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Gibernau continues comeback preparations with Pyrenees training visit

motogp.com recently visited experienced Spanish rider Sete Gibernau during a week-long stay at the Northern Spanish ski resort of Baqueira-Beret, as the man returning to the MotoGP World Championship in 2009 worked on his physical condition before the long, hard season ahead.

Having been away from Grand Prix competition since his 2007 retirement due to collarbone and hand injuries, but having tested the Ducati Desmosedici GP9 last year, the 36 year-old is fully aware that his fitness must be up to scratch before pre-season testing begins again in February.

`Well we are trying to start the engines again!´ Gibernau joked with regard to his mountain visit. `It has been two years since I stopped and I haven´t been training so hard. Of course I have been doing little things, cycling and so on, but I have not been riding motorcycles or doing specific training. Right now we are trying to get ready because it is going to be a long season.´

Recovering from surgery before Christmas to remove the metalwork which had been supporting his collarbone, building up the strength in his upper body was the main motivation for his trip to the Pyrenees to undertake some long cross-country skiing sessions. Gibernau commented, `I had a plate taken out of my collarbone two months ago so I am still doing rehab, working on that area. With the surgery and injuries I have had in the past, in particular on my shoulders, we have to focus on that area, the shoulders, the arms, doing sessions here of up to an hour and a half.´

Revealing his philosophy on the physical side of riding the former Honda and Suzuki man continued, `Fitness is crucial. If your physical condition drops down during a race or for some period during the year then for sure the results will not come. There are 18 races and you need to be ready. You have very demanding circuits and difficult conditions like in Sepang where it is very hot. You don´t have to get too fit, just have a good base so that you are not thinking about your condition, that is the best way.´

Regarding the stiff competition he faces on his return to the premier class, Gibernau pointed to the younger generation of riders who have come through to present a huge threat in MotoGP in recent seasons.

He noted, `The new generation of riders are very young, all of them, but they already have a lot of experience. Jorge Lorenzo is a World Champion with a lot of experience, Dani Pedrosa, also Casey (Stoner), Nicky (Hayden) and Andrea Dovizioso.´

`There are a whole bunch of them out there that are young but they have a lot of talent. I think also the fact that the bikes are 800cc and have electronics makes them quite close to a 250cc machine which makes it easier for them to adapt to the bike. That doesn´t mean they have it easy in general though, it is just different and the championship is very competitive so it is going to be a tough year for sure.´

Source:
http://www.motogp.com

Pedrosa: `Pressure comes completely from me´

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has long been regarded as a title aspirant over the course of his three-year premier class career, and has justified expectations with two overall top 3 finishes in the last two seasons.

Speaking at the Bread&Butter show in Barcelona -which he attended alongside Repsol Honda team sponsor GAS with Claudio Grotto, CEO of Grotto SpA- on Thursday, the Spaniard acknowledged the onus on him to take the World Championship in 2009, but added that the obligation was entirely self-imposed.

`The pressure is completely mine. I try very hard and feel that I have to push myself,´ said the former 125cc and 250cc titlist. `I also have many people behind me, pushing for me to do well, and I am happy to have that.´

Looking ahead to the upcoming season, Pedrosa does not expect the competition to be any less difficult than in the past.

`It´s going to be tough; all of my rivals will be trying harder than last year, and the races will be tougher and with more fight. Valentino (Rossi) was the best last year, and he will be the reference point for us right from the start. My new teammate (Andrea Dovizioso) is likely to improve after a good rookie season, and he will become more powerful with experience.

`I´ve had a good break, rested a little, and healed my injuries. Now I feel good and excited about testing.´

Source:
http://www.motogp.com

de Villiers: I kept thinking of Stephane...

Giniel de Villiers admits he couldn't shake the fate of Stephane Peterhansel as he secured victory on the Dakar Rally.

Giniel de Villiers has expressed his relief of winning the 2009 Dakar Rally after finding himself in the right place at the right time during the latter stages of the event.

The South African driver clinched the win for Volkswagen, their first in the modern era of rally raid, after capitalising on Carlos Sainz's retirement in the latter stages of the event.

Embarking on a scrap for the win with team-mate Mark Miller, de Villiers eventually prevailed over the American to come home as one of the few drivers to experience only relatively minor problems throughout.

Even so, de Villiers admits he was nervous about entering the 13th and final stage, pointing out the heartbreaking retirement of Stephane Peterhansel in 2003 so close to the end.

"I'm so happy about having clinched this exploit for Volkswagen," he said. "This victory is worth more than any of the titles I won in touring car racing. The twelfth leg was the crucial day. Just before it I'd thought we'd be finishing in third place.

"I kept thinking about how our rival Stephane Peterhansel lost the rally with a huge lead one day before the finish in 2003. And so we again led the rally after the twelfth leg as well. The Race Touareg was running absolutely like a charm, and at such a tough edition of the Dakar Rally at that. That was the key to success.

"I want to thank everyone at Volkswagen for this. Even though I've now ended up winning precisely the 'Dakar' that was not staged in Africa, which is home to me: It was definitely a genuine Dakar Rally, and the toughest edition I've ever contested."

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

Ezpeleta believes Kawasaki will race

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta warns that Kawasaki must race in MotoGP in 2009; says Team Green is currently testing in Australia.

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has warned Kawasaki that its ZX-RRs must race in MotoGP this season - something that is looking more likely after a subsequent revelation that factory test rider Olivier Jacque is currently on track in Australia.

Kawasaki, which officially announced that it was suspending its factory MotoGP activities on January 9, has a contract with Dorna to race in MotoGP until 2011. Ezpeleta told La Gazetta dello Sport that he was willing to release Kawasaki from the final two years of that agreement, providing its bike are on the 2009 grid.

"It is an agreement until 2011, which Dorna has with all the factories," Ezpeleta told the sportspaper. "It cannot just be discarded.

"I have told Kawasaki that I would not accept this contract being broken and, since they have said that the costs for this season are budgeted, I have proposed that they race in 2009. In exchange I will release them from 2010 and 2011.

"The problem with this is that Kawasaki says it only has engines built for 25% of the championship and that they don't want to develop the rest. Therefore I am searching for a structure, in France, to do this for them. The final obstacle will be to get the Japanese to meet these people and agree to this scenario."

When asked how optimistic he was of success, Ezpeleta declared "I think that it will all be resolved" then revealed that Kawasaki are testing today (Wednesday) and that he expects the current team structure to remain.

"Today Olivier Jacque is testing at Eastern Creek, in Australia. The team will continue to be managed by Michael Bartholemy and it is important to safeguard the futures of John Hopkins and Marco Melandri."

Despite such optimism, Ezpeleta once again warned Kawasaki that it cannot simply walk away: "If Kawasaki will not race, I will take them to court."

Ezpeleta then added that he wants a series of cost cutting measures - such as a reduction in testing, and engines that last for two or three grand prix weekends - agreed before the start of this season and is aiming to boost grid numbers to 20 riders for 2010.

Kawasaki's apparent withdraw had reduced the 2009 MotoGP field to just 17 riders.

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

Melandri considering sabbatical

Marco Melandri may take a year off MotoGP if Kawasaki cannot find a buyer for its team, the Italian said.

The Japanese firm said earlier this month it was pulling out of the sport and would try to sell to an independent team.

"It wouldn't be great but ... to stop for a year would not be a huge problem," he said.

Melandri, who joined Kawasaki at the end of this season following a disappointing year with Ducati, said he hoped for a decision on a possible sale on Wednesday.

"I'm waiting. I hope the date is not put back because it is better to know for sure that you won't be racing, rather than carrying on with uncertainty," he added.

American John Hopkins was due to be his partner at Kawasaki next season.

Reuters

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

Atkinson behind the wheel of a Citroen

“The C4 really is a fantastic car to drive and I’m thankful to the team we were able to get a full day’s testing in ahead of Ireland,” said Atkinson after the test on Monday (12 January 2009). “This was our first time back in a rally car since the big accident in Wales but it all went very well and we got progressively faster as the day went on which was encouraging.”

Atkinson is driving the same car that took reigning World Rally Champion and the most successful rally driver of all time, Sébastien Loeb, to his fifth world title last year and which gave Citroen its fourth manufacturers’ title. “The C4 is a car you can really get a lot more out of the harder you drive it,” explained Atkinson, who finished second in two world events in 2008.

“It’s amazing how aggressively you can attack corners, yet it all stays very balanced and straight. I was able to work with team to find a suitable setup for Ireland so now the focus is on training and preparing for the event to put ourselves in the best possible position to perform.” The 29-year-old completed 180 kilometres in daylight and darkness where road conditions were both wet and dry as temperatures floated from a chilly -10 centigrade, in the early morning, to positive figures as the day progressed.

The test took place on a stage representative of the roads Atkinson is likely to experience on Rally Ireland in two weeks time where he will launch the Citroen C4 WRC into competition for the first time in his career. Throughout the test the Australian was able to work with the Citroën Sport Technologies team to find an ideal setup for Ireland while at the same time familiarise himself with the car.

With two stages set to run in darkness in Ireland the Queenslander was also able to complete four night runs over the 2.1 kilometre test road where he put in his fastest time of the session, suggesting the youngster progressed well in adapting to the new machinery.

Atkinson will contest the opening round of the 2009 WRC season in Ireland (30 Jan – 1 Feb) sporting the number 7 as a part of the newly formed Citroën Junior Team.

Source:
http://www.rallye-info.com

Stobart looking forward to 2009

Kicking off its season at Rally Ireland over January 30-February 1, the Cumbria-based squad will field three cars in the globe’s premier rally series, with the team’s Ford Focus WRCs prepared at M-Sport in Cumbria.

Drivers Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg will once again return to the team to contest all 12 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. Estonian pilot Urmo Aava and co-driver Kuldar Sikk have been added to the roster, with the duo scheduled to compete in eight rounds of the championship. The nominated points scorers for the squad will be selected on a round-by-round basis.

The team will continue to receive backing from major sponsor Stobart Group, the UK’s leading multimodal logistics solutions provider. The Cumbrian company’s unstinting support for its rally program was recently rewarded at the prestigious Motorsport Industry Association Awards when Stobart Motorsport claimed Rally Business of the Year. It received the award in recognition of successfully maximising its investment in the FIA World Rally Championship. Despite having a budget which is a fraction of the manufacturer-backed teams, it has successfully established itself as an outstanding performer both on and off the stages and has become a huge fan favourite across the world.

In 2008 the Stobart squad finished fourth in the Manufacturer Championship, and with four of its star drivers inside the top 10 in the Drivers’ Championship standings. The team finished the season on a high at Wales Rally GB when it was joined by global motorcycling superstar Valentino Rossi to celebrate its 50th outing in the World Championship.

The team’s iconic livery was also on display at the Race of Champions when two of its Stobart Ford Focus RS world rally cars were driven by the best-of-the-best at Wembley Stadium in England.

Stobart Group CEO Andrew Tinkler said:
“We are delighted to be involved in the World Rally Championship once again and are very excited about the team’s prospects in 2009. Stobart Group remains committed to its motorsport programme due to the fantastic return it receives in terms of global media exposure and business-to-business opportunities. We hope to see the Stobart drivers challenging for honours throughout the championship’s 12 rounds and continuing to fly the flag for the team at the premier level of rallying.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Principal Malcolm Wilson said:
“It is shaping up to be a very exciting season for the team. The driver line-up of Matthew, Henning and now Urmo Aava has the potential to deliver very good results, and the Ford Focus WRC will once again be an extremely competitive package. The main aim for the season will be to build on last year’s results and regularly score podium finishes. With a number of new events on the calendar - particularly in the first half of the season - and some significant rule changes, the Stobart team is looking forward to the challenge the FIA World Rally Championship will offer in 2009.”