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Rossi updates on condition, still eyeing Sepang

Valentino Rossi says he has made a good start to his rehabilitation process having eased himself back into training following his shoulder operation.

'The Doctor' went under the knife to correct the damage in his shoulder earlier this month [November], but with the stitches having now been removed, he is now able to begin some training on the rest of his body.

While surgeons initially raised concern that Rossi wouldn't quite be fully fit to participate in the next MotoGP test at Sepang in February – a crucial outing for the Italian as he looks to adapt to his new Ducati steed -, the seven-time world champion is more optimistic about the outcome.

“I'm undergoing rehabilition on my shoulder and the situation is improving,” he said on his personal website. “It's been two weeks since the operation and Doctor Porcellini has removed the stitches: I can now go back to the gym to workout - at least on the rest of my body - and continue to work on the shoulder, even if it's just passive rehab, to make sure we don't lose any mobility.

“In two weeks' time, I'll start actively working out, in the pool and in the gym, to be ready for the three day test at the start of February. We will have to move as fast as we can, but I hope to be in pretty good shape for the first test of 2011 with the Ducati at Sepang.”

Source: http://www.crash.net

Lorenzo: Spies relationship will be easier than Rossi

by Russell Atkins

Recently-crowned 2010 MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo has suggested that his relationship with new team-mate Ben Spies will likely be 'a little easier' than the sometimes rocky rapport he endured with Valentino Rossi over the past three seasons.

The frosty partnership between Lorenzo and Rossi was perhaps best evinced by the fact that a wall was erected in the FIAT Yamaha garage at the beginning of 2010 to divide the warring pair on race weekends, with no data passing from one side to the other. The move is understood to have pleased the Italian rather more than the Spaniard.

Lorenzo's burgeoning speed and potential and increasing stature inside the team has similarly posed problems. There were alleged ultimatums from Rossi this year and last – fervently denied by Yamaha management – that the team would have to choose between the pair for 2011, arguing that there was insufficient room at the inn for both of them. When it became apparent that Jorge was going nowhere, 'The Doctor' made his decision to jump ship to Ducati.

There was also, finally, the brutal, no-holds barred scrap over third place between the duo at Motegi in October – the very day after Lorenzo was reconfirmed for next year – with Rossi seemingly paying little heed to his team-mate's status as world champion-elect and subsequently being chided by Yamaha for having been 'not correct' and 'too aggressive'.

Boosted now by his title success and indisputably the number one at FIAT Yamaha heading into 2011, Lorenzo hopes he will enjoy a happier of time of things alongside Spies – a rider who, although highly-rated and tipped for a bright future in the sport off the back of an outstanding debut campaign in the premier class this year, will likely not pose too great a threat to the former double 250cc World Champion, initially at least.

“Ben seems like a nice guy,” Lorenzo told Crash.net Radio in an exclusive interview. “Our relationship is good. We share some jokes together, and I think it's going to be a little bit easier than with Valentino. We are rivals, we are competitors and we are going to fight to try to beat each other – that's the reality – but our relationship is going to be okay. Ben pushed me this year already! Next year with a factory bike and with more experience, for sure he is going to fight for wins – and maybe for the world title.”

The 23-year-old is also quick to downplay suggestions that as one of the few top MotoGP riders to be benefitting from continuity in 2011 – with chief rivals Rossi and Casey Stoner having switched to Ducati and Honda respectively – he is in pole position to lift the laurels for a second consecutive season.

“It depends,” he mused. “On the one hand, it's true that Valentino and Casey for example will be on new bikes that they don't have so much experience of, but they both have really high motivation, and this for sure will help them to be faster. Valentino is Italian and Ducati is Italian, so it's a big challenge for them – but I think they are going to fight to win from the first race. I think it's a really interesting change for MotoGP and all the people who watch it.”

Source: http://www.crash.net

Australia's Webber Defends Silence Over Shoulder Break

London. Australian Mark Webber has defended his silence over his broken shoulder while chasing this year’s Formula One title, saying his Red Bull team had no need to know about it.

The 34-year-old revealed in a book published in Australia this month that he fractured his shoulder falling off a mountain bike just before the Japanese Grand Prix while he was leading the standings.

The driver, who ended up third overall, said he had told only his physio and the FIA doctor about the injury that he carried through the final four races.

“A little bit of information can be a dangerous thing,” he said on his personal Web site in response to media reports this week.

“I came off a mountain bike while training between the races in Singapore and Japan, and an X-ray revealed a small fracture to my right shoulder. I was very confident it wouldn’t affect my performance in the car, which is why I didn’t tell anyone.

“There was no need. The shoulder wasn’t causing me a problem, so there was no need to talk about it to anyone,” added the Australian, who finished second in two of the last four races behind teammate and eventual champion Sebastian Vettel.

“If I’d had any issues with it in the car, then of course I would have told the team.

“But that wasn’t the case. I’ve never missed a Grand Prix but of course if I couldn’t drive the car safely and on the limit, I would have notified the team.”

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said on Monday he would have wanted to know.

“It is obviously disappointing Mark said nothing,” he said at an awards ceremony.

“It was an injury that did not appear to have any effect on his performance, but all the same it would have been nice to know about it.”

It was not the first time Webber has hidden an injury from the team.

In 2008, when he broke his leg in another mountain bike accident, he failed to tell the team that he had also broken his shoulder.

The Australian complained several times this season that he felt the team was emotionally favoring Vettel, describing himself as a No. 2 and his title challenge as “inconvenient” for the Austrian-owned team.

The latest injury came at a crucial part of the season and at a time when Webber was urging Red Bull to put its weight behind him rather than Vettel, who was behind him in the standings.

Webber said he had not undergone any operation since the end of the season, and the shoulder break was not the reason why he had missed the postseason tire test in Abu Dhabi. (Alan Baldwin)

Reuters

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com

Ferrari Dispels Job Fears After Title Loss

London - Ferrari will carry out minor tweaks to its Formula One team but no big changes after its failure to win a title this season, president Luca di Montezemolo said on Sunday.

Ferrari’s Spanish driver Fernando Alonso ended the year second overall after a strategy error in the final race at Abu Dhabi ended his hopes of a third world championship and crowned Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel instead.

The Italian team finished third in the constructors’ standings.

“We have very clear targets,” the team Web site quoted Montezemolo as saying at the Ferrari Mondiali event with fans and car owners from around the world at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit in eastern Spain.

“Right from Sunday night in Abu Dhabi I immediately tried to console our guys who were crying in the garage, spurring them to immediately look to the future.

“Changes within the team? That is not our philosophy, because for years now we have adopted a policy based on dynamic stability,” the Italian added. “A few minor adjustments are possible, but no major upheaval.”

Montezemolo paid tribute to Alonso, in his first season with Ferrari after winning his titles with Renault, and Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa.

“Alonso was amazing, both on and off the track, determined and full of self-belief, a real driving force,” he said.

“I expect a lot from Felipe next year. I am sure he will return to being the man we saw in 2008.”

Massa ended the season sixth overall after returning from serious head injuries suffered in a crash in Hungary in July 2009. He missed out on the title in 2008 by a single point to McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

Montezemolo said he was also happy with team principal Stefano Domenicali’s work in “moving us forward with great ability, spirit and a sense of balance.”

Reuters

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com

President praises national team`s performance at Asean Cup

Karangasem, Bali - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has praised the national football team`s performance at the ASEAN Football Championship.

The president made the commendation in remarks at the opening of a shrimp production center in Bugbug village, Karangasem district, on Monday.

"This is a good start. It proves that Indonesia can be successful in football," the president said.

But he also cautioned the Indonesian football team not remain content with its victory at the ASEAN championship where it had beaten Malaysia 5-1 and Laos 6-1. The president asked the team members to make its win a spur to further improve its performance in the days ahead.

The President recalled the moment when he last watched a friendly match between Indonesian and Uruguay. At the time, Indonesia was beaten 1-7 by the World Cup 2010 finalist.

"I felt sad at the time. But the national team has since continued to develop its capability and we can see the result now," said Yudhoyono. (*)

Source: http://www.antaranews.com

Indonesia ranked 15th in Asian Games 2010

Guangzhou - Indonesia finished 15th in medal collection in the current 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou winning four golds, nine silvers and 13 bronzes.

On the final day of the event on Saturday, Triyaningsih and Yahuza failed to increase the country`s medal collection from the 42.2 kilometer marathon race.

The bronze medals from karate fighter Donny Darmawan and sepaktakraw team were the last medals collected by the Indonesian contingent from the Games.

China meanwhile is assured to retain its general champion title winning 199 gold, 119 silver and 98 bronze medals, followed by South Korea with 76 gold, 65 silver and 91 bronze medals. Japan finished third with 48 gold, 74 silver and 94 bronze medals.

The more than two-week event demonstrated significant sports development in East Asia leaving other Asian regions far behind.

Iran with 20 gold, 14 silver and 25 bronze medals represented the power of West Asia while Khazakstan which is ranked fifth represents the power of former Soviet Union members while India with 14 gold, 17 silver and 33 bronze medals represent the power of South Asia.

Thailand which is ranked ninth meanwhile represents the srongest from Southeast Asia, followed by Malaysia with nine gold, 18 silver and 14 bronze medals.

"The Asian sports achievement is dominated by East Asia namely China, Japan, Korea and China Taipei. Other Asian regions have been left behind and have to work harder including Indonesia that has to prepare regeneration," Indonesia`s sports minister Andi Mallarangeng said.

He said Indonesia`s achievment rose from the 19th rank with two gold, three silver and 15 bronze medals in the last 15th Asian Games in 2006 to 15th rank with four gold, nine silver and 13 bronze medals in the 16th Asian Games this year.

The dragon boat teams saved Indonesia`s reputation contributing three of the four gold medals for the country. The other gold for the country came from the badminton men`s doubles.

"We appreciate the dragon teams for their best achievement in teh 16th Asian Games. Although it is a new event Indonesia was able to maximally exploit it," Andi said.

Indonesia collected its medals from sepaktakraw, weight lifting, karate, taekwondo, billiard, bowling, cycling, dragon boat, badminton and wushu.

"Eight branches were expected to contribute medals but in realization 11 branches were able to contribute medals," the general chairman of the Indonesian National Sports Committee/ Indonesia Sports Committee, Rita Subowo, said.

Regarding some quarters who undermined the gold medals from the dragon boat because the event is not competed in the Olympic Games and probably in the next Asian Games in South Korea in 2014, Andi said that they could not treat the achievement half-heartedly.

"The fact is that event is official and therefore we have to be grateful over the success in the event. On the other hand however we also have to conduct evaluation with regard to targets that were not met," he said.

Andi expressed his appreciation to the fight that the athletes had demonstrated in the event.

"They have fought hard for the country and nation. They are heroes. For those who could not win medals must not be discouraged because they would still be trusted to become the main power for the next event namely the 16th Southeast Asia Games in 2011 in Indonesia," he said.(*)

Source: http://www.antaranews.com

RI official satisfied with four golds

Jakarta - The chairman of the Indonesian contingent to the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, said he was satisfied with the four gold medals the Indonesian athletes had won so far in the events.

"We are satisfied enough with the four gold medals which we have snatched until today. This is a special achievement for us," contingent chairman Suhartono Suratman said at the office of the Indonesian Consulate General in Guangzhou, on Tuesday.

He admitted however that Indonesian athletes failed to present the best for the country in several sports branches on which Indonesia actually rest its hopes.

Suhartono said that with that failure it would pose a potential threat in the next Sea Games in Indonesia next year.

The sports branches are wushu and beach volleyball. Indonesian athletes failed to present their best achievements in these branches, he said.

"We should not be careless. we should have strong spirit in developing ourselves in branches where we failed," he said.

Up to Tuesday, Indonesia has collected four gold, eight silver and 10 bronze medals in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.(*)

Source: http://www.antaranews.com