third in the championship now but I still only took five points from Hayden in Barcelona and he is 29 points ahead of me, so we need to keep winning because he is a consistent podium finisher and he always fights to the end.” COLIN EDWARDS: FAMILIAR TERRITORY Colin Edwards returns to one of the most successful circuits of his career this weekend but, like Rossi, he is concerned that some of the natural character will have been lost with the recent modifications. After picking up a solid fifth place in the last round at Catalunya the American is now targeting a return to podium form as he heads into three important races at Assen, Donington and Laguna Seca. “I grew up on the next three tracks and I’ve finished on the podium at all of them in MotoGP so hopefully this can be a good spell for me,” says Edwards. “On paper the Yamaha should work well at the new track and some more time with the new chassis will help us get up to speed. We know that what Valentino is using works so it’s a case of adapting it to me, making a few small changes and getting as close to his pace as possible if not improving on it. “Like a lot of the riders I have a lot of affection for the old Assen circuit and I hope it hasn’t lost too much of its character. Whatever the track is like you can bet that the atmosphere is going to be just as crazy as ever and I always have a lot of fans there especially some of the Brits who come over for the party. Hopefully I can give them something to shout about on Saturday afternoon.” VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 27 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 82 (56 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 164 (104 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 41 World Championships 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP) COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION Age: 32 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 55 x MotoGP World Championships – 2 World Superbike DAVIDE BRIVIO: A TEAM EFFORT Such a hectic schedule of races is a major strain on any team and Camel Yamaha is no different. It requires a special effort from the riders and engineers right through to the catering staff and it is a point of the season where every member of the workforce plays a crucial role. Team Director Davide Brivio says everybody has a major part to play as the points quest continues with a second race in the space of just six days. “It was amazing watching the boxes being packed up in the pit garage and the hospitality unit being dismantled on Sunday night to think that in just two days’ time they would all be put back together at a circuit 1800 kilometres away,” says Brivio. “It is a huge challenge for the whole team and a lot of pressure but it is another example that shows how a rider cannot be successful on the track unless he has the right staff behind him to put everything in place. “Our target before Mugello was to win the next four races so now you could say the job is half done. We want the same level of performance at the next two rounds and the same result, although we know it will be difficult. Assen will be a very interesting challenge because it is virtually a new track like going to China, Laguna Seca or Turkey last year but the base setting of our bike has improved vastly and we hope it can be adapted quickly.” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: ASSEN ACCORDING TO ANDREA ZUGNA Despite the dramatic changes to Assen’s unique layout over the winter, it still promises to be one of the most technically and physically demanding circuits on the calendar for the MotoGP riders. With barely a straight piece of tarmac in sight, handling remains a major focal point due to high-speed chicanes and dramatic camber changes the latter, in some places, resembling the profile of the public roads that the original circuit was based around 76 years ago. Andrea Zugna, Data Engineer for Colin Edwards, says the information gathered last season will still be highly valuable. “It will be interesting to see how the track is without the Northern Loop because that was a very characteristic section of the circuit, with high camber and left-right switches,” says Zugna. “I suppose the first section of the circuit will now be similar to China, with a series of tight right-handers from turns one to four causing strain on the right hand side of the tyre, and that will also make it physically demanding on the riders. “As far as the setting is concerned we will still start with the same as last year because we know it works for around 90% of the track. On Friday morning we will analyse the data from the final 10% and the engineers will be able to make the adjustments based on that information. We expect Assen to be more like a ‘normal’ circuit now. It has always required only partial throttle and that will still be the case, so it is not too critical on gearbox and engine settings but does require a good compromise to cope with the fast direction changes and the slow chicane which was modified last year. Our setting worked well last year and we finished on the podium so hopefully that can be the case for both riders again.” CIRCUIT INFORMATION Pole position left Length: 4555 m Width: 14 m Right corners: 6 Left corners: 11 Opened in: 1955, modified in 2005 and 2006 Assen Lap Record: track modified Assen Best Lap: track modified 2005 Results: 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha, 38’41.808 2. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda, +1.583 3. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha, +7.643

For the eighth round of the 2006 MotoGP World Championship that in Assen, Holland, this weekend, ALEX HOFMANN, PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP rider, will replace SETE GIBERNAU on the Official DUCATI. The Spanish rider injured himself during the frightening accident of last Sunday in Spain and his return will depend on how fast his recover will be. As a replacement for ALEX HOFMANN, there will be the Spanish IVAN SILVA, already racing for the Team of LUIS D’ANTIN in the EXTREME category of the Spanish Championship, that also did a race of the 2006 World Championship in the Superstock 1000 class. A big opportunity for ALEX HOFMANN, that will have a great occasion to race with the Official DUCATI (BRIDGESTONE tyres), but also for IVAN SILVA that will ride on the DUCATI DESMOSEDICI GP06 “Sat.” for the first time in the World Championship, assisted by the technical staff of the Team PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP. ALEX HOFMANN: “I’m excited and so happy! Having the possibility to race on the Official DUCATI DESOMOSEDICI is an unbelievable opportunity and I will give my 100% to take advantage of it the most I can. I know this motorcycle well, I also know the evolution level of the BRIDGESTONE tyres that I developed until the Valencia GP of the 2005 Championship, with which I had a good feeling that I hope to get back from the first laps I will make in Assen. I’m very motivated and I want to make something good. In our world, these kind of agreement doesn’t happen very often and I want to thank everybody: DUCATI, PRAMAC, LUIS D’ANTIN and PAOLO CAMPINOTI, for thier confidence, that I hope to reciprocate giving the maximum. I also have a special thought for SETE GIBERNAU to whom I wish to get well at the soonest and in the best way possible “. IVAN SILVA: “I didn’t expect it and it has really been a great surprise! Having the opportunity to make a race with the DUCATI DESMOSEDICI GP06 “Sat.” of the Team PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP is simply fantastic. Besides, I already know the Team very well, racing in the Extreme category of the Spanish Championship with them, and I’m really happy to get the chance to make this experience with them. I would like to thank everybody for having given me this opportunity, and I hope not to disappoint anybody!”

Suzuki Castrol: “We can take some risks at Suzuka” Suzuki Castrol have further extended their lead in the FIM World Endurance Championship after winning the Zolder 6 Hour Belgian round of the championship at the weekend. They now hold a 44 point lead over second placed Yamaha Austria, who finished second at Zolder, and are 50 points clear of third placed Bolliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki. Team Fagersjo-el.se Suzuki’s fourth place at Zolder has consolidated their fourth place in the championship, while Yamaha Phase One Endurance’s fifth at the weekend has lifted them above National Motos Honda to fifth in the standings. Suzuki No Limits & RT are seventh, Team Endurance Moto 45 Suzuki have moved up to eighth place and RMT21 Racing Honda are now tenth in the standings. There are still 100 points to be won at the remaining three rounds of the championship, with 30 points available to the winner of the Suzuka 8 Hour and 35 points each for the winners at the Oschersleben and Bol d’Or 24 hour races. Despite this, Suzuki Castrol view their lead as comfortable enough that they can go all out for a victory as the Suzuka 8 Hour race rather than aiming to secure a points finish. Speaking after the Zolder race, Suzuki Castrol rider Vincent Philippe commented, It’s a good result for the championship. Suzuka will be difficult but this result means we can take some risks there.” The Suzuka 8 Hour race takes place on July 30th. Championship Standings -Top 10 After 4 Rounds 1. Suzuki Castrol Team (Suz GSX-R1000) 108 points 2. Yamaha Austria Racing Team (Yam YZF-R1) 64 points 3. Bolliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki (Kaw ZX-10R) 58 points 4. Team Fagersjo-el Suzuki (Suz GSX-R1000) 49 points 5. Yamaha Phase One Endurance (Yam YZF-R1) 43 points 6. National Motos Honda (Hon CBR1000RR) 35 points 7. Suzuki No Limits & R.T. Suzuki (Suz GSX-R1000) 24 points 8. Team Endurance Moto 45 Suzuki (Suz GSX-R1000) 23 points 9. Yamaha GMT94 (Yam YZF-R1) 22 points 10. RMT 21 Racing Honda (Hon CBR1000RR) 21 points