MotoGP Brits » bancaja aspar

Bancaja Aspar Partnership Extended

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:11:28 +0000

Bancaja Aspar officially presented its renewed project at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia in Valencia today (Monday). In the presence of riders Nicolas Terol and Bradley Smith, team boss Jorge Martínez ‘Aspar’ and Jose Luis Olivas, president of Bancaja, signed a two-year agreement which will see the Spanish bank continue as the title sponsor of the 125cc team. Bancaja will also become co-sponsor of the Moto2 and MotoGP teams.

“Bancaja traditionally backs sport and has done since 2001,” said Jose Luis Olivas. “Since 2007 we have been title sponsor of this team and in two years we have had two World Champions and two vice-Champions. It’s not possible to ask for any more.”
Jorge Martínez ‘Aspar’ stated: “We will fight to become the new 125cc World Champion and also in Moto2, which will not be easy. The biggest challenge will be in MotoGP, where we will make out debut with Héctor Barberá.”

During the ceremony the bike which Terol and Smith will ride for the 2010 season was also unveiled.

Source: motogp.com

Bradley Smith Eyes 2010 125cc Title

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:35:35 +0000

The Press Association reports on Bradley Smith’s ambitions and hopes for bringing home a World title in 2010.
He came close to ending Britain’s 32-year wait for a motorcycling Grand Prix world champion this year – but has set his sights firmly on bringing home the title in 2010.

Bradley, 19, was runner up in the FIM 125cc World Championship on his Aspar Aprilia to team-mate Julian Simon but is favourite to take the crown next season and be the first Briton since the late Barry Sheene to claim a world title.
Sheene won the 500cc championship for Suzuki in 1976 and 1977 but his retirement in 1984 began a drought which has seen a generation of riders fail to make the grade.
James Toseland is the latest in a long line to take on the world’s best and come up short but after two wins and a further seven podium finishes this year, Smith is ready to take top spot – particularly after Simon made the step up to the new Moto2 class.

Bradley said: “I learned a lot as a rider this year and you can see that the bike was the same as in 2008 but my lap times have consistently improved.
“I had a lot less crashes and consistently finished races in the points which is what you need to do to win the title, and I also learned a lot from watching Simon race.
“He had a completely different style to anyone else and that made me improve my riding.
“I feel that I stepped up my level and in the last three or four rounds of the season the two of us were in a class of our own.
“I am learning when to push for a win and when to accept the points and that comes with experience.”

Bradley has ambitions to move through the classes and emulate the likes of Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner by ending up in MotoGP and is under no illusions that he must deliver next season.
Simon’s move leaves the Oxfordshire youngster as firm favourite for a title but he is relishing the responsibility.

He said: “There is added pressure on me for 2010 after finishing second this year as if I don’t win then people will see it as a waste of a year.
“But I feel really good about the bike, I don’t want to stop for winter as I am flying at the minute but we will all be ready for the opening round.
“It’s a shame that James Toseland missed his opportunity in MotoGP as British biking needs someone up there but hopefully the focus will be on us in 125s next year.
“There has been a lot of talk about being the first since Barry Sheene to win a title but that is still a long way away.
“There is a big chance for me to win the title next year but if I start chasing that dream too early it won’t happen.
“It’s nice to have the limelight on me and it’s a chance for me to shine but I need to keep calm and keep doing what I have been doing for the last year or so.
“With a world title all doors are open for you as a young rider and I will be able to pick the route for my career if I do it but it will take a lot of hard work and luck for it to come off.
“But hopefully this time next year I will have that trophy on my mantelpiece at home.”

Indianapolis GP: Report & Bradley Quotes

admin — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:24:00 +0000

The 125cc class marked their annual visit to Indianapolis with a thrilling race that ranks amongst the best of the year so far on Sunday, with two packs of riders challenging for the upper positions. Nico Trol repeated his early leadership from the Czech Republic for near enough the entirety of the race, but was shocked late on by Pol Espargaró, who overtook him with two laps remaining for his first Grand Prix victory. The breakaway group was full of talent, reducing from ten to six to five as the process of elimination was decided by the speedy pace. Espargaró, Smith, Corsi, Terol and Simón all put in exciting overtaking as the final places were arranged.

Zero points from Germany and Great Britain and fourth in the Czech Republic meant that Bradley Smith had spent three races away from the podium -a big hit to his title challenge. He returned to form Stateside with a great race, and could have won had he not made a small mistake on the entry to the home straight. The Bancaja rider recorded a mercurial 1’49.039 circuit record on his final lap, to take second place and make a rostrum comeback.

Here’s Bradley’s comments:

“I think that today’s result was very positive, because I finished ahead of every rider that was above me in the championship standings. It’s been a while since I was last on the podium, and I think that I really needed this. I hope that we can keep up this form at Misano next weekend. At one point in the race I doubted whether I could take a podium, because we were truly at the limit all the time. It was tough to keep up the pace, let alone overtake. Nico was very combative during the race, so passing him on the last lap with a circuit record was a big achievement for me. A little mistake on the entry to the home straight stopped me from fighting with Espargaró. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to take the victory, but I hope to be in shape to try again next Sunday. Second place has helped to motivate me, and it will keep me focused for the upcoming races.”

Indianapolis GP – Race Result, 125cc

admin — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:57:00 +0000

A superb, thrilling nail-biting race in the 125cc class with Pol Espargaro eventually getting a superb maiden victory, and Bradley Smith getting a great second place. Non-stop action right from the off, and a helpful clutch of points for Bradley in his championship struggle against 4th place Nico Terol and 5th place Julian Simon.

CLASSIFIED:

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Pol Espargaro Derbi 42m07.925s
2. Bradley Smith Aprilia + 0.120s
3. Simone Corsi Aprilia + 0.448s
4. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 1.613s
5. Julian Simon Aprilia + 1.801s
6. Marc Marquez KTM + 19.345s
7. Stefan Bradl Aprilia + 19.358s
8. Joan Olive Derbi + 25.611s
9. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia + 29.240s
10. D.Agerter Derbi + 29.707s
11. Daniel Webb Aprilia + 30.464s
12. Jonas Folger Aprilia + 44.460s
13. Luis Salom Aprilia + 44.549s
14. Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin + 45.328s
15. Sergio Gadea Aprilia + 45.435s
16. Michael Ranseder Aprilia + 45.479s
17. Lorenzo Zanetti Aprilia + 45.998s
18. Sandro Cortese Derbi + 53.791s
19. Cameron Beaubier KTM +1m01.179s
20. Esteve Rabat Aprilia +1m02.814s
21. Efren Vazquez Derbi +1m14.891s
22. Lukas Sembera Aprilia +1m16.320s
23. Johann Zarco Aprilia +1m31.218s
24. Luca Marconi Aprilia +1m31.569s
25. Luca Vitali Aprilia +1m51.274s

NOT CLASSIFIED/RETIREMENTS:

Rider | Bike | On lap
Andrea Iannone Aprilia 20
R.Krummenacher Aprilia 17
Scott Redding Aprilia 11
Alexis Masbou Loncin 7
Ben Young Aprilia 3
Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 3
Miles Thornton Aprilia 1

FASTEST LAP: Smith, 1m49.039s on lap 23

Bradley Looks Ahead To Indy

admin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:41:00 +0000

“Indianapolis is a fantastic circuit, both in terms of layout and history. The people there are incredible, and you can tell that they live and breath motor racing. For the atmosphere alone the Indianapolis Grand Prix ranks amongst the best of the year for me. I really love the United States as well. We didn’t get on the podium at the last round, but the fourth place was a good enough result to start regaining form and I hope that we carry on doing well this weekend. The track is new for everyone, as we only rode there last year. That means that nobody knows it too well nor has all the data necessary to ride fast straight away. It is a strange place to ride, because there are lots of bumps and changes in asphalt, and it’s also a very technical circuit. We will see what happens over the weekend, but I hope for another successful race and more points for the title fight.”

Bradley Smith – Friday Quotes – Czech GP, Brno

admin — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 07:56:00 +0000

“I think that this was the ideal way to return to action. After two weeks off I needed to get back on the Aprilia, and what better way to do so than with the best time of the day? An hour without rain was fantastic to have, because it is much easier to move forward. We were coming along great during the run, and even the asphalt was getting better; at the start the bike was sliding, but it gradually got more grippy. The wind gave some problems -as it does at Brno- and you need to get a slipstream to keep from losing time. We were all practically even today, so we have to keep concentrated to be the best this weekend.”

Bradley Smith – Brno Preview

admin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:44:00 +0000

“I’m hoping for a positive race in Brno, I’m extremely determined to make it a good result after the crashes at Sachsenring and Donington. Brno is a technical and wide track, with ample opportunities for overtaking. In the 125s it will be difficult to escape because it’s another long circuit where slipstreaming is key. It’s a bit like Mugello, in terms of length and the combination of esses and elevation changes. That means it will be crucial to get the set-up right at Brno, and to be strong at the end of the race. I hope that after the last two wet races, we can enjoy another sunny weekend and good conditions for racing.”

Bradders Talks Training

admin — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:11:00 +0000

With preseason and the season itself we’re talking about ten months of intense activity. Do you have a long-term training plan?
In preseason I do basic training, in other words long but intense continuous sessions with a low but progressive heart rate. Normally when we start competing in April or March I’m still not at 100%. It is a long season and you have to find a level that won’t leave you too tired over the final races, which are demanding because of the travelling and the conditions. So basically I step up the intensity through the season up to August. Then I have a rest to make sure I look after myself and make it to the end of the season in the best shape possible. June, July and August are the months where I hit my peak and I maintain that to the end of the season.

Do you do any kind of specific training during a Grand Prix weekend?
To be honest no, although I usually train the same for the first three days of a Grand Prix week as I do in a normal week. For example on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I do swimming, cycling and running and then when I get to a circuit on a Thursday I do a few laps of the track either on my pushbike or on foot. Obviously the intensity is much lower because you’re trying to save energy for the weekend but I don’t stop training altogether. Once the Grand Prix gets started, I spend fifteen minutes maximum warming up on a stationary bike before each practice and the race. I also do ten minutes as a warm down after the race to loosen and stretch the muscles. I also eat recovery food and hydrate a lot. It is very important to recover quickly, especially when you have back-to-back races, and to keep your immune system strong to avoid any kind of illness or infection that could affect performance.

Do you need a special diet to go along with your training programme?
My personal trainer takes charge of everything to do with training, nutrition and of course rest. I also have a sponsor that provides me with all the supplements I need for my programme. At home I have quite a strange diet because on one hand I need enough energy to train but at the same time I have to be careful not to get too heavy for a 125. I don’t eat any junk food and not much red meat – it’s mainly white meat, fish and salads as well as carbohydrates like pasta. I rarely take in more than 2500 calories a day.

How and when did you meet your personal trainer?
We met at the end of 2007. It was the end of my time with the Repsol team and a friend recommended that I go and see Mark and after talking to him for five minutes I knew he had to train me. He has the experience and knowledge to turn me into a true athlete. He competes in a lot of triathlons and Ironman contests, which is a long-distance triathlon. It was a little bit tricky at the start for him to understand the dynamics of a motorcycle racer. Basically his training method is based around the prevention of illness and injury. If you train too hard you can tire yourself out and you have to stop, which hinders your development. If you train constantly at 80% your physical fitness will constantly increase. Personally I think every rider should have a personal trainer to organise their training, nutrition, etc. As a rider this is my job and I have to work constantly on achieving the maximum I can – it is my responsibility to my sponsors and to myself.

It sounds like the triathlon forms the basis of your training…?
Yes, I love all three disciplines and it’s also a good way to completely disconnect from MotoGP. Between January and November I spend a lot of time riding motorcycles and even though we’re not racing every weekend it is a long season. Triathlon is kind of an escape route for me and it came into my life thanks to Mark. It’s wonderful sport, full of optimism, where everybody enjoys themselves a lot in the races and where you can be competitive at any level. To race in 125s the only training I do other than cycling, running and swimming is core training and stretching. When you’re on the bike you need a strong core and arms to put up with the stress and the weight transfer. I spend an hour, two or three times a week, using a basic gym ball. Working with Mark we try to replicate the positions I get into on the bike. Occasionally I ride motocross or supermoto but during the season I do enough riding at the GPs.

I suppose the British weather has an effect on your training?
This year was the first time I spent a long time out of England to train and I think it worked out really well. At the beginning of winter I spent six weeks in Barcelona and in all that time it rained three or four times, whilst in England if you’re lucky you get three or four days of sunshine! We get wind, snow and even hail and it is difficult to train, as well as being dangerous, whilst in Barcelona I was able to make the most of those six weeks and train in safety. Next winter I’ll be back in Spain for my preseason training but I’d also like to try cross-country skiing – we just have to work out where.

Do you ever take time out for a break?
Yeah of course – usually once a week or every fortnight I take a day out to completely relax, recover and recharge my batteries. But I don’t like to be doing nothing – I like to be busy all the time.

What about holidays?
Not during the season. If I go on holiday it’s at the end of the year with the family, in November or December. I take a week off over Christmas doing absolutely nothing and allowing myself some of the ‘sins’ I miss out on the rest of the year. But I still spend 50 or 51 weeks of the year concentrating on my training and absolutely dedicated to racing motorcycles.

Do you think so much preparation is necessary or is it just part of your winning character?
I always want to be at the maximum level that my body and mind will allow, I am a very competitive person. As far as racing is concerned, I don’t want my body to ever get in the way of me winning. I don’t ever want to feel like I could have done better in a race if only I was a bit fitter. In 125 perhaps so much training isn’t necessary but my attitude is to do everything I can to win. Suffering through training is fundamental for me and I think you need to suffer to maintain your hunger and a winning mentality.

How do you deal with the jetlag in Australia, the heat in Malaysia and racing at night in Qatar?
For Qatar I started incorporating training sessions at 8pm for a couple of weeks before the race, so I am used to being active at a time that is normally reserved for rest. For Malaysia I train inside a cabin that has heat and humidity control. It is a bit like a sauna but not as hot and you can regulate the temperature. As far as jetlag is concerned there’s not much you can do about it – if you start to feel it I think the best option is not to worry about it and just sit up in bed reading or watching television. If I get tired during the day I try and have a little nap if I can. Jetlag is something you can’t predict so I suppose the only way to fight it is to stay awake and get tired!

Source: Aspar Media

Bradley Reflects On Disappointing German GP

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:58:00 +0000

“It seems like I shouldn’t have got out of bed this morning. It is disappointing that I had such a good weekend end like this, but I think that the warmup crash affected us. I don’t think that the front tyre had got up to temperature. That’s why I got the feeling that I was running off track at every corner. The first crash was a blow to morale, and the second was a hit from behind that I couldn’t do anything about. We just have to move on and concentrate on the next race in Donington, making sure that we are ready to regain points.”

Bradley Looks Forward To Assen

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:32:00 +0000

“After finishing eighth at Montmeló I’m looking forward to getting to Assen and fighting for a top finish. It wasn’t a bad result and I’m still only a point and a half behind Julito but I was left with a bittersweet taste after that race. We have to think positive and keep working in the same way we have up to now. The Dutch TT last year was a strange race because of the red flag but I think I finished fifth, which isn’t a bad result. I really enjoy riding at Assen – a lot of people I speak to say the old circuit was even more fun but I never had the chance to ride it. The first section is a bit slow and personally I prefer the second half of the lap because it’s really quick. I think the work we did at the Valencia test should pay off because we improved engine performance.”