Magyar TV gets MotoGP television rights for Hungary Starting from this weekend’s Gauloises TT Assen, Hungary’s public broadcaster Magyar TV is joining the list of networks that show MotoGP races, increasing the number of stations that broadcast live or same-day-delayed coverage of the World Championship events to 47. The recent success of Gabor Talmacsi, the Hungarian rider who won the Gran Premio Alice d’Italia and is one of the leading contenders in the 125cc class, has been a key factor in the increased level of awareness that MotoGP has enjoyed in the Central European country in 2005. The one-year agreement signed by Magyar TV with Dorna Sports, the company that holds the rights to MotoGP, entitles the leading Hungarian broadcaster to show every Grand Prix either live or through a same-day highlights package.

MotoGP Qualifying Results From Assen: 1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:58.936 2. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:59.247 3. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 1:59.632 4. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:59.760 5. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:59.784 6. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 2:00.006 7. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 2:00.136 8. Alex BARROS, Honda, 2:00.232 9. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 2:00.281 10. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 2:00.298 11. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 2:00.656 12. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 2:00.810 13. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, 2:00.883 14. Troy BAYLISS, Honda, 2:01.216 15. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 2:01.836 16. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, 2:01.854 17. David CHECA, Yamaha, 2:02.639 18. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, 2:02.704 19. Shane BYRNE, Proton KR, 2:03.442 20. James ELLISON, Blata, 2:03.488 21. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, 2:06.527 More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: ROSSI TAKES FOURTH POLE OF THE SEASON AT ASSEN Gauloises Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi will start the seventh round of the MotoGP World Championship from the front of the grid as he chases his sixth victory of the season at the 75th anniversary Dutch TT tomorrow. Rossi took pole position with his final lap of this afternoon’s qualifying session, clocking a time of 1’58.936 to hold off the challenge of Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri (both Honda), who complete the front row. Rossi’s Gauloises Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards kept his promise to set a vastly improved lap time as he worked out his braking markers at the remodelled version of a circuit he knows well from his days in the World Superbike series. Cheered on by a vast army of travelling British fans, Edwards will start from the second row of the grid after taking 1.5 seconds off his best time from yesterday to take sixth place on the grid. High temperatures and blazing sunshine continued today, with the thermometers reaching 36ºC during the afternoon session. However, the local weather forecast is predicting that the early summer heat wave will end abruptly tomorrow morning, with thunderstorms expected to continue all day. VALENTINO ROSSI (Pole Position, 1’58.936, 23 laps) “I am very happy because it is great to ride at this track on a qualifying tyre – the emotion is incredible. The bikes are so fast and this track also, even with the modifications it is still one of the best in the world. I was lucky because I was able to use both of my qualifying tyres at 100%. With the first one I set a 1’59.4, which was a great lap, but I looked at it and thought maybe I could go a little faster. I had to wait a while because there were a lot of riders waiting for me on the last lap and I left it until the last moment, because it’s better to have no one in front of you here when you are trying to set a fast lap. The last lap of 1’58 was fantastic. I’m happy to start from pole position because tomorrow for sure will be a hard race. We’ll wait to see what the weather does but if the temperatures are like today it will be very tough for the riders and the tyres.” COLIN EDWARDS (6th, 2’00.006, 22 laps) “I knew yesterday that we had some good ideas to help us improve our time today and I think it’s fair to say we’ve taken a giant leap forward with the set-up of the bike. This morning we fixed the rear traction problems I’ve been having and we’re starting to understand the differences between Valentino’s riding style and mine. Whilst it seems Valentino can ride pretty much anything, my style is ingrained in me and I need a little help to load up the rear, which is what we have done here. It is helping me get the power to the ground and today I set six or seven laps in the low 2’00s, which is a decent race pace. I still feel that it can come down a little further, and it will need to for tomorrow’s race. I’ve really noticed the support from the British fans here, which has been great. Hopefully it will stay dry for them tomorrow although if it rains I’ll be quite happy because I’m interested to see how this set-up works in the wet.” DAVIDE BRIVIO TEAM DIRECTOR “It is always a great emotion to watch Valentino ride in that way his two fast laps were fantastic. Both our riders set a fast pace throughout the session and Colin was able to get a good position for the race, which I am very pleased about. I think the whole team can look forward very positively to tomorrow. The rain might be an issue but I’m sure our technicians will manage”¦ and the riders too!” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: DUCATI MARLBORO MEN 7th AND 13th AT ASSEN Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa had a tough second day at Assen, placing seventh and 13th fastest in this afternoon’s qualifying session at the sun-drenched Dutch track. The pair will therefore start tomorrow’s 75th Dutch TT from the third and fifth rows of the grid. “Definitely a difficult day,” said Ducati MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo. “We are working very hard with Bridgestone to find the best compromise between performance and endurance, but we don’t seem to have it here. This year they have produced a new generation of tyres with improved construction, but they are still working to find the ideal combination of construction and compound at some tracks. At Mugello earlier this month the tyres worked really well but here we don’t have such a good rear. The front is fine, but we are struggling with the rear. Nevertheless, we are very confident in Bridgestone’s potential and we know they are working very hard to keep improving.” CAPIROSSI: FASTEST YESTERDAY, 7th TODAY Loris Capirossi topped yesterday’s practice sessions but was unable to reproduce that performance today. He ended up seventh, just 1.2 seconds off pole around MotoGP’s longest racetrack. “I’m a good rider, I want to win, and I know what I can do when everything is working well,” said the Italian Ducati Marlboro Team man. “Here it seems we’re not able to run up front. We are in a better situation than we were in at Barcelona, but not much better. It seems like the high-speed changes of direction affect the rear tyre, which then starts to move around. Also, I’m lacking traction into the corners, so I wouldn’t be unhappy if it rains tomorrow! “On another matter, yesterday we had a riders’ meeting to discuss the new chicane and we told the organisers that we want it modified, so that a rider who runs off through the right-hander won’t collide with other riders when he regains the track through the left-hander.” CHECA QUALIFIES 13th QUICKEST Carlos Checa was just seven tenths off ‘pole position’ yesterday but had an tougher time as the pace increased today, ending qualifying 13th. “We are struggling with race tyres and I didn’t make the best of my qualifying tyres either,” said the Spanish Ducati Marlboro Team rider. “I was almost a second faster with my qualifier but that’s not enough around here. I did do 14 or 15 laps with the same rear today but the performance wasn’t so great. So, that’s why I think a little rain wouldn’t be so bad.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: SUPER SHINYA IN SUPERB FORM AT SUNNY ASSEN After a blistering performance during this afternoon’s final timed session at Assen, Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano will start tomorrow’s Dutch TT from fourth place on the grid; his best qualifying position of the season so far. Nakano was joined in the top ten today by young German teammate, Alex Hofmann, who will start from tenth position, equalling his best qualifying result of the season. With tropical track temperatures nudging 50 degrees, Nakano was one of just five riders to break the two minute barrier in qualifying on the high-speed, 5.9 km Circuit van Drenthe. The one-hour session on the recently modified circuit was managed perfectly by Nakano’s pit crew, led by the experienced Fiorenzo Fanali. Nakano used the first of his three allocated soft qualifying tyres early in the session to grab provisional pole, which held for almost 30 minutes. He then dropped down the order as he concentrated on vital race tyre evaluation for Bridgestone. Nakano was then serviced by two precision pit stops in the final minutes, for two further runs on qualifying tyres. He improved his time by 0.6s on his final lap, to leapfrog from ninth to fourth, and finished the session as the top Bridgestone qualifier. Hofmann was also in excellent form and was regularly in the top ten, but missed his chance to go faster as the session closed in a busy period of fast laps. Most importantly, today’s practice and qualifying sessions produced improved performance from a new compound and construction Bridgestone tyre, which was supplied to Kawasaki for the first time today. Combined with improved chassis balance, the latest tyres showed consistent speed and endurance, which has given the Kawasaki team an optimistic outlook for tomorrow’s 19 lap race. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Fourth – 1’59.760 “From the beginning of the session I had a very good feeling, especially from the new Bridgestone tyre. My team did an excellent job of managing our test programme and my pit stops, and this gave me a chance to go fast. I had very good balance from the ZX-RR today and was able to hold high corner speeds, but it wasn’t an easy day in these very humid conditions. Our race package looks okay for tomorrow and I’m looking forward to starting so far up the grid for the first time this season.” Alex Hofmann: #66 – Tenth – 2’00.298 “I’m a little bit angry with myself; I’m tenth while Shinya is fourth and I would like to be closer to him. But overall I had some good pace today from our race tyres and just concentrated on race rhythm. On the last lap there was a lot of gambling going on by all the riders for a fast time. There has been a lot of tyre work here, but just as in Barcelona we will see how it ends up in the race, but it looks positive after today.” Ichiro Yoda: Technical Director “We had much better spring balance and set-up for this track today, and the Bridgestone qualifying tyres worked very well in these conditions. The new compound and construction race tyre that Bridgestone supplied appears to be very consistent for pace and endurance, so I’m expecting a strong result tomorrow. Bridgestone did an excellent job today.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “Two riders in the top ten on a fast circuit like Assen is another impressive performance from the ZX-RR and Bridgestone. Now I just hope the weather doesn’t change too much and play an influential role in the race. Our package looks strong and both Shinya and Alex are in top form. There is definitely more to come.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Rossi to start 75th Gauloises TT Assen from pole Valentino Rossi will start from pole position for the fourth time this season as he searches for his six win from seven rounds in tomorrow’s 75th anniversary Gauloises TT Assen. The MotoGP World Champion, who leads current the series by 58 points over Marco Melandri, was in stunning form at the end of an incident packed qualifying practice held in scorching temperatures touching 36ºC. Sete Gibernau, Marco Melandri, Colin Edwards, Nicky Hayden and Loris Capirossi all posted fast laps with around six minutes remaining before a moment of bizarre calm before the final storm as several riders, including Rossi, coasted around waiting for clear track before launching their final pole attacks. Rossi timed his run to perfection, clocking a lap of 1’58.936 to scupper an effort from Gibernau, the only rival who managed to seriously threaten the Italian’s dominance. “I was lucky because I was able to use my qualifying tyres to 100%,” reflected Rossi after the session. “With the first one I set a 1’59.4, which was a great lap, but I looked at it and thought maybe I could go a little faster. I had to wait a while because there were a lot of riders waiting for me on the last lap but I left it until the last moment and set another very good lap in 1’58. I’m happy to be on pole position because tomorrow for sure will be a hard race. We’ll wait to see what the weather does but if the temperatures are like today it will be very tough for the riders and the tyres.” The heat continued to rise after the practice had finished, with Melandri coming together with Honda colleague Max Biaggi in an ugly clash on the final lap, when he accused his fellow Italian of deliberately blocking his passage. Despite being unable to improve his fastest lap up to that point, Melandri’s previous best was enough for the final slot on the front row alongside Rossi and Gibernau. Shinya Nakano’s surprise surge to the top of the time sheets after just seven laps of the session was followed by another quick time on the final lap which was enough for his best grid position on the Kawasaki in fourth place. The Japanese rider relegated Hayden to fifth after the American’s pole effort faded in the final two sections, with Edwards completing the second row in sixth place. Loris Capirossi was unable to defend his place at the top of the time sheets after setting the pace in yesterday’s free practice, eventually dropping to seventh place. The Italian is joined on the third row of the grid by Alex Barros and Max Biaggi, who also collided with Franco Battaini earlier in the session after running straight at one of the recently modified corners. Whilst Biaggi managed to stay on board his Honda, Battaini crashed spectacularly from his WCM although he escaped uninjured. In the 250cc class Jorge Lorenzo produced a determined performance to take his second quarter-litre pole position just twelve days after breaking his collarbone in two places at Catalunya. The Honda teenager clocked a lap of 2’04.562 to hold off the challenge of last year’s winner Sebastián Porto despite riding with a titanium plate and six screws in the cracked bone. Dani Pedrosa produced a strong last lap to force Casey Stoner to the outside of the front row in fourth place as he prepares to defend a 27-point lead over the Australian in the championship. Mika Kallio took pole position just 0.060 seconds ahead of his KTM team-mate Gabor Talmacsi after giving the Hungarian a handy tow on the very last lap of 125cc qualifying. Series leader Mattia Pasini also launched a pole attack on the final lap but fell 0.445 seconds short of Kallio’s benchmark of 2’11.855 and will start from third on the grid, with Marco Simoncelli completing the front row. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team SUZUKI MotoGP finds the going tough at Assen Team SUZUKI MotoGP racers John Hopkins and Kenny Roberts Jr qualified in 12th and 15th place respectively for tomorrow’s Gauloises Assen TT at the sun-baked Dutch circuit today. As air temperatures again rose to tropical highs of 36 degrees centigrade both riders and machines were tested to extreme limits of performance. Hopkins (P12, 2’00.810) was again thwarted during his quickest laps by firstly a slower rider and then – in his own words – by the biggest front end slide he’d ever had. He said: “I thought I was on for a good lap and then I got blocked by another rider and lost the momentum. But then the front end slide was just crazy. I think I’ll go out on a scooter later on just to see the tyre mark, because it was certainly the longest slide I’ve ever experienced without crashing!” “It was really hard today and if the weather stays the same and we finish in the same place as qualifying – or better – I’ll be ecstatic, because we don’t seem to have the bike and tyre package here to run at the front. I’ll do my best though, you can be sure of that.” Pole position was set by World Champion and current series leader Valentino Rossi on a Yamaha. Roberts Jr (P15, 2’01.836) spent both this morning’s practice session and this afternoon’s qualifying trying to find the right set-up for his Suzuki GSV-R and although he has improved his time by nearly two and a half seconds over the weekend he is still not where he wants to be. Roberts Jr said: “We’ve worked hard on the GSV-R all weekend and even though we’ve improved the bike via chassis and engine adjustments, for me it is still along way from where it needs to be. “I’ve improved my lap time a lot but it’s realistically nowhere near a competitive race pace. For me tomorrow, maybe a change of weather – which might be on the cards – will give me a change of fortune.” Team Manager Paul Denning was realistic about the Team’s performance. He said: “Big effort but no cigar. John maybe had a bit of bad luck with timing his runs. He got baulked and then had a huge slide on one of his other fast laps. Kenny has improved his lap time dramatically over the weekend but his position has stayed largely the same. “The overall potential of the GSV-R and Bridgestone tyre combination is not what we hoped for at Assen this weekend. If the weather cools off or changes significantly it may possibly help us, but we would have preferred to have been closer to the mark today. All we can do is keep trying!” Team SUZUKI MotoGP will be competing in the seventh round of the MotoGP World Championship from Assen tomorrow at 14.00hrs CET. More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: CAMEL HONDA DUO PREPARED FOR A RACE ON THE ATTACK Brazilian Camel Honda rider Alex Barros will tomorrow start from the third row of the grid in what promises to be a hard battle. Eighth fastest for Alex doesn’t really reflect the potential he showed in the free sessions over these first two days in Holland. Alex has constantly ridden at a high pace so far, and he is confident before tomorrow’s race. He will need a good start however and a good first lap, in order to pick up positions with a fast early pace expected. The weather needs to remain favourable however, with heavy showers forecast for tomorrow. Fourteenth position and the fifth row for Troy Bayliss whose aim has been to get a good feeling for the ‘reformed’ Assen track. Troy has already been a winner here in the past and tomorrow’s race will require a big fightback from him where he will need all his usual grit and determination. Sito Pons Camel Honda “The third row isn’t the ideal starting position, but you can still get a decent start. All the riders on the front row have a similar pace, so I think Alex has a decent chance in this race. Then there’s the unknown rain factor. The forecast isn’t a good one, and if it did rain tomorrow all the hard work we have done will effectively be in vain and the warm-up will become crucial to prepare the bike for the race. If the conditions are good however, we’ll still use the time to fine-tune the set-up. As regards Troy, his qualifying went pretty much as in Barcelona, and considering the race he had there after a bad start, if he can get away well at the start he could have a good race.” Alex Barros Camel Honda 2’00.232 8th fastest “The practices went quite well, today we got through a lot of work. The heat here in Holland is quite unusual and so the tyres are really suffering, especially the rear where we had a bit of a crisis today. Furthermore this type of track requires quite a hard spring setting with all the changes of direction right and left, and that conditions performance somewhat. We have worked hard on this issue, and now we have our ideas a little clearer as regards tyre choice for the race. The bike isn’t perfect yet, but our rhythm isn’t too bad. As for the chance of rain, we’ll see what actually happens, because it’s more probable that it rains in the morning rather than during the race.” Troy Bayliss Camel Honda 2’01.216 14th fastest “The qualifier went more or less like in the last races so tomorrow we’ll have a lot of hard work on our hands. I gave everything I have, but the others were going so strongly. Obviously there’s still something missing, even though I’m riding at 100%. It’s not an easy situation, but tomorrow I will try and get a good start and battle on to the end.” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha: Qualifying practice / PREPARED FOR ‘THE CATHEDRAL’ The Yamaha riders will be looking for their third victory in the last decade at Assen in the elite category. Valentino Rossi will hope to repeat his success of last year where he started from pole. If he wins, Valentino will have achieved his 15th victory on a Yamaha, and the Japanese factory’s 137th in the top class. RUBEN XAUS and DAVID CHECA , the FORTUNA YAMAHA riders, completed another satisfactory day of progress, adapting to both the bike and the category. Xaus finished seventh last year after having posted the ninth best time in qualifying. This year he will start lower down the grid, but the Spanish rider will hope for a repeat of his performance at the last Grand Prix in Montmelo where he was right on the pace of the race. Checa, for his part, was not quite as comfortable and struggled to adapt to the qualification tyres, but will hope to improve in tomorrow’s race. Ruben Xaus (11): (Free session 3: 2.02.930, 15th + 2.750 12/20 laps) (Qualifying session: 2.01.854 16th + 2.918 -16/20 laps) “Yesterday we quickly matched the quicker times, but we struggled today to get close to our rivals. It’s clear we have to make big changes because when we make small ones, the advantage we make is very small. I know which tyre I will be choosing out of the three options we have been offered, but it won’t be tomorrow until we take a final decision. For the moment I have to concentrate on my overall progression and not worry so much about doing an explosive time if I can’t be consistent. It’s better to find a good rhythm than to do one isolted fast lap, that will not help in the race.” David Checa (94): (Free session 3: 2.03.012, 16th + 2.832 15/22 laps) (Qualifying session: 2.02.639, 17th + 3.703 – 22/22 laps) “Assen is a very difficult circuit. I know that with the race tyres I will be about two second off the top riders. I was not comfortable with the qualifying tyre and also had problems with the front end but the race tomorrow is the important thing. I am worried because we have worked hard and well. This race is full of riders who are more experienced than me, but I will give my all and see what happens.” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: GIBERNAU AND MELANDRI ON FRONT ROW AGAIN Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) and Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) both qualified on the front row for the fourth time this season in a display of consistent speed. Sete was second fastest, Marco third fastest with Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) on pole. In searing heat with track temperature at an elevated 48 degrees, riders had to get to grips with a new track layout at the revised 5.997km circuit, now incorporating a new chicane before Stekkenwal, a challenging right-hander. And sure enough there were incidents there. Franco Battaini ran into Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) there when Max returned to the track having ran into the gravel trap in the final ten minutes of the session. Then Melandri and Biaggi touched on the cooling down lap and continued their contretemps later in the paddock, with Biaggi’s uncle Valerio physically assaulting Melandri. The heat was getting to everybody. But, as ever, all-important grid position was secured by those riders who made best use of their qualifying tyres. At the halfway stage of the hour, Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) was the fastest man on the track, but with 15 minutes to go Loris Capirossi (Ducati) displaced the Japanese man. But it was in the final ten minutes that the real action began. Gibernau scorched to the first sub-2 minute lap with seven minutes left on the clock to go pole, and became the first rider to breach the 2 minute barrier with his 1 minute 58.759s time. Then Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) moved up to the front row in second with a 2m 00.157s lap. And there was more to come. Rossi turned in a 1m 59.415s time to steal pole from Sete with six minutes to go just before Melandri made his bid for pole with a 1m 59.632 second time that was good enough for second on the grid. Gibernau then re-took pole with his best of 1m 59.247s before Rossi again snatched back the initiative with his first dip into 1m 58 second territory with a 1m 58.936s lap. He is the only rider to have gone below 1m 59 seconds here in the run-up to tomorrow’s race. Hayden eventually ended up on row two in fifth, Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) on row three in eighth, Max next to him as ninth fastest qualifier, with Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) 11th and Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V) 14th. Sete said, “That was hot and after the scare we had with my crew chief Juan yesterday it’s okay. Thankfully he’s well again now and today the team did a very good job. It’s hard and physical here and we’ll need a good start to get up there and try to get our best result of the season.” “I’m happy with my grid position,” said Marco. “But I didn’t get the best from my qualifying tyres. Biaggi then stopped in the middle of the track to do a practice start before the session had finished so I had a word with him. Everything is OK for me now.” Nicky said, “Fifth place again. At one point we were really struggling and we were lucky to pull something out of the bag. We need to find a bit more in warm-up tomorrow and perhaps take a gamble a bit for the race.” “The heat here is unusual and the tyres are really suffering, especially the rear,” said Barros. “We’ve worked hard at solving this and now our ideas are a little clearer about tyre choice for the race. The bike isn’t perfect yet, but our rhythm isn’t too bad.” For Tamada 11th will have to do. “I could have been faster if I’d had time, but we preferred to concentrate on development of the bike. I made a couple of mistakes in some turns which lost me time, but the feeling with the tyres got better lap by lap. But I still need to be able to use the qualifying tyres better.” Troy Bayliss said, “Tomorrow we’ll have a lot of hard work on our hands. I gave everything I’ve got but the others are going strong. There’s still something missing even though I’m riding at 100%. It’s not an easy situation to be in but I’ll try and get a good start and fight on till the end.” HONDA RIDERS QUOTES: MotoGP: Sete Gibernau, Movistar Honda MotoGP, 2nd: “Things were back to normal today. Juan, my chief mechanic, had a physical problem yesterday but, thank God, the situation was stabilised and today we noticed his presence. Yesterday we were working a little bit in the dark because there was no technical leader in the box, although I’d like to thank all the boys for their calmness. I’m really looking forward to this race, I’m sure it will be a body to body fight until the end and I’ll be giving 100% all the way.” Marco Melandri, Movistar Honda MotoGP, 3rd: “I’m happy with this position although at the same time I’m a bit annoyed right now that I didn’t get the opportunity to make the most of my qualifying tyre. Firstly I came across Max Biaggi, who was going really slowly. It’s a shame because I was lapping really strongly, but it’s good to be on the front row at this track because it’s one of my favourites.” Nicky Hayden,Repsol Honda Team,5th: “Fifth place again! Seems like I’m stuck on fifth; it’s getting kinda’ old. To be honest that session wasn’t great. At one point I was down in 12th and we were really struggling and I guess we were lucky to pull something out of the bag at the end and get a second row start. At least we have a respectable place to start the race tomorrow. We just need to find something big tomorrow morning and perhaps gamble a bit for the race. We’ll have to make a good start to have a chance of running with the front guys tomorrow.” Alex Barros, Camel Honda, 8th: “The practices went quite well, today we got through a lot of work. The heat here in Holland is quite unusual and so the tyres are really suffering, especially the rear where we had a bit of a crisis today. Furthermore this type of track requires quite a hard spring setting with all the changes of direction right and left, and that conditions performance somewhat. We have worked hard on this issue, and now we have our ideas a little clearer as regards tyre choice for the race. The bike isn’t perfect yet, but our rhythm isn’t too bad. As for the chance of rain, we’ll see what actually happens, because it’s more probable that it rains in the morning rather than during the race.” Max Biaggi, Repsol Honda Team, 9th:”I’m pretty satisfied with todays’ testing because we found a good setting for the race. Unfortunately I crashed my bike number one when I came into contact with Franco Battaini and so I couldn’t use it to do the fastest lap. I had to qualify with bike number two but I’m pretty confident for the race. The team did a good job and we can try to be with the fastest guys in the race tomorrow.” Makoto Tanaka, Team Manager: “No real surprises in the qualifying for the team today. Both riders have not found the best set-up round here and we see a second and third row start. The weather could be a factor tomorrow and we will have to be smart to anticipate conditions. Max had an eventful session with two collisions in the final 10 minutes. Both were unfortunate and he did very well to stay on his machine. Race Direction have made a decision and Honda won’t be appealing.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 1th: “The time I have obtained could have been much lower if I had the time to have another fast lap, but we preferred to concentrate on the development of the bike for when we’ll step on the track tomorrow afternoon. During the first time attack I try to find the right feeling with the tyres, while in the second try I made a couple of mistakes in the some turns which made me lose some precious time. With the tyres the feeling gets better lap after lap, but I still need some time to make it to use the Michelin qualifying tyres’ potential at its best. Unfortunately I felt some pain at my right forearm which in some turns is almost intolerable. I will have to try to start well tomorrow to remain with the group of the fastest riders from the beginning, just like it happened two weeks ago in Barcelona.” Troy Bayliss, Camel Honda: 14th: “The qualifier went more or less like in the last races so tomorrow we’ll have a lot of hard work on our hands. I gave everything I have, but the others were going so strongly. Obviously there’s still something missing, even though I’m riding at 100%. It’s not an easy situation, but tomorrow I will try and get a good start and battle on to the end.” More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: SETE AND MELANDRI READY TO GO FOR IT AT ASSEN DUTCH TT -MOTOGP OFFICIAL QUALIFYING DUTCH TT -MOTOGP OFFICIAL QUALIFYING Sete Gibernau will start from second place and Marco Melandri third in what promises to be a tense Dutch TT. The final few minutes of today’s qualifying session gave a sign of things to come, as did the pace set by the day’s three fastest riders (Rossi, Gibernau and Melandri). The grid positions were decided in a frantic final eight minutes, with Sete the first to sit on pole before brief spells for Rossi and Melandri. The World Championship runner-up had a much better day today thanks to the recovery of his Chief Mechanic Juan Martínez, who spent yesterday in the circuit’s medical centre. Sete, who has two consecutive podiums at Assen including victory in 2003, is more motivated than ever to do well whilst Marco has once again made his case for a potential first victory in the seventh round of the season. The Italian, who currently lies second in the championship behind Valentino Ros! si, was the quickest rider in the three free practice sessions. This morning he set a lap of 2’00″180, signifying an improvement of two seconds over the three hours of practice. Sete’s progress has been equally impressive, improving by 2.5 seconds from the first to the final session. SETE GIBERNAU (2nd, 1’59″247): “Things were back to normal today. Juan, my chief mechanic, had a physical problem yesterday but, thank God, the situation was stabilised and today we noticed his presence. Yesterday we were working a little bit in the dark because there was no technical leader in the box, although I’d like to thank all the boys for their calmness. I’m really looking forward to this race, I’m sure it will be a body to body fight until the end and I’ll be giving 100% all the way.” MARCO MELANDRI (3rd, 1’59″632): “I’m happy with this position although at the same time I’m a bit anno! yed right now that I didn’t get the opportunity to make the most of my qualifying tyre. Firstly I ran into Max Biaggi, who was going really slowly. I tried for a second time but found him in the middle of the track again and we touched. It’s a shame because I was lapping really strongly, but it’s good to be on the front row at this track because it’s one of my favourites.”

Friday’s 125cc Grand Prix Qualifying Results From Assen: 1. Mika KALLIO, KTM, 2:11.855 2. Gabor TALMACSI, KTM, 2:11.915 3. Mattia PASINI, Aprilia, 2:12.300 4. Marco SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, 2:12.729 5. Thomas LUTHI, Honda, 2:12.911 6. Manuel POGGIALI, Gilera, 2:13.217 7. Alexis MASBOU, Honda, 2:13.357 8. Hector FAUBEL, Aprilia, 2:13.370 9. Tomoyoshi KOYAMA, Honda, 2:13.403 10. Lukas PESEK, Derbi, 2:13.465 Final Combined 125cc GP Qualifying Results: 1. M. KALLIO, 2:11.855 2. G. TALMACSI, 2:11.915 3. M. PASINI, 2:12.300 4. M. SIMONCELLI, 2:12.729 5. T. LUTHI, 2:12.911 6. Sergio GADEA, Aprilia, 2:13.170 7. M. POGGIALI, 2:13.217 8. A. MASBOU, 2:13.357 9. H. FAUBEL, 2:13.370 10. Julian SIMON, KTM, 2:13.403

Friday Morning MotoGP Practice Times From Assen: 1. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 2:00.180 2. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 2:00.481 3. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 2:00.595 4. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 2:00.604 5. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 2:00.688 6. Alex BARROS, Honda, 2:00.830 7. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 2:01.447 8. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 2:01.631 9. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, 2:01.740 10. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 2:01.809 11. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 2:01.934 12. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 2:02.290 13. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 2:02.499 14. Troy BAYLISS, Honda, 2:02.747 15. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, 2:02.930 16. David CHECA, Yamaha, 2:03.012 17. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 2:03.187 18. Shane BYRNE, Proton KR, 2:03.791 19. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, 2:04.021 20. James ELLISON, Blata, 2:05.323 21. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, 2:07.129 Combined MotoGP Practice Times: 1. M. MELANDRI, 2:00.180 2. C. EDWARDS, 2:00.481 3. V. ROSSI, 2:00.595 4. L. CAPIROSSI, 2:00.604 5. S. GIBERNAU, 2:00.688 6. A. BARROS, 2:00.830 7. N. HAYDEN, 2:01.447 8. C. CHECA, 2:01.524 9. M. BIAGGI, 2:01.631 10. A. HOFMANN, 2:01.809 11. S. NAKANO, 2:01.934 12. J. HOPKINS, 2:02.289 13. T. BAYLISS, 2:02.424 14. M. TAMADA, 2:02.499 15. R. XAUS, 2:02.790 16. D. CHECA, 2:03.012 17. K. ROBERTS, 2:03.187 18. S. BYRNE, 2:03.791 19. R. ROLFO, 2:04.021 20. J. ELLISON, 2:05.323 21. F. BATTAINI, 2:07.129

Friday Morning World Superbike Practice Times From Misano: 1. Regis LACONI, Ducati 999F05, 1:37.029 2. James TOSELAND, Ducati 999F05, 1:37.078 3. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:37.092 4. Troy CORSER, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:37.281 5. Chris WALKER, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:37.484 6. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:37.588 7. Giovanni BUSSEI, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:37.740 8. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:37.853 9. Pierfrancesco CHILI, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:37.874 10. Fonsi NIETO, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.884 11. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:37.919 12. Jose Luis CARDOSO, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:38.038 13. Gianluca VIZZIELLO, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:38.124 14. Mauro SANCHINI, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:38.201 15. Steve MARTIN, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:38.244 16. Andrew PITT, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:38.257 17. Lorenzo ALFONSI, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:38.443 18. Norino BRIGNOLA, Ducati 999RS, 1:38.448 19. Marco BORCIANI, Ducati 999RS, 1:38.454 20. Noriyuki HAGA, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:38.673 21. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati 999RS, 1:38.748 22. Norick ABE, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:38.783 23. Lucio PEDERCINI, Ducati 999RS, 1:38.832 24. Ivan CLEMENTI, Ducati 999RS, 1:39.000 25. Garry MCCOY, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:39.151 26. Luca CONFORTI, Ducati 999RS, 1:39.218 27. Michele GALLINA, MV Agusta F4-1000, 1:39.463 28. Paolo BLORA, Ducati 998RS, 1:39.573 29. Ben BOSTROM, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:39.630 30. Alessio VELINI, Ducati 999RS, 1:39.719

Rizla Suzuki frustrated by the weather RIZLA SUZUKI riders John Reynolds and James Haydon rode well within their limits during today’s treacherous wet and dry practice for the seventh round of the British Superbike Championship at Knockhill in Scotland. The rain fell non-stop during both 50-minute long practice sessions but bizarrely the 1.3-mile long Knockhill circuit gave the appearance of being almost completely dry. The constant droplets of water on the visors of both Rizla Suzuki racers encouraged them to ride safely as neither wanted to risk a crash in the difficult conditions. JR was in the top four places for most of the session but ended up 9th, while James who had occupied sixth for most of the session was pushed back to 11th in the final few minutes. Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari was fastest, less than a second ahead of the blue Rizla Suzukis. Superbike racing starts at 1:15pm on Sunday, June 26th, at Knockhill, near Edinburgh in Scotland. It will be shown on Sky Sports 3 at 18:30 on the same day. A highlights package will be broadcast by Channel 4 one week later. JR: “I absolutely hate riding in conditions like today – it is just a complete lottery on how far you can push the limits of your bike. All day I was catching rain on my visor and not once did I commit fully to a fast lap, I just refuse to risk a crash in conditions like this during practice. “At nine tenths and on race tyres we were running consistently quick lap times. I’m just over half a second away from the fastest today and feel I have a bike and package that can go a lot quicker if I allow myself to ride to my limits. I am incredibly frustrated and hope that it is either fully wet or dry for the rest of the weekend so I can show what the Rizla Suzuki is capable of.” James: “If today had been qualifying or a race, I would have pushed to the limits. Instead it was constant rain, a treacherous track surface and first practice. – there was no way I was going to risk a silly crash. “We made a few changes to my Rizla Suzuki as the day progressed and every step was a move forward. I honestly feel there is a big chunk of time to come when I have the confidence in the track conditions to push harder. I am not happy with 11th but for sure I can go a lot quicker when it counts during qualifying and the race.” Dave Marton, Team Technical Support: “I was impressed by both riders during a difficult practice session. When it is raining but the track looks dry it is very easy to push too hard and crash. Both guys rode well below their limits and the fact they were so quick while not trying their hardest is also very encouraging – today’s lap times are not a true reflection of how much performance we actually have. “JR is absolutely happy with his Rizla Suzuki while James made progress trying different suspension and engine settings and is confident with his bike. Both are frustrated at having to hold back and I think that’s a good thing – they are hungry and that will get the best out of them in qualifying and the races.” Practice Times: 1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 49.953s, 2: Michael Rutter (Honda) +0.269, 3: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +0.383, 4: Michael Laverty (Honda) +0.513, 5: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +0.536, 6: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +0.544, 7: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.611, 8: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +0.641, 9: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.667, 10: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +0.912, 11: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.935.

YAMAHA ANNOUNCES “WEEKEND OF CHAMPIONS” ROSTER FOR RED BULL U.S. GRAND PRIX Cypress, Calif., June 23, 2005 “” To commemorate its 50 year tradition of winning championships, Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix co-sponsor Yamaha Motor Corp., USA will bring its popular “Weekend of Champions” program to Laguna Seca for the July 8-10th MotoGP round. The event will provide fans an opportunity to meet 19 legendary motorcycle racing champions and collect autographs during the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix race weekend at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. On hand to sign free commemorative posters will be past Yamaha road racing heroes: Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson, Giacomo Agostini, Kel Carruthers, Randy Mamola, Rich Oliver, Steve Baker, Thomas Stevens, Jamie James, and Don Emde. Off-road racing legends include: Gary Jones, Pierre Karsmakers, Rick Burgett, Broc Glover, Damon Bradshaw, Mike Bell, Marty Moates, Doug Henry, and Jeff Emig. Autograph times are scheduled for Friday and Saturday the 8th and 9th from 9:00-10:30a.m. and from 12:30-2:00 p.m. and on Sunday the 10th from 9:00-10:30 a.m. and 12:00-1:30 p.m. All autograph sessions will take place in the Yamaha Marketplace located in the Lakebed area at the track. For a complete listing Yamaha sponsored events during the MotoGP weekend, fans should visit www.yamaha-motor.com one week prior to the event.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION: Via e-mail: Thanks to Julie Ann Lorenzo, from our Monterey Peninsula Chamber Board for her diligence and calls. The Forest Park Hotel in Gilroy located close to the outlet Mall has 14 rooms available currently for the weekend. We are also locating areas close by that can accommodate RV’s and will keep you posted. Gill Campbell CEO/General Manager Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca FIRST PERSON/OPINION: Via e-mail: Travelcraft just got a few hotel cancellations and can take care of the next few callers needing 4 nights or longer. BTW, we took care of some of your readers last week including one of the guys who told you about the Hyatt problem. Randy Warren Travelcraft WorldTravel Affiliates 63 El Pavo Real San Rafael CA 94903 USA (800) 258-0755 / (415) 444-0767 ext. 101 (415) 444-0766 fax [email protected]

From an e-mail sent by Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca General Manager Gill Campbell to Roadracingworld.com reader B.J. Worsham and copied to Roadracingworld.com regarding Worsham’s reservation cancellation at the Embassy Suites hotel in Seaside, California: Dear Mr. Worsham: I was forwarded your frustrating situation by Road Racing World via our Press Officer and am personally taking this on to get resolved. We, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca are appalled by this situation and together with our Monterey County Visitors and Convention Bureau and the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce have put together a task force and are going all out to do everything that we can. I have personally requested a response from the general manager at Embassy Suites for you and will continue to do everything in my power to ensure that this situation is resolved accordingly. I can only apologize – this is not how we want our visitors treated, this event has been overwhelming, but we all hope to maintain common courtesies, no matter what the situation may present. Gill Campbell CEO/General Manager Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Shortly after the above e-mail was forwarded to Roadracingworld.com, the e-mail below from Embassy Suite Director of Sales and Marketing Jim Van Deusen to Worsham was forwarded to Roadracingworld.com: From: jim vandeusen Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 10:11 AM To: (B.J. Worsham) Cc: (Gill Campbell), George Kaplanis, General Manager Embassy Suites Subject: FW: my note to BJ Worsham Good morning BJ. I am so sorry for the continued confusion. As you will note below, I thought I had sent the information to confirm our previous discussion June 17. I will follow up with a phone call to insure you received this e-mail. Thank you for your patience. Jim —–Original Message—– From: jim vandeusen Sent: Friday, June 17, 2005 10:40 AM To: (B.J. Worsham) Subject: Good morning BJ. As promised, I want to get back to you regarding our commitment to you during your upcoming visit to the beautiful Monterey Peninsula. We will pay for you first nights accommodations. Please let us know where you are staying so that we may send a check to the property prior to your arrival. You are invited to our “Cooked to Order Breakfast” each morning You are invited to our nightly “General Managers Reception” You will receive a certificate for complimentary one nights stay in the future You will received a guaranteed reservation with the Embassy Suites Monterey Bay for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix next year Specific details will be mailed to you soon, but in the meantime if you have any questions, please call me at… Thank you for working with us to make this event truly successful for all. Jim Van Deusen Director of Sales & Marketing Embassy Suites Hotel Monterey Bay-Seaside

Thursday Afternoon’s MotoGP Practice Times: 1. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 2:00.757 2. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 2:00.840 3. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 2:01.037 4. Alex BARROS, Honda, 2:01.053 5. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 2:01.242 6. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 2:01.490 7. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, 2:01.524 8. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 2:01.588 9. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 2:02.029 10. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 2:02.280 11. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 2:02.289 12. Troy BAYLISS, Honda, 2:02.424 13. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 2:02.617 14. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, 2:02.790 15. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 2:03.066 16. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 2:03.609 17. David CHECA, Yamaha, 2:04.259 18. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, 2:05.187 19. Shane BYRNE, Proton KR, 2:05.353 20. James ELLISON, Blata, 2:07.680 21. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, 2:07.868 More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: HOFMANN AND NAKANO BATTLE ASSEN HEAT WAVE Heat wave conditions, unusual for Assen at TT time, made life difficult for Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, during today’s free practice sessions ahead of Saturday’s Dutch TT. Track temperatures soared to 48 degrees at the sun-baked Circuit van Drenthe during the afternoon session, much higher than the 35 degree temperatures of recent years at this race. While the warm weather was a welcome change for riders and spectators at a normally cool Assen, they did little to assist in Kawasaki’s search for an ideal race set-up. Tyre assessment for Saturday’s 19-lap race was the main focus today, and will remain so tomorrow for Kawasaki and Bridgestone technicians. A revised range of Bridgestone tyres have been made available for the unique demands of the Assen circuit, although today’s test results were inconclusive according to Ichiro Yoda, Kawasaki’s Technical Director. Rear tyre drive-grip and race distance endurance will be further assessed in tomorrow’s two hours of practice and qualifying. Following last week’s test session at the Catalunya circuit in Barcelona revised engine management settings, aimed at improving rear-end control under acceleration, are being used on the factory ZX-RR machines at Assen. Nakano finished with the tenth fastest time toda,y while Hofmann was just behind in twelfth. Hofmann’s fastest lap came in the cooler morning session. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Tenth – 2’02.280 “The afternoon session was very difficult; I lost the good feeling I had with the bike during the cooler morning session. I improved my lap time, but it wasn’t easy. The main problem is rear-end pumping and grip under acceleration on corner exit. We are still looking for a tyre direction for the race and we will try some different tyres tomorrow, hopefully with better rear-end performance. The changes to the track are better for safety, but everyone is still adjusting their braking points, they are different from last year.” Alex Hofmann: #66 – Twelfth – 2’02.409 “It’s amazing for it to be so hot at Assen, but the heat did not favour our performance potential at this track. For sure we need to improve our rear-end grip and set-up for the race, at the moment it’s good for a couple of laps, but the race is over 19 laps. I had a good rhythm in the morning session and we got a lot of set-up work done, but I’m looking for more, I want to push into the top ten in qualifying tomorrow.” Ichiro Yoda: Technical Director “Our main work today was tyre evaluation with Bridgestone, and we still have a lot to do. We need to confirm the mileage and grip for the race distance; today the performance was not ideal, with a slippery feel for both riders at the rear end. Drive grip on the right hand side of the tyre is very important at Assen, and we have further tyre options from Bridgestone to test tomorrow. The front is okay; the rear is our main focus. We have also implemented a new engine management strategy here and this is helping the riders with throttle control.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Capirossi signals Ducati revival at Assen Two years after setting pole position for the Dutch TT in his first season with Ducati at Assen, Loris Capirossi today sparked hopes of a revival for the Italian factory with the fastest lap on the opening day of action at the 75th anniversary of the famous event. The Italian struggled to eleventh place in the last round at Catalunya, just seven days after his first podium of the season at Mugello, but his early pace in Holland suggests he can be back to challenge for the Italian factory’s second MotoGP victory in Saturday’s historic race. “We are in a much better situation than we were at Barcelona two weeks ago but we need to work on bike set-up to get more out of the tyres,” said Capirossi. “The front is fine but we’re still trying to find a good rear for the race. I did my fastest lap at the end of the session on my number two bike with a race rear I hadn’t used before so we’ll test that tyre for more laps tomorrow. At the moment we’re not super-competitive in race trim but Bridgestone are working so hard that we have got a lot of new tyres to try here.” Despite Capirossi’s late charge there is little doubt that the dominant force throughout the day was current series leader Valentino Rossi, who set the pace for the morning practice and most of the afternoon on the Yamaha before ultimately being bettered by his compatriot. Honda’s Sete Gibernau trailed Rossi for most of the day and ended up third fastest on the combined time sheets, 0.197 seconds adrift of the World Champion. Alex Barros began his quest to repeat his 500cc victory here from 2000 with the fourth fastest time on ahead of Honda colleagues Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden. Capirossi’s Ducati team-mate Carlos Checa, who finished second to Mick Doohan here in 1997, was seventh quickest, with Colin Edwards, Max Biaggi and Shinya Nakano completing the top ten. The only crash today in the MotoGP class came from Rubén Xaus, who escaped uninjured from a high-speed tumble that wrecked his Yamaha. Sebastián Porto scored only his second ever dry weather victory at this circuit last season and showed signs of a repeat in the first qualifying practice for the 250cc class. Porto bounced back from a difficult start to the season to hold off the challenge of Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner this afternoon, taking provisional pole position in a time of 2’05.530. Hiroshi Aoyama qualified fourth fastest to complete the provisional front row whilst his team-mate Dani Pedrosa, who leads the current standings by 27 points from Stoner, was sixth. Alex de Angelis, Héctor Barberá and Andrea Dovizioso complete the second row. In the 125cc class current series leader Mattia Pasini continued his recent form by taking provisional pole position by just 0.003 seconds ahead of Mika Kallio. Pasini’s lap time of 2’12.742 was almost half a second quicker than the third fastest rider, Spanish youngster Sergio Gadea, whilst Marco Simoncelli completes the provisional front row. Thomas Lüthi, who is second in the championship by a single point, was tenth fastest. More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: ROSSI SETS EARLY PACE AT JUBILEE DUTCH TT Gauloises Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi signalled his intentions to repeat last season’s Dutch TT victory at Assen with a dominant performance on the opening day of this year’s 75th anniversary of the legendary event. The reigning World Champion set the fastest time in the first free practice session this morning, posting a benchmark lap of 2’01.003 at the recently remodelled track, only bettered in the afternoon by himself and a last-gasp effort from Loris Capirossi (Ducati), who tops the overnight time sheets after clocking a time of 2’00.757 on his final lap. Rossi and his Gauloises Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards worked purely on race tyres as they began the quest to find an optimum set-up for their YZR-M1 machines before the seventh race of the 2005 season on Saturday. Edwards set the eighth fastest time overall in the afternoon after shaving over half a second off his morning time, despite rising temperatures which touched 34ºC in the early Dutch summer sunshine. VALENTINO ROSSI (2’00.840 30 laps) “In the morning the bike was already good but we made a few modifications in the afternoon and, to be honest, it wasn’t quite as good as it had been in the morning and we lost some of the feeling. Anyway, we have a very good base to work from and tomorrow we can try something different. The changes to the track have taken a little bit of the taste away, but they were made for safety reasons, which means they are very important. Despite the changes it is still Assen and it is always a great pleasure to ride here, it’s a very special track. Once again the bike is working well right from the start and I think if we can improve the balance and the setting a little more, then we can make a good result in Saturday’s race.” COLIN EDWARDS (2’01.588, 38 laps) “It’s better than it looks! When everything is working perfectly and you find yourself in eighth place then it looks like you have a problem, but we have some very clear ideas where we can improve and we still have plenty of time. I feel like I can find another half-second tomorrow. I’ve been struggling for traction since Mugello so we’ve retraced our steps a little with the setting, made a pretty major change to the rear of the bike and it feels a lot better. I’m losing a few tenths in the new sections because I haven’t worked out which is the hot line through there yet but, like when you visit a new track, it always helps to sleep on it. Also, the corners at Assen are so unbelievably fast compared to anywhere else that it always takes me a day to get used to where I can brake and where I don’t have to! At some tracks you can turn up and the bike works straight away but Assen is not one of them. It puts a lot of load on the bike and unless you find the right setting you can’t go fast. “ DAVIDE BRIVIO TEAM DIRECTOR “Valentino started out very well this morning and found an immediate feeling for this track, so from then on it has just been a case of fine tuning the small details. He completed a lot of work today, working on different setting options, but there is still plenty of room for improvement and tomorrow it will be time to put it all together. Colin is in a similar situation he has found a good base quickly and is now looking for the changes that can help take a few tenths off his lap time in different parts of the track. It has been a good first day for us and we have an excellent starting point for the rest of the Grand Prix. Now we just have to keep working hard tomorrow and make sure we are in the best possible conditions for Saturday’s race.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: POSITIVE FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE FOR CAMEL HONDA AT ASSEN It was a positive first day of practice at Assen for the two riders from the Camel Honda team, as the duo made progress on their base set-up of the RC211V. Alex Barros improved his time by over one and a half seconds with respect to the morning session, whilst Troy Bayliss took about a second off his best. The team is on the right track as they prepare for tomorrow’s qualifying session, which according to forecasts should take place in the same splendid weather enjoyed today. The two team-mates had differing opinions about the modifications made to the circuit, which sees the rhythm of the lap broken about halfway round. For Alex the modifications have taken away from the character of the track, whilst Troy is focused simply on memorising the new layout. Sito Pons Camel Honda “I think we have begun the Dutch event well. Alex is just two-tenths behind the fastest times, which is nothing at this track, and he has a good pace going. Obviously we need to keep working hard to improve the setting, we still need to pick out the race tyre, but the most important thing is that I can see he is determined and confident in his chances. Troy is also making steps forward and I think that he could take a much better spot on the grid. I think that in qualifying tomorrow the times will come down a lot more and we will get to the sort of lap times set for pole last year, even though the track is slower.” Alex Barros Camel Honda – 4th fastest “This morning the bike felt a bit heavy in the changes of direction but we were able to improve it a bit by the afternoon, working on the forks, on the front tyre and putting on a slightly modified shock absorber. We have picked out a good base setting and tomorrow we have just to fine-tune things and pick the tyre for the race. As regards the track and the modifications they have made, I have to say that I don’t like them. I understand that they have been done for safety reasons, but I think they take something away from the track, they break the flowing rhythm. Where once there were a series of fast bends linked in to each other now there’s a section just like any other modern track, with hard-braking and hard acceleration: that’s why it’s not like Assen any more, I preferred what it was like before.” Troy Bayliss Camel Honda – 13th fastest “I’m thirteenth, not the greatest result, not spectacular by any means, but we’ll obviously go out to improve it tomorrow. On a positive note though, we’re not far off the top ten, just four tenths, which isn’t a lot on this track. The new section honestly doesn’t bother me too much, you just have to learn the new lines quickly. What I need to focus on is making a step forward with the set-up and we hope to manage that tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM LEADS THE WAY AT ASSEN Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi rode a stunning final lap to outpace Valentino Rossi at sun-blessed Assen today, bettering the reigning World Champion by 0.083 seconds. Team-mate Carlos Checa was just seven tenths slower than Capirossi, ending the two sessions in seventh spot. “It’s only Thursday, so this doesn’t mean much but it’s always nice to be fastest,” said Ducati MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo. “The Desmosedici has always worked well at Assen, and Loris really loves this track. Two years ago here he got pole position for us and last year he ran a good pace in our first race with the Twin Pulse engine. Carlos is also going pretty well, once again he’s having to learn a new track with the Ducati. We have some new engine parts for this race, which we tested after the race at Barcelona; they are designed to improve midrange driveability.” CAPIROSSI FASTEST WITH RACE TYRES Loris Capirossi grabbed ‘pole position’ on his final lap of the day. And the Ducati Marlboro Team rider set the pace while riding his number-two bike with race tyres, not a super-soft qualifying tyre. “We are in a much better situation than we were at Barcelona two weeks ago but we still need to work on bike set-up to get more out of the tyres,” said Capirossi. “The front is fine but we’re still trying to find a good rear for the race. I did my fastest lap right at the end of the session on my number two bike with a race rear I hadn’t used before, so we’ll test that tyre for more laps tomorrow. At the moment we’re not super-competitive in race trim, but Bridgestone are working so hard that we have a lot of new tyres to try here. “I don’t like the new part of the track. I preferred the original layout they got rid of a few years ago. It was very fast, you could really make a difference through there.” CHECA FEELING CONFIDENT IN SEVENTH Carlos Checa enjoyed his first day on a Ducati at Assen, making excellent progress into this afternoon’s session after a steady start this morning. “This morning I didn’t feel so comfortable on the bike but I felt much more confident this afternoon,” said the Ducati Marlboro Team man. “At first the rear was moving around too much and the front end felt unstable in the fast sections, so it was difficult to keep the front on the ground. The team worked well to make some good improvements on the overall balance of the bike, so now we just need to keep working. But the faster you go, the more difficult it is to improve. “The new chicane is quite delicate – there’s not much room and it’s easy to run off the track. Usually when you modify something you should make it better, but I think they’ve made it worse. It’s a shame.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team SUZUKI MotoGP finding its feet at new-look Assen Team SUZUKI MotoGP has had a challenging first practice day for the Gauloises TT Assen in The Netherlands today. Both Kenny Roberts Jr and John Hopkins had technical difficulties as they tried to come to terms with the new layout of the famous Dutch circuit. Roberts Jr (P16, 2’03.609) was very frustrated at the end of this afternoon’s session. He said: “I don’t know where I ended up but it can’t be good. I had problems with both of my bikes during the session and never got a chance to get anything sorted. I just hope the crew can find out what’s wrong and get it fixed for tomorrow – as we now have a lot of work to do.” Today’s practice session was held glorious sunshine with air temperatures reaching 34 degrees centigrade and a track surface of 48. The fastest time was set by Loris Capirossi on a Bridgestone-shod Ducati. Hopkins (P11, 2’02.289) was only 1.532 seconds behind today’s quickest lap and he believed he could have posted a better time if he had got a clear run. “Every time I was on a fast lap I seemed to catch up with another rider who was right in the middle of the track and I had to go out of my way to get round them. “We are still struggling in some sections of the circuit and in others we’re doing really well. It’s basically the fast sections we’re struggling in – and that’s where you lose most of your time – but in the tighter stuff we’re looking pretty good. Once we can sort out the faster transitions – like the quicker chicanes – then I think we should be in a lot better position.” Team Manager Paul Denning was not happy with the day’s practice. “Today has possibly been our most unproductive day so far this season. We’ve suffered both technical faults and set-up problems and between those two it’s stopped either of the guys getting into a good rhythm. Bridgestone have made progress all year, but we have some concerns again here regarding how long the tyres can maintain their edge-grip – which is so important to the GSV-R’s performance. “I went to see the rock-band REM last weekend and they opened with a song called `Bad Day’ – that pretty much sums it up, but we’re hoping for better tomorrow.” Team SUZUKI MotoGP has one further practice session tomorrow morning with qualifying in the afternoon. The Team will then unveil its new `LAGUNA SECA RED BULL SUZUKI’ at 18.30CET on Friday evening. The race gets underway at 14.00hrs CET on Saturday 25th June. More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha: First day / READY FOR THE TEST AT ASSEN As was the case at Mugello and Catalunya, David Checa will ride with Ruben Xaus for the Fortuna Yamaha team at Assen as Toni Elias is still not recovered from the injuries sustained after his fall at Le Mans. After consulting doctors, Elias decided to delay his return until the American GP in California on July 10. Although assen is a circuit that the Spaniard likes a lot, he has opted not to return until he is 100 percent fit. On a day of scorching weather conditions for these parts, Ruben Xaus who was fifth in the morning ended the day in 14th spot, 2’033 behind the day’s main protagonist Loris Capirossi. Xaus fell on his final lap of the day, escaping unhurt, but once again demonstrated he is adapting well to the MotoGP Championship. Ruben has high hopes for Saturday at a circuit where he has always performed well. David Checa, who was triumphant here last year at the 500 kms of Assen, struggled to settle and was 17th at the end of the day. Ruben Xaus (11): (Free session 1: 2.02.986, 11th + 1.983 21/22 laps) (Qualifying session 2: 2.02.790, 14th + 2.033 -10/22 laps) “We are working well. The fall on the last lap was a shame; the front end went and, although I was initially able to control it, I could not avoid falling as it was leaning too much. I found a good rhythm, the bike is going better all the time but there are still some small errors we need to correct which allow you to make up time on the top riders. Assen is a very demanding circuit and you can see that from the amount of time I had to go back to the box, so we will have to keep on working hard. But I am very satisfied with how things went on this first day.” David Checa (94): (Free session: 2.05.055, 17th + 4.052 21/22 laps) (Qualifying session 2: 2.04.259, 17th + 3.502 – 21/22 laps) “This is one of the most difficult circuits in the Championship, more demanding than Mugello or Montmelo of course. Today I just had to settle for doing a few laps to acclimatise to the track on this Yamaha and I tried to lower my times in the afternoon. However, I still don’t have the confidence necessary to find the perfect set-up. I am happy, but there is still a lot to do and time for me to learn.” More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: SETE BATTLES THROUGH A DIFFICULT DAY The first day of qualifying for the Dutch TT at Assen was particularly intense because of the new track configuration which has seen the overall length reduced from 6,027 metres to 5,997m. Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri spent the two hours of free practice gathering fresh references of the track layout and finding a base set-up to work from tomorrow. In Sete’s case the job was made even harder by the fact that his Chief Mechanic was missing from the pit box today. Juan Martínez has spent the day in hospital due to a migrane attack which has caused him to have dizzy spells and sickness, as well as severe headaches. Sete focused on running up the laps on a basic setting and made only small changes with the help of the team. The World Championship runner-up completed a total of 41 laps of the new Assen track and recorded the third fastest time of the day, just two tenths slower than Loris Capirossi. Marco Melandri kicked off with fifth place, happy with his race rhythm and confident of improving it tomorrow as he gathers more and more kilometres on the new track. SETE GIBERNAU (3rd, 2’01″037): “We’ve started the weekend with difficulties because my Chief Mechanic has been in hospital since this morning and that affected our work programme. In these conditions I’m trying to do all the work myself with the help of the team. The morning session was tough for all of us because we didn’t know what state Juan was in and we were hardly able to test anything. In the afternoon we made the time up and found a basic set-up for the bike, without too many changes, and I just ran up the laps to provide as much information as possible. The whole team are making a big effort to lose as little ground as possible.” MARCO MELANDRI (5th, 2’01″242): “It was a particularly difficult day because of the changes they made to the track it’s much easier to make mistakes now because the reference points have changed a lot. One of the corners we took in fourth gear last season is now taken in second, for example. The heat also caught us by surprise. In general I’m happy with the way we’ve started. We have to keep working on our race pace.”