Gibernau to return from injury for home round
Wednesday, 03 June 2009 (motogp.com)
Spaniard to make Catalonia comeback after missing Mugello.
Grupo Francisco Hernando rider Sete Gibernau has confirmed that he will make a return to action at the Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya next weekend, even though he will be at less than 100% fitness.
Podium finisher at the Montmeló track for three consecutive years between 2003 and 2005, Gibernau’s participation in the sixth round of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship looked to be in doubt after he fractured his collarbone at the Grand Prix de France last month. The injury forced him out of the most recent race at Mugello in Italy, but the veteran Spaniard was determined to throw his name into the hat for this year’s edition of his home race.
“I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike again,” said the veteran on Wednesday at the official presentation of the Grand Prix. “I can’t promise that I’ll be at full fitness, but I’m very motivated to get out there for the first practice.
“Unless I’m mistaken, I think that I was the first rider ever to win any kind of race at the track, way back many years ago. I’ve also had some great battles here, whether I got on the podium or not. Fighting with Crivillé, Barros, Rossi… there’s some great memories that I have of the circuit.”
Gibernau’s last appearance at the Circuit de Catalunya came in 2006, when an opening lap collision between himself and then-teammate Loris Capirossi caused a multiple-rider crash on the first corner of the track. The injury contributed to his first retirement from competitive racing, but a chance discussion with Ducati bosses at last year’s event led to his making a comeback after two seasons away from the scene.
Pedrosa fitness doubts linger after thigh fracture revelation
Tuesday, 02 June 2009 (motogp.com)
On returning to Barcelona from Mugello Dani Pedrosa was examined by doctors at the USP Institut Universitari Dexeus.
After his crash in Sunday’s race at the Gran Premio d’Italia Alice Dani Pedrosa was examined by specialists in his native Barcelona on Monday, with Doctor Xavier Mir confirming that the Repsol Honda rider has an incomplete fracture of the right greater trochanter of the femur.
Pedrosa started the Mugello race injured after a big rear wheel slide and subsequent shake from his bike in Saturday morning’s practice session, which caused severe stretching in his right hip.
The scans at the USP Institut Universitari Dexeus on Monday showed that the initial diagnosis at the circuit on Saturday had been correct and Pedrosa had pulled the gluteus medius muscle, which caused a small crack in the greater trochanter (thigh) bone where the muscle attaches. A statement also confirmed that he had not suffered any further injuries during his Sunday crash, even though he was stretchered away from the incident as a precautionary measure.
The 23 year-old will now have to rest up before the all important Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya, his home GP, with his physical condition to be assessed next week to decide if he will be fit to compete. Pedrosa is also still recovering from knee and arm injuries sustained in a winter testing crash but those injuries were not exacerbated in Italy.
The rider himself said, “It’s a relief that the tests on Monday didn’t show up anything new because I think I have enough to contend with already. The injury from Saturday is still quite painful obviously but with luck it will improve over the next week.”
“The timing of this a real shame because I was feeling as though I was returning to something close to race fitness and could ride the bike as I wanted. Still, this is where we are so we’ll just get on with it and try to make a quick recovery. I really hope I can be fit for the next race because it’s a very important one for me and the team.”
Pedrosa's 217mph top
speed record confirmed
(crash.net) Dani Pedrosa's astonishing 349.3km/h (217.1mph) top speed during the Italian Grand Prix weekend has now been officially confirmed, making it a new MotoGP record.Pedrosa's 800cc RC212V set the speed during Friday's free practice session, but was subject to official confirmation by timing specialists at Dorna after differences were found in the results produced by the telemetric systems on some bikes.
However, the official MotoGP website states that Pedrosa's top speed has now been confirmed.
The previous official top speed record for a motorcycle grand prix machine was 343.7km/h (213.6mph) set by Makoto Tamada, on a 990cc Honda, during qualifying at Shanghai in 2006.
The Chinese circuit is no longer on the world championship calendar, but the previous highest official top speed at Mugello was 343km/h (213.1mph) set by Alex Barros on a 990cc factory Honda during the 2004 race.
Pedrosa crashed out of Sunday's wet/dry grand prix, which was won by Ducati's Casey Stoner.
The official event maximum speeds during the Mugello weekend are as follows:
1. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team 349.300 km/h (FP1)
2. Mika Kallio FIN Pramac Racing 348.100 km/h (FP1)
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 344.300 km/h (FP1)
4. Niccolo Canepa ITA Pramac Racing 343.400 km/h (FP1)
5. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team 342.400 km/h (FP1)
6. Marco Melandri ITA Hayate Racing Team 342.200 km/h (FP1)
7. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 341.600 km/h (FP1)
8. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 341.100 km/h (FP1)
9. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 340.8 km/h (FP2)
10. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini 340.500 km/h (FP1)
11. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 339.800 km/h (FP1)
12. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 339.000 km/h (FP1)
13. Toni Elias SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini 338.300 km/h (Race)
14. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 337.600 km/h (FP1)
15. Yuki Takahashi JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP 337.100 km/h (FP1)
16. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 335.900 km/h (FP2)
17. James Toseland GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 334.100 km/h (Race)
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