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Dakar Day 7 – Lopez wins stage as riders arrive in Chile

10 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Francisco Lopez claimed a memorable stage victory onboard his Team Copec Movistar KTM on day seven of the 2009 Dakar Rally. The Chilean rider received an incredible reception from the thousands of...

Dakar day 7 - Simon Pavey blog

10 January 2009 by Michael Guy

The World of BMW Off-Road Skills Chief Instructor Simon Pavey has impressively finished Day 7 of the Rally, riding 815km from Mendoza in Argentina and crossing the border to Chile to arrive in the bivouac in Valparaiso. Pavey finished the Special Timed Stage in a credible 58th position and is placed 49th overall in the Rally. Writing for MCN, Pavey said: “Today we were faced with the South...

The future of MotoGP?

10 January 2009 by Anonymous

Here’s an article I wrote for the ‘OD-Racing’ website a couple of years ago. Of course some small things have changed since, but in the new racing climate it makes for interesting reading: The top class in the World Championship has successfully changed from 500cc 2 strokes to 990cc 4 strokes, without too many problems, but now a few little problems are starting to surface. The two main problems...

Dorna boss hopeful Kawasaki ‘private’ team will race in 2009

09 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta is confident that Kawasaki will have some involvement in the 2009 MotoGP world championship, despite today’s announcement its factory team would not race next...

Marco Melandri not shocked by Kawasaki withdrawal

09 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Italian Marco Melandri says he wasn’t shocked by today’s official announcement that Kawasaki is to quit the MotoGP world championship with immediate effect. Despite rumours of a last-minute reprieve...

Video: The special status of the North West 200

09 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Back in the office after two days in Northern Ireland, primarily for Thursday’s North West 200 launch and I was trying to explain just how the race is revered in the province. The launch festivities kicked off at around 10.00am but by then there were already pictures flying through cyber-space to serve websites worldwide of bikini-clad Miss Northern Ireland, draped across a 1930s Rudge in front of...

Supercross action heads to Liverpool and London

09 January 2009 by Sarah Carnell

The final three rounds of the British Supercross Championship are fast approaching and the line up of riders is already looking impressive. Flashing lights, motocross style bikes soaring through the...

Karl Harris training hard

09 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Hydrex Honda boss Shaun Muir has written strict fitness and dietry controls into the contract of new signing Karl Harris. Harris has always previously used boxing as a method of training but his new...

BSB blog 2009 – plenty of sub plots

09 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

It may be a long way off to the start of the British Superbike season – and it’ll seem even longer with a predicted cutback in pre-season testing. But that hasn’t stopped talk in the MCN office about...

Video: North West 200 launch: Rutter and Plater interviewed

09 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Last year’s big North West 200 winners Steve Plater and Michael Rutter are both on different bikes this year. MCN asked them about their news deals. Michael Rutter NW200 Coca Cola Zero Yamaha You had...

Tech 3 bosses urges caution on rule changes

09 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

James Toseland’s Tech 3 Yamaha boss Herve Poncharal believes it will be hard for MotoGP to radically revamp technical rules to counter the impact of the credit crisis. Several suggestions have been...

Dakar day 6 - Simon Pavey Blog

09 January 2009 by Rob Hull

World of BMW Off Road Skills Chief Instructor Simon Pavey has secured his best Special Stage result of the 2009 Argentina – Chile Dakar Rally on the sixth day of the event. Pavey was 34th overall in...

Dakar Day 6 - Despres takes first stage win

09 January 2009 by Michael Guy

2007 Dakar champion Cyril Despres took his first stage win of the 2009 event to get his race back on track. The Frenchman has had a torrid time so far with punctures, crashes and navigation problems...

Kawasaki confirms MotoGP exit

09 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Kawasaki has confirmed this morning that it will quit the MotoGP world championship with immediate effect, leaving John Hopkins and Marco Melandri without a ride just three months before the first...

Donington Park revamp to go ahead

09 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Donington Park has been granted planning permission for a multi million pound development that promises to turn it into Britain’s flagship racing circuit. After months of speculation regarding the new...

HM Plant Honda will run two superbikes

08 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

HM Plant Honda team boss Neil Tuxworth has scotched rumours suggesting that their superbike effort would be slashed to just one rider for the forthcoming season. Rumours have persisted that Josh...

Michael Dunlop to race Norton at North West 200

08 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

The North West 200 organisers are on the verge of granting special dispensation to allow Michael Dunlop to race the rotary-engine Norton at this year’s 80th Anniversary meeting on May 16. Dunlop is to...

Michael Rutter in NW200 course inspection

08 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Ahead of today’s 2009 North West 200 press launch, NW200 Yamaha rider Michael Rutter met with NW200 Clerk of the Course to discuss possible safety improvements to the superfast 8.96 mile ‘Triangle’ of...

Ben Spies confirms Yamaha MotoGP interest for 2010

08 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies has confirmed he sits high on a list of Yamaha MotoGP targets for 2010. The Texan is already being touted for a possible seat in the Tech 3 Yamaha squad, depending on how he performs in his...

Dakar day 5 - Simon Pavey Blog

08 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Honorary Brit, Simon Pavey dug deep on the hardest stage of the Dakar to secure an impressive 46th place finish on the arduous 506KM sixth stage. His strong result moves the BMW man up to 45th overall...

Carmelo Ezpeleta holds Kawasaki crisis talks

08 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta has staged crisis talks with top Kawasaki management in Japan today in a bid to get the Japanese factory to race in MotoGP in 2009. Kawasaki has still not officially...

Dakar Day 5 – Strong showing by Brits on toughest stage so far

08 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Brits Mick Extance (Honda Europe Dakar Sport) and Stanley Watt (KTM Front Row GB) proved their credentials on the hardest day of the 2009 Dakar so far with impressive results. Dakar veteran Mick...

Donington Park revamp under consideration

08 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Local planners will consider the multi-million pound revamp of Donington Park at a meeting today (Thursday). North West Leicestershire District Council’s planning committee will consider the plans to...

Casey Stoner ready for wrist assessment

08 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Former world champion Casey Stoner will learn whether is on course for an early February comeback when he undergoes medical checks on his left wrist in Italy next week. The Australian is due to fly...

Coca Cola Zero backing announced for North West 200 and Rutter

08 January 2009 by Marc Potter

Coca Cola are backing motorcycle racing with the announcement that Coca Cola Zero will sponsor Michael Rutter in British Superbikes, and back the North West 200 races in May. This is the first...

MotoGP blog: MotoGP in crisis

07 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Kawasaki’s bombshell decision to quit MotoGP was a wake up call of Big Ben proportions for the racing world. Well for MotoGP at least, which had previously seemed impregnable to the global economic...

Dakar day 4 – Simon Pavey Blog

07 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Six times Dakar veteran Simon Pavey secured his best result in the Rally Special Stages so far, of 48th position and moved up 20 places to 65th overall in the motorcycle category. Day four of the...

French rider killed in Dakar Rally

07 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Frenchman Pascal Terry has been found dead on the Dakar Rally in Argentina. The 49-year-old was found after the fourth stage having been missing since Sunday’s second stage between Santa Rosa and...

Engine development freeze can slash MotoGP costs

07 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Honda team boss Lucio Cecchinello believes costs could be cut by 20 to 30 per cent with a freeze on engine development in MotoGP. The LCR Honda boss is one of several teams treading a financial...

Chris Vermeulen backs rider aid reduction bid

07 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Factory Suzuki rider Chris Vermeulen has backed Valentino Rossi’s bid for MotoGP to slash the influence of electronic rider aids. The Aussie sits on the influential MotoGP Safety Commission with Rossi...

Scott Russell races again

07 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Former WSB champion Scott Russell earned the nickname “Mr. Daytona” with his two-wheel prowess at Daytona International Speedway, winning the Daytona 200 five times. Now Russell joins fellow two-wheel...

Coma secures stage win, Despres takes fighting second

07 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Marc Coma continued his dominance of the 2009 Dakar by winning his third stage win in four days ahead of factory KTM team-mate Cyril Despres. Starting the revised 380KM stage first, Coma was unfazed...

Support the companies that support MotoGP

07 January 2009 by Anonymous

I’m a bit of a bike collector. On the road I have 3 “classic” bikes, namely 2 750 Kawasakis and a T150 Triumph and a “modern” bike, a Triumph Thunderbird. I have long been disappointed that Triumph have no presence or even aspiration for racing at the top level and am saddened by Kwak’s withdrawal. The time has come for me (and others?) to support those firms committed to top level racing so I...

Sykes: “I could ride now if I had to”

06 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Factory Yamaha WSB man Tom Sykes is confident of a quick recovery following his 100mph crash on the final day of the Kyalami test in South Africa four weeks ago. The 23 year old crashed his R1 after...

Kawasaki UK back McAdoo team on roads

06 January 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Kawasaki Motors UK has confirmed official support for the McAdoo Kawasaki racing team on the exciting and demanding pure road race level. With recent signing Conor Cummins on the team’s 2009 Kawasaki...

Dakar Day 3 - Coma reasserts dominance on 2009 Dakar

06 January 2009 by Michael Guy

Despite starting the day in 17th place, Spaniard Marc Coma dominated day three of the 2009 Dakar Rally to move clear at the top of the timing sheets. The factory Repsol KTM rider won the shortened 551KM timed special stage by 17m 49s and now leads the overall Dakar standings by a comfortable 39m 11s. The days riding saw the remaining 192 competitors head into Patagonia where they were faced with...

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