Below and column at left: Strikingly beautiful Andra Cobb is featured in the new 2005 Fast Dates and Iron & Lace calendars, and will be one of our FastDates.com Calendar Angeles at Laguna Seca World Superbike July 9-11th and at the LA Calendar Motorcycle Show with the Confederate Wraith.

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MotoGP World Championship, Assen Dutch TT Round 6 - PREVIEW

Rossi Aiming to Make His mark at Historic Assen
Dutch TT Assen, Netherlands, June 24, 25, 26 2004: With MotoGP race wins at Welkom, Mugello and now Catalunya notched up by Valentino Rossi, and with the podium scaled by his team-mate Carlos Checa at Le Mans, the Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team approaches the unique challenge of Assen with a spring in its step. Assen, which hosts the sixth round of the 16-round MotoGP series, is one of the all-time classic Grand Prix venues, specifically chosen and continually modified for motorcycle use. Much revised throughout its history, it continues to offer a truly individual challenge to any rider, victories being more valued at the Circuit van Drenthe than at almost any other venue. This will hold doubly true this year, as there are record numbers of potential winners jousting their way across the continents in search of MotoGP glory.

Thanks to his three peerless wins, Rossi now sits only five points from the lead in the World Championship standings, despite having only competed in five events on the ever-developing Yamaha YZR-M1. The four-cylinder machine has also helped lift Checa to a second place finish at Le Mans, when the 31-year-old Catalan beat all but race winner and championship leader Sete Gibernau with no small degree of élan.
Few in MotoGP racing could have predicted just how immediately the union of Rossi and the M1 would bear gilded fruit, but now the partnership has proved itself in impressive fashion, leaving 25-year-old Rossi hungry for more wins and the ultimate prize. Now resident in London, Rossi is a previous Assen TT winner, his lone Dutch triumph in the premier class coming in 2002, when he set the lap record pace.

The 6.027km Assen circuit has offered Checa podium places in the past, including a runner-up performance in 1997. His most recent Assen podium was a third in 2002, in his first season riding the Yamaha YZR-M1.


ROSSI RATES ASSEN AS ONE OF THE ALL-TIME BEST
The fluid nature and historical importance of Assen are appreciated by Rossi, who doffs his cap with respect at the very prospect of riding the horizontal roller coaster that is the Circuit van Drenthe. “Assen is a really good track that all the riders like,” he stated. “It’s such a big emotion to race there because it’s different from all the other courses; it’s historic, very old, and isn’t a ‘computer’ track like all the others. It’s still called a TT and I always feel privileged to be racing in a TT. I have never ridden the M1 there but I think it will go quite well, as the M1’s handling is so good and Assen is all corners.”

Assen’s location in the North of the Netherlands brings its own challenges, as Rossi describes. “The big problem with Assen is when it will rain, not if! I think we’ve still not overcome some of the problems we have with the bike in wet conditions. Sete and his bike are obviously very fast in the rain, I’m sure they are faster than us, so I really hope for a dry race if it’s possible, and let’s see what happens. I would always prefer to race in the dry given the choice. Assen holds good memories for me anyway as I had a fantastic race there when competing on a 125 in 1997. It was one of the best of my career, with a brilliant fight between five or six riders. I’m looking forward to racing there again this year.”

CHECA HOME FROM HOME AT ASSEN
Carlos Checa, more of a connoisseur of the sport than most other MotoGP riders, acknowledges that Assen is something extra special, a true challenge to the complete racecraft of any rider. The usual hordes of Dutch and German fans who flood across the spectator areas and grandstands on raceday will also be joined by some visitors from Checa’s native Spain.

"Assen is a track I like very much; it's a very historic circuit and there is always a great atmosphere so I am looking forward to it a lot,” said Checa, energised by a great recovery to fourth position from a fourth row start at his home event in Catalunya. “It's always a very special race and the fans are great. This time many of my best friends from home will come, maybe 30 of them. Some are coming on bikes, some with motor homes, so it should be great fun. Let's hope for good weather and a great race."

The prospect of Checa enjoying a great result at Assen is enhanced by the impressive capabilities of his machine and team, a fact that is not lost on Carlos himself. “The bike is working very well at the moment and hopefully we can find a good set-up. It's a very twisty circuit and some of the changes we've made to the bike this year might make it a little different to ride at Assen. With the wider rear tyre it may be difficult to change direction so quickly. However I think we should have very good grip on the side of the tyre because of the bumps on the circuit; this means I can get more traction and a better lean angle. We may need a much stronger suspension at Assen than at some other circuits in order to stop the rear smashing down.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO HOPES FOR TEAM TO IMPRESS IN ASSEN
Davide Brivio knows that the Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team are onto a good thing, and is looking forward to the chance for his riders to shine again this weekend, “Assen is another kind of ‘home’ circuit because our Yamaha European headquarters are based in the Netherlands. Many of our staff will come up to Assen for the race so we hope to give them a good show. We’re coming from two fantastic races where we were able to win, so now we must continue to try to win as many races as possible.

“We had a good test in Barcelona the day after the race, which might help us for the rest of the season,” Brivio explained. “Each time we test we are continuing to improve the set-up of the bike, working to let Valentino and the M1 get to know each other better every time.

“There is clearly a big improvement in Yamaha’s racing since last year, the Yamaha riders are in the top positions most weekends, and not just Valentino. It’s a good sign of the great work our engineers have done so far. There is still room for improvement, and we fully expect a reaction from our competitors so we cannot afford to relax.”

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
Part of the perennial success and popularity of the Assen event is its ability to modernise its facilities and layout without losing one iota of its unique character and appeal, to riders and fans alike. Starting out its racing life as a 28km street circuit it was shortened in 1955 and then again in 1984, when it was also widened somewhat. In many ways Assen is the granddaddy of the contemporary MotoGP circuits and is the longest still in current use, at 6.027km. With 23 distinct corners and many more subtle changes of direction and lean angle in between, it is possibly the most cerebral of challenges for riders and teams.

Despite the rapid, flowing corners and high average lap speed, outright power is not necessarily the determining factor at Assen. A good power output and a linear throttle response are nonetheless essential ingredients to the set-up mix but camber is King at Assen, a circuit that mimics the characteristics of a real road more than any on the current MotoGP calendar.

With a pronounced crown on the ‘road,’ the high speed switchbacks of much of the Assen circuit mean that camber goes from positive to negative to positive again as each corner is dealt with. This unique characteristic of Assen demands not only judicious throttle control from the rider when crossing the cambers but suspension capable of dealing with its ever changing characteristics, not to mention a chassis package with a useable blend of good stability and high speed agility.

To prevent the rear end squatting under the combined forces of positive camber and acceleration, a higher rating of rear spring will be required for Assen, altering the usual front to rear balance of the M1. To handle the tarmac ripples and bumps, and because there are few places where heavy braking is called for, the front forks can be left on a softer setting than the rear.

One relatively recent piece of track modification has added another complication to the set-up. The double apex corner of Duikersloot, tightened and brought inwards to improve run off in the event of a crash two years ago, now has a largely flat camber, a fact which can catch out riders who forget that they have had the help of a positive camber at most other corners of the circuit.

Tyre performance is another key at Assen. The cambers aid outright grip in most instances and with the tarmac being grippy but not overly abrasive Assen is not the hardest circuit on tyres per se. The front tyre is particularly important, however, such are the frequently encountered fast corner entries. Braking has frequently to be performed right up to the apex of the turn to attenuate speed, rather than violently reduce it, maintaining valuable momentum and machine balance.

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Rossi (46) and Gibernau (behind) powerslided side by side around Catalunya the entire race, constantly trading the lead.

MotoGP World Championship, Catalunya Round 5

Rossi and Yamaha on top again in Catalunya
in another exciting race long struggle with Honda's Gibernau

Catalunya, Spain, June 13th - Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha rider and reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi won his second consecutive Grand Prix in Catalunya today, his third so far – leading a charge of three Yamahas into the top four places. Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 pilot Marco Melandri landed the first podium of his MotoGP career after a brilliant ride, finishing third behind Honda rider Sete Gibernau, while Rossi’s team-mate Carlos Checa rode a fantastic home race to finish fourth after starting 12th on the grid.

Starting from second on the grid, Rossi took a close lead from Gibernau for two laps before running wide and surrendering his place to the Spaniard. He then stuck close to Gibernau’s heels as the two quickly opened up a distance from the chasing pack. Rossi and Gibernau swapped the lead twice more; before Rossi passed his rival once again two laps from the end, hanging on to win by less than two tenths of a second ahead of Gibernau. His back-to-back victories are the first for Yamaha in the premier class since Garry McCoy scored two in a row in 2000. Melandri stormed to a fine third place after working his way up through the field. The Italian charger showed what a fighter he is, defying the ‘arm pump’ trouble that had plagued him at Mugello, to finish a gruelling race looking as strong as his former 250 days.

Checa meanwhile moved up through the field with a series of bold passes, finding himself in fifth by lap 12 and fourth a few laps later. Rossi (101 points) now sits five points behind Championship leader Gibernau (106pts) in the standings, whilst Checa (49pts) moves up to fourth behind Max Biaggi (Honda, 80pts).

Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha), first “I’m really, really happy to have won, first in Mugello and now here; they’re both very important races for me. We’ve done a lot of fast work this weekend and my team and Michelin have worked so hard to improve the bike; we’ve literally been working every second we’ve had. After warm-up today we made another change to the bike, which paid off. It was a really hard race at the top level, and we went at a very hard pace. Sete and I were more than ten seconds ahead of the others. At one point Sete was able to get away but then he started to spin and slide so I was able to get in front again. To have won three races at this stage of the Championship is fantastic. I’m really happy to see the other M1s up front as well. Today was less dramatic but more tactical than Mugello, but still a great race.” The Doctor Is In Immediately after crossing the finsih line for the win, Valentio pulled to the side of the track where friends in hospital gowns were waiting to rush over and dress him as his nickname "The Doctor", complete with stethiscope. Then he took his victory lap.

Sete Gibernau, Telefonica MoviStar Honda, second: “I tried to play my cards well again today and we did the best we could with what we had. We knew we couldn’t use the same tyre as Yamaha and used a softer compound to try and have the same traction that they would have with the h arder one. Obviously that meant that at the halfway stage their tyres would improve whilst mine deteriorated. I don’t want to give any excuses, I never have done, and I have to congratulate Valentino although I knew this could happen even though I gave 120%. I hope to keep going on the same path, have a chat with Honda about how we can improve the situation and do everything I can to make them understand that we have to face up to Valentino and Yamaha, who are improving a lot. I don’t feel as thoughI lost today – as far as I am concerned we have won because I am getting 100% out of what I have at every race”.

Marco Melandri (Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3), third: “This is a great day. I’ve waited a year and a half for this. And after I thought I’d get a podium at Jerez this year, this is a very good feeling. Thanks to the team, to Yamaha, to Michelin – we’ve done it here! After five laps everything felt okay and I didn’t push too hard once I saw I had the advantage over Biaggi. I just raced smart, stayed focussed and that’s why I’m on the podium.”

Carlos Checa (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha), fourth: “That was a good race as I started from 12th and finished fourth. I passed many riders during the race and for me this is proof that I could do well after what happened in Mugello. I had much more confidence in the front braking today so it was easier to pass people. By the time I caught up with Marco he was pushing hard but I couldn’t keep the same pace anymore because of the tyres. I am so pleased with this result after yesterday’s qualifying and my fall yesterday morning. This afternoon I recovered the feeling and pace. Tomorrow we have a test and I hope we can make some more improvements, especially on the softer tyres for qualifying.”

ColinEdwards , Telefonica MoviStar Honda : 5th : “I made a good start but I couldn’t stop them from coming past me and ended up fifteenth after the first lap. I kept my clam and started to pass riders but I lost a lot of time trying to get past Troy Bayliss. When he crashed I just concentrated on getting my rhythm together and in the end I was able to finish fift! h. Now we go to Assen – a circuit I know well after winning there several times in Superbikes – and I’m hoping to take a big step forward”.

Max Biaggi, Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres),8th: “I’m very disappointed, after the practices I was ready to get a top result. In the warm-up I went out with a used tyre to prepare the second part of the race. I got a good start which took me into the top group. Then I began to get a problem in the rear tyre that just made everything impossible. In the analysis at the end of the race we realised that it was defective and that was the cause of the chattering that made the bike virtually impossible to ride. It’s a big disappointment and we need to put this result to one side and continue with our work in tomorrow’s tests at this track. I’m completely confident in Michelin and in the brilliant work they have always done. This is just a one off, a lucky one, but a one off.”

Davide Brivio, Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha team director: ”What a race! It’s been a very good day; unbelievable. We’ve had two victories at two circuits which we expected to find very difficult. Yamaha and the team have worked so well and we’ve got a fantastic rider. Valentino rode a perfect race. This is a good day for Yamaha; Carlos had a brilliant race too; it was very difficult for him starting from the fourth row but he didn’t stop fighting for the whole race and finished fourth. It’s good to see Marco doing well and Yamaha filling three out of the four top places. We are now really looking to enjoy the rest of the season! Thanks to everyone involved, today all their hard work and effort has paid off, again.”

Jeremy Burgess, Valentino Rossi’s crew chief: “We made some changes this morning and maybe they worked! This is a terrific result. We’ve now won consecutively at Mugello and Catalunya, which are fast circuits where the opposition has the advantage on speed, so we are really pleased with the results.”

Makoto Tamada, Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – Retired on lap thirteen while running a stong 3rd: “I unexpectedly lost grip and then got these strong vibrations that made the bike difficult to control. To continue made no sense, not even to help with development. Tomorrow we will test some new material and we will try to find some solution to the difficulties we are currently having. I know Bridgestone will react and things will soon return to normal.”

Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team: retired: “Just so disappointed. This morning I went out on used tyres to get a feel for the conditions and it all felt pretty positive. I seemed to have problems all weekend with practice starts and in the race it was a disaster. Just couldn’t get any power down right up to turn one by which time half the grid had got past. During the race the bike seemed to loose power and I noticed some fluid on the windscreen that I guess must have been water because when the bike eventually stopped we discovered the radiator had been holed a small stone I guess. I’m definitely disappointed not to get a result again. Onto the next race!”

Race classification MotoGP
Round: 5 - Catalunya Grand Prix, Circuit: Catalunya , Circuit Length: 4727 , Lap Record: 1' 44.641 (Sete Gibernau, 2004)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 44.641 (Sete Gibernau, 2004)

Race: 25 Laps Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 V. Rossi Yamaha ITA 44' 3.255 2 S. Gibernau Honda ESP +0.159 3 M. Melandri Yamaha ITA +13.923 4 C. Checa Yamaha ESP +19.213 5 C. Edwards Honda USA +21.205 6 R. Xaus Ducati ESP +22.847 7 S. Nakano Kawasaki JPN +24.014 8 M. Biaggi Honda ITA +24.104 9 N. Abe Yamaha JPN +35.676 10 L. Capirossi Ducati ITA +40.775 11 A. Hofman Kawasaki GER +40.862 12 N. Hodgson Ducati GBR +56.157 13 S. Byrne Aprilia GBR +1' 3.679 14 A. Pitt Moriwaki AUS +1' 5.933 15 N. Aoki Proton KR JPN +1' 18.199 Fastest Race Lap: Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 S. Gibernau Honda ESP 1' 44.641

hampionship standings MotoGP Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points 1 Sete Gibernau Honda ESP 106 2 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 101 3 Max Biaggi Honda ITA 80 4 Carlos Checa Yamaha ESP 49 5 Alex Barros Honda BRA 48 6 Colin Edwards Honda USA 44 7 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 38 8 Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 34 9 Norick Abe Yamaha JPN 28 10 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 27 11 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 23 12 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 23 13 Shinya Nakano Kawasaki JPN 20 14 Makato Tamada Honda JPN 15 15 Kenny Roberts Suzuki USA 12

Manufacturers standings MotoGP Pos. Manufacturer Points 1 Honda 110 2 Yamaha 108 3 Ducati 45 4 Kawasaki 22 5 Suzuki 15 6 Aprilia 13 7 Proton KR 7 7 Harris WCM 7 8 Moriwaki 2

250cc Grand Prix to France's Randy de Puniet on Arilia
Dani Pedrosa, Telefonica MoviStar Honda: (2nd.): “It was a really nice race and I enjoyed it a lot. It was a real learning experience for me riding so hard on spent tyres. In the head-to-head with De Puniet he was passing me on top speed and on the brakes, whilst I was quicker through the corners and on acceleration with the worn tyre. On the last lap I tried everything I knew I had to get to the stadium section first if I wanted to win but it wasn’t to be. In any case I am happy because we have completed our objectives I had a good race, the bike was fantastic thanks to the hard work of my team and we are back on the podium. I have to thank the crowd for the incredible support they have given me all weekend”.

Race classification GP250
Round: 5 - Catalunya GP250 , Circuit: Catalunya , Circuit Length: 4727, Lap Record: 1' 47.302 (Daniel Pedrosa, 2004)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 47.302 (Daniel Pedrosa, 2004)

Race: 23 Laps Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 R. de Puniet Aprilia FRA 41' 29.955 2 D. Pedrosa Honda ESP +0.109 3 T. Elias Honda ESP +9.521 4 S. Porto Aprilia ARG +20.871 5 F. Nieto Aprilia ESP +34.337 6 H. Aoyama Honda JPN +37.569 7 S. Guintoli Aprilia FRA +42.087 8 A. Debon Honda ESP +45.850 9 A. West Aprilia AUS +45.938 10 F. Battaini Aprilia ITA +46.235 11 E.. Bataille Honda FRA +50.694 12 A. Baldolini Aprilia ITA +50.980 13 C. Davies Aprilia GBR +56.785 14 N. Matsudo Yamaha JPN +56.895 15 J. Smrz Honda CZE +57.366 Fastest Race Lap: Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time 1 D. Pedrosa Honda ESP 1' 47.302

Championship standings GP250 Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points 1 Randy de Puniet Aprilia FRA 98 2 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 90 3 Sebastian Porto Aprilia ARG 63 4 Fonsi Nieto Aprilia ESP 56 5 Toni Elias Honda ESP 54 6 Roberto Rolfo Honda ITA 41 7 Alex de Angelis Aprilia SMR 40 8 Alex Debon Honda ESP 37 9 Anthony West Aprilia AUS 36 10 Hiroshi Aoyama Honda JPN 35 11 Manuel Poggiali Aprilia SMR 29 12 Franco Battaini Aprilia ITA 24 13 Sylvain Guintoli Aprilia FRA 13 14 Arnaud Vincent Aprilia FRA 11 15 Joan Olive Aprilia ESP 11

Manufacturers standings GP250 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1 Honda 115 2 Aprilia 110