MotoGPMatters.com (Free subscription) | 11/18/2009
Niccolo Canepa had a very tough rookie year in MotoGP. The Italian joined the Pramac Ducati team after a year as Ducati's test rider, having won the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup a year before. But once he made the switch from test rider to MotoGP rider, he has struggled badly, circulating close to the back of the field for much of the season. So it was no surprise that the likable Italian lost his MotoGP...
MotoGPMatters.com (Free subscription) | 11/10/2009
The Moto2 grid is slowly starting to fit together. Today came the announcement from the Tech 3 team that they had signed 250cc star Raffaele de Rosa and former MotoGP rider Yuki Takahashi to ride the team's Moto2 bike, built and designed by Tech 3's technical guru Guy Coulon. As team mate to the last ever 250cc World Champion Hiroshi Aoyama, De Rosa did very well indeed, winning the rookie of the...
MotoGPMatters.com (Free subscription) | 11/06/2009
Hector Barbera won the battle of the Valencians on the first day of practice for the 250cc class. The local hero relegated Alex Debon to 2nd place, Barbera leading Debon by over three tenths of a second. Alvaro Bautista was another three tenths behind in 3rd, ahead of championship leader Hiroshi Aoyama. Aoyama usefully put his team mate Raffaele de Rosa between himself and the only man capable of...
MotoGPMatters.com (Free subscription) | 11/02/2009
Yet another unmissable charity event with a MotoGP connection, but this time in the dirt rather than on tarmac. Valentino Rossi is helping to organize a charity motocross event to be held on November 15th at the Crossodromo di Cavallara, in Mundavio, not far from Pesaro on Italy's Adriatic Coast. The event is due to feature a host of big names from the MotoGP world, including Andrea Dovizioso, Marco...
MotoGPMatters.com (Free subscription) | 10/28/2009
For the past couple of weeks, the MotoGP paddock has been on tenterhooks waiting for an announcement on the future of Alex de Angelis. The Italian has been working on a deal to keep the Scot Honda team in MotoGP, with backing from De Angelis' native mountain republic of San Marino. An announcement was expected this weekend at Sepang, but it failed to come, raising fears that the deal had fallen through....
MotoGPMatters.com (Free subscription) | 10/17/2009
Mattia Pasini set the fastest time in the final session of free practice for the 250 class, keeping ahead of the team mates of the title contenders. Scot Honda's Raffaele de Rosa and Mapfre Aspar's Mike di Meglio finished the session in 2nd and 3rd, well ahead of their championship-chasing team mates Hiroshi Aoyama (7th) and Alvaro Bautista (10th). Jules Cluzel was once again at the front, setting...
MotoGPMatters.com (Free subscription) | 10/16/2009
Hector Barbera was the fastest man on track for the 250cc class at Phillip Island, but the Spaniard paid a heavy price for his efforts, falling heavily on his back and badly bruising it. Barbera finished over half a second ahead of 2nd place man Raffaele de Rosa, the Scot Honda rider carrying on the strong form he showed at Estoril. Both Jules Cluzel in 3rd and Mike di Meglio in 4th did much the same,...
Deadspin (Free subscription) | 06/02/2009
Biker Raffaele de Rosa loses his sidecar, but somehow manages to not die and keeps riding. I don't know a lot about motorcycle racing, but I do know that your odds of winning increase exponentially...
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