MotoGP-Assen

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Yamaha Prepare for Historic TT Assen

Yamaha Factory Racing arrives in the Netherlands this week for the Historic TT at the Assen circuit. Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo arrives having won the last two consecutive races in Mugello and Catalunya and looking for a third victory as he closes in on Championship leader Dani Pedrosa. The Dutch circuit is a favourite of his having taken a 125cc victory in 2004, 250cc wins in 2006 and 2007 and a premier class win in 2010.

Valentino Rossi arrives in the Netherlands for the Dutch TT in confident mood and keen to take advantage of positive results taken from the two days of recent testing in Barcelona and Aragon. With improved braking stability into corners and general set up Rossi is confident at making a step forward in the quick fire qualifying heat on Friday to challenge for the front of the grid. The nine-time champion can also claim wins in all three classes with a 125cc victory in 1997, a 250cc victory in 1998 and an incredible five premier class victories in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

The historic Dutch ?Tourist Trophy? race has been run since 1925, originally on the roads around Assen before being moved closer to a road racing circuit in 1955. The track experience a major re-design in 2006 however the finish line remains the original and is unchanged in position. The YZR-M1s of Lorenzo and Rossi will need to be set up to optimize performance on the ?Cathedral?s? fast sweeping corners.
Jorge Lorenzo

Well, I?m quite happy after winning at Mugello and also Montmel?, two important victories for both me and the team for the Championship. We were in a very good shape these last two races and I feel stronger than ever and really hungry to win. I think in the last two races we made a quite big step on the bike to get the consistency on race pace. Assen has been my favourite track ever. I love the circuit, historic, quick and very flowing, but also I love the landscape, the ambience and I have always liked the country. I am very motivated to go there and try to keep this line of winning, even more after our good test at Barcelona and Aragon, when we achieved some improvements for the future.?
Valentino Rossi

?I am very happy about the test in Aragon and I'm looking forward to going to Assen. The settings that we tested were positive and now I feel more feeling with the bike, especially when braking. For me it is an important step and I really want to try the new set-up in another track. I hope that this improvement will help me also to get a better starting position as it is so important to make the best qualification possible. Assen is a great track, I love it and it brings to mind a lot of good memories. We'll try to leave this good feeling with the track and the bike to improve our results?.

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing - Team Manager
?I hope Assen is giving us a little bit more than last year, the race was very short! We have to forget that now; last season at Assen we learnt that you might also need a bit of luck during races. This year we have to keep smooth and calm and I think we can possibly win three in a row although it is not easy as we know. Jorge likes Assen a lot and of course he has a special feeling there. I have the same feeling with the crowd because it is my country. Hopefully we can close the gap with Dani there and see another top fight at the front.?


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing - Team Director
?Following the last two days of testing, where we really found good and interesting things, we are now going to approach the next race with a lot of enthusiasm and positivity. We were finally able to try the set up that at first we could not due to the short time available. Finally, in the two days of testing in Spain we could focus in the search for an optimal set-up and we had excellent feedback. In Assen we will try to start the weekend in the best way, from the first day and I think it will be a very interesting weekend for us.?

Jorge Lorenzo
Rider Statistics

Age 26
Lives Barcelona (Spain)
Bike Yamaha
GP victories 47 (26 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts 185 (91 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole position 53 (27 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships 4 (MotoGP 2010/12, 250cc, 2006/7)
Valentino Rossi
Rider Statistics

Age 34
Lives Tavullia (Italy)
Bike Yamaha
GP victories 105 (79 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory Czec Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts 282 (222 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole position 59 (49 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
World Championships 9 (MotoGP 2009/08/05/04/03/02, 500cc 2001, 250cc 1999, 125cc 1997)

2013 MotoGP Netherlands
Assen 25/06/2013


Circuit Length:
4555

Lap Record:
1'34.525
(Daniel Pedrosa, 1-1-2010)

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'33.713
(Casey Stoner, 30-6-2012)

Last Years Winner:
Casey Stoner

 

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Repsol Honda Team head to Assen still leading the MotoGP Championship

Dani Pedrosa will arrive in Assen for this week's Dutch TT, leading the Championship after six rounds of the 2013 season. His teammate, Marc Marquez, is 3rd after another impressive podium finish in Catalunya just 9 days ago.

A favourite for the fans and for the riders, Assen is the only venue to have held a round of the Motorcycle World Championship every year since its creation in 1949. Both Repsol Honda riders have enjoyed good results in Assen with Dani taking seven podium finishes there including a victory in 2002 (125cc). Marc has a fantastic recent history at the circuit having won in 2012 (Moto2), 2011 (Moto2) and also in 2010 (125cc).

Last week, Honda Racing Corporation tested their new 2014 prototype machine in Aragon. The bike has been introduced earlier than normal due to the absence of the usual Brno post-race test after the Summer break. If the team had waited until the Misano test (16th September) it would be too late to make any big changes as a result of the feedback from factory riders Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez.

The test was positive and both Dani and Marc had similar comments about the 2014 RC213V, as did LCR's Stefan Bradl. As well as normal upgrades to the bike, HRC have had to target specific regulation changes such as a smaller fuel tank for 2014 (by 1 litre), in addition to other areas that the factory riders have requested be developed.

Both riders have chosen not to use this new evolution immediately, as they are happy with the current bike, leaving HRC some time to perfect the new prototype and allowing the riders to concentrate on their current programme and fight for the World Championship.

The race weekend in Assen begins on Thursday with Qualifying on Friday and the race on Saturday, as it was originally frowned upon for the race to be hosted on Sunday for religious reasons.



Dani Pedrosa - Championship Standing: 1st - 123 points

"After a good race in Catalunya and an important 20 points, I still lead the Championship and I am looking forward to Assen. I won my first ever race there and have very special memories. The weather can be temperamental so I hope we get some dry track time on Friday to find a good setting! It is a good track but it's important to have a good feeling with the tyres because there are several fast corners. I hope we can keep the momentum going and do a good race"

Marc Marquez - Championship Standing: 3rd - 93 points

"I had a difficult weekend in Catalunya but in the race, riding behind Dani, I was able to learn many things. The Aragon test was useful and we were able to solve some problems we've experienced in the last few races and also get to know the Honda RC213V a lot better! I know the weather in Assen can be unpredictable so it will be important to make the most of the dry track time we have. I like the circuit and I am feeling really good at the moment so it will be interesting to get there on the MotoGP machine!"

Shuhei Nakamoto - HRC Executive Vice President

"The test of the RC213V 2014 prototype has been very constructive. Dani, Marc and Stefan all gave us similar comments regarding the positive and negative aspects of the new bike and these will be very important in order to proceed with the development for next season. This test has also been very useful to work with the set up of the current bike and help Dani and Marc find something they both like. The fact that they are happy with the 2013 version of the RC213V puts no pressure on us to race with the new prototype, so we will continue with its development as planned, and will be back in Europe to the test after Misano or for the one after Valencia"

 

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Ducati Team heads to the "Cathedral"

With the 2013 season having passed its one-third mark at the Catalan Grand Prix, the Ducati Team now travels to the Netherlands? legendary TT Circuit Assen, the northernmost point on the MotoGP calendar. The championship?s longest-standing round and its only race to be held on a Saturday, Assen is a unique event that is rich in history. The circuit has undergone several modifications over the years, including a slight revision last year, but one thing that has never varied is the huge crowd of fanatical spectators that the event invariably draws.

Nicky Hayden has enjoyed the Assen TT since he started in MotoGP in 2003, and it played host to one of his three victories, in 2006 (his championship-winning year). Although Dovizioso has never been victorious at the Dutch track, he has a solid record of respectable results there, including premier-class podium finishes in each of his last two visits.

Andrea Dovizioso ? Ducati Team
?First of all, the weather should certainly be a bit cooler in Holland than it was in Barcelona, and that can only be good for us. The Assen circuit isn?t like it used to be when it was one of the nicest tracks on the calendar, and it?s completely different from the last couple of tracks we?ve been to. I?m curious to see how the Desmosedici will go at Assen. We?ll use the same bike that we had at Barcelona, so without the updated frame. I must admit that I haven?t had much luck at Assen and that I?ve only had a pair of third-place finishes in the last two years, so we hope to go better this time!?

Nicky Hayden ? Ducati Team
?It was nice to be home for a weekend for the first time in quite a while, but I certainly feel fresh and ready to come back strong and finish out this next little stretch of races before the summer break. The next three rounds are all at tracks that I like a lot, and Assen in particular is a great circuit with a great history. I really enjoy it, and I feel focused and ready. Hopefully we can use the information from the test in Barcelona to have a good race.?

Vittoriano Guareschi ? Team Manager
?Assen is a very technical track where it?s important to be able to find a setup that makes the bike manageable but that still has stability for the fast final part, which is the only section remaining from the old track. We?ll have to work a lot on the setup to avoid the problems that we had last year, so it?ll be important to have a good balance and manage good tyre life. Both of our riders have had some good results in the past at Assen: Nicky likes the track a lot, and although Andrea isn?t quite so fond of it, there are reasons to think we should have a good race.?


TT Circuit Assen Records
Circuit Record: Dani Pedrosa (Honda ? 2012), 1:34.548 ? 172.940 Km/h (107.460 mph)
Best Pole: Casey Stoner (Honda ? 2012), 1:33.713 ? 174.481 Km/h (108.417 mph)
Circuit Length: 4.542 km (2.822 mi)
2013 MotoGP Race: 26 laps (118.092 km/73.379 mi)
2013 MotoGP Schedule: 3:00 p.m. Local Time

2012 podium: 1st Casey Stoner (Honda), 2nd Dani Pedrosa (Honda), 3rd Andrea Dovizioso (Yamaha)
2012 pole: Casey Stoner (Honda) 1:33.713 ? 174.481 Km/h (108.417 mph)

Ducati Team Results at Assen (best finish)
2012: 6th (Hayden)
2011: 4th (Rossi)
2010: 3rd (Stoner)
2009: 3rd (Stoner)
2008: 1st (Stoner)
2007: 2nd (Stoner)
2006: 12th (Hofmann)
2005: 9th (Checa)
2004: 8th (Capirossi)
2003: 6th (Capirossi)

Ducati Team ? Rider Info

Andrea Dovizioso
Bike: Ducati Team Desmosedici GP13
Race number: 04
Age: 27 (born in Forlimpopoli, Italy, 23 March 1986)
Residence: Forl?, Italy
Number of GPs: 192 (94 x MotoGP, 49 x 250cc, 49 x 125cc)
First GP: 2001 Italian GP (125cc)
Number of wins: 10 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
First GP win: 2004 South African GP (125cc)
Poles: 14 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 9 x 125cc)
First pole: 2003 French GP (125cc)
World Championships: 1 (1 x 125cc)

Dovizioso?s MotoGP track record at Assen
2012: Grid, 7th; Race, 3rd
2011: Grid, 5th; Race, 3rd
2010: Grid, 6th; Race, 5th
2009: Grid, 8th; Race, NC
2008: Grid, 11th; Race, 5th

Dovizioso?s 250 track record at Assen
2007: Grid, 2nd; Race, 4th
2006: Grid, 3rd; Race, 3rd
2005: Grid, 7th; Race, 7th

Dovizioso?s 125 track record at Assen
2004: Grid, 3rd; Race, 4th
2003: Grid, 16th; Race, 10th
2002: Grid, 19th; Race, 11th

Nicky Hayden
Bike: Ducati Team Desmosedici GP13
Race number: 69
Age: 31 (born in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA, 30 July 1981)
Residence: Owensboro (Kentucky, USA)
Number of GPs: 173 (173 x MotoGP)
First GP: 2003 Japanese GP (MotoGP)
Number of wins: 3 (3 x MotoGP)
First GP win: 2005 USA GP (MotoGP)
Poles: 5 (5 x MotoGP)
First pole: 2005 USA GP (MotoGP)
World Championships: 1 (6 x MotoGP, 2006)

Hayden?s MotoGP track record at Assen
2012: Grid, 9th; Race, 6th
2011: Grid, 9th; Race, 5th
2010: Grid, 5th; Race, 7th
2009: Grid, 13th; Race, 8th
2008: Grid, 4th; Race, 4th
2007: Grid, 13th; Race, 3rd
2006: Grid, 4th; Race, 1st
2005: Grid, 5th; Race, 4th
2004: Grid, 16th; Race, 5th
2003: Grid, 12th; Race, 11th

 

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Assen ? Round 7 of the 2013 season

After the long Spanish weekend, the MotoGP teams and riders now arrive at Assen, where the TT will be traditionally held on the Saturday.

Michele Pirro will again line up for the Ignite Pramac Racing Team in his usual role of tester and substitute-rider for American Ben Spies, who is still working on his shoulder rehab. The rider from San Giovanni Rotondo is aiming to bounce back after a disappointing race weekend at Barcelona and is determined to analyze all the possibilities in order to produce a good race and get important feedback relating to the development of the Desmosedici GP13 'lab' bike.

The circuit, long considered ?The Cathedral? especially created to host the Dutch TT in 1954, race that until then was organized along public roads, is particularly tight with many quick (rapid) changes in direction that will engage the three categories? riders, during this new round of the 2013 World Championship.

Michele Pirro - Ignite Pramac Racing Team
"Assen is definitely a great track, even though I liked it better before the change. I'm happy to be able to continue racing, and at the same time the development of the ?lab? bike, as this allows me to get important data and information. I'm ready to do a good job during these three days, because in Barcelona I worked harder than expected. I?ll do my best, and I?d definitely really like to thank the team and Ducati for the opportunity and the trust placed in me.?

 

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Wet and cloudy first day at Dutch TT

The weather conditions that welcomed the 24 riders of the MotoGP World Championship to the Assen TT circuit were very different from those at the last GP, in Spain.

The first free practice session took place in low temperatures?15? C air and 33? C asphalt (59? F and 63? F, respectively)?and the mercury dropped further during the second session, which was also marked by a heavy rain.

It was a day of learning for Andrea Iannone, who concluded with a result that wasn?t particularly satisfactory. Still, he was able to begin the setup work that will continue tomorrow, when he hopes for better weather conditions.

Andrea Iannone ? Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
"It 's been a difficult day. We weren?t very fast this morning. At first I focused on the track, in order to understand how to approach it aboard a MotoGP bike, and we?re still working to get faster. This afternoon in the rain, I immediately had a hard time, but then we made some small changes that helped me to improve my lap time a bit. Unfortunately, the session finished before I could do much more. In any case, we still have tomorrow?s entire FP3 session to use to see if we can be faster and more effective."

 

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Mixed conditions on day one in Assen for Pedrosa and Marquez

The Dutch TT has begun under mixed conditions today in Assen. This morning's FP1 session was a chilly 14?C with a low track temperature of 17?C and both Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez set to work on soft front and soft rear Bridgestone tyres. On his last exit, Marc tested a hard front to asses the difference and on his final lap of 19, he put in his fastest lap of the session with 1'35.883, placing him third in the standings. Dani remained on the soft option tyres for the whole session and was fifth fastest with 1'36.034 on lap 13 of 19.



In the afternoon, with temperatures similar to the morning, the riders had a new element to deal with as rain arrived for the entire session. Marc took the fastest time with 1'47.617 on his final lap of 18 and Dani was third with 1'48.240 on his last lap of 17.



Marc Marquez - 3rd - 1'35.883

"I'm happy because today went pretty well. From the beginning I felt good on the bike, both in the dry and wet conditions. Obviously there are still things to improve, especially in the dry, but overall I felt very comfortable and we?ll see if tomorrow the weather holds out for us, although the forecast is not too good. I hope for at least one dry practice in order to try to improve the setup, so fingers crossed we can have that tomorrow. As for the injury suffered by Jorge, he has been very unlucky. I think it's only the second crash that he has had this year, and it?s resulted in injury ? which you never wish on any rider. I hope he makes a speedy recovery; I?m sure that in Germany he will be ready for battle again"



Dani Pedrosa - 5th - 1'36.034

"In today's sessions we rode on both dry and wet asphalt. In the dry the feeling was a lot more difficult than usual. With such a cold track it's difficult to get grip in the tyres and you skid a lot when cornering, so we could not ride comfortably. We'll see if it's possible to improve the bike with regards to this over the next few sessions if we have dry conditions again. In the rain we improved a little and we were able to try some things out. The downside of today was the injury to Jorge. It's a shame that he crashed and that it turned out so badly for him. As a rider, I know that now is a difficult time for him, so hopefully he can get through these days as best he can, as things like this are very painful"



Practice Results

1 - Jorge Lorenzo - 1?35.263 - SPA - YAMAHA - Yamaha Factory Racing

2 - Cal Crutchlow - 1?35.613 - GBR - YAMAHA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3

3 - Marc Marquez - 1?35.883 - SPA - HONDA - Repsol Honda Team

4 - Valentino Rossi - 1?35.958 - ITA - YAMAHA - Yamaha Factory Racing

5 - Dani Pedrosa - 1?36.034 - SPA - HONDA - Repsol Honda Team

6 - Aleix Espargaro - 1?36.430 - SPA - ART - Power Electronics Aspar

7 - Stefan Bradl - 1?36.559 - GER - HONDA - LCR Honda MotoGP

8 - Alvaro Bautista - 1?36.763 - SPA - HONDA - Go & Fun Honda Gresini

9 - Michele Pirro - 1?36.910 - ITA - DUCATI - Ignite Pramac Racing Team

10 - Bradley Smith - 1?37.002 - GBR - YAMAHA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3

11 - Andrea Dovizioso - 1?37.041 - ITA - DUCATI - Ducati Team

12 - Nicky Hayden - 1?37.153 - USA - DUCATI - Ducati Team

13 - Karel Abraham - 1?37.346 - CZE - ART - Cardion AB Motoracing

14 - Hector Barbera - 1?37.456 - SPA - FTR - Avintia Blusens

15 - Randy De Puniet - 1?37.489 - FRA - SUZUKI - Suzuki Test Team

16 - Andrea Iannone - 1?37.538 - ITA - DUCATI - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team

17 - Danilo Petrucci - 1?37.654 - ITA - IODA-SUTER - Came IodaRacing Project

18 - Yonny Hernandez - 1?37.917 - COL - PBM - Paul Bird Motorsport

19 - Colin Edwards - 1?38.147 - USA - FTR-KAWASAKI - NGM Mobile Forward Racing

20 - Claudio Corti - 1?38.334 - ITA - FTR-KAWASAKI - NGM Mobile Forward Racing

21 - Michael Laverty - 1?38.874 - GBR - PBM - Paul Bird Motorsport

22 - Bryan Staring - 1?39.708 - AUS - FTR-HONDA - Go & Fun Honda Gresini

23 - Ivan Silva - 1?39.950 - SPA - FTR - Avintia Blusens

24 - Lukas Pesek - 1?41.692 - CZE - IODA-SUTER - Came IodaRacing Project

 

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Disaster for Lorenzo Whilst Rossi Finds Form in Assen

Despite being the fastest rider in the first day of practice today, the Assen TT proved again to be a disaster for the third year running for current World Champion Jorge Lorenzo. The Mallorcan had dominated the morning dry session and had shown an impressive pace in the afternoon?s wet practice until a huge high side at the fastest corner of the track. The first diagnosis is a left clavicle fracture which will require surgery. As a result the title challenger will miss Saturday?s Dutch Grand Prix.

Team mate Valentino Rossi's confidence in the improved set up of the YZR-M1 after the recent Spanish test continued today with the Italian nine-time champion showing a competitive pace in both the morning dry session and afternoon wet practice. Rossi was fourth in the morning, 0.6 seconds from first in the dry, then rose to second in the afternoon downpour, just 0.25 seconds from front man Marc Marquez.
Valentino Rossi - 4th / 1'35.958 / 36 laps

?It's been a positive day for us because in the dry it was not so bad this morning, we continued to work with our new setting and the first impression was positive, although we still have to work to improve. We had something important to try this afternoon in the dry but unfortunately it was wet. Anyway we continued our work in the wet and it was a good practice, we did a good job with our new setting and the bike was also very good in the wet. I improved lap by lap; I had good pace and I was in second position. We have to continue to work in both conditions, everybody knows here in Assen it can be wet or dry. Unfortunately Jorge had a big crash and an injury. It's a great pity for Yamaha, for the Team and for him as he is fighting for the Championship. I hope that he comes back as soon as possible, hopefully for the next race in Sachsenring. I hope to do a good result because I am now the man of the team for Yamaha, for the Factory team and all the guys.?
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

?Unfortunately we didn't start the practice in Assen as we wanted. Jorge, after an incredible free practice one, had a crash in the wet in the afternoon and he broke his collarbone. This is a real pity as we were coming from two brilliant results and looking for a third. We have to accept this, it is part of our sport. We wish him the best to come back as soon as possible and stronger than before. Vale did two good practices, it seems the feeling he was looking for in the front is back. Fortunately we had the opportunity to test in Barcelona and in Aragon to find it. Let?s see tomorrow what we can do. Here it is very difficult to predict the weather forecast but we are ready whatever the circumstances.?
Dr. Xavier Mir - Chief of Hand Surgery at the Dexeus Hospital (Barcelona) and MotoGP Team Medical Doctor

?Jorge has a high inertia trauma but results are normal from initial neurological examination. We will move to Assen to make head and chest scans and also an abdominal exploration. Our first diagnosis revealed that there is a left clavicle fracture with a slight shift that will need surgery to repair the bone. This injury is in the background while we rule out any other major injury that may become apparent within 24 hours. These kind of impacts at more than 200 km/h need some time for the body to recover to be able to discard any other major injuries. In principle tomorrow he can travel and within 48 hours he will be operable.?
Crutchlow fast in wet and dry conditions in Assen

Preparations for the unique Dutch TT started in contrasting weather conditions at the historic Assen track today, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow demonstrating a fast and competitive pace in dry and wet practice sessions. The British rider made a confident start to the seventh round of the 2013 campaign in cool and overcast conditions this morning and a lap of 1.35.613 placed him second on the leaderboard behind reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo. Crutchlow was the only rider to lap within 0.5s of Lorenzo?s blistering FP1 pace and he was optimistic he could have challenged for the top three again this afternoon. Torrential rain started to hammor down on the Assen track, which hosts the only Saturday race on the MotoGP schedule, just 15 minutes before the start of FP2. Crutchlow started the session supremely confident of his potential in the rain after he raced to a career best second position on a wet track at Le Mans last month. His confidence was well placed and he led the timesheets in the final stages of the session but rather than take unnecessary risks he opted to pull into the pits and was not out on track when a host of riders improved their pace right at the end. He eventually finished seventh.

Today was a positive experience for Bradley Smith, the British rider producing another impressive display just 10 days after he underwent double surgery on his left hand and wrist in Barcelona. The 22-year-old had a screw inserted in the scaphoid bone in his left wrist that he damaged in a crash during practice for the recent Mugello round and while the operation was a success, he is still experiencing pain and discomfort in the hard braking zones at Assen. Smith was immediately fast on his YZR-M1 machine in FP1 though and a personal best lap of 1.37.002 placed him 10th and just over a second outside of the top three. With FP2 a rain-soaked affair and with further wet weather forecast for tomorrow, Smith?s outstanding effort to finish in the top 10 this morning could have earned him a deserved place in tomorrow afternoon?s QP2.
Cal Crutchlow 2nd / 1'35.613 / 38 laps

?I am really happy with today. I was second in the dry this morning although I need to improve my pace in the first sector because the gap to Lorenzo in that section was pretty big. The gap of everybody else was pretty big to be fair and Jorge was doing an amazing job. It?s a huge shame that he got injured in FP2 and I wish him a speedy recovery because the Championship is not the same with him not in it. In the rain this afternoon I was very comfortable and I am one of the fastest on track. Before the end of the session I didn?t want to take any risks so I came into the pits and lost a few places. Had I stayed out I am sure I could have been in the top three again but I am happy enough with my performance in both conditions.?
Bradley Smith 10th / 1'37.002 / 31 laps:

?This morning was very positive being in the top 10. I was determined to try and get in the top 10 in case the rain continues and it means I am immediately into QP2 and that?s very good. I don?t feel too bad physically at the moment but my wrist is still hurting quite a lot and I need to see if I can reduce the pain, especially in the braking area. I had a good pace in the wet and I got behind Valentino for three laps and that helped and he didn't really pull away. I only did 11-laps in the rain because it wasn?t worth taking too many risks and I didn?t want to stress the wrist too much.?

2013 MotoGP Netherlands
Assen 27/06/2013
1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'35.263
2 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'35.613
3 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 1'35.883
4 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'35.958
5 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'36.034
6 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 1'36.430
7 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 1'36.559
8 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 1'36.763
9 Michele Pirro Ducati ITA 1'36.910
10 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 1'37.002
11 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 1'37.041
12 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 1'37.153
13 Karel Abraham ART CZE 1'37.346
14 Hector Barbera FTR ESP 1'37.456
15 Randy De Puniet ART FRA 1'37.489

 

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Challenging first day at Assen TT

The first day of on-track action at the Assen TT featured a dry morning free-practice session and a rainy afternoon session. Both presented challenges for the Ducati Team, but as is often the case, Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden fared better in the wet.

Both riders struggled to find grip in chilly FP1, finishing with the eleventh and twelfth best times. Things also proved difficult in the early going of the afternoon outing, but adjustments resulted in improved rain settings by the end of the 45-minute session, at which point the teammates sat tied at fifth-best with identical times of 1:48.682.

However, the faster morning conditions mean that Dovizioso and Hayden were still eleventh and twelfth best on combined times after FP2. The Ducati Team hopes for good conditions tomorrow morning so that they?ll have an opportunity to move into the top ten and thereby advance directly to Q2.

Andrea Dovizioso - Ducati Team, 11th (1:37.041)
?We did okay in the wet this afternoon, as we know that our bike has good rear grip in these conditions. In the dry session this morning however we struggled a bit, and we?re still some way off the fastest guys. I made a small mistake in a corner during a fast lap, but that?s not important, as our pace in the wet is good. I?ve learned from experience to never wish for rain, as something bad can always happen in those conditions, but it was tough this morning. I don?t know if we?ll be able to reduce the gap in the dry, so at this point I prefer the wet! In the end, although the track?s grip isn?t bad, the white lines are slipperier than at other circuits, and a couple of times, I risked having a crash like Lorenzo?s.?

Nicky Hayden - Ducati Team, 12th (1:37.153)
?It?s been a very difficult day, especially this morning. I don?t know if it?s due to the tyre, but I really had no grip, particularly on corner entry. The bike was moving a lot, and it was hard to go fast. Even in the rain this afternoon, it was hard to get any feeling. I certainly need to do a better job tomorrow, and hopefully we can find something to make the bike work better. The forecast says it might not be dry again until race day, so it?s going to be really interesting. We?ll just keep plugging away and see what we can do.?

 

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Rossi Scores Fourth in Assen TT Qualifying

Yamaha Factory Racing?s Valentino Rossi secured fourth position in qualifying today for tomorrow?s Grand Prix of the Netherlands. After a wet morning practice the nine-time world champion enjoyed a dry qualifying session this afternoon, initially climbing to fourth position on his first set of rubber. With eight minutes remaining of the 15 minute quick-fire session Rossi pitted for a new rear tyre before heading back out. As the last minutes ticked down the pace increased and a potential pole position looked possible as he topped the time sheets with a 1?34.974 lap. A late flurry of hot laps from rivals as the clock hit zero left no time for a reply, leaving the Italian just 0.096 seconds off the front row in fourth for tomorrow?s race.

Having made a significant step forward in set up during the recent Spanish tests Rossi has been strong in both wet and dry conditions this weekend, consistently in the fastest group and showing a very competitive pace for race day.

Rossi?s teammate Jorge Lorenzo returns to Assen this afternoon after surgery last night in Barcelona to repair a collarbone injury sustained in yesterday?s wet second practice session. Lorenzo did not take part in the qualifying heat.
Valentino Rossi 4th / 1'34.974 / 9 laps

?I?m happy for my speed, my pace and my performance in the practices. I feel good with the setting of the bike. It's a pity I didn't stay on the first row as I think I had the potential to do a little better and stay in the first three. Anyway, I?m fourth, the best qualifying of the season and especially I have a good pace, even after a lot of laps so I?m happy. Now we wait for tomorrow, we have some small modifications to make to the settings and we have to hope that the weather will be good. I hope for a dry race, but if it is wet I hope it is 100% wet, half and half is the worst conditions.?
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

?It has been the best qualifying session for Vale this year which is really promising as we know he is more of a racer than a pole man. He has been pretty fast and consistent in all the sessions so it looks like he is ready for tomorrow. It is important because it means we have made a good job in the last week. We are waiting for Jorge?s final status however we look forward to the race with good prospects whatever the weather conditions.?
Dutch delight for Crutchlow with maiden pole position

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow delivered a sensational performance at the historic Assen track in Holland this afternoon to storm to a maiden MotoGP pole position for tomorrow?s Dutch TT. The French-based Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad had double reason to celebrate in cool and cloudy conditions after rookie Bradley Smith produced an equally stunning display to qualify in a career best sixth position for tomorrow?s 26-lap race.

Crutchlow threw down the gauntlet to the rest of the field right from the start of QP2, his first flying lap of 1.35.613 sending him soaring to the top of the timesheets. Bumped down to fourth when he started his last lap attack, he produced an exhibition in controlled and aggressive riding, the 27-year-old almost 0.5s ahead of the best pace as he entered the final section of the legendary Assen track. Having been narrowly beaten to pole position in Qatar and Catalunya, British rider Crutchlow wasn?t to be thwarted again and he grabbed the headlines today with a perfect final lap of 1.34.398 that secured a career first pole position by a comfortable margin of 0.357s over Marc Marquez. Crutchlow?s phenomenal result saw him become the first British rider to claim a MotoGP pole position since Jeremy McWilliams in 2002.

There was plenty to be proud of on the opposite side of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 garage this afternoon after Smith?s heroics ensured he will start from the second row of the grid for the first time in his premier class career. Still troubled by pain and discomfort from a recovering left wrist injury he sustained in Mugello recently, Smith brilliantly powered his YZR-M1 machine to sixth position with a best time of 1.35.454. He managed to knock over a second off his pace in nine breathless laps and like Crutchlow he saved his best to last and he will sit alongside Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa on the grid for Assen?s unique Saturday race. Today?s result was easily the 22-year-old?s best in MotoGP qualifying after he had previously started ninth on the grid in Qatar and Le Mans. After racing to a career first top six at the last round in Catalunya, Smith is confident he can produce another strong race tomorrow to strengthen his challenge for a place inside the top 10 in the World Championship standings.
Cal Crutchlow 1st / 1'34.398 / 9 laps

?It feels fantastic to have finally got my first pole position in MotoGP. It might have been a different story if Jorge (Lorenzo) wasn?t injured but you can only beat the guys on track and I did that today. It would have been good to have a dogfight for pole position with Jorge because it was obvious before his crash that he was going to be the man to beat. Hopefully at some stage this year I?ll be having a battle with him for the win. It is a great achievement for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team because it is not often a non-factory rider gets a pole position in MotoGP. The competition is incredibly tough but today we showed again that we can compete with the very best. I?m particularly pleased to be on pole because I?ve been struggling a bit with the bike in the dry. I wasn?t happy in FP4 and if we can make the bike calmer there is no reason why I can?t go faster. I?m looking forward to the race now with a lot of confidence and we will see what happens but it could be a big battle hopefully for the fans to watch. Congratulations also to Bradley because he is not in the best physical condition and to be on the second row shows he is making big progress.?
Bradley Smith 6th / 1'35.454 / 9 laps

?Sixth position is a fantastic achievement and I am really happy. With Ducati not performing well at this track I took advantage of that situation and to be only one second away from pole position is also great. Starting on the second row gives me a good chance to follow the factory guys and also Cal if I can. The biggest goal for the race will be to learn as much as I can from racing against the very best in the world. I am expecting a tough race though because Assen is a really physical track and for my wrist it will not be easy to do 26 laps. I want to thank the Clinica Mobile staff again because they have done an awesome job in helping me be as comfortable and pain free as possible. I am feeling more confident with the bike and we found a good base for this track. I?m really excited to see what I can do in the race and congratulations to Cal on his pole position. He?s been riding awesome all season and today we saw once again just how strong the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is.?

2013 MotoGP Netherlands
Assen 28/06/2013
1 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'34.398
2 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 1'34.755
3 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 1'34.878
4 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'34.974
5 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'35.006
6 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 1'35.454
7 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 1'35.500
8 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 1'35.508
9 Randy De Puniet ART FRA 1'35.622
10 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 1'35.908
11 Michele Pirro Ducati ITA 1'36.866
12 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 1'36.432
13 Hector Barbera FTR ESP 1'36.490
14 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 1'36.524
15 Danilo Petrucci Ioda-Suter ITA 1'36.695

 

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Fourth row for Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team

The qualifying sessions for this seventh round of the MotoGP world championship played out today at the Assen TT Circuit, where a nice crowd filled the grandstand.

It was another day marked by changing weather conditions, which inevitably influenced the work of the teams and riders and caused for a wide variation of times from one session to the next.

Andrea Iannone made a good improvement in FP4, giving him confidence following several challenging sessions. Unfortunately, the Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team rider fell just a couple of minutes from the end of Q1, and he?ll have to be content with starting from the fifth row along with his compatriot, Andrea Dovizioso.

Andrea Iannone ? Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
?Unfortunately, I fell just as I was improving. I?m not sure what happened because I overdid it. I didn?t have a lot of trust in the front, but I wanted to try to push anyway. I wanted to improve my time, and I thought I could go faster to understand if it was just a problem of feeling with the bike, but I honestly don?t understand it. I?ll try again tomorrow, but I must say that for the moment, this is the most difficult track we?ve tried. I?m certainly sorry to have crashed, as it?s never nice, but at least it happened while I was really giving it my all. It?ll be a difficult race because at the moment, I?m always on the limit. Here, I?m risking as soon as I start braking. Today I was vertical; I hadn?t even begun the turn, and I was already on the ground. I?m having a hard time working the hard front tyre. It doesn?t flex, and although I?m faster in the changes of direction, I can?t use it as I would like. I need to be able to brake harder and push harder, but we saw what happened when I tried. For tomorrow, we still don?t have clear ideas, but I?ll speak with the engineers and see if we can find the best solution for the setup.?

 

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Fourth and fifth rows for Ducati Team at Assen TT

The difficulties encountered by the Ducati Team during free practice yesterday at the Assen circuit continued in today?s qualifying sessions, and riders Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso will start tomorrow?s Dutch TT from the fourth and fifth rows, respectively.

A strong wet FP3 performance this morning demonstrated that the team has a good rain setup for the Desmosedici GP13, but the issues in the dry meant both riders had to take part in Q1. That session took place in dry conditions, and while Hayden was able to advance through to Q2, Dovizioso was blocked by another rider on his fast lap. Hayden again struggled with a lack of feeling during the dry Q2 session and finished tenth.

Nicky Hayden - Ducati Team, 10th (1:35.908)
?It?s a tough day for me and the team. After we made some changes overnight, the bike felt better in the wet this morning than yesterday, and I was immediately able to go faster. I was hoping those improvements might carry over into the dry, but then in FP4, the bike was still moving a lot, especially on corner entry. The tyres here have a pretty stiff carcass, which isn?t helping us, and I?m really fighting the bike a lot. I barely advanced through to Q2, and my time in that was over a second slower than in qualifying last year, which is too much. I hate to admit it, but I hope for rain tomorrow.?

Andrea Dovizioso - Ducati Team, 15th (1:36.524)
?There?s not much to say: we?re simply not fast, the gap is big, and all of the Ducati riders are really far from the front. Nicky is the fastest among us, and even while riding well, he?s a second and a half back. I didn?t manage to advance into Q2, and I?m sorry for the whole team. Then Barbera came into this already-difficult situation and hindered me during my fast lap, making everything even more complicated. I was pushing and had done a split that was a tenth better when he entered the track in front of me with a new tyre and started to push as well, causing me problems. I know I shouldn?t have gestured at him, but my conscience is clear because I think I?m one of the most respectful riders in the championship. We?re starting from very far back, and it will definitely be a really long and difficult race, but we?ll try our hardest, as always.?

 

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Abraham will start from sixth row in Assen

Karel Abraham will start from sixth position on the grid to Saturday?s race of MotoGP in Dutch Asse. Cardion AB Motoracing rider took seventh position in qualifying practice that guaranteed him seventeenth position on the grid. Abraham lost 0,709 second to the fastest rider of first qualifying practice Randy de Puniet. Before the race Abraham can move one position up because on the twelfth position is still world champion Jorge Lorenzo that broke his collarbone and his start to the race is not sure.

Karel Abraham:
?I?m not satisfied; I was not able to confirm my good results of the weekend during the most important moment. We could be around the fithteenth position, but unfortunately in last lap, in which I was doing well I made two big mistakes that cost me a few positions. I?m angry because from Thursday?s results I know I could reach better position and it is pity that I cannot make it when it is the most important moment to prove it. During this new type of qualifying practice we have little time to drive a good result so you have no space to do any strategy. The most important for tomorrow is to make a good start because in Assen there is a short straight that is followed by sharp turn and it is pretty though. We will see if Lorenzo will be on the grid tomorrow, anyway I have finger crossed for him, I hope he will feel fine fast and he will fight for the defense of world title.?

Marico Grana, chief mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing
?It is very difficult to struggle with fast changes of condition as for us and also for our rider. The positive thing is that we are close to the Ducati?s riders and also our lost to the fastest riders is low. On the other hand, we will start from seventeenth position and I am convinced that we do not belong there. We know that we can be fast on the dry and also on the wet track but we are not able to prove it during the qualifying practice. Anyway I believe we can drive our best result of the season tomorrow. The race should be on the dry track that is better for us. ?

 

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Front row start for Marquez but disappointment for Pedrosa after crash in Q2

The drama continued in Assen at the Dutch TT today with another day of changeable conditions.

In the final minutes of this morning's wet-dry FP3 session, Marc Marquez suffered a big crash in turn 13 in his first exit on slick tyres on the drying track. Fortunately, he escaped serious injury but after further checks at Clinica Mobile, it was confirmed he had a small fracture in the intermediate phalanx of the little finger on the right hand and also in the first row phalanx of the big toe in his right foot. Unfazed, Marc went back on track for FP4 and finished fastest. He then executed a great Qualifying session securing his third front row start of the season, in second position, with a time of 1'34.755 on his final lap of 9.
For teammate Dani Pedrosa, it has been a frustrating end to his day. Dani, finishing 5th - just 0,248 seconds from Marc in FP4, was leading in Qualifying when he crashed in turn 7 midway through Q2. He arrived back in the garage with just two minutes left of the session, still leading by 0.3 with a time of 1'35.006, and opted not to go back on track. In the dying moments he was dislodged from the top spot and will start tomorrow's 26 lap race from 5th on the grid.

Marc Marquez - 2nd - 1'34.755

"The session went pretty well. It was very important that we took part in qualifying and got this position on the grid, as before FP4 we did not expect to get a spot on the front row. We were certainly not expecting second, because the pain in my finger was really affecting me. When I put my glove on it hurt a lot, as did my back - my foot wasn't as bad, fortunately. I tried to stay focused on the bike, despite the bruises, and we managed to get a good time. Today we were able to ride a hot lap, tomorrow we will have to see how we manage over 26 laps. The weather will also be a very important factor, because here it has been constantly changing this weekend"

Dani Pedrosa - 5th - 1'35.006

"We haven't had any sessions that have really been good for putting in laps and trying out things with the bike. The conditions of the track and the weather haven't really allowed us to improve the setup, because we've had very few laps on a completely dry track. However, in qualifying we were able to run a faster pace than in the rest of the practice sessions here. Despite the crash, the feeling is a lot better than it was yesterday. So, we will see if tomorrow we can get a good start and have a strong race"

Qualifying position
1 Cal Crutchlow 1'34.398 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
2 Marc Marquez 1'34.755 ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Stefan Bradl 1'34.878 GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
4 Valentino Rossi 1'34.974 ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
5 Dani Pedrosa 1'35.006 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
6 Bradley Smith 1'35.454 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
7 Aleix Espargaro 1'35.500 ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
8 Alvaro Bautista 1'35.508 SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
9 Randy De Puniet 1'35.622 FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
10 Nicky Hayden 1'35.908 USA DUCATI Ducati Team
11 Michele Pirro 1'36.866 ITA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing
12 Jorge Lorenzo 1'35.263 SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
13 Andrea Iannone 1'36.432 ITA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing
14 Hector Barbera 1'36.490 SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
15 Andrea Dovizioso 1'36.524 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
16 Danilo Petrucci 1'36.695 ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
17 Karel Abraham 1'36.791 CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
18 Colin Edwards 1'37.143 USA FTR NGM Forward Racing
19 Bryan Staring 1'37.315 AUS HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
20 Claudio Corti 1'37.625 ITA FTR NGM Forward Racing
21 Yonny Hernandez 1'37.781 COL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
22 Michael Laverty 1'38.378 WAL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
23 Lukas Pesek 1'38.704 CZE IODA Came IodaRacing Project
24 Ivan Silva 1'39.077 ESP FTR Avintia Blusens
Championship standings
1 Dani Pedrosa 123 pts SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Jorge Lorenzo 116 pts SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
3 Marc Marquez 93 pts ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Cal Crutchlow 71 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
5 Valentino Rossi 60 pts ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
6 Andrea Dovizioso 59 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
7 Nicky Hayden 45 pts USA DUCATI Ducati Team
8 Stefan Bradl 41 pts GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
9 Alvaro Bautista 38 pts SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
10 Aleix Espargaro 36 pts ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
11 Bradley Smith 34 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
12 Michele Pirro 28 pts ITA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing
13 Andrea Iannone 21 pts ITA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing
14 Hector Barbera 13 pts SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
15 Danilo Petrucci 13 pts ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
16 Randy De Puniet 11 pts FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
17 Colin Edwards 10 pts USA FTR NGM Forward Racing
18 Ben Spies 9 pts USA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing
19 Yonny Hernandez 6 pts COL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
20 Claudio Corti 4 pts ITA FTR NGM Forward Racing
21 Michael Laverty 3 pts WAL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
22 Karel Abraham 2 pts CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
23 Bryan Staring 2 pts AUS HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
24 Javier del Amor 1 pts ESP FTR Avintia Blusens
25 Hiroshi Aoyama 1 pts JPN FTR Avintia Blusens
26 Lukas Pesek 0 pts CZE IODA Came IodaRacing Project
27 Blake Young 0 pts USA APRILIA Attack Performance

 

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Respite from bad weather for Assen TT

Round seven of the MotoGP world championship ended with a dry but cold day (18? C, 64? F) at the Assen TT circuit.

Andrea Iannone was initially in a quartet of all four of the Ducati riders, a few tenths out of the top ten, but he eventually had to settle for thirteenth place.

Prior to the next race, at the Sachsenring on 14 July, the Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team and its Italian rider will take part in a private test on this Wednesday and Thursday to further develop the ?laboratory? Desmosedici GP13.

Andrea Iannone - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
?It was a very difficult day for me. I never managed to really improve from the first practice sessions this weekend, and I never had a good feeling with the bike. We?ll keep trying to improve; now we?ll go to Misano for a test, and I?ll certainly focus more on the electronics, as that?s an area where I struggled a lot. I have to learn to give more precise feedback to my engineers and technicians so that I can have an easier time in the race. This is a particular track where there?s very little braking, and that doesn?t suit our bike very well, as it?s very physical and quite difficult on corner entry. We?ll put this behind us and go to the Sachsenring.?

 

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The most valuable points of the season: Abraham was fighting against Ducati in Assen

Karel Abraham finished on fifteenth position in Assen equalized his best place of this season. It is the most valuable result of the season for the Czech rider because he scored in competition of all riders. No MotoGP rider crashed out or retired during Dutch race except of Luk?? Pe?ek who retired from the last position. Compared to CRT bikes Karel Abraham reached his best result of the season finishing on third position behind Espargaro and De Puniet. The race has been won by Valentino Rossi, who was waiting for podium finish since autumn 2010.

Karel Abraham:
?It is only one point again, but I achieved it in competition of all riders. It is the most valuable point of the season for sure, on the other hand it?s frustrating know that it could be better. The entire race I was riding in a group with Michel Pirro and Andrea Iannone on Ducati prototypes. Unfortunately I can?t compete with them with current engine. Thus in turns they were slowing me down and in straights I didn?t have enough power to overtake them. At the exit before the longest straight I was very close to them but at the end of the straight I was losing around hundred meters and after two turns I reached them again. And this was happening during the entire race. Randy De Puniet, that he was in our group at the beginning, he took an advantage of the mistake of both Ducati and overtakes them. I was able to take advantage of the mistake of Pirro, so I got between him and Iannone, but in penultimate lap I made a mistake and I got again behind Pirro.?

Marco Grana, chief mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing
?It was a great race for us, we were able to fight with Ducati and mainly with Pirro that has a new prototype chassis of factory machine. The problem is that Ducati is faster than us on straights so it is almost impossible to overtake it. When Karel was driving alone, he was doing similar times as Espargaro that finished on eighth position. We know that we can have more but when we start from seventeenth position on the grid it is difficult to fight for tenth. The motorbike is working well and after test in Barcelona we improved the setting of the bike a lot. I think we can go to Sachsering with a good prospect that we could get ahead of Ducati.?

 

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Disappointing day for Ducati Team at Assen TT

The Ducati Team faced an uphill battle today in the Dutch TT, as Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden struggled with a lack of traction on their way to tenth- and eleventh-place finishes, respectively.

Although the teammates started one row apart, the usual shuffle of the early going had them riding nose-to-tail by lap two. For most of the race, Hayden and Dovizioso occupied ninth and tenth places, but a last-turn tussle between the two Ducati Team riders resulted in them trading spots and Bradley Smith passing them both before the finish line.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Dovizioso and Hayden will be at Misano for a test aimed at finding solutions for improving the competitiveness of the Desmosedici GP13.

Andrea Dovizioso - Ducati Team, 10th
?Considering the expectations, the race didn?t go so badly. I followed Nicky for the entire race, and I rode really hard; it was so tough to do that pace here. The gap is still big, but compared to our gap in practice, we weren?t as far back on lap times. We pushed hard for the whole race, taking risks to try and catch Espargaro and Bautista. We were able to do it, but unfortunately we were really at the limit and weren?t able to battle with them. In the last chicane, I made a pass on Nicky that was on the limit, but I don?t think it was dirty. That chicane is famous for that, but unfortunately our battle on the brakes made us slow on the exit, and Smith passed us on acceleration. It?s a shame, but it just shows our difficult situation. Let?s say we limited the damage somewhat today.?

Nicky Hayden - Ducati Team, 11th
?It?s been a very hard weekend, right from the beginning. There wasn?t much grip here, which certainly didn?t help us. We tried hard to make the bike better, but we couldn?t ever really get it working. It was quite difficult in the race, especially in change of direction. The bike was moving a lot, and I was pushing the front in a couple of the fast corners. I was really at the limit, and every time I tried to push a little harder to close the gap, I?d run a bit wide or lose the front. On the last lap, I didn?t get a good run through turn 15 and Dovi came up the inside and pushed us both wide, so Smith beat us both to the line. It was a racing move, and anyway, the real problem is we got beat by 33 seconds, which shows how far behind we are.?

Paolo Ciabatti ? Ducati MotoGP Project Director
?It?s not easy to talk about a race like today?s. We knew that Assen was a circuit that didn?t favour the characteristics of our bike, but today?s result is obviously very disappointing. We realized right from the start of Thursday practice that it would be a difficult weekend, and unfortunately, despite our technicians? hard work and our riders? best efforts, we weren?t able to improve the situation. Next week we?ll be at Misano with our test riders and our team riders. We?re expecting three days of hard work to find solutions to make our bike more competitive.?

 

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Marquez takes his 6th podium of the season with Pedrosa in 4th

The Dutch TT marked the 300th start for the Repsol Honda Team and Marc Marquez celebrated it with a well deserved 2nd position in a battle to the end. Teammate Dani Pedrosa, who led the first 5 laps of the race was unable to stay in the fight for the podium and finished 4th.

Dani had a fantastic start from 5th and was already 1st by turn one. Marc, starting from 2nd slipped back to 3rd briefly but then regained his spot behind Dani. On lap four, Marc was passed by Rossi, who went on to also overtake Dani on lap six. The three riders rode in perfect formation until Marc passed Dani on lap eighteen to take 2nd. With just six laps remaining, Dani was unable to hold onto 3rd place and was passed by Crutchlow, who continued to chase down Marc. His injured right finger - from yesterday's crash in FP3, began to cause him trouble, as Marc was unable to brake with all four fingers which meant he was over stressing his arm muscles, but he held off Crutchlow for another podium finish - his 6th of the season.

Dani still leads the Championship Standings with 136 points, 9 points ahead of Lorenzo. Marc remains 3rd with 113 points as we head to round eight in Germany in two weeks.

Event results - Round 7 - Race 1
1 Valentino Rossi 41m25.202s ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
2 Marc Marquez 2.170 ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Cal Crutchlow 4.073 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
4 Dani Pedrosa 7.832 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
5 Jorge Lorenzo 15.510 SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
6 Stefan Bradl 27.519 GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
7 Alvaro Bautista 31.598 SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
8 Aleix Espargaro 32.405 ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
9 Bradley Smith 33.751 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
10 Andrea Dovizioso 33.801 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
11 Nicky Hayden 34.371 USA DUCATI Ducati Team
12 Randy De Puniet 57.674 FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
13 Andrea Iannone 1'01.424 ITA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing
14 Michele Pirro 1'01.561 ITA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing
15 Karel Abraham 1'04.426 CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
16 Danilo Petrucci 1'11.114 ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
17 Colin Edwards 1'15.249 USA FTR NGM Forward Racing
18 Claudio Corti 1'24.884 ITA FTR NGM Forward Racing
19 Yonny Hernandez 1'25.854 COL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
20 Hector Barbera 1'25.978 SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
21 Bryan Staring 1'26.256 AUS HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
22 Michael Laverty 1'26.610 WAL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
23 Ivan Silva 1'38.173 ESP FTR Avintia Blusens
24 Lukas Pesek DNF CZE IODA Came IodaRacing Project
Championship standings
1 Dani Pedrosa 136 pts SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Jorge Lorenzo 127 pts SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
3 Marc Marquez 113 pts ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Cal Crutchlow 87 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
5 Valentino Rossi 85 pts ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
6 Andrea Dovizioso 65 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
7 Stefan Bradl 51 pts GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
8 Nicky Hayden 50 pts USA DUCATI Ducati Team
9 Alvaro Bautista 47 pts SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
10 Aleix Espargaro 44 pts ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
11 Bradley Smith 41 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
12 Michele Pirro 30 pts ITA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing
13 Andrea Iannone 24 pts ITA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing
14 Randy De Puniet 15 pts FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
15 Hector Barbera 13 pts SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
16 Danilo Petrucci 13 pts ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
17 Colin Edwards 10 pts USA FTR NGM Forward Racing
18 Ben Spies 9 pts USA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing
19 Yonny Hernandez 6 pts COL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
20 Claudio Corti 4 pts ITA FTR NGM Forward Racing
21 Michael Laverty 3 pts WAL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
22 Karel Abraham 3 pts CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
23 Bryan Staring 2 pts AUS HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
24 Javier del Amor 1 pts ESP FTR Avintia Blusens
25 Hiroshi Aoyama 1 pts JPN FTR Avintia Blusens
26 Lukas Pesek 0 pts CZE IODA Came IodaRacing Project
27 Ivan Silva 0 pts ESP FTR Avintia Blusens
28 Blake Young 0 pts USA APRILIA Attack Performance

 

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Edwards and Corti 1st and 2nd FTR ? Kawasaki at Assen GP

The Dutch GP comes to an end at the TT Assen circuit for the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team. The American and Italian riders have finished the Saturday race as first and second best FTR ? Kawasaki bikes in seventeenth and eighteenth place respectively.

After a good beginning of the race, the traffic in turn one and a little mistake in turn five forced Edwards to slow down during the first lap, causing him to lose positions. Edwards?s race pace was very consistent and allowed him to overtake and regain the positions lost during the initial lap.

Claudio Corti has proven to be very competitive this weekend in wet conditions at Assen but struggled today during the first half of the race to have a fast pace. The Italian rider was able to close the gap with the front during the second half of the race and overtake fellow FTR ? Kawasaki?s rider Hector Barbera.


Colin Edwards
?I felt like I had a good start and then when I got into turn one, I got kind of pinched off. Had to slow up on the inside, kind of almost run over the curb and a couple of them got by me. We came into turn five and got bumped around and pushed out wide and got on the white line and another couple of guys went by me, next thing you know I was in last place, or at least I felt like I was in the last place. Then I put my head down and passed a bunch of people, probably the most people I have passed in a long time. I could see my lap times were good, the guys in front of me where not leaving me so I tried to chase them as hard as I could but honestly that was hard work. This bike seems to be really heavy left to right, through chicanes in this high speed. Thanks to the team, it was a tough weekend.?

Claudio Corti

?A complicated race and as in previous races, I struggle during the first ten laps of the race with a full tank but once the tank is half-way empty things change for me, so we will have to work on this. Overall it was a difficult weekend except in wet conditions where I was able to be very competitive. At the beginning of the race I went wide and lost a lot of time but towards the end of the race I was able to narrow the gap with the front. I was able to overtake and regain positions, especially Barbera, given that we both ride the same bike, which was important for me. Now we have to work on improving our performance on the first half of the race because on the second half the pace is always better, so that is what I will be focusing on. I was not able to get in the points and that was the goal that the team and I had set for this weekend. We didn?t achieve it and I am sorry for that. We were first and second FTR ? Kawasaki today and that gives us some satisfaction but I believe that we have a lot of potential with this and I believe that we can be closer, if not in the points.?

Sergio Verbena

?We are not happy with today?s results because Colin had a good race pace but unfortunately during the first lap, after he had a very good start, in turn five everybody tried to enter the corner and pushed him out making him be in last position. Through out the race he regained positions and he had a good pace. His lap times were similar to the ones Pirro, Iannone, Abraham and Petrucci were doing but the gap that got created from the first three laps was impossible to close. Claudio had an even better start but he went straight at the beginning and lost some positions. Towards the end of the race and once the fuel tank was empting; he started to have a better pace. We were the first two FTR ? Kawasaki?s and it is very positive but not good enough to be in the points today at Assen. The next race will be at Sachsenring, where last year we had a good result. It is a track that will probably be better suited for our bike and at where we will try to repeat our Barcelona results.?
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[KUCIAR666]

The Doctor Delivers 80th Premier Class Win at Assen

Valentino Rossi delivered a faultless performance today to win the Grand Prix of The Netherlands, his 80th Premier class victory and his first win since 2010. Having shown race winning pace all weekend in all conditions ?The Doctor? was faultless in today?s TT race. The nine-time World Champion held his fourth position from the grid into the first turn then started looking for a way past Stefan Bradl for third. By the second lap he was past and with just 22 laps to go he moved past Marc Marquez into the first corner for second, beginning the hunt for Dani Pedrosa and victory. It took just one lap more and Rossi was able to dive past Pedrosa into the final chicane for a race lead he would hold to the flag, crossing the line to a sea of yellow flags and a well deserved return to form. The win puts Rossi on 85 points, now just two behind Cal Crutchlow in fourth place.

While his teammate rightly deserved the honours for an amazing victory, Jorge Lorenzo also shone today. The World Champion gave everything he had and more, defying the pain from collarbone surgery just 36 hours ago in a heroic effort to race. Lorenzo had started from 12th on the grid but had risen to eighth by turn three. By the second lap he had climbed to fifth and was chasing down satellite Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow in fourth. With 23 laps to go he had passed Crutchlow and began to close the gap to Marquez in third. As the laps wound down exhaustion set in and with 11 to go Lorenzo was re-passed by Crutchlow. With grim determination he managed to maintain pace for fifth position and rolled into the Yamaha pits to an applauding team. The remarkable feat means Lorenzo holds second in the Championship and is just nine points behind Pedrosa as they head to Sachsenring in two weeks time.
Valentino Rossi 1st / 41'25.202 / 26 Laps

?Today was something special, this is one of the best victories in my career because it is one of the most wanted and expected for such a lot of time. I?m so happy because I won a real race where all my opponents were very strong and very fast, apart from Jorge with his injury. It was great from the beginning, I had a good feeling, I could overtake on braking and I felt good on the bike. It was difficult but the finish line was calling me so I had to arrive as fast as possible. We have made a step with the bike, I can ride in a better way so we have to try and stay with the top guys every weekend. Jorge rode an incredible race, we have to say a special great congratulations because he had great courage to do this and also he made an important step for his Championship.?
Jorge Lorenzo 5th / +15.510 / 26 Laps

?It would have been impossible to believe some minutes after my crash that this could happen. We were brave to make the operation the same day, if I had waited to Friday the doctors would not have let me race. We made the race today and I was very brave in the first laps because passing the riders with a collarbone like this under braking was really hard. I felt quite good physically at the beginning of the race but after lap seven every lap was worse; it was more difficult to change direction, to brake and to accelerate so I couldn't do more than fifth position. We only lost two points to Dani who is leading the Championship. This fifth position is better than any victory I have had in my career. I hope to have a good recovery for Germany, I will not be 100% but I hope to be better than here. The victory for Valentino and the third for Crutchlow are good for the Championship, I would have preferred Cal to finish in front of Marc but you can?t always have perfection! I am happy for Valentino, more than two years without winning has been hard for him so I?m happy for my box partner. After Aragon I think he made some improvements and here he took profit from the opportunity. Lets see what happens in Sachsenring as last year we had some issues and the Hondas were strong but I think if I can improve my physical condition I can be more competitive than this race.?

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
?If you would have asked me a quote before the race I would have said we need to finish and get some points. To fight for the first fifteen laps at least and to be there with the front boys was unbelievable for Jorge. Finishing fifth, having Vale winning the race and having Cal also on the podium is great for Yamaha. The result is great for us as we lose just two points to Dani. I think that is what this race was all about, damage control, we had to try to finish and for sure not to crash.?


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
?It has been a double victory today, so great for both results. Vale is back with a victory after two years and eighth months and the last one was also with Yamaha so it has been a great result for all of us. We were also able to gain some points against our competitors so for me it was a very special victory. Jorge did something really incredible. He showed he has the determination that is not normal. That he could race having had surgery just two days ago, has been very impressive, I know what a rider can physically feel when you are on the bike and injured. At the end we also only lost two points to Pedrosa. For me this is going to be an unforgettable weekend. We will leave this place in a really good mood and for sure we are going to start the next weekend totally full gas.?

Crutchlow returns to podium in Assen thriller

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow made a stunning return to the podium in a classic Dutch TT encounter this afternoon. The 26-lap battle was a nail-biting affair from start to finish and a fantastic charge in the second half of the race secured British rider Crutchlow a third rostrum in the last four races and ensured once again that he was unmatched as the outstanding non-factory rider.

Starting from pole position for the first time in his premier class career after a sensational qualifying performance yesterday, Crutchlow found himself down in fifth place in a frenetic opening to the 65th running of the historic Dutch TT. With 90,000 fans gripped by the exciting action, Crutchlow?s podium challenge commenced when he seized fourth from heroic reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, who just 48 hours after breaking his left collarbone in practice was producing a superhuman effort to keep the podium in his sights early on. Crutchlow disposed of Lorenzo?s threat at the final chicane on lap 15 and he then moved into the rostrum places with an identical move to get by World Championship leader Dani Pedrosa on lap 21. The former World Supersport?s blistering speed then saw him brilliantly hunt down Marc Marquez for second as the race reached an enthralling climax. Eager to equal the career best second place he scored in Le Mans last month, Crutchlow came close to pulling off a thrilling overtake at the first corner on the final lap. Marquez though was not to be outdone and after coming close to contact, Crutchlow momentarily ran off track before recovering to claim a richly deserved fifth MotoGP podium that keeps him in fourth position in the World Championship standings.

Bradley Smith produced yet another hugely encouraging display, the British rookie finishing inside the top 10 for the fifth race in a row. Starting alongside eventual winner Valentino Rossi and Pedrosa on the second row after a career best qualifying performance, Smith did his best to keep himself in the hunt for the top six in the early stages to try and gain vital experience from the fastest riders in the world. Struggling in the hard braking zones with discomfort from a recovery left wrist injury, Smith slipped outside of the top 10 but refused to settle for an 11th position he held from the fifth to the last lap. Locked in a battle with Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso, Smith produced a stunning last lap attack to finish ahead of both to claim ninth for the third time in the last four races.
Cal Crutchlow 3rd ? 87 points:

?I am really happy to be back on the podium after the disappointment of Barcelona. It was a great battle right to the end and once again I showed my speed and I was close to finishing second and that would have matched my best result in MotoGP. But obviously after starting from pole position I wanted to win the race and had it not been for me struggling with the full fuel tank in the first five laps, I think I had a chance to fight with Valentino. I can?t turn the bike on a full fuel load and then Jorge passed me and he was riding amazing considering his physical condition. It took me a while to get back by him but then I chased down Dani and Marc but it was a case of too little, too late. It was close with Marc on the last lap and I think we touched, so we were lucky he got back on the throttle when he did otherwise both of us could have been in the grandstand! Being back on the podium is great for Monster, Tech 3 and Yamaha and it is another positive result for the Championship. Before the start of the season, if somebody had said I would have been on the podium three times in seven races and been so consistently fast with the best riders in the world, then I would have been happy. Now we go to Germany in a positive frame of mind and hoping to get back on the rostrum again.?
Bradley Smith 9th ? 41 points:

?With my wrist injury continuing to cause me a problem, today was probably my hardest race of the year. After the operation immediately after Catalunya I expected it to be better than the last two races but to be honest I have a few more problems now. So it was a good race and to be able to get ninth on the last lap is a good situation. The distance to Bradl was quite similar to Barcelona and truthfully this ninth feels better than the sixth I got in Barcelona because today I really had to battle and nobody crashed. The gap to the front is quite similar to Barcelona and obviously the big positive of the weekend was starting on the second row. I knew finishing seventh was going to be a best case scenario because I knew Jorge was going to be coming through. I stayed consistent and my pace in the second half of the race was strong. I still need to work on the set-up for the early laps but I can go to Germany with a lot of confidence. I?ve scored another top 10 and beaten two very experienced riders on the final lap. And hopefully the wrist will be less of a problem at Germany and I can be in a bit less discomfort than here.?

2013 MotoGP Netherlands
Assen 29/06/2013
race I
1 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 41'25.202
2 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 0'02.170
3 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 0'04.073
4 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 0'07.832
5 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 0'15.510
6 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 0'27.519
7 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 0'31.598
8 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 0'32.405
9 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 0'33.751
10 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 0'33.801
11 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 0'34.371
12 Randy De Puniet ART FRA 0'57.674
13 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 1'01.424
14 Michele Pirro Ducati ITA 1'01.561
15 Karel Abraham ART CZE 1'04.426
MotoGP World Standing
Rider Standings After Race 7 of 18
1. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 136
2. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 127
3. Marc Marquez Honda ESP 113
4. Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 87
5. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 85
6. Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 65
7. Stefan Bradl Honda GER 51
8. Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 50
9. Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 47
10. Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 44
11. Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 41
12. Michele Pirro Ducati ITA 30
13. Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 24
14. Randy De Puniet ART FRA 15
15. Hector Barbera FTR ESP 13
16. Danilo Petrucci Ioda-Suter ITA 13


Circuit Length:
4555

Weather:
Sunny

Lap Record:
1'34.525
(Daniel Pedrosa, 1-1-2010)

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'33.713
(Casey Stoner, 30-6-2012)

Last Years Winner:
Casey Stoner
Manufacturer Standings
29/06/2013
1 Yamaha 152
2 Honda 151
3 Ducati 66
4 ART 44
5 FTR 14
6 Ioda-Suter 13
7 FTR Kawasaki 10
8 PBM 3
Team Standings
29/06/2013
1. Repsol Honda Team 249
2. Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team 212
3. Monster Yamaha Tech3 128
4. Ducati Team 115
5. Power Electronics Aspar 59
6. LCR Honda MotoGP 51
7. Pramac Racing Team 49
8. Go&Fun Honda Gresini 49
9. Avintia Blusens 15
10. NGM Mobile Forward Racing 14
11. Came Ioda Racing Project 13
12. Paul Bird Motorsport 9