Día lleno de contratiempos pero lo hemos salvado muy bien!! 💪🏼 QP – P.5
A day with some setbacks but we have solved it very well!! 💪🏼 QP – P.5
#ValenciaGP
Source: Marc Márquez on Facebook
Better hurry up and get my road licence so I can take advantage of the Carole Nash Insidebikes price…
Better hurry up and get my road licence so I can take advantage of the Carole Nash Insidebikes price promise ! They’ll pay any biker £10 if you can find a cheaper car insurance renewal than theirs. #DriveLikeABiker
Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
Dani Pedrosa – P5 Valencia 2018
Hoy condiciones muy cambiantes. P5/ Today changing track conditions. P5🏁
Source: Dani Pedrosa on Facebook
FP3 – P.3 #ValenciaGP
Grado Labs Builds Custom Headphones Out Of Harley-Davidson Pistons
So much of the pleasure of motorcycling is auditory: the intake growl of a GSX-R, the thump and rumble of a Big Twin, even the quiet whir of an electric motorcycle, where the loudest noise is the sound of the chain moving around its sprockets. When Motorcyclist commissioned Grado Labs to build a custom pair of headphones out of Harley-Davidson Street 750 pistons, we hoped the collaboration would highlight the association between high-fidelity audio (the hardware of sound) and motorcycles (the sound of hardware).
Grado’s history is a very American story. In 1953, Joseph Grado, a watchmaker at Tiffany and Co., started building phono cartridges at his kitchen table in Brooklyn, New York. Three generations in and Grado is still a family-run business operating out of the same factory that Joseph opened above his father’s grocery store in 1955. In addition to its phono cartridges, Grado’s signature open-back headphones have cemented its legacy in the high-end audio world and beyond. Every product that bears the family name retains Grado’s original philosophy of handcrafted quality.
“All we are concerned about is the sound,” says president and CEO John Grado, who released the original headphone line in 1990. “We’ve built a reputation around what is known as ‘the Grado sound.’”
To the uninitiated, Grado headphones, which often use handmade wooden enclosures, look decidedly old-school. And in certain ways, they are. Though the headphones have a low enough impedance (32 ohms) to be driven by an iPhone or iPod, they really demand to be powered by a headphone amp, or home receiver. That means you’ll be less likely to use them at the airport or on the subway. But that’s as it should be. These ’phones are for sitting down, closing your eyes, and simply listening. Like shutting out life’s distractions with the flip of a dark visor, putting on a pair of high-end headphones tunes out the world beyond the music.
As a complex of mechanical elements, the motorcycle itself is a source of fascination and attraction: the subtle etched lines of a billet footpeg, the satisfying click of a detented damping adjuster beneath a screwdriver, the snappy return of a properly adjusted throttle. The Grado headphones offer a tactile pleasure tantamount to the most beautiful motorcycle part. Lifting the headphones by their piston enclosures and leather headband is a reminder of the relationship between the moto and the audio worlds. Each housing weighs 8.5 ounces, a mass that Grado says helps shield the driver from outside resonances. The heft of the headphones is pleasing in the hand but sufficiently lightweight when worn.
For Grado, the biggest challenge of turning pistons into a pair of headphones was figuring out how to properly vent air to enable the driver to move freely. Rather than milling out a simple circle from the center of the piston, Grado removed a bar and shield-shaped vent, then added an internal vented cocobolo structure to surround the 50 mm dynamic transducers derived from its GS2000e headphones. Since airflow is the name of the game, Grado—as is its typical practice—used large foam earpieces to prevent a seal around the ear. In place of piston rings, there are beautiful cocobolo inlays. Junction blocks made of the same wood connect the enclosures to the sumptuous leather headband borrowed from the company’s top-line PS2000e headphones. Heavyweight 12-conductor cables as thick as brake lines hang from the enclosures and tether the listener to the audio source.
The purity of the tones and the generous soundstage convey the headphones’ built-right, only-the-essentials design.
On Colter Wall’s “Motorcycle,” slight fret buzz from the finger-picked guitar is palpable, displaying great clarity and detail without being so precise as to sound sterile. Thanks to the open-back design and the freely moving driver, the listener can hear the echo of Wall’s voice in the recording studio, conveying a capacious soundstage. It’s as though the listener’s room is transformed into a small-town bandstand at a sweltering Fourth of July concert. While some closed-back headphones can seem to hem in the listener, the Grados offer a far less claustrophobic experience. Peer into the generous ear cups, past the drivers, and the other side of the room is visible. That openness is evident in the sound.
These Grado headphones aren’t high-tech in the way the general population defines it—at least not when it comes to personal audio. There’s no noise-canceling circuitry, no wireless connectivity, no attempt at achieving absolute portability. But the perception of what’s on the bleeding edge of technological advancement doesn’t have to be the only metric of judging value.
A motorcycle’s merit, if determined by measurable performance, is an ever-moving target. As technology advances, a rider’s notion of what’s good moves on with it. In the hi-fi world, on the other hand, the ultimate metric of determining value is unchanging: the human ear. It’s not that high-fidelity technology hasn’t adapted at a commensurate rate to motoring technology, but what sounded good decades ago can sound just as good today. Excellence, as the Grados exemplify, is not contingent on the newest technical innovation or our perception of what’s high-tech.
It’s not a bad lens through which to judge a motorcycle. For some riders, the best Harley may not be the “best” motorcycle in the lineup. And next to a Ducati Panigale V4, a Kawasaki H2R, or a BMW HP4 Race, Harleys don’t match up. Judged by performance and technology metrics—acceleration, braking, handling—a Harley is inferior, plain and simple. But what this pair of Grado headphones taught me, and what Harley devotees have known all along, is that judging a motorcycle by a constant human metric—not something as fickle as technology—affirms the thing doing the judging, not the thing being judged.
Maybe you think that’s a cop out. “Let’s call a spade a spade,” you may be thinking. After all, Harley-Davidson doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Except for when it does. Some riders couldn’t care less about what’s outside the Harley vacuum. For them, Harleys hit all the right notes. Harleys are what move them.
In honor of 115 years of moving people, we thought it would be fitting to present Harley with the Grado headphones as our contribution to the museum. The pistons are returning home to Milwaukee, but they’re bringing a piece of Brooklyn with them.
However, even if you transform them into a pair of headphones, they don’t stop being Harley pistons. It’s just what they are. It’s the same with Harley riders themselves. For that crowd, the sound of a Harley is as profound as the second movement of Beethoven’s seventh symphony, and that’s all that matters.
And when that symphony is heard through the right pair of headphones, it’s downright transcendent.
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com
Australia poised for victory in Chile | ISDE Day 5
Australia lead by 7mins-30secs
Daniel Milner holds outright lead
Australian women 9mins in front
Italy lead FIM Junior World Trophy
The penultimate day of racing at this year’s FIM ISDE offered competitors a new course and new challenges. Taking competitors south and into demanding forestry in a route known as the Peñuelas Lake and Wood, both riders and machines were put through another three-hundred kilometres of challenging Enduro terrain. Those remaining in the competition now only have the traditional day six final Motocross race to finish off this year’s gruelling race.
Offering no weakness to their rivals, Australia continued to stamp their authority on the ninety-third edition of the FIM ISDE. Marching ever-closer to their second FIM World Trophy title, they left no one doubting who was in control of the proceedings by topping the standings on day five. With a commanding lead, only the final Motocross race now stands in their way of securing the top step of the podium in Viña del Mar.
Daniel Milner remains untouchable with yet another consecutive day win and heading into the final test tomorrow Milner has an iron fist hold on first place overall, ahead of Taylor Robert from Team USA, by almost one-and-a-half minutes.
Clocking the second fastest time for Team Australia on day five was Daniel Sanders, the Victorian comfortably in third podium position overall.
Rounding out Australia’s World Trophy Team was Joshua Strang who now sits in 10th position overall.
Daniel Milner – Team Australia
“There were two new tests today and I had to try and memorise the first test whilst moving through it, which ended up being a struggle! Although I essentially guessed a lot of it, I ended up being 10 seconds ahead of everyone else, which was fantastic! Thankfully we had already walked through the second test last week, so I was much more comfortable walking into it knowing full well which sections were tricky and the points where I could quicken the pace. After completing the tests, I found myself changing into cruise mode and lost a bit of time, but overall I still won the day by 28 seconds! The team is killing it! We’ve put some more time on Team USA, so all in all its been a good day for me and the team.”
Despite putting in another determined performance, the United States were unable to force the Australians into a mistake and had to settle for second. Barring any final-day drama, they look set to claim the runner-up result this year, holding a healthy four-minute buffer over Italy in third.
After a disappointing week in Chile, defending champions France will be happy to see this year’s event come to an end. Fourth in the FIM World Trophy classification, the hot, dry and dusty conditions have not favoured them, as Loic Larrieu (Yamaha) explains.
Loic Larrieu – Team France
“Unfortunately, it’s just not been our year,” admitted Larrieu. “The dusty, hard pack terrain and unique special tests have been difficult to adapt to and we’ve not shown our best. Personally, it’s been a hard race for me, especially having won the overall in 2017. I was carrying some injuries starting and through a combination of too many crashes, I haven’t been able to race like I wanted to.”
Spain are currently fifth, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Sweden round out the top eighth.
In the Enduro 1 category Italy’s Davide Guarneri (Honda) claimed the day win over Spain’s Victor Guerrero (Yamaha) and Andrea Verona (ITA – TM). However, despite suffering some trouble on day five, Verona still tops the Enduro 1 standings from Guarneri and Guerrero.
Aiming for a clean sweep of class day wins, Taylor Robert was again fastest in Enduro 2, winning four of the six special tests. Over five minutes clear of Steward Baylor (USA – KTM) in second, Robert can enjoy his final day of racing in Viña del Mar.
Arguably the standout performer in this year’s FIM ISDE, Daniel Milner added the Enduro 3 class win to his overall victory on day five. Two minutes clear of fellow Australian Sanders in second, the KTM rider will aim for a trouble-free Motocross race to sign off his week in style.
Juniors
In the FIM Junior World Trophy class, the United States finally got the better of rivals Italy, claiming the day five win. Feeling good on the new special tests, the United States pushed hard to reduce the gap to Italy ahead of day six. But with the Italians fighting back during the latter half of the day, they limited their loss and are three minutes and thirty-five seconds clear with the final Motocross remaining.
Putting the brakes on Chile’s challenge for the final step of the podium, France answered back having lost out to them during the last two days. Third fastest on the penultimate day, France keep Chile one-minute and thirty seconds behind them entering day six. Knowing all is still not lost, expect Chile to lay everything on the line in the hope of a possible debut FIM ISDE podium result, on home soil.
Australia continues to sit comfortably in fifth position, behind Chile in fourth place, who gained ground ahead of Australia by just under 12 minutes. Clocking the fastest time for Australia in day five was Fraser Higlett ahead of Andrew Wilksch and Thomas Mason who fought through the punishing conditions to make a staggering jump from yesterday’s 70th position to a new 52nd position overall!
Women
Easing back as they race towards a recording-breaking sixth consecutive FIM Women’s World Trophy victory, Australia still claimed victory on day five. Beating closet rivals the United States by less than one-minute, the trio of Tayla Jones (Husqvarna), Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha) and Mackenzie Tricker (KTM) have a commanding nine-minute lead. Now eleven minutes behind the United States, Spain are third, with Sweden fourth.
Day two of the FIM Vintage Trophy saw Germany’s Jens Oestreich (SWM) top the ’76 class. Germany’s Jens Bossdorf (SWM) leads the ‘79 class over Rolf Nickolai (DEU -Kramer), while Sven Roth (DEU – Kramer) is the overall leader of the ’82 category. Germany’s Swen Schiller (Kram-It) is best of the Evo 86 riders.
Images Sarah Kinrade
Source: MCNews.com.au
Australians extend ISDE advantage following day five
World Trophy and Women’s Trophy teams on the verge of victory in Chile.
Image: Supplied.
Australia are on the cusp of victory at the 2018 FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) as they take a sizeable lead into the final day of racing in Chile.
With just day six of the ninety-third FIM ISDE remaining, Australia’s FIM World Trophy team enjoy a 7m30s lead over the United States, with Italy third.
Offering no weakness to their rivals, Australia continued to stamp their authority on the 93rd edition of the ISDE. Marching ever-closer to their second World Trophy title, they left no one doubting who was in control of the proceedings by topping the standings on day five.
With a commanding lead, only the final motocross race now stands in their way of securing the top step of the podium in Vina del Mar.
Despite putting in another determined performance, the United States were unable to force the Australians into a mistake and had to settle for second ahead of Italy. After a disappointing week, defending champions France will be happy to see this year’s event come to an end as they sit fourth in the classification.
In the Junior World Trophy class, the United States finally got the better of rivals Italy, claiming the day five win. Feeling good on the new special tests, the US pushed hard to reduce the gap to Italy, but with the Italians fighting back during the latter half of the day, they limited their loss and are 3m35s clear.
Putting the brakes on Chile’s challenge for the final step of the podium, France answered back having lost out to them during the last two days. Third fastest on the penultimate day, France keep Chile 1m30s behind them entering day six. Australia currently sits fifth overall.
Easing back as they race towards a recording-breaking sixth Women’s World Trophy win in a row, Australia still claimed victory on day five. Beating closet rivals the US by less than one minute, the trio of individual leader Tayla Jones (Husqvarna), Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha) and Mackenzie Tricker (KTM) have a commanding nine-minute lead.
Racing to his fourth overall day win, Daniel Milner (KTM Enduro Racing Team) once again set the benchmark. The Australian is now almost 90 seconds clear of closest rival Taylor Robert (KTM) in second, with Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) 33 seconds behind in third.
Milner and Sanders are currently 1-2 in the E3 division, Andrew Wilksch (Sherco) is 15th and Tom Mason (KTM) P16 in class. Husqvarna’s Josh Strang climbed to fourth in E2, as Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) is now sixth in E1.
Source: MotoOnline.com.au
Marquez tops a wet Friday at Valencia MotoGP finale
MotoGP 2018 – Valencia Friday Report
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) completes Day 1 at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana as the fastest man in some tough and wet conditions thanks to his FP1 time of 1:39.767, with the Spaniard heading Alma Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller and Danilo Petrucci with the top three split by just 0.140 on Friday.
Just like FP1, the FP2 session was red-flagged in the early stages due to unsafe track conditions. This came after debris was left on circuit after Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) crashed at the tricky Turn 12, but the Frenchman was ok and returned to the pits. A short delay followed before the riders headed back out, but with the rain heavier than it was in FP1, none of the riders were able to improve on their morning times and the top three – and ten – were decided for the day.
Marc Marquez – P1
“Honestly, it was a difficult day because not only were there wet conditions with a lot of water, but also because it was very cold. When there’s so much water on track, it’s a kind of lottery, and the only thing you can do is try not to crash. This situation made things more complicated, but luckily the track here in Valencia has very good drainage and very good grip all things considered, and this allowed us to actually ride today. That said, I felt very good on the bike and was able to feel the limit and be fast, which is very important. It looks like the weather will be a bit better tomorrow, only to worsen again on Sunday, so we need to be ready for whatever condition we may find if we wish to fight for the podium.”
Jack Miller had clocked the second fastest time in the FP1 session and looked as though he was going to the top of the charts after lighting up the red helmet late in the session before a fall cost the Australian his chance.
Jack Miller – P2
“The feelings are very positive. This morning we did very well and in the afternoon we preferred not to do too many laps not to wear out the soft rear tyre in sight of qualifying and the race. I’m satisfied.”
Danilo Petrucci topped the wetter FP2 session by a significant margin, 0.407 was the gap back to Marquez with Valentino Rossi the only other rider within a second of the Ducati rider in the second session. It was P12 overall for ‘The Doctor’, however.
Danilo Petrucci – P3
“The conditions we found in FP2 are better for me. However, I have to admit that in some parts of the circuit it was not easy as the visibility was really limited. But I am happy because the feeling was very good from the start”.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) sits fourth overall and the Italian was P12 in FP2, with Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) completing the top five on Day 1 despite conditions that have often been more difficult for the newly-inducted Legend this season.
Andrea Dovizioso – P4
“This morning, despite the rain, the track had good grip but in the afternoon we encountered different conditions: there was really a lot of water and I didn’t have a particularly good feeling with my bike. In any case we managed to do a few tests with the tyres: the session was useful for this reason, especially because this year we haven’t lapped much in the rain, and we picked up some good indications for Sunday’s race, should it be wet.”
Dani Pedrosa – P5
“It seems it’s going to rain quite a lot this weekend! The track changes when the water increases, and in some points it’s a bit difficult to ride. That was the case this afternoon, so I just did very few laps. On the other hand, when there’s a bit less water, like at a certain point during FP1, you can be much faster. So we must wait and see what conditions we’ll have over the weekend. This will also affect the tyre choice and the rhythm of the race.”
Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – fourth in FP2 – ends P6 on the combined times, with Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) ending the day as the fastest Yamaha rider in P7 overall.
Andrea Iannone – P6
“Today was not so bad, and it’s only Friday. The conditions are a bit difficult, but that’s the same for everyone. We worked well today and found a few areas we can improve on – especially on the braking point and cornering. So for tomorrow we hope we’ve found the solutions for these areas. We’ll give our best for qualifying and my feeling is positive and good. The grip on the track is really good, but when there’s a lot of water we get some spinning, especially on the straight. But we just have to deal with these conditions.”
Maverick Vinales – P7
“I didn‘t feel so bad, and honestly it was better than I expected. In the morning I was a bit faster than I was this afternoon, because there was a lot of water on the track. There are still some things to improve on, but I‘m actually happy. Let‘s see if we can take another step tomorrow. Our objective is to be in the top-5, if it‘s raining and conditions are similar to today, that result would be great. Today I announced that next season, and starting from next Tuesday at the Valencia test, I will be riding with a new number: 12. The reason why I decided to change the number is that I used to ride with number 12 when I was a kid, for at least five or six years, and I was really successful. I also feel that number 12 identifies me a bit more, though I‘ve been riding with number 25 for quite a few years.”
Wildcard and Ducati Team test rider Michele Pirro sits P8 overall thanks to his FP1 time, a strong showing for the Italian, as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol Espargaro grabs a provisional Q2 spot by ending Friday in P9. A P6 in FP2 – along with teammate Bradley Smith’s P8 – caps off a good day for the Austrian manufacturer in the wet conditions.
Michele Pirro – P8
“It was a day with really a lot of rain, but this morning we worked well in any case and in the afternoon we tried a few things in view of the race that might be useful because on Sunday it seems as if the conditions could be similar to today. With such changeable weather it was important to finish the day inside the top 10: I managed to do this, I’m eighth and this is positive. Let’s hope we can continue to work like this also tomorrow.”
Alex Rins (Team Ecstar Suzuki) rounds out the top ten, but just 0.002 ahead of compatriot Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) in P11.
Alex Rins – P10
“I’ve been feeling very good today, both in FP1 and FP2. The bike is working well and we’re preparing for race day. It looks like it will be wet all weekend but we are ready for that. It’s really difficult to ride in these conditions, and during FP2 the track was so wet that all of us riders were experiencing a bit of aqua-planing and spinning on the straight, but I think the track will be OK for the race. I came into the box towards the end of the session because the risk was a bit higher and my feeling was already good.”
Aleix Espargaro’ – P11
“Today I really felt good. Finishing FP1 close to the top 10 and fifth in FP2 is a great sign. The bike’s grip is very good and I was fast, confirming that we have made some steps forward from this point of view because the grip problems get worse in the wet. If the weekend should continue along these lines, we’ll be able to aim for important positions in the race.”
Valentino Rossi – P12
“It was a busy day and fully wet. It’s actually a good thing, because it looks like the weather will be very bad on Sunday, so we need to understand which tyre we will try to use and also work on the balance of the bike. This morning the track was a bit faster because there was less water on it, but unfortunately I didn’t feel fantastic with the bike, it wasn’t a perfect combination. But we made some good modifications so in the afternoon I was stronger. It’s a shame we couldn’t improve our laptime from this morning. I’m outside of the top-10, but with a good feeling and also a good pace, so in the end it’s not so bad.”
Jorge Lorenzo for the moment had to settle for nineteenth place with a time of 1’41.782 in his return to the MotoGP grid, and his final appearance with Ducati before the Spaniard joins Repsol Honda for season 2019.
Jorge Lorenzo – P19
“Undoubtedly these aren’t the best conditions for my come-back, because the track today was treacherous. My wrist still hurts, especially under braking and coming out of the corners, and even more when I do more than five laps continuously. I can’t be too aggressive and I have to make smooth movements that make me lose speed. With very little water on the track I feel better, but when it rains a lot everything becomes more complicated. Let’s see if conditions improve a bit tomorrow and we’ll try and get inside the top 10 to go straight through into Q2.”
A completely wet day in Valencia looks like it will set the tone for the weekend.
Valencia Day One MotoGP Combined Free Practice
- MARQUEZ Marc SPA Repsol Honda 1’39.767
- MILLER Jack AUS Alma Pramac Ducati 1’39.873 / 0.106
- PETRUCCI Danilo ITA Alma Pramac Ducati 1’39.907 / 0.140
- DOVIZIOSO Andrea ITA Ducati Team 1’40.179 / 0.412
- PEDROSA Dani SPA Repsol Honda 1’40.467 / 0.700
- IANNONE Andrea ITA Suzuki Ecstar 1’40.685 / 0.918
- VINALES Maverick SPA Movistar Yamaha 1’40.772 / 1.005
- PIRRO Michele ITA Ducati Team 1’40.836 / 1.069
- ESPARGARO Pol SPA Red Bull KTM 1’40.892 / 1.125
- RINS Alex SPA Suzuki Ecstar 1’40.965 / 1.198
- ESPARGARO Aleix SPA Aprilia Racing Gresini 1’40.967 / 1.200
- ROSSI Valentino ITA Movistar Yamaha 1’41.015 / 1.248
- ZARCO Johann FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’41.146 / 1.379
- ABRAHAM Karel CZE Angel Nieto Team 1’41.160 / 1.393
- SIMEON Xavier BEL Reale Avintia Racing 1’41.277 / 1.510
- BRADL Stefan GER LCR Honda 1’41.479 / 1.712
- SMITH Bradley GBR Red Bull KTM 1’41.489 / 1.722
- MORBIDELLI Franco ITA EG 0,0 Marc VDS 1’41.713 / 1.946
- LORENZO Jorge SPA Ducati Team 1’41.782 / 2.015
- NAKAGAMI Takaaki JPN LCR Honda 1’42.471 / 2.704
- BAUTISTA Alvaro SPA Angel Nieto Team 1’42.617 / 2.850
- REDDING Scott GBR Aprilia Racing Gresini 1’42.857/ 3.090
- LUTHI Tom SWI EG 0,0 Marc VDS 1’43.000 / 3.233
- SYAHRIN Hafizh MAL Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’43.727 / 3.960
- TORRES Jordi SPA Reale Avintia Racing 1’45.001 / 5.234
Moto2
Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors) impressed in tough wet conditions after his FP1 time saw him end Day 1 at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana at the summit of the Moto2 combined standings. Because of the heavier rainfall in the afternoon, FP1 times would remain the fastest of the day for the intermediate class and Lecuona’s 1:46.705 in the morning was enough to see him better Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) by 0.798, despite a crash for both. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) sits third quickest on the combined times – 0.912 off Lecuona.
Fourth overall and P4 in FP2 was American rider Joe Roberts (NTS RW Racing GP), who showed his incredible pace in the wet once again, despite a crash. He was just ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40), who was fifth on Day 1 and third in the second, trickier session. World Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) ends Friday in P6 overall but was P13 in FP2, with Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) seventh quickest overall.
Second of the NTS wet weather heroes was Steven Odendaal (NTS RW Racing GP), the South African crashing in both sessions but quick, with two MotoGP-bound riders completing the top ten: it was P9 for Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and P10 for Fabio Quartararo (HDR Heidrun – Speed Up).
Remy Gardner – P24
“Today has been quite good. I definitely thought that I would be stronger in the wet, but I always struggled in Valencia, so I knew it’s going to be a tough one. I had a bit of a strange crash this morning, but anyway, we got a bit softer clutch setting which helped in the afternoon, where I just did laps and found confidence. We were back inside the top 10 in FP2, my feeling was pretty ok, although the conditions were a lot worse than this morning. We’re still working on the setting and we still have to do some things before Sunday, as it looks like it’s going to be wet.”
FP2 saw no less than 16 crashes: Lukas Tulovic (Forward Racing Team), Hector Garzo (Tech 3 Racing), Khairul Idham Pawi (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Team Gresini) twice, replacement rider Tommaso Marcon (HDR Heidrun – Speed Up), Xavi Cardelus (Marinelli Snipers Team), Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2’s Simone Corsi, Tetsuta Nagashima (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Sky Racing Team VR46’s Luca Marini, Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) and Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors), riders ok.
Rookie Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) went fastest on his final flying lap in FP2 to end Friday at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana on top; his 1:51.873 enough to oust Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) – despite a late crash – from the summit by just 0.039. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) took P3 in FP2 and on the combined times after a P15 in the morning, and the top three overall were split by just 0.094 on Friday.
A wet FP1 and a wet FP2 was the order of the day as the lightweight class machines completed their final Friday of the year in a rain-soaked Valencia. The aforementioned home rider Lopez takes the honours to top the two Italians, with Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) fourth in a tight top four – 0.140 was the gap from the Japanese rider to the Spaniard after he ended the first session in P13. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) completed the top five on Friday.
World Champion Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) – who didn’t venture out in FP1 – ended the day sixth fastest, just ahead of Andrea Migno (Angel Nieto Team Moto3), who rounds out a solid day in P7 after ending FP1 inside the top three. Wildcard and Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion Can Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), meanwhile, took an impressive P8 to end his first day in Grand Prix racing in the top ten despite a crash, with fellow former Asia Talent Cup rider Nakarin Atiratphuvapat (Honda Team Asia) P9 overall. Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) took P10 and was another who crashed in tough conditions.
Crashes were aplenty in the wet conditions, with replacement rider Izam Ikmal (Petronas Sprinta Racing) the first rider to crash, joined by Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team), Kazuki Masaki (RBA BOE Skull Rider), Raul Fernandez (Angel Nieto Team Moto3), Vicente Perez (Reale Avintia Academy 77) for the second time of the day, Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0), Bester Capital Dubai’s Jaume Masia and Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) – riders ok.
Source: MCNews.com.au
Marquez tops Miller on wet opening day at Valencia
Difficult conditions greet riders as final round of MotoGP season commences.
Image: Supplied.
Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez completed day one at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana as the fastest man in some tough and wet conditions, topping Australian Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing).
Thanks to his FP1 time of 1m39.767s, the Spaniard headed Alma Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller and Danilo Petrucci and the top three were split by just 0.140s on Friday.
Just like FP1, the FP2 session was red-flagged in the early stages due to unsafe track conditions. This came after debris was left on circuit after Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) crashed at the tricky turn 12, but the Frenchman was okay and returned to the pits.
A short delay followed before the riders headed back out, but with the rain heavier than it was in FP1, none of the riders were able to improve on their morning times and the top 10 were decided for the day.
This left Marquez ending Friday as the quickest rider and Miller P2, despite finishing 13th in FP2. Petrucci topped FP2 by a significant margin as 0.407s was the gap back to the number 93, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) the only other rider within a second of the Ducati rider in the second session.
It was 12th overall for ‘The Doctor’ however. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) sits fourth overall and the Italian was P12 in FP2, with Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) completing the top five despite conditions that have often been more difficult for the newly-inducted Legend this season.
Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) ends P6 on the combined times, with Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) ending the day as the fastest Yamaha rider in seventh overall. Wildcard and Ducati Team test rider Michele Pirro sits P8 overall thanks to his FP1 time.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol Espargaro grabs a provisional Q2 spot by ending Friday in ninth, along with teammate Bradley Smith’s eighth caps off a good day for the Austrian manufacturer in the wet conditions. Alex Rins (Team Ecstar Suzuki) rounded out the top 10.
In Moto2, Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors) impressed in tough, wet conditions after his FP1 time saw him end day one at the summit of the Moto2 combined standings. Lecuona’s 1m46.705s in the morning was enough to see him better Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Remy Gardner (Tech3 Racing) was P24.
Rookie Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) went fastest on his final flying lap in FP2 to end Friday on top in Moto3, his 1m51.873s enough to oust Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) took third.
Source: CycleOnline.com.au
