2008

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi wary of Dani Pedrosa threat

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi wary of Dani Pedrosa threat

Valentino Rossi has backed Spanish GP winner Dani Pedrosa to pose a bigger MotoGP title threat than factory Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in 2008. Rossi believes Pedrosa’s better premier class...

Positive first test on 2008 Honda Fireblade for Gregorio Lavilla

Positive first test on 2008 Honda Fireblade for Gregorio Lavilla

Gregorio Lavilla completed a successful two day test onboard the all new 2008 specification VentAxia VK Honda CBR1000RR this week. Riding at the Albacete circuit in central Spain on Sunday and...

Jonathan Rea fired up for Valencia

Jonathan Rea fired up for Valencia

Jonathan Rea is targeting an improvement in his qualifying performance at this weekend’s third round of the World Supersport championship at Valencia. Rea showed impressive race pace at Phillip...

MotoGP: Casey Stoner makes Jerez breakthrough

MotoGP: Casey Stoner makes Jerez breakthrough

MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner had mixed emotions after he made a major set-up breakthrough during a one-day test session in Jerez yesterday. Relieved to have big progress with the set-up issues...

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi happy with Bridgestone progress

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi happy with Bridgestone progress

Valentino Rossi said he was satisfied with new front and rear Bridgestone tyres after he finished the Jerez test second quickest. Rossi’s best lap of 1.39.117s was set on a qualifier though he was...

MotoGP: John Hopkins impressed by Kawasaki Screamer motor

MotoGP: John Hopkins impressed by Kawasaki Screamer motor

American John Hopkins is confident that he will race Kawasaki‚s new Screamer motor in 2008 after he completed a handful of laps on the revised spec ZX-RR in Jerez yesterday. Hopkins completed just...

MotoGP: Marco Melandri injures hand in testing crash

MotoGP: Marco Melandri injures hand in testing crash

Struggling factory Ducati rider Marco Melandri lost more crucial time to solve some of his mounting problems in Jerez yesterday after he escaped serious injury in a testing crash. The Italian lost the...

MotoGP Exclusive: BBC extends MotoGP deal to end of 2013

MotoGP Exclusive: BBC extends MotoGP deal to end of 2013

The BBC has agreed a new contract with Dorna to screen live coverage of the MotoGP world championship until the end of the 2013 season, MCN can exclusively reveal. An extension to the current contract...

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Yamaha feared technical failure after Valentino Rossi error

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Yamaha feared technical failure after Valentino Rossi error

Yamaha bosses have admitted they feared the worst when Valentino Rossi began suddenly slowing a lap before the end of the Spanish GP. His Fiat Yamaha team thought Rossi was alerting them to a...

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Colin Edwards keen to get new Yamaha engine

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Colin Edwards keen to get new Yamaha engine

American Colin Edwards has said he can’t wait to get Yamaha’s new pneumatic valve engine in Estoril later this month as he blamed a horsepower deficit for his disappointing Spanish GP. Having...

Ryan Farquhar at Kirkistown

Ryan Farquhar at Kirkistown

Ryan Farquhar on Easter Monday at Kirkistown, Northern Ireland

Easter Monday at Kirkistown, Northern Ireland

Easter Monday at Kirkistown, Northern Ireland

On a cold, windy morning 3 of us headed down to Kirkistown for the traditonal Easter Monday races on board our ZX6R and two Fazers. The Easter Monday races always attract a big crowd and this time...

Reed’s Supercross title charge back on track

Reed’s Supercross title charge back on track

Chad Reed put on a Supercross master class all of his own in Toronto. Qualifying easily despite a tumble in his heat that saw him finish fifth, in the main event the San Manuel Yamaha rider was...

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Tech 3 Yamaha boss hails gutsy James Toseland

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Tech 3 Yamaha boss hails gutsy James Toseland

James Toseland‚s Tech 3 Yamaha team boss Herve Poncharal has praised the British rookie after he shrugged off a serious bout of bronchitis to claim a deserved top six finish in Jerez. Toseland was a...

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Loris Capirossi boosted by fifth

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Loris Capirossi boosted by fifth

Loris Capirossi remains confident he can turn Suzuki into a regular MotoGP front-runner after he scored his best result on the GSV-R in the Spanish GP. Capirossi jumped from seventh to fifth place at...

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Andrea Dovizioso unhappy with eighth

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Andrea Dovizioso unhappy with eighth

Italian rookie Andrea Dovizioso was unhappier finishing nearly seconds behind Jerez winner Dani Pedrosa than he was at losing three places in a dramatic final corner. The JIR Scot rider had produced a...

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Disaster for Casey Stoner

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Disaster for Casey Stoner

Reigning world champion Casey Stoner suffered his worst result in 20 appearances for Ducati as he twice ran off track on his way to 11th in an eventful Spanish GP. The Aussie made a great start from...

Jerez MotoGP reaction: Dani Pedrosa on top of the world after home win

Jerez MotoGP reaction: Dani Pedrosa on top of the world after home win

Dani Pedrosa jumped to the top of the MotoGP world championship standings this afternoon after he produced a crushing start-to-finish victory in front of 131,000 home fans in Jerez. And making his...

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Jorge Lorenzo left frustrated

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Jorge Lorenzo left frustrated

Jorge Lorenzo was cut down to size by fellow Spaniard Dan Pedrosa in today’s Spanish GP, as the Yamaha rider and red-hot pre-race favourite could only finish third. Lorenzo had looked a good bet to...

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Valentino Rossi scores 100th podium

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Valentino Rossi scores 100th podium

Valentino Rossi created another slice of history for himself in Jerez today after the Italian’s first top three finish for Bridgestone gave him his 100th premier class podium. His second place though...

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Heroic James Toseland claims sixth

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Heroic James Toseland claims sixth

James Toseland came within metres of a brilliant top five finish in only his second MotoGP race in Jerez this afternoon. The British rider claimed a second successive sixth place in front of 131,000...

Jerez MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa dominates in home GP

Jerez MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa dominates in home GP

Dani Pedrosa led today’s Jerez MotoGP race from turn one right to the flag with a mistake-free performance. Pedrosa took the lead going into the first turn to get ahead of pole-sitter Jorge Lorenzo...

Jerez MotoGP reaction: Danny Webb suffers hand injury

Jerez MotoGP reaction: Danny Webb suffers hand injury

British teenager Danny Webb has had four stitches inserted in a nasty cut on the wedding ring finger of his left hand after he crashed out of today’s Spanish 125GP in Jerez. Webb was dicing with Joan...

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Bradley Smith toasts first Aprilia podium

Jerez MotoGP Reaction: Bradley Smith toasts first Aprilia podium

British rider Bradley Smith put his bitter Qatar disappointment behind him today to claim a brilliant third place in the Spanish GP. The Polaris World Aprilia rider, who had qualified on pole in Qatar...

Jerez MotoGP: Mika Kallio wins 250 Jerez GP in last lap drama

Jerez MotoGP: Mika Kallio wins 250 Jerez GP in last lap drama

Mika Kalllio has had the luckiest GP win of his career, being handed 25 points after Marco Simoncelli took leader Alvaro Bautista out on the final lap. Simoncelli and Bautista battled at the front for...

Jerez MotoGP: Bradley Smith scores Jerez podium

Jerez MotoGP: Bradley Smith scores Jerez podium

Bradley Smith has scored the second podium of his GP career with a determined performance at the Jerez Grand Prix. Smith secured a podium finish last season at Le Mans, but this is the first time he’s...

Jerez MotoGP: Alvaro Bautista takes pole for 250GP

Jerez MotoGP: Alvaro Bautista takes pole for 250GP

Alvaro Bautista has taken pole position for his home 250GP in Jerez after vying with Finland’s Mika Kallio at the top of the timesheets. The Aprilia man took control of the second qualifying session...

Jerez MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo pole

Jerez MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo pole

Factory Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo has claimed pole position for his home MotoGP in Jerez tomorrow. It was double joy for the 80,000 Spanish fans who were at the circuit today as Repsol Honda’s Dani...

Jerez MotoGP: Bradley Smith claims 125GP pole

Jerez MotoGP: Bradley Smith claims 125GP pole

British rider Bradley Smith has claimed his second successive 125GP pole position after a brilliant performance in today’s final qualifying session in Jerez. A best lap of 1:47.587 in hot and sunny...

Jerez MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo tops free practice

Jerez MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo tops free practice

Home favourite Jorge Lorenzo has ended free practice for the Spanish MotoGP with the fastest time, despite compatriot Dani Pedrosa topping the timesheets in this morning’s third and final...

Jerez MotoGP: Bradley Smith fastest in second 125 practice

Jerez MotoGP: Bradley Smith fastest in second 125 practice

British teenager Bradley Smith has posted the fastest time in the second 125GP practice session ahead of tomorrow’s Spanish MotoGP in Jerez. The Polaris World Aprilia rider jumped to the top of the...

Video: Tommy Hill talks testing at Valencia

At the recent World Superbike and World Supersport test in Valencia, MCN spent some time with injured Hannspree Altea Honda rider Tommy Hill out on track. As an experienced Superbike rider and personal friend to the Brits in Supersport, Hill is ideally placed to comment on the performances of both bikes and riders on track and in the video below he offers an insight into what the teams are trying...

Jerez MotoGP: Nicky Hayden happy with new Honda chassis

Jerez MotoGP: Nicky Hayden happy with new Honda chassis

Nicky Hayden said he enjoyed riding again today as he cast aside the bitter disappointment of his Qatar performance with the fourth fastest time in Jerez today. The American was back on the 2008...

Jerez MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo makes perfect start on home soil

Jerez MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo makes perfect start on home soil

Jorge Lorenzo’s brilliant early MotoGP form continued today when he topped the timesheets at the end of the first day of free practice for his home race in Jerez. The Fiat Yamaha rider, who claimed a...

Jerez MotoGP: Frustrated Casey Stoner escapes injury in crash

Jerez MotoGP: Frustrated Casey Stoner escapes injury in crash

Reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner admitted his bid to claim a career first Jerez podium had started in ‘frustrating’ fashion as a big crash left him only sixth fastest on day one. The...

Jerez MotoGP: James Toseland battles illness in Spain

Jerez MotoGP: James Toseland battles illness in Spain

James Toseland posted the eighth best time in Jerez today despite a torrid opening to the Spanish MotoGP for the British rider. Fresh from his stunning debut in Qatar earlier this month when he...