Pedrosa expecting to be fighting fit for Brno

Monday, 11 August 2008
After resting and rehabilitating his finger and wrist injuries, Dani Pedrosa will be in better condition when he attempts to rejoin the title battle in the Czech Republic this weekend.

Dani Pedrosa resumes his title campaign at Brno after a devastating double of Grands Prix without adding to his points tally. The Repsol Honda rider has spent the time since his last attempt at riding the RC212V (in practice for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, an event from which he eventually withdrew) aiming for a more comprehensive recovery from his recent left wrist and index finger fractures.
`The holiday period gave me a good chance to relax and recover, so I hope I will be fine for Brno,´ says Pedrosa, now 41 points behind leader Valentino Rossi. `When I returned from Laguna Seca my doctor told me I needed a week and a half of complete rest. I couldn´t train so I spent an enjoyable few days in Majorca, disconnecting from everything and resting both my hand and foot. I had the stitches removed from my hand in Barcelona and then I started rehabilitation. The hand still hurts but the wrist has good mobility and the fingers are no longer swollen.´
`I started training last week, mostly on my bicycle. I hope I can have a good race at Brno to start the second part of the championship in the best possible way. It´s the kind of circuit that demands a gentle, fine riding style, you don´t need to be aggressive when taking the corners. It has just been resurfaced, so we will have to wait and see what the grip is like. The atmosphere is always great, with a big and enthusiastic crowd on race day,´ concluded the Spaniard, who is likely to resume work with the pneumatic valve RC212V engine at the post-race pair of testing sessions in Brno.

Rossi expecting Stoner charge at Brno


Valentino Rossi is expecting to have to counter a charge from title rival Casey Stoner when MotoGP returns to action at Brno this weekend.
The Italian went into the four-week summer break with a 25-point lead in the championship after defeating Stoner in a wheel-to-wheel battle at Laguna Seca. But Stoner had won three races in a row before that and Rossi expects the Ducati rider to be difficult to beat again.
"I know that Brno is going to be hard and that Casey will be a formidable competitor once again," he said. "We're going to have to work at the maximum from the first practice in order not to lose any time in finding out the right set-up for our bike.
"We have seven races left and I am dreaming of them all being as fun as Laguna Seca."
Although Rossi has had a tough time in the Czech Grand Prix recenly, he hopes his switch to Bridgestone tyres this year will change his fortune this season.
"Last year we had a bad time at Brno, however we're going there in a very different frame of mind - leading the championship, following a great win, and with our bike and tyres working well.
"I've had a good summer break and I'm really looking forward to going racing again."

MotoGP: Dovizioso concerned over new Brno surface



MOTOGP ROOKIE Andrea Dovizioso has voiced concerns over Brno's new tramac surface, ahead of this weekend's Czech GP. The Italian, who ranks fifth position overall in the championship standings, has said he's unsure what level of degradation the new surface will have on his Honda's tyres. He said:
“This year on the Brno circuit we will have another unknown factor as the Tarmac on the circuit has been re-laid so we will have to see how it affects the degradation of our tyres. It is a technical circuit with a wide variety of curves and turns: the circuit is challenging to go fast on but is enjoyable. Over the past two years, with the 250cc machine, I've got two second places but with the MotoGP bike it is difficult to make a prediction. I enjoy the track but it is not one of my favourites.”

From a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha:


The Fiat Yamaha Team resume their pursuit of the MotoGP World Championship title this weekend after a four-week summer holiday, with Valentino Rossi leading the series into what promises to be a thrilling seven-race climax. The Czech Republic hosts round twelve of eighteen, with the town of Brno staging a Grand Prix for the 39th time since the original 14km road circuit was first used back in 1965.

Rossi heads to the motorcycling heartlands of eastern Europe with renewed energy and ready to resume battle at one of his most successful circuits, following a stunning maiden win at Laguna Seca before the break. The 29-year-old took his first ever Grand Prix win at Brno in the 125cc class and has since added to his tally there with a 250cc success and three wins in MotoGP, as well as three second places in the top class. His success in America, which came after a thrilling tussle with Casey Stoner, means the Italian leads the Australian by 25 points at the top of the standings.

Jorge Lorenzo was also in need of a rest after picking up the latest in a string of injuries at Laguna, where a first lap crash left him nursing three broken metatarsals in his left foot. However, intense physiotherapy during the well-timed summer break sees him nearing full fitness as he returns to action at a circuit where he has taken 250cc victory from pole position for the last two seasons, in addition to a 125cc win back in 2004.

Whilst the riders have taken a well-earned rest, engineers at Yamaha’s factory headquarters in Japan have been working around the clock over the summer towards this weekend’s race, as well as for the two-day test that will take place afterwards. The well-balanced nature of the Brno circuit make it an ideal testing venue, with its winding chicanes and dramatic elevation changes retaining much of the character of the original road circuit, which wanders its way through the surrounding forests.


Valentino Rossi
“LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE RACING”

“Last year we had a bad time at Brno; I could only finish seventh and it was quite disheartening. This year, however, we’re going there in a very different frame of mind: leading the championship, following a great win and with our bike and tyres working very well. I’ve had a good summer break, just relaxing with my friends and family, but now I am really looking forward to going racing again. I know that Brno is going to be hard and that Casey will be a formidable competitor once again, and we’re going to have to work at the maximum from the first practice in order not to lose any time in finding out the right set-up for our bike. We have seven races left and I am dreaming of them all being as fun as Laguna Seca!”


Jorge Lorenzo
“HIGH HOPES”

"I am going to Brno with a high hopes and above all trying not to think about the disappointment of Laguna Seca; it’s behind me now. In the USA I was fast once again and I hope that I can carry on like this in the Czech Republic. I know that I can. Brno is a circuit that I like a lot, it’s one of my favourites. I've won there three times in 125cc and 250cc. It’s a good place for my riding style and the weather is normally perfect. Physically I feel very good after the crash and the injuries, I definitely feel as good as could be expected. It’s the first time this season that I’ve really had proper time to recover, thanks to the holidays, so I think I am in good shape. At the moment I am still using my crutches to walk but I have been able to do some training and I know that I won’t have a problem when I arrive in Brno on Thursday.”


Davide Brivio
“SEVEN KEY RACES”

"Brno will be the start of a very important run of seven rounds to the end of the season. With 25 points on Stoner and 41 on Pedrosa we are in a good position, but we have to manage this advantage in the remaining races. It will be an exciting end to the season, with Pedrosa back in the fight and Lorenzo, I am sure, able to re-join the ‘podium club’. Last year, at most of these final circuits, we weren't able to fight at the top but we are working hard now to be able to provide Valentino with the most competitive package to allow him to race at the front, as he has for the majority of this year’s races. Every race from now on will be very important and Brno could be one of the most difficult for us against our competitors. We have to use all of our potential and work at 100% in all of the practices. Everybody in Yamaha is extremely motivated and we can’t wait to be back in the battle, especially after the exciting Laguna Seca show!”


Daniele Romagnoli
“TIME FOR A GOOD RACE!”

“From talking to Jorge it seems that he is feeling much better; he is back in training and we are expecting him to be as fit as he could be in the circumstances. The crash was a huge disappointment but at least he has had the maximum time to get over it and we know that he will have made the most of the break. In Brno, the first aim for Jorge is to get back the feeling and confidence that he had at the start of the season, so that he can enjoy the remaining races. We need to rebuild his confidence in the bike. In practice at Laguna he was looking good – he was fast and qualified fourth. Then on the day we had some rear grip issues and the crash was very unfortunate. Rear grip is now the biggest thing we have to work on improving on the bike; we need to work together with Michelin to improve this. The new surface also adds an unknown quantity to this race and so tyre choice is going to be especially important. The team is very motivated and looking forward to getting back to work; we’re hoping for a good race, Jorge certainly deserves one!"

Yep, yep, Brno sure gonna be interesting... possibly more for it's pre race verbals than anything!

Dead interesting to see how Rossi goes... and if he struggles to get good lap times, what the KC camp will be hot airing about pre race...

Hey, Angela, are you "seeing" anymore Marlb. Ducati crashes in the near future?

Lets get ready to rummmmmmmmmmmmmmble!!!!!!!
We have Vale in the Yellow corner and Stacey Stoner in the pink corner or maybe thats red I just don't know!!

Finally........ Brno time




Last year we had a bad time at Brno; I could only finish seventh and it was quite disheartening.


He`s damn right. Last year`s race was positively the saddest one for me. The picture of him fighting with the Fichelins still chases me in my nightmares from time to time


...... thank God this year is totally different. Even if he doesn`t win (still I think he will) it just can`t get worse then last year so I `m pretty calm and relaxed about the race.


GO VALE!!!!!!!!!

Injured Hayden won't race at Brno

12 August 2008


Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden will miss this weekend's Czech Grand Prix due to a foot injury sustained during a Supermoto event at the X Games in Los Angeles on August 1. The 2006 MotoGP World Champion injured his right foot when he landed heavily from a jump.

"The injury is to a weight-bearing part of the foot and the doctors say that using too much pressure on the 'pegs could very easily give me some big problems," says Hayden who was riding a Honda CRF450 Supermoto bike and didn't crash in the incident.

"I went to Dr Ting and got the opinion of other specialists. I've done a lot with Ting, he knows the sport very well and he feels it would be quite risky to ride. He and the other specialists say that if I rode this week I might have to fight the injury for the rest of the year."

"As hard a decision as it is and as bad as I feel about it, I think I'm better off staying home doing rehab and physio, then come back fit at Misano and try to finish the season strong. There's been a lot of guys this year trying to ride less than a hundred per cent and actually making their problems worse."

"I certainly feel bad about it for my team and I apologise. I had the permission of HRC to do the Supermoto thing. I just wanted to do some riding during the break, have some fun and I thought that maybe it'd give me a little spark for the rest of the season, but it backfired on me."

Cant wait for sunday... Been waiting so long for this...

Valentino Rossi
“LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE RACING”

“Last year we had a bad time at Brno; I could only finish seventh and it was quite disheartening. This year, however, we’re going there in a very different frame of mind: leading the championship, following a great win and with our bike and tyres working very well. I’ve had a good summer break, just relaxing with my friends and family, but now I am really looking forward to going racing again. I know that Brno is going to be hard and that Casey will be a formidable competitor once again, and we’re going to have to work at the maximum from the first practice in order not to lose any time in finding out the right set-up for our bike. We have seven races left and I am dreaming of them all being as fun as Laguna Seca!”

Just a slight dig at Casey I think! Love it!