Busy end of season for HM Plant Honda riders

Cal Crutchlow and Leon Haslam may have already completed their British domestic racing season, but they will have one last hurrah on their BSB spec machines at the Portimao round of the World Superbike Championship, riding as wildcard entries.

The HM Plant Honda riders have each appeared in WSB this year already, with Crutchlow finishing second in the wet at Donington. At an all-new circuit in Portugal, and with a whole season of experience on Pirelli control tyres, the HM Plant duo will be a serious threat to the existing World Superbike superpowers come November 2.

Both riders will be a permanent fixture in the WSB paddock next year, Crutchlow riding for the Yamaha World Supersport Team, while Haslam will ride for the Stiggy Motorsport Honda team, in the World Superbike class.

Exiting the WSS side of the Stiggy Honda team in 2009 will be Australian rider Josh Brookes, who will switch to HM Plant Honda in the BSB series, alongside another Australian rider, Glen Richards, the current British Supersport Champion.

Source:
http://www.worldsbk.com

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Nieto back to form in France

After struggling to return to the kind of form that made him a winner at the opening round at Losail, Fonsi Nieto returned to podium form for only the third time in 2008 at Magny-Cours.

The Spanish Superstar was enthused by his race one result, even if could not get himself back into contention in race two because he had to use his spare machine.

"The first race was a good result for me", said Fonsi. "Everything worked very well and the only problem I had was at the start when my fuel tank was full and the bike was not so easy to handle. After some laps, the fuel was less and I was able to push harder".

"For race two, I had to use my spare bike because the gearchange was not working properly on my number one bike. My spare bike did not feel as good or as fast, so I just had to ride as hard as I could without doing anything stupid. Eighth is not wonderful, but this weekend I have scored more points than any other weekend except the first round in Qatar and that makes me happy".

Source:
http://www.worldsbk.com

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WSBK champion Troy Bayliss closes Superbike career at Portimao

Three-time WSBK champion Troy Bayliss will retire from Superbike racing after this coming weekend's race, a significant moment for a man that has lived the life of a Superbike champion for the last nine years, ever since he won the British Superbike title in 1999. He then went on to win the World title in 2001, in 2006 and for a third and final time this year, having clocked up over the last nine seasons 50 race wins and 92 podium finishes over 152 Superbike races.

In celebration of his victory in the 2008 World Superbike Championship aboard the 1098 F08, and the end of a career that proudly claims three World Championships with three generations of Ducati Superbike, Troy Bayliss' bike will this weekend carry a special commemorative livery.

Having won at nearly all of the circuits at which he has raced over the years, Troy Bayliss is also now looking for a win at Portimao.

"I am a lot more relaxed now that I know that we have done what we set out to do" said Bayliss. "We've won the riders and constructors titles and can tick that off the list. Now I can go to Portimao knowing that a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm looking forward to racing there, as what we saw during the recent test days was a very impressive track! It's been a long and stressful year and I'm tired, I feel I have just enough energy left to complete these last two races... I would love to finish the season, and my career, with a win so that's my goal this weekend, to ride with no pressure and just enjoy what will be my final two Superbike races!"

Source:
http://www.worldsbk.com

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Dovizioso Makes Wet-Weather Debut With Repsol Honda

Cold, wet weather dominated the second day of testing at Valencia today, with most riders deciding that there was little to learn in the tricky conditions. Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa was one of those who decided not to test, but his new team-mate Andrea Dovizioso was keen to evaluate Bridgestone rain tyres for the first time.

The track was neither dry nor fully wet for much of the day, so Dovizioso waited until 15.30 to begin testing, once heavier rain had made rain tyre testing worthwhile. The Italian rode his RC212V for an hour and a half, gathering plenty of useful information.

The Repsol Honda Team’s next outing will be a two-day session at Jerez in southern Spain on November 26/27. MotoGP’s seven-week winter testing moratorium begins on December 1.

Andrea Dovizioso, fastest lap 1m 48.296s (18 laps)

“I’m very happy with my second day of testing. Track conditions were not good today, the track was slippery, neither dry nor fully wet, so we had to wait for heavier rain before testing with rain tyres. We had only one set of tyres available. At the beginning grip wasn’t good, then the team made some changes to the set-up, making consistent improvements. We did four or five runs, improving each time and in the end I did my fastest time on my last lap. We gathered a lot of important data that will be very useful, even in the dry. The new Bridgestone tyres require a completely different setting compared to what’s required with Michelin tyres. I am also very happy with the team’s method of working. I am learning the new bike and new tyres and I’m very excited about this new challenge.”
LAP TIMES
1. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) 1.48.287
2. Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) 1.48.296
3. Marco Melandri (Kawasaki) 1.48.786
4. Niccolò Canepa (Ducati) 1.49.917
5. Mika Kallio (Ducati) 1.50.275
6. Toni Elias (Honda San Carlo) 1.54.057
7. Capirossi (Suzuki) 1.57.322

Source:
http://www.superbike-news.co.uk

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Stoner takes emphatic home victory heading Bridgestone 1-2

Ducati rider Casey Stoner took a tremendous home victory at Phillip Island this afternoon, claiming his and Bridgestone’s second consecutive Australian Grand Prix win. It is Stoner’s fifth win of the season and further cements his second place in the world championship with two races remaining. The popular victory also takes the total number of wins by riders using Bridgestone tyres this season to thirteen, one more than were scored last season with just the Malaysia and Valencia events still to run.

In front of a passionate crowd, Stoner led from the start and never relinquished his command over the 27-lap race, leading a hard-charging Nicky Hayden in the early stages before gradually extending his advantage in the second half of the race. Hayden was forced to settle for third at the chequered flag after an impressive run from Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi. After a qualifying crash relegated him to 12th on the grid, Rossi charged up the field and became embroiled in a close scrap for third. Passing James Toseland for the position on lap 13, Rossi then began to steadily close the gap to Hayden and managed to get past the Repsol Honda rider on the final lap to take an additional twenty points for his championship-winning tally.

The podium was filled with world champions with last year’s title holder Stoner leading this year’s champion Rossi and 2006 victor Hayden. It is the sixth time this season that Stoner and Rossi have occupied the first two spots on the podium.

San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Shinya Nakano was on the tail of the battle for fourth place throughout the 27-lap event. The Japanese rider used all the remaining grip from his Bridgestone tyres on a terrific final lap, elevating himself from seventh to fifth position, his best result since finishing fourth in Brno back in August.

Hiroshi Yamada – Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager, Motorcycle Sport Unit
“That was a highly charged race and there was plenty of close and competitive racing going on. Casey did an outstanding job today to take his second home win in a row, so congratulations to him and Ducati for their fifth win of the season. It was a dominant win for Casey after early pressure from Nicky, and he truly deserved his success today. Valentino also produced an exceptional ride today from 12th on the grid. To get up to third place was already an achievement, but to steal second place on the last lap was great. Between Casey and Valentino’s results, we have seen Bridgestone-shod riders win the last nine races in a row and 13 times in total this year, which is a new record for us. A special word of congratulations must also go to Shinya for a competitive race this afternoon. His commitment in maintaining pace with such a closely-fought group helped him take a fine top five result.”

Shinji Aoki – Bridgestone Motorsport – Assistant Manager, Race Tyre Development
“Phillip Island is never an easy race for the tyre manufacturers, so I am very pleased that our tyres could contribute to today’s excellent result. We did not have a trouble-free race, but over the last few years we have shown that our tyre performance has gradually improved and I think we can say that we had our most competitive Australian GP performance today. In practice, we could get a reasonable indication of the durability of the race tyres, but it is only when we run 27 laps consecutively that we can understand exactly what the tyre degradation is like. Thankfully, most of our riders were able to push right until the flag, as we could see from Valentino and Shinya’s last lap passing moves.”

Casey Stoner – Ducati – Race Winner
"We found a good direction in warm-up this morning and were able to set a strong pace, but it was difficult to know what to expect from the race. At the start I thought there was no way I could pull away from Nicky. He looked so good riding behind me, I could hear him there every step of the way. Then my bike started feeling a little bit better as the tyres warmed up, so I went a little bit quicker and pulled a small advantage. We just kept building from there and then it was just a matter of bringing it home. This season's been a very difficult one for us, but we've given it everything. We've had a few ups and downs, and it's nice to come back up again. We've been working really hard this weekend and we managed to do it. It is always special to win in front of the Australian crowd, who have given us such a terrific support again at Phillip Island this weekend, and we’ve now managed two in a row, which is a fantastic feeling.”

Source:
http://www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

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LG U880

Specifications
LG U880

Network	2G 3G	GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 UMTS 2100
Size	Dimensions Weight Display	98.8 x 49 x 18.2 mm, 80 cc (3.89 x 1.93 x 0.72 in) 99 gram TFT, 256K colors 176 x 220 pixels, 2.0 inches (~141 ppi density)
Memory	Phonebook Call records Internal Card slot	500 entries 10 dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls 75 MB microSD
Data	GPRS EDGE 3G WLAN Bluetooth Infrared port USB	Class 10 384 kbps 1.1 Yes
Features	OS CPU Messaging Ringtones Browser Radio GPS Games Camera Video Colors Java	SMS, EMS, MMS, Email Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones WAP 2.0/xHTML Yes 1.3 MP, 180 deg rotating lens QCIF Glossy black, matt black, silver, pink MIDP 2.0 - Loudspeaker with stereo speakers - Mini-SIM - Second external TFT display, 65K colors, (96 x 96 pixels) - Downloadable wallpapers - Video-calling - Video telephony - MP3/AAC/MP4 player - Predictive text input - Organizer - Clock - Calendar - Alarm
Battery	Stand-by Talk time	Standard battery, Li-Ion 1050 mAh Up to 236 h Up to 4 h

Image: http://www.welectronics.co

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LG S5000

Specifications
LG S5000

Network	2G 3G	GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
Size	Dimensions Weight Display	90 x 46.2 x 23 mm (3.54 x 1.82 x 0.91 in) 95 gram AMOLED, 256K colors 128 x 160 pixels
Memory	Phonebook Call records Internal Card slot	1000 entries, Photocall 10 dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls
Data	GPRS EDGE 3G WLAN Bluetooth Infrared port USB	Class 10 1.2 Yes
Features	OS CPU Messaging Alert Browser Radio GPS Games Camera Video Colors Java	SMS, EMS, MMS Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic ringtones WAP 2.0/xHTML Yes 1.3 MP, LED flash Yes Black MIDP 2.0 - Loudspeaker - Mini-SIM - Second external OLED display, 65K colors (96 x 64 pixels) - Downloadable wallpapers - Predictive text input - Organizer - Voice memo - Clock - Calendar - Alarm
Battery	Stand-by Talk time	Standard Li-Ion battery Up to 200 h Up to

Image: http://lg-s5000.smartphone.ua/

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LG S5100

Specifications
LG S5100

Network	2G 3G	GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
Size	Dimensions Weight Display	90 x 46.2 x 23 mm (3.54 x 1.82 x 0.91 in) 95 gram TFT, 256K colors 128 x 160 pixels
Memory	Phonebook Call records Internal Card slot	1000 entries, Photocall 10 dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls 64 MB
Data	GPRS EDGE 3G WLAN Bluetooth Infrared port USB	Class 10 1.2 Yes
Features	OS CPU Messaging Alert Browser Radio GPS Games Camera Video Colors Java	SMS, EMS, MMS Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones WAP 2.0/xHTML Yes 1.3 MP, LED flash Yes Black MIDP 2.0 - Loudspeaker with stereo speakers - Mini-SIM - Second external OLED display, 65K colors (96 x 64 pixels) - Downloadable wallpapers - MP3/AAC/MP4 player - Predictive text input - Photo editor - Organizer - Voice memo - Clock - Calendar - Alarm
Battery	Stand-by Talk time	Standard battery, Li-Ion 1000 mAh Up to Up to

Image: http://www.welectronics.com/gs

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LG S5200

Specifications
LG S5200

Network	2G 3G	GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
Size	Dimensions Weight Display	92 x 46 x 21.7 mm (3.62 x 1.81 x 0.85 in) 92 gram TFT, 256K colors 128 x 160 pixels, 1.8 inches (~114 ppi density)
Memory	Phonebook Call records Internal Card slot	1000 entries, Photocall 10 dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls 64 MB
Data	GPRS EDGE 3G WLAN Bluetooth Infrared port USB	Class 10 1.2 Yes
Features	OS CPU Messaging Alert Browser Radio GPS Games Camera Video Colors Java	SMS, EMS, MMS Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3, AAC ringtones WAP 2.0/xHTML Action in life, Halloween Fever + downloadable 1.3 MP, LED flash Yes Black MIDP 2.0 - Loudspeaker - Mini-SIM - Downloadable wallpapers - MP3/AAC/WMA/3GP player - Predictive text input - Organizer - Voice memo - Karaoke - Clock - Calendar - Alarm
Battery	Stand-by Talk time	Standard battery, Li-Ion 800 mAh Up to 200 h Up to 2 h

Image: http://www.welectronics.com/gs

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LG S5300

Specifications
LG S5300

Network	2G 3G	GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
Size	Dimensions Weight Display	92 x 46 x 21.7 mm (3.62 x 1.81 x 0.85 in) 92 gram TFT, 256K colors 176 x 220 pixels, 1.8 inches (~157 ppi density)
Memory	Phonebook Call records Internal Card slot	1000 entries, Photocall 10 dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls 64 MB
Data	GPRS EDGE 3G WLAN Bluetooth Infrared port USB	Class 10 1.2
Features	OS CPU Messaging Alert Browser Radio GPS Games Camera Video Colors Java	SMS, EMS, MMS Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3, AAC ringtones WAP 2.0/xHTML Action in life, Halloween Fever + downloadable 1.3 MP, LED flash Yes Black MIDP 2.0 - Loudspeaker - Mini-SIM - Downloadable wallpapers - MP3/AAC/WMA/3GP player - Predictive text input - Organizer - Voice memo - Clock - Calendar - Alarm
Battery	Stand-by Talk time	Standard Li-Ion battery Up to Up to

Image: http://www.welectronics.com/gsm

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LG C1150

Specifications
LG C1150

Network	2G 3G	GSM 900 / 1800
Size	Dimensions Weight Display	82 x 43 x 23.5 mm (3.23 x 1.69 x 0.93 in) 99 gram CSTN, 65K colors 128 x 128 pixels, 1:1 ratio
Memory	Phonebook Call records Internal Card slot	200 entries 10 dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls 1 MB
Data	GPRS EDGE 3G WLAN Bluetooth Infrared port USB	Class 10
Features	OS CPU Messaging Alert Browser Radio GPS Games Camera Video Colors Java	SMS, EMS, MMS Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic ringtones WAP 1.2.1 Spaceball Silver, Red, Black MIDP 2.0 - Mini-SIM - Downloadable wallpapers - Predictive text input - Organizer - Voice memo (10 x 30 sec) - Clock - Calendar - Alarm
Battery	Stand-by Talk time	Standard battery, Li-Ion 720 mAh Up to 100 h Up to 4 h

Image: http://www.welectronics.com/gsm

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Hamilton to maintain approach for Brazil

By Jonathan Noble and Dieter Rencken

Lewis Hamilton says he is approaching the Formula One title showdown in Brazil next weekend no different to how he has approached recent races.

The McLaren driver holds a seven-points advantage in the title chase over Ferrari's Felipe Massa, and claims he will head into the Interlagos event looking for the best result possible - even though fifth place will be enough for him to be crowned championship.

"Obviously, my aim for Brazil is slightly different from the other grands prix: I don't need to win the race, but that won't stop me from going into the weekend looking to be as strong as possible," he explained. "Shanghai was a good example of that: we hit the ground running on Friday morning and never looked back.

"Our aim wasn't to push too hard, but we found ourselves in a position at the front and took it comfortably from there. That's what I am hoping to achieve in Brazil - a straightforward weekend that allows me to just focus on my car and my driving."

McLaren are well aware that reliability problems or an unexpected accident could derail their championship bid - and that such problems will make the weekend stressful for the team.

The Woking-based outfit's F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh said: "While we try and eliminate as many difficulties for the race team as is possible, there is no escaping the fact that a title-deciding race is clearly very stressful. You're somewhat torn because the need to score four points is considerably easier than winning – but that sort of attitude is anathema to the team.

"The reality is that Shanghai was rather more stressful because we only had a five-point cushion over Felipe and that could have been seriously dented. Given our performance so far this year, you'd assume that Lewis would be able to score the necessary points – but that could be affected by a sudden safety car period or a mechanical problem. Both drivers just need to drive clean races; but reliability is the biggest stress-builder for the guys in the garage, and it is a constant worry."

Whitmarsh is confident that McLaren will be more competitive in Brazil than they were last year, when Kimi Raikkonen took the victory that secured him the world championship.

"While Ferrari was able to out-perform us at last year's Brazilian Grand Prix, we feel relatively confident that the situation will be different this year for several reasons," he said. "Firstly, looking at the trends of the season, the characteristics of our car should be better suited to Interlagos than they were in 2007.

"Also, the weather was exceptionally warm last year – something that tends to favour Ferrari – and the chances are that it won't be quite so hot next week. These elements should create a very tight competition, which is good for everybody."

And Hamilton's teammate Heikki Kovalainen could play a key role in the outcome of the championship battle - especially if he takes valuable points away from Massa.

Speaking about his own aims for the weekend, the Finn said: "To win it, obviously! With the championship as it is, things are a little different going to Brazil. Clearly, I want to be able to help the team and Lewis wherever necessary – but the easiest way to do that is to be running at the front.

"The team knows I will play my part, but we are also targeting the constructors' championship. We may be 11 points behind Ferrari, but there are 18 points available in Brazil and we go into the final race still looking at securing both world titles – that has to be our aim."

Source:
http://www.autosport.com

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Hayden dominates rainy day 1 in Valencia

Nicky Hayden shown determination to leave Honda on high note, setting fastest times of the both free practice sessions that took place in rainy conditions in Valencia. Dani Pedrosa, who was not known as best rider in the rain, managed to set second time of the day, just 0.087 seconds of the time of his team-mate. Jorge Lorenzo, featuring special livery for Valencia race, managed to set third time of the day.

Valentino Rossi, who suffered lowside in FP2, managed to set 4th time of the day on his second bike. Casey Stoner also suffered crash in FP1 and set 5th time, in front of the Andrea Dovizioso. Randy De Puniet set 7th time, in front of Sylvain Guintoli who returned to top 10 before leaving MotoGP next season. Colin Edwards was 9th fastest, while Shinya Nakano completed top 10 fastest riders on day 1 in Valencia.

Valencia - Day 1 combined free practice times:
1. Hayden Nicky Repsol Honda Team 1.45.777
2. Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 1.45.864
3. Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 1.45.959
4. Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 1.46.070
5. Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 1.46.260
6. Andrea Dovizioso JiR Team Scot MotoGP 1.46.522
7. Randy De Puniet LCR Honda MotoGP 1.46.807
8. Sylvain Guintoli Alice Team 1.47.055
9. Colin Edwards Tech 3 Yamaha 1.47.314
10. Shinya Nakano San Carlo Honda Gresini 1.47.483
11. Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1.47.620
12. Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 1.48.015
13. Marco Melandri Ducati Marlboro Team 1.48.437
14. John Hopkins Kawasaki Racing Team 1.48.469
15. Anthony West Kawasaki Racing Team 1.48.504
16. James Toseland Tech 3 Yamaha 1.48.771
17. Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1.49.092
18. Toni Elias Alice Team 1.51.871

Source:
http://www.highrevs.net

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Lorenzo wins a 2008 title

Jorge Lorenzo became the highest ranked MotoGP rookie since team-mate Valentino Rossi's runner-up finish in the 2000 500ccc World Championship, by securing fourth in the final 2008 rankings - despite a disappointing season finale at Valencia.

After struggling for grip on Saturday, Lorenzo started from seventh on the grid and things got worse as the race got underway. He was unable to find a rhythm and slipped to eleventh until mid-race distance. From then on he began to improve and he was able to make up three places, finishing strongly and setting his fastest lap of the race on the 30th and final lap.

“I feel a bit disappointed with this result today because I really wanted to finish the season with a podium, but in the end we couldn't manage it here," said Jorge. "We had some problems though so I have to be happy that I was able to finish the race strongly, passing people and doing my best lap of the race on the last lap, especially when you consider that yesterday in qualifying I was the slowest on race tyres!"

Nevertheless, the Spaniard's first season in MotoGP has seen him win a race and take a further five podiums and four pole positions, helping Yamaha to secure the Team and Manufacturers' titles to add to Rossi's Riders' World Championship.

Lorenzo took the rookie of the year title by 16 points from JiR Team Scot's Andrea Dovizioso, despite missing the Catalan Grand Prix due to injury.

"The best thing about today is that I am the leading rookie, so I get a trophy all the same and this makes me very proud of my first season in MotoGP with Yamaha," said Lorenzo, following his last race with Michelin tyres. "I want to thank all of my team, engineers and everyone who has helped us. I also have to say a special thank you to Michelin for their work this season because this is our last race with them. I am very proud that I was able to win my first MotoGP race with them."

Lorenzo will make his Bridgestone debut with an early version of next year's YZR-M1 during testing on Monday and Tuesday.

"Tomorrow we begin straight away to work on the 2009 bike and I am very excited to try it," he said.

Source:
http://www.crash.net

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Pedrosa: Stoner had something extra

Dani Pedrosa has been forced to wait until 2009 to claim his first Bridgestone MotoGPvictory after watching Casey Stoner edge away from him during Sunday's Valencia season finale.

The Repsol Honda rider came into the event having won the two previous Spanish rounds - albeit on Michelin tyres - and seeking to improve on the two wins per season that he has now recorded in all three years of MotoGP competition.

Pedrosa's chances looked good when he got yet another scorching start to blast past Stoner into turn one, but the Ducati rider retaliated at the next corner. Stoner then pulled slightly away with every lap, while Pedrosa steadily increased his advantage over third position.

Dani finished 3.390sec behind Stoner and 8.804sec clear of world champion Valentino Rossi. By beating Pedrosa, Stoner - who had already secured second in the world championship in front of the Spaniard - handed Ducati second in the constructors' championship over Honda.

"I am happy with second place today. I pushed Casey as hard as I could but he had something a little extra and he managed the gap very well," confessed Pedrosa, who rode in a special retro Repsol livery. "We worked hard all weekend, so my thanks to my team and also to Repsol, the bike I rode today was one of the best-looking bikes I've ridden. The crowd was great, it was fantastic to see so many fans here, packing the grandstands and obviously really enjoying the spectacle and pushing us along."

Pedrosa began the 2008 season injured and did further damage when he fell from the lead of a wet German Grand prix, round ten of 18, a mistake that also cost him the world championship lead.

Nevertheless, Dani battled back to end the year with two wins, ten podiums and third in the championship - despite withdrawing from the US GP due to his Sachsenring injuries, then falling on lap one of the Australian Grand Prix.

Reflecting on the year, Pedrosa admitted his switch from Michelin to Bridgestone tyres after round twelve at Brno had generated plenty of criticism, but was happy with how he has finished the season.

Source:
http://www.crash.net

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Liverpool sweat on injured trio

Liverpool hope Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane and Xabi Alonso will face Chelsea on Sunday despite sustaining injuries against Atletico Madrid.

The trio failed to finish Wednesday's 1-1 Champions League draw in Spain.

Keane is causing Reds manager Rafael Benitez the most concern: "We need to check with Keane. I don't think it will be serious.

"It was a little bit of a muscle problem for Robbie. Gerrard is okay and Alonso has a knock on his knee."

Benitez admitted he was disappointed with a draw because his team "had chances to finish off the game".

Liverpool took the lead at the Vicente Calderon stadium in the 14th minute when Keane calmly finished a trademark Gerrard through ball beyond Atletico keeper Leo Franco.

And the Merseysiders dominated the first half, but did not make the most of their supremacy, with Keane missing a straightforward chance to put Liverpool further ahead.

In the end, the visitors were grateful for a point after being forced onto the back foot for most of the second period with Simao Sabrosa equalising in the 83rd minute.

"We made a mistake in the 83rd minute and we paid for it," admitted Benitez, whose side are now joint top of Group D with Atletico with both on seven points.

"If you said to me before the game that we would have seven points it might have been good, but after leading until the 83rd minute and the chances that we had, in my opinion we have lost another two points.

"We didn't have one or two of situations, we had plenty of them on the edge of the box and we didn't finish them off.

"I think we have played a very good match, we have controlled the match and when you play well the other team looks worse.

"I think the entrance of Kun (Sergio Aguero) gave more depth to their play and we defended worse, and they also took advantage of the favourable wind in order to play long passes against us."

The injuries to Keane, Gerrard and Alonso may have contributed to Liverpool's poor second-half performance.

And with striker Fernando Torres already struggling with a hamstring problem, the possibility that the trio could miss the visit to Stamford Bridge leaves Benitez with a headache.

Keane was the first to be taken off when he was replaced by Dirk Kuyt just after half-time, and then Gerrard was the next to make way in the 61st minute before Alonso left the action with 15 minutes to go.

Benitez added: "We are trying to keep players with fresh legs and 100% fit, so we were trying to protect all of them."

The Spaniard admitted the result may have been different had Torres played but did not want to dwell on the matter.

"Obviously he's a special player and it could have been a different match," he said.

"But he was unavailable so it doesn't matter. He couldn't play."

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk

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Hurley praises 'fantastic' Jones

Sunderland legend Charlie Hurley has admitted he is a big fan of striker Kenwnye Jones ahead of Saturday's visit of Newcastle United.

Jones, 24, could make a first-team return from injury in the opening Tyne-Wear derby of the season and Hurley believes Jones' presence could be key.

"I would have found Kenwyne a real handful, he's fantastic in the air," he told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"You lose that little bit without him and he can play a bit too."

Between 1957 and 1969 Hurley, now 72, became a fans favourite at Sunderland with his efforts as a tough, uncompromising centre-half.

That affection was demonstrated during the club's centenary celebrations in 1979 when 'The King' as he was known around Roker Park was voted as the club's 'Player of the Century'.

And Hurley, who also figured for Millwall and Bolton during his 18-year career, confessed his passions have always lain with Sunderland since his time on Wearside.

"The Sunderland fans are my friends and it doesn't matter if it's bad or good, watching Sunderland always makes me tense," he said.

"If we get a result then it makes my day, I'll have a few drinks."

Saturday's derby comes just months after the Wearsiders were beaten 2-0 by Newcastle at St James' Park in last season's encounter.

Having figured in 10 derbies, the most notable a 3-0 win at Roker Park in April 1962, Hurley is adamant that matches between Sunderland and Newcastle are the most passionate in football.

"You cannot beat a better derby than Newcastle and Sunderland," he said.

"I used to be up for every game but there was a certain magic about playing against Newcastle and the fans depended on your so much to get a result.

"Middlesbrough, Newcastle - games against Middlesbrough don't come into the same street as this."

Supporters continue to make derbies between Sunderland and Newcastle as explosive and spectacular an experience as any football match in the world.

However, Hurley can recall a time when the fans were closer to the players and helped give them a boost ahead of the game.

"We used to go to the Roker Park Hotel, have our lunch, then we'd walk down to the ground and the fans would walk with us.

"They'd chat with us, they'd say: 'Come on Charlie, you've got to beat these!'

"They didn't mess about, and they didn't have to tell us, but by the time we got to the ground they'd wound you up to not get beaten."

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk

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Gallas admits to slump

Arsenal and France centre-back William Gallas concedes he has suffered disappointing form for both club and country.

The Gunners captain's defending has come in for criticism following the side's stuttering beginning to the new campaign.

France have also struggled after they slumped to defeat in their first World Cup qualifier, following a poor showing at Euro 2008.

The former Chelsea player, 31, is aware he has not been at the top of his game but has vowed to return to his best.

Most difficult
He said: "I can say we have not seen the Gallas from 2006 this term so far. In a few matches, I have not been so good. With the French team in Sweden and Austria, I was not very good at some moments.

"I would close my eyes if I would say I am strong. That would mean I don't recognise I did have a few bad performances, as recently with my club against Hull City. Maybe I feel a little tried.

"Do I experience the most difficult period since I joined Arsenal? We could say yes. Above all I miss consistency. One match is good, the other one is not so good. However, I am doing everything to get to my best again."

Source:
http://www.premierleague.com

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Silvestre relishing responsibility

Mikael Silvestre is happy to be the elder statesman helping guide a young Arsenal side he feels can grow in stature.

Arsene Wenger's Gunners - who were without injured captain William Gallas plus fellow defenders Kolo Toure and Bacary Sagna - look a huge step towards the Champions League knockout stages following following their stunning 5-2 Champions League win over Fenerbahce in Istanbul.

Silvestre, who put through his own net, was making only his second appearance since signing from Manchester United because of a thigh problem. The 31-year-old, though, maintains he is relishing working alongside such a talented young bunch.

"At United, I didn't have to shout that much to guide my partners. It is a responsibility, but when I signed for Arsenal I accepted it straight away," said the former France defender.

"It was not easy to come here with a good atmosphere against us and I think we coped not too bad with the experienced players we played against.

"It was a good game to improve and learn from. Hopefully we can get some consistency."

Source:
http://www.premierleague.com

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Balotelli puts Italy through to Euro U21 2009

What can you say about Mario Balotelli? He may be arrogant, he may be overly confident, he may get too many yellow cards, but say what you want because the fact of the matter is that the 18 year old Inter striker is the real deal. Balotelli is easily Italy’s best young talent and is definitely a future superstar. Technique, power, agility, speed, Balotelli has it all and the future is his (as long as he keeps his head on straight). The latest example of his talent came yesterday in Italy’s U21 play-off in Tel-Aviv, Israel. Balotelli missed the first leg because of the flu and Italy were drab and uninspired in the 0-0 draw. He recovered for the second leg and started upfront. In the 4th minute Italy obtained a free kick from around 35 yards out. Balotelli stepped up to take it, and this happened:

A perfect free kick, hit with power and accuracy that just blazed into the top corner. (Thank God Giovinco was suspended or else Balotelli wouldn’t be taking that free kick, if anyone remembers Giovinco went on a little rant a month ago saying how he has seniority on the U21 squad when it comes to free kicks). All I can say about that goal is “wow”. In the 25th minute, he then decided to do this:

And now his record with the U21 is 3 games, 3 goals. Italy second another later on in the game through the excellent Ignazio Abate, but Italy can thank Balotelli for their qualification to the Euro U21 2009 tournament in Sweden this summer.

Source:
http://italy.theoffside.com

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Toshiba Satellite A305-S6839

Toshiba Satellite A305-S6839 Feature :

• 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 processor, 320 GB hard drive, 3 GB RAM
• TruBrite 15.4-inch Wide XGA LCD (1280 x 800), ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470
• Wireless LAN WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n), LAN 10/100 Ethernet, 56K modem (V.90)
• DVD SuperMulti 8x multi-format/dual-layer, Card reader 5-in-1
• Connectivity: 4 USB, 1 FireWire, 1 VGA, 1 S-Video, 1 headphone (with S/PDIF digital audio out), 1 microphone, 1 ExpressCard 54/34
• Pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Premium (with Media Center capabilities)

Brand, Series, Model	Toshiba, Satellite, A305-S6839
Processor & CPU Type	2.10GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100, FSB 800MHz, L2 cache 3MB
Memory	3GB DDR2 667, Maximum 4GB, Slot : 2 x DIMM
Graphic / Video	ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 Video memory : Dedicated 256MB
Display Size & Type	15.4" WXGA, 1280 x 800, TFT widescreen, TruBrite
Hard Drive	320GB SATA 5400rpm
Optical Drive	DVD Super Multi 8x multi-format/dual-layer
Communication & Network	LAN 10/100 Mbps Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n) Integrated 56K modem (V.90)
Ports	4 x USB 2.0 ports 1 x Firewire / IEEE 1394 / i.Link 1 x ExpressCard 54/34 Video : 1 x VGA, 1 x S-Video TV-out Audio : 1 x Microphone jack, 1 x Headphone jack (with S/PDIF)
Input Devices	Keyboard : 86 key US Touchpad
Webcam	Built-in 1.3-megapixel
Audio	Integrated Sound card Built-in harman/kardon stereo speakers
Software	Windows Vista Home Premium (with Media Center capabilities) Microsoft Works 9.0, Google Desktop and Picasa, Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5, Norton 360 All-in-One Security (30-day trial), and Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition (60-day trial)
Power	Rechargeable 4000mAh Lithium Ion battery pack Avg. Battery Run Time : up to 4 hours AC Adapter 90W (19V 4.74A) 100-240V/50-60Hz
Dimension	14.3" x 10.5" x 1.36-1.52"
Weight	6.0 lbs
Other	Card Reader 5-in-1 Bridge Media Adapter : Secure Digital, MultiMedia Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD Picture Card (shared slots)

Photo:
http://images-cdn01.associatedcontent.com

Source:
http://www.productinfodirectory.com

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Bayern boost for Klinsmann

Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann is hopeful that his side are finally starting to near top form, after seeing them sweep aside Fiorentina 3-0 in the Champions League.

Klinsmann's team currently lie 11th in the Bundesliga table, having won just three times from eight league games this term, but Bayern showed much-improved form on Tuesday evening to see off their Italian visitors.

Goals from Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Ze Roberto saw off La Viola, with Klinsmann upbeat about the prospects for the coming months.

He told the club's official website: "It was a very important win for us, as it gives us even more impetus for the coming weeks. That's how we want to go on.

"Even in the first ten minutes, I sensed we were up for it, we were alive, we didn't shirk a tackle, and we put our opponents under pressure.

"We knew Fiorentina were a good team, capable of counter-attacking at speed and we knew they'd create chances.

"I take great confidence from our physical condition. We're in good shape, and we're just starting to see the results of our extremely demanding training over the last three months.

"We're also developing an element of consistency."

Source:
http://www.football.co.uk

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Suffering Stoner Seals Runner-up Spot at Sepang

Casey Stoner fought through the pain barrier to finish the Malaysian Grand Prix today, where sixth place in suffocating conditions was enough to seal the runner-up spot in the 2008 MotoGP World Championship with a round to spare .

With some of the hottest, most humid conditions the MotoGP circus has ever had to suffer at Sepang and his physical condition still a long way from perfect, the Australian struggled throughout the race with cramps in his right hand - caused by the excessive forced required to compensate for the scaphoid injury to his left. Despite that he chased Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden hard for the final podium position but faded towards the end and eventually conceded fifth place to Shinya Nakano.

Marco Melandri paid the price for an unproductive weekend working on his set-up and the Italian could finish no higher than sixteenth today.

CASEY STONER (Ducati MotoGP Team) 6th

"I had no feeling whatsoever from my injured hand today, it just wasn't working. It meant I had to put all the pressure on to my right hand and in such physically demanding conditions it was really difficult. It started cramping up and I couldn't even get the throttle fully open down the straights. To be honest I don't think we quite found a perfect set-up this weekend but I can't complain about that because I wasn't able to push the bike to the limit today. It's been a tough weekend and we have another one coming up at Valencia, which we will push hard to get through with as good a result as possible before finally looking ahead to the operation. At least we have the runner-up spot already in the bag, which is an achievement I think myself and the whole team can look back on and be very proud of."

MARCO MELANDRI (Ducati MotoGP Team) 16th

"There are only negatives to take out of a race like that. We went back to the settings we used yesterday afternoon but I didn't have the same feeling. I had hardly any feeling with the front from the first few laps and I couldn't brake hard into the corners. From then on things just got worse. I went for a softer rear tyre so the grip was good at the start but I almost crashed a couple of times in the fast corners in the second half of the race and that took away any shred of confidence I had left."

LIVIO SUPPO (Ducati MotoGP Project Director)

"We haven't been unable to maintain our great tradition here at Sepang but Casey rode in really difficult conditions today and he was brave to even finish the race. We know he's going through the pain barrier just to test the GP9 after the race at Valencia and we really appreciate that. The positive thing today was that Casey made sure of second in the championship and that is still a prestigious result in a category with so many strong rivals. It has been another difficult weekend for Marco but we still hope he can finish the season with a smile at Valencia."

Source:
http://www.ducati.com

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Guintoli joins British Superbikes

Sylvain Guintoli will leave the MotoGP circus at the end of the season to join Rizla Suzuki in the British Superbikes next season. The Frenchman is currently thirteenth in the MotoGP championship with two races to go this season .

Rizla Suzuki team manager in the British Superbikes, Jack Valentine, told MCN: "Sylvain has now signed to ride for Suzuki in British Superbikes next year. I've not met him yet, but I've spoke to him regularly on the phone and he appears professional and very focussed on the job in hand.

"Sylvain sees the move as a step back, but he knows he needs it in order to move forward to the World Superbike team. He's not interested in anything financially; he just wants to go and win races."

Source:
http://moto.gpupdate.net

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Rossi celebrates ninth win

2008 World Champion Valentino Rossi rode an inch-perfect race in energy-sapping conditions at Sepang today to take his ninth win of the season and his 150th career podium. He is only the second rider in the history of the sport to pass this milestone, the other being Giacomo Agostini, whose all-time win record Rossi has already broken this season . Rossi's Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo meanwhile had a disappointing day, with his challenge ending in the gravel trap on lap 12.

With temperatures in excess of 40 degrees as the riders lined up on the grid, today's race was clearly going to be a test of endurance, both for riders and tyres. Rossi, starting from second, crossed the line for the first time in third but was able to pass Andrea Dovizioso on the next lap, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process, and set off on the heels of Dani Pedrosa. The pair gradually began to open out clear air from the chasing pack but the gap between them remained at just a few tenths of a second for next eight laps. Rossi eventually made his move at mid-race distance, was able to pass Pedrosa on the brakes into the hairpin at turn nine and was then unchallenged to the chequered flag, crossing the line 4.008 seconds ahead of the Spaniard with Dovizioso in third.

The paddock now heads straight to Valencia in Spain for the 18th and final round of the season, with Rossi looking to avenge two bad years at the track and Lorenzo determined to secure the title of Leading Rookie with a positive performance to make up for today's disappointment.

"I am so happy with this win today because all of the toughest championship of my career, including with Yamaha in 2004, have been won with nine victories," said Rossi. "Of course that doesn't mean I don't want to win again next week, but for now I like this number! Today was incredibly hard because it was so hot. Once I got behind Dani I tried to pass many times but he was very fast and very consistent and I had a good battle to get by him. Lap-by-lap I understood better where it was possible and eventually I could make my move and go away from him. Everything worked very well today in such conditions, my M1 and my Bridgestone tyres and I want to thank everyone for making me so fast all weekend. I love winning here because it's such a great track but today was really a test, especially the last five laps when I really had to make an effort to keep my concentration in such incredible heat. Anyway, it was important to win here because when we came here in the winter I did a very fast race simulation and I promised my new Bridgestone tyre technician, Peter, that we would win the race! I took a gamble in February so I had to win today! Finally I want to congratulate my friend Marco Simoncelli for winning the 250cc World Championship today. I know how hard he has worked to get here and he really deserves it - I am very happy for him."

Source:
http://moto.gpupdate.net

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Aoyama beat the heat

Red Bull KTM rider Hiroshi Aoyama beat tropical heat with air temperatures up to 41 degrees and rising water temperatures on his KTM 250 FRR and battled his way to second place in Sunday's 250 cc Malaysian Grand Prix.

Aoyama's strong performance was a tribute to his skill and professional approach to racing after only just learning that KTM would not be contesting the 250 cc category in future seasons.

Hiroshi drew praise from his team's technical director Harald Bartol, who described his ride as "fantastic". The 26-year-old from Chiba, Japan, who won last year's race at Sepang, stormed into the lead on the seventh lap and defended his top spot for three laps before Spaniard Alvaro Bautista swept past. Aoyama hung onto Bautista and only lost contact to the eventual race winner when he ran into increasing front tyre grip problems towards the end of the race.

"This was a very tough race. It was difficult to manage engine power and tyre grip in the tropical heat and I'm very happy that I got through this battle with a strong result. My start was not so bad, but then I had a little scare with the front tyre and dropped back a few positions. But I managed to recover and to take first position for a while. Then I had a great battle with Alvaro when we both pushed to the maximum. It was exciting and fun to ride, but also exhausting”, he said. “It was only on the last five laps, I lost a little bit of speed because my front tyre started to lose grip, so I couldn't challenge Bautista any more and had to settle for second. But all in all, we had a very good weekend. It's unfortunate that we won't be able to continue our KTM campaign in the 250 cc class next year, but I have many good memories of great races, good fights and remarkable technical progress that we've made over the three years that we've been working together. I want to thank KT M, all of my mechanics and all the sponsors for a great experience, and I hope we will have another reason to celebrate at the final showdown in Valencia!"

Aoyama's Red Bulll KTM teammate Mika Kallio and Spanish Repsol KTM rider JulianSimon weren't so lucky. Kallio had a strong start and even lead the field into the first corner, but then noticed a clutch problem and dropped back to fourth, fifth and sixth position. The 25-year-old Finn had just found a way to ride around the problem and gained speed again when his engine seized on the back straight.

"My start was good, but in the first corner, I immediately noticed that my clutch was broken. I lost a few places and it was difficult to get up to speed again, especially in the braking zones when the problem was the most obvious. I slowly found ways to ride around the problem and do competitive lap times again. My confidence returned and I thought a good result was still within reach”, he explained. “But then I noticed something strange happening in the engine on the back straight, and when I braked for the following corner, the engine seized. We think a bearing might have broken, and some small piece ended up in the piston and caused the failure. Now second place in the championship is out of reach. Our goal is now to secure third position with a good result at Valencia!"

"Hiroshi rode a fantastic race and showed his true skills and a lot of determination today”, commented Harald Bartol. “It could have been a great day for all three KTM 250 riders, but unfortunately, the bikes of Kallio and Simon both seized. We think it was the same problem on both engines, with some foreign object that got caught in the wrong place, but obviously we won't know exactly before opening the engines and thoroughly examining what happened!"

Source:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
© CAPSIS International

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Ferguson Hails 'Terrific' Berbatov

Sir Alex Ferguson is confident record signing Dimitar Berbatov will make a big impact at Manchester United.

The £30.75million Bulgaria captain bagged his second successive brace in Champions League combat on Tuesday night, following up his double in Aalborg last month with two in United's comfortable home win over Celtic.

It took Berbatov's overall tally to five, with Ferguson seeing signs that the 27-year-old is becoming fully integrated into Old Trafford life.

"Dimitar produced some fantastic pieces of football," said Ferguson.

"The players are starting to understand what type of player he is a bit more now.

"I always feel he produces passes that mean something. Three or four of them were absolutely superb and overall he has five goals for us already, so he is making a terrific contribution."

Both Berbatov's goals appeared to be offside, which was fairly ironic as Wayne Rooney had one ruled out when TV replays showed he had timed his run perfectly to get on the end of Cristiano Ronaldo's through ball.

At least Rooney got his name on the scoresheet late on, completing a one-sided 'Battle of Britain' with his ninth goal in seven games for club and country.

It is the kind of hot streak that has been the trademark of Rooney's career, although Ferguson feels the England star is starting to inch towards the level of performance that is expected to win Ronaldo numerous world player of the year prizes.

"Wayne is capable of getting to that level," said Ferguson.

"Both him and Cristiano were teenagers when they came to us but their progress has been fantastic.

"The only reason we are not talking about Wayne at the same level as Cristiano is the fact one of them scored 42 goals last season. That is why Cristiano should win the Balon D'Or.

"If Wayne can get to that sort of level, he is there."

For once, Ronaldo found himself upstaged as United eased home.

Even without Rio Ferdinand, who should be fit to face Everton on Saturday after a picking up a minor groin strain in training, United had too much class for the Scottish champions.

A point in the return at Parkhead in a fortnight should be enough to take the Red Devils into the knockout stages, although Ferguson is taking nothing for granted.

"It was a bad night for Celtic," he said.

"I just felt we were always on the attack. The speed of our play was very good and we have to think a result in Glasgow will get us through.

"But Celtic have a very good record up there, so it will be a difficult game."

Source:
http://www.sportinglife.com

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Milan Move for Beckham

AC Milan have all but sealed a deal to sign David Beckham on loan from LA Galaxy.

Milan have confirmed they are set to sign Beckham from the Los Angeles Galaxy and head coach Carlo Ancelotti claims it would be "a pleasure" to have the 33-year-old at the San Siro.

Capello last week stressed Beckham has a key role to play for the foreseeable future with England, as he looks to add to his 107 caps.

But he also confirmed the former Manchester United midfielder would not be selected to face Spain in February if he remained inactive during the MLS close season.

Beckham is under contract with the LA Galaxy but their regular season finishes on Sunday.

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said on Wednesday at Milan's Malpensa airport: "We are speaking with his agent but we believe he will arrive for some months on a free loan.

"We shall register him for some months and then he will leave. Beckham has chosen Milan. Our squad is ultra-competitive and it will remain this way, but Beckham is something different and intriguing."

Ancelotti told acmilan.com: "For me it will be a pleasure, Beckham is a serious athlete, a great professional.

"If he is available for four months with us, we will be very happy."

Beckham would bring added strength to the Milan midfield, and provide Ancelotti with fresh options, although he already has the likes of Kaka, Clarence Seedorf, Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo to select from.

Former AC Milan and England striker Luther Blissett believes the move to Italy would do Beckham the world of good.

"If he's really going to be part of this England revolution he's got to be playing regular, top-class football with top-class players," Blissett told Setanta Sports News.

"I think he'd make a great addition to what they have. And for Beckham to be playing alongside the likes of Kaka and Seedorf in midfield would be great for him as much as it would be for Milan."

Galliani had indicated at the weekend Beckham would be invited to train with Milan during the coming months, however, it now seems he could sign a short-term deal, possibly until March, allowing him to return to the United States for the start of the MLS campaign.

Beckham had been linked with the Rossoneri before leaving Real Madrid for the United States in 2007 and Ancelotti has continued to monitor him.

Capello, who had two spells as head coach of Milan and also played for the club, has been pleased with Beckham's contribution this year, although he has recently been a fringe member of the England squad.

England have a busy start to 2009. They have a probable friendly against Spain lined up for February, plus a home friendly against Slovakia in March, and World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine in April, and Kazakhstan and Andorra in June.

Beckham has moved to within one appearance of the 108-cap tally achieved by World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore, with only 125-times-capped Peter Shilton having played more matches for England.

David Beckham Factfile:

1975: Born Leytonstone, May 2.

1991: Joins Manchester United as trainee.

1992: Makes United debut against Brighton in the League Cup on September 23. Wins FA Youth Cup.

1993: Signs professional contract at Old Trafford.

1995: Joins Preston on loan in February and scores two goals in five games.

1996: Helps United win the double, collecting Premier League winners' medal and FA Cup winners' medal.

Scores goal of the season on the opening day at Wimbledon, lobbing goalkeeper Neil Sullivan from the halfway line. Makes his England debut in the 3-0 qualifying win in Moldova.

1997: Collects another championship winners' medal, voted PFA Young Player of the Year. United win Charity Shield.

1998: Scores first England goal, a free-kick against Colombia in Lens on June 26. Sent off in second round penalty shoot-out defeat against Argentina.

Vilified by the nation for the retaliatory kick against Diego Simeone, and subsequent red card, which many people believe cost England place in quarter-finals.

1999: Responds to World Cup disgrace with consistently good performances for United, who win the Premier League, FA Cup and, memorably, the European Cup after coming from behind to beat Bayern Munich with two late goals.

Rewarded for a fine season by being voted runner-up in World Player of the Year awards, behind Brazilian Rivaldo.

2000: May: Collects his fourth championship winner's medal as United win the title by a record 18 points.

June: Aims gesture at abusive England fans following defeat in the opening game of Euro 2000 against Portugal. England bow out in group stages of the tournament.

November: Made England captain for the November friendly with Italy in Turin by stand-in boss Peter Taylor.

2001: New England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson appoints Beckham as captain for his first match in charge, the friendly against Spain at Villa Park.

May: Collects another Premier League title with Manchester United.

September: Captains England to their remarkable 5-1 victory in Germany.

October: Curls in a 25-yard last-minute free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford to earn England a 2-2 draw and send them into the World Cup finals.

December 9: Voted the BBC's 2001 Sports Personality of the Year.

2002: April: United confirm he will be out for between six to eight weeks with a broken metatarsal, which would mean him missing the rest of United's season and possibly the start of the World Cup.

May 11: Signs new three-year contract reported to be worth between £90,000 and £100,000 a week.

June 7: Beckham, who is able to lead England out for their opening World Cup match against Sweden, scores from the penalty spot against Argentina to seal a 1-0 win. England bow out in the quarter-finals at the hands of eventual winners Brazil.

2003: February: Beckham involved in new controversy after Ferguson accidentally kicks a boot into his face in frustration at United's FA Cup defeat by Arsenal, leaving the England skipper with a gash above his eye.

April 23: Beckham left out of the starting line-up for United's crucial Champions League quarter-final second-leg clash with Real Madrid at Old Trafford. Beckham scores twice as a substitute but it is too late to save the Red Devils, who lose 6-5 on aggregate.

May 22: Suffers a fractured scaphoid (bone between thumb and wrist) in 2-1 friendly victory over South Africa.

June 10: United accept a bid made by Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta for Beckham. Laporta makes signing Beckham the cornerstone of his election campaign.

June 14: Awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to football.

June 17: United announce they have accepted a £25million bid from Real Madrid for Beckham and player agrees personal terms.

July 1: Passes medical with Real Madrid and signs four-year deal.

October 11: Helps England secure the goalless draw in Turkey which clinches automatic qualification for Euro 2004 but is involved in a half-time bust-up with Alpay as the teams leave the pitch.

2004: May 16: Sent off for arguing with a linesman over a controversial penalty award during Real Madrid's La Liga clash with Murcia.

June 24: Misses a penalty as England lose to Portugal in a shoot-out in the Euro 2004 quarter-finals in Lisbon.

2005: November - Captains England for 50th time in friendly against Argentina in Geneva.

2006: June 25 - Scores winning goal in World Cup second-round match against Ecuador from free-kick.

July 1 - Substituted during England's World Cup quarter-final defeat by Portugal due to injury.

July 2 - Stands down as England captain.

August 11 - Dropped from squad for friendly against Greece, Steve McClaren's first match as manager.

2007: January 11 - Beckham announces he will leave Real Madrid and join Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy on a five-year contract in August. The deal is believed to be worth £128million over the period.

January 13 - Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello says Beckham will never play for the club again.

February 10 - Scores on his Real Madrid comeback with a trademark free-kick against Real Sociedad.

May 26 - England manager Steve McClaren hands Beckham a shock recall for the matches against Brazil and Estonia.

June 10 - Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon reveals the club will attempt to keep David Beckham at the Bernabeu but their approach to buy the England midfielder out of his Los Angeles Galaxy contract is rebuffed.

June 17 - Finally wins a trophy with Real Madrid as his side clinch the league title with a 3-1 win over Mallorca.

August 16 - Scores his first goal for Galaxy on his full debut in the SuperLiga semi-final meeting with DC United with a trademark free-kick.

November 22 - Part of the England side that lose 3-2 at home to Croatia and thus miss out on qualification for Euro 2008.

December 21 - Comes to an agreement with Arsenal to train with them during the MLS off-season.

2008 - January 31 - Left out of Fabio Capello's first England squad for the following week's friendly against Switzerland.

March 16 - Plays the full 90 minutes for Los Angeles Galaxy in a friendly against FC Dallas with Capello's assistant Franco Baldini watching on.

March 26 - Wins 100th cap in the friendly international against France on March 26.

May 31 - Named as England captain for the friendly away to Trinidad and Tobago.

October 15 - Wins his 107th cap in the 3-1 win over Belarus, overtaking Sir Bobby Charlton in the process and putting him third on England's all-time list.

October 22 - AC Milan confirm they are trying to sign the midfielder on loan during the MLS off-season.

Source:
http://www.sportinglife.com

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Toseland Shrugs Off Tyre Worries

James Toseland is confident the new limit on the number of Bridgestone tyres each rider can use in MotoGP next season will not present any problems.

The Tech 3 Yamaha rider is one of those changing tyre brands for next season after Bridgestone were awarded the contract to become sole supplier.

Toseland, who this season is using Michelin tyres, believes Bridgestone's plan to cut the number of tyres per rider at each GP from 40 to 20 is workable.

Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner had claimed the reduction would not work but Toseland, one of a few riders to have experienced a single-tyre rule from his World Superbike days, claimed Bridgestone would not propose the reduction if they were not confident in the quota.

He told MCN: "If they are confident enough to only give that amount then they are confident that the product will be good enough or have something across the board people will be happy with.

"They must be confident with what they have got. Because if people are a bit wary of that, and it will be Bridgestone people, they will know if that amount is enough as it will be them taking the heat if it's not enough."

Source:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
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Rookies Teams clash again

Saturday in Valencia, the final MotoGP weekend of the season, sees the Red Bull Riders Cup contested for the second time.

The top ten riders from the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup cross the Atlantic to do battle with their opposite numbers from the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.

The Riders Cup was contested for the first time on the other side of the ocean as part of the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix. In the most tricky conditions imaginable, the MotoGP team benefited from some misfortune that saw key members of the opposition fall. It was, for the AMA riders, unfamiliar, wet and slippery conditions.

Valencia in October will probably be kinder and the race closer. No one is expecting a repeat of the 114 to 26 score line.

For the American trip the MotoGP Rookies travelled together and pulled together as a team. Back on home soil and with the first victory under their belt there is an undeniable element of individual desire in the way that the key members of the team are looking at the rematch.

"I'm looking forward to it and for sure I want another good result", says Sturla Fagerhaug, winner in Indianapolis and a close third in the 2008 MotoGP Rookies Cup. The 16 year old Norwegian has had plenty of time to think about things since the American trip. "The weekend I got back from Indy I did a race in Spain but since then I've just been at home training and that sort of thing. I have not been on a bike for a month but I don't think it will be too much of a problem. I'd been off the bike for a few weeks before Indy as well."

"I don't think it's going to be easy for us to win in Valencia. We went to Indy and they had the home advantage but we still won. This time we have the home advantage but they could also turn that round on us. We should win, we know the track very well but anything can happen, a few crashes, we can't assume anything."

"For myself I do want another good result but there are a lot of other guys with the same idea, from our side, Luis (Salom) will be at home and sure to be fast, then Matt Hoyle is going well and so is Mathew Scholtz. From their side I expect it will be the same guys as at Indianapolis, Hayden Gillim, Jake Gagne, Leandro Mercado and Benny Solis."

While Fagerhaug may have been at home thinking about racing his team mate Matthew Hoyle has been busy, testing the new Maxtra Grand Prix 125 and winning the British 125 Championship. Very happy though he is with the National Championship, Hoyle will not be satisfied to complete his two season's as a Red Bull Rookie without a victory. Second places are just not enough.

"I am going there to win", says 17 year old Hoyle simply. "It's my last Rookies race and I want to go out with a win. I know I've got the pace, I've just got to put the full race together. I won 6 races in the 125 British Championship this year so I know how to do it, I've just not yet done it in the Rookies."

"I know it is a team race but I can't get away from the fact that I want to win this one. As for the team side of things; I think it will be harder for the AMA guys to come to Valencia and do what we did at Indianapolis. I think that Valencia is a harder track to learn than Indy and we all know it well. There's nothing certain in racing but it will be hard for them to learn it in the time available."

"I think the other fast guys are going to be Luis Salom, because he has been fast all year and it's his home race, plus Sturla, he's quick and he's on form", concluded Hoyle.

Whoever wins in Valencia will keep the Riders Cup over the winter. The odds may favour the MotoGP Cup Team but if the AMA U.S. Cup squad can pull together as a team they might just spring a surprise and carry the trophy home.
© CAPSIS International

Source:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

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Hayden prepares for emotional finale

Nicky Hayden prepares to bid farewell to Honda in the MotoGP season finale at Valencia.

Former MotoGP title winner Nicky Hayden has admitted it will be an emotional experience when he takes part in his final event for Honda this weekend in Valencia.

The Repsol Honda rider will bring the curtain down on a nine-year run with the Japanese marque in the season finale - with the last six of those years having been spent in the MotoGP paddock.

Having endured two difficult seasons since taking the 2006 title, Hayden will move onto pastures new in 2009 when he joins Ducati and he admitted it would be an emotional experience when he hits the track on his RC212V for the final time at the venue where he secured his championship crown.

"I really love Valencia and I love the atmosphere, it's always special to race in front of a Spanish crowd," he said. "I don't want to sound soft but it will be an emotional weekend.

"This team has been family the last six years - I was 21 years old when I showed up in Europe from Kentucky! We've had a good run together. I'm really grateful for the opportunity Honda gave me. Not a lot of people can say they rode factory Hondas for nine years. From the RC51 on, I've ridden some of the baddest bikes ever and worked with some great engineers. We'll be hoping we can go out strong.

"Valencia has got a special place in my heart for obvious reasons. I like the way they built the track inside a natural bowl. I like big, fast, flowing tracks too, but I like how Valencia is all right there, you really feel the energy. It's the last race of the year, so everyone goes all out. On the map it looks like a go-kart track but it doesn't feel like that riding it. You need a bike that gets round corners better than it goes in a straight line and you've got to be aggressive."

Hayden is set to make his Ducati debut in testing following the weekend when he hits the track on the new GP9.

Source:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

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LG M6100

Specifications
LG M6100

Network	2G 3G	GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
Size	Dimensions Weight Display	89.7 x 40 x 19.9 mm (3.53 x 1.57 x 0.78 in) 88 gram TFT, 256K colors 128 x 160 pixels, 1.3 inches (~158 ppi density)
Memory	Phonebook Call records Internal Card slot	1000 entries, Photocall 10 dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls 128 MB
Data	GPRS EDGE 3G WLAN Bluetooth Infrared port USB	Class 10 Yes miniUSB
Features	OS CPU Messaging Alert Browser Radio GPS Games Camera Video Colors Java	SMS, EMS, MMS Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic ringtones WAP 2.0/xHTML Yes 1.3 MP QCIF Silver, Blue, Black MIDP 2.0 - Loudspeaker with stereo speakers - Mini-SIM - Downloadable wallpapers - MP3/AAC/WMA/3GP player - Predictive text input - Organizer - Voice memo - Clock - Calendar - Alarm
Battery	Stand-by Talk time	Standard battery, Li-Ion 800 mAh Up to 200 h Up to 3 h

Image: http://www.welectronics.co

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LG U890

Specifications
LG U890

Network	2G 3G	GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 UMTS 2100
Size	Dimensions Weight Display	98.8 x 49 x 18.2 mm, 80 cc (3.89 x 1.93 x 0.72 in) 99 gram TFT, 256K colors 176 x 220 pixels, 2.2 inches (~128 ppi density)
Memory	Phonebook Call records Internal Card slot	Yes 10 dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls 68 MB microSD
Data	GPRS EDGE 3G WLAN Bluetooth Infrared port USB	Class 10 384 kbps v1.1 with A2DP Yes
Features	OS CPU Messaging Alert Browser Radio GPS Games Camera Video Colors Java	SMS, EMS, MMS, Email Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones WAP 2.0/xHTML Yes 1.3 MP, 180 deg rotating lens QCIF Silver - Loudspeaker with stereo speakers - Mini-SIM - Second external TFT display, 65K colors, (96 x 96 pixels) - Downloadable wallpapers - Video-calling - Video telephony - MP3/AAC/MP4 player - Predictive text input - Organizer - Clock - Calendar - Alarm
Battery	Stand-by Talk time	Standard Li-Ion battery Up to Up to

Image: http://www.welectronics.com/gs

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Wet Afternoon Follows Sunny Morning as MotoGP Hits Malaysia

As the World Championship participants arrived at the Sepang circuit for the Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix there was some typically hot weather on Thursday morning welcoming them to town, with a torrential downpour drenching the paddock in the afternoon.

In contrast to the cool, fresh conditions of Phillip Island last time out, the MotoGP paddock had hot, sticky weather to acclimatise to in the morning (30°C heat and 83% humidity as of 10am local time) as final preparations took place ahead of the Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

The on-track action at the penultimate round of the season commences at the normal time of 9am on Friday, but first there was time for some build-up at the South East Asian circuit on Thursday, with a tropical storm arriving in the early afternoon as is typical in Malaysia at this time of year – a factor which could affect this weekend’s racing.

Traditional Malaysian dancers in full costume with typical local musical instruments brought some extra colour to the paddock, although such was the level of precipitation they had to stick close to the pit-boxes for shelter as they invited riders to try out a popular local game called `sepak takraw´ - which involves a group of people standing in a circle taking turns to balance a small rattan ball with their feet.

The more serious business of the official pre-event press conference took place in the customary 4pm slot, with Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha) joined by Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro), Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda), James Toseland (Tech3 Yamaha) and Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) in the state-of-the-art Sepang media centre.

2008 World Champion Rossi commented, ‘Although I clinched the title in Japan I still want to be competitive at every round and these last two races are really important for me. I did some crucial tests on my new Bridgestone tyres here in the winter but the settings I use have changed a lot since then so it will still be a tough weekend. The weather could play a big part here and even though this is a difficult track it is always a pleasure to ride.’

Source:
http://www.superbike-news.co.uk

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