MotoGP – Valencia Test Day 1 – Many debuts, 2006 begins

In the name of black motorbikes, crowds to get first "hot" impressions, suits for unlikely tests, disquisitions of various kinds on chronometric comparisons. Absurdities of the first 2006 tests for MotoGP, at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia: Honda in full force, Ducati, Kawasaki, Suzuki. Everyone is there, Yamaha is missing, with Rossi as a Ferrari driver at Mugello and Colin Edwards already on holiday waiting for Sepang. We are content, God forbid, with a nice program of tests and new debuts: Pedrosa with the HRC, Gibernau with Ducati, Checa and Stoner from Pons, Vermeulen with Suzuki, De Puniet with Kawasaki, Elias with Honda, prize test with the RCV for Luthi, Neukirchner and Dovizioso. Not a bad plan, mouth-watering, just a shame about the rain, which arrived in the middle of the day ruining work plans and projects for everyone. Never mind, there's always tomorrow...

Pedrosa with HRC: there is still work to do

Undoubtedly the most followed. For various reasons: because he is the 250cc world champion, he is unbeaten from 2003 to today between 125 and two-and-a-half, he is the only one potentially capable of beating Valentino (not becoming the new Rossi, let's be clear) . This is why the crowd broke out in front of the HRC garage today: journalists, mostly Spanish (ours are on strike...), trying to understand every word, every move of Dani astride the official HRC RC211V. Black RCV, with Pedrosa dressed in a Spencer-like tracksuit from the mid-80s (for many, Spiderman version, a matter of point of view...). A combination that seems incredible: the English joke about it, with Baby Pedrosa riding a real motorbike. But when Dani gets on the track, it's a marvel. He drives the boy hard, pulls like hell but never gives the impression. He doesn't run much, due to rain, but manages to do a nice low 1'35. It won't be a time of phenomenon, of front page newspapers, that's okay. But try telling that to Pedrosa himself, and to the Spanish journalists...

The other Hondists: look, Melandri is the best

New colors, old story. Outside of Honda Gibernau and Biaggi, reading the 2005 ranking, inevitably the top riders in Tokyo are Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden. They pretend not to know it, or at least to think about it, so as not to see their ambitions crushed by the pressure of necessarily having to win, always and in any case. Nicky and Marco lapped just enough today, resulting in them being the best on the track. Proportionately, Toni Elias also went strong, for the first time with the RC211V, immediately able to reach 1'35"7. A second from Melandri, with 4 months to reach it...
No difficulties for Casey Stoner, who amazes with a time of 1'35” with Biaggi's orphaned RCV, incredible crash for Carlos Checa. Having fallen to the ground, the ex-Ducati and Yamaha Spaniard was taken to hospital in Valencia for chest bruises. Nothing serious, but when Pons returned to Honda (where he had been missing since 1998) it didn't start in the best way...

Ducati: discovering Hollywood

More than Gibernau discovering Ducati, it is Ducati that discovers Gibernau. That's all to say. Work methodology (and curriculum) different from Carlos Checa, in a team in love with Loris Capirossi. We might laugh at this rivalry, but in the meantime Sete Gibernau made contact with the Ducati Desmosedici (and with the Bridgestones) for the first time, and immediately reached 1'35"2, 1"6 less than Capirossi who traveled very few laps. What we saw was an almost different Gibernau, eager to work, available to all the technicians, with two ears and two eyes always attentive to find out more about his new office. Well done Sete, we like you that way.

The others, you will not just appear

Deployment of forces, so as not to prove that they are just ghosts and exploit MotoGP to waste money intentionally destined for the porchetta festival. Suzuki and Kawasaki brought more bikes to Valencia for an incalculable number of riders: Paul Denning's team is present with the full team (Hopkins, Vermeulen, Aoki), while Akashi has an all-French pair with Randy De Puniet and Olivier Jacques. In this case, the state of mind of OJ remains incomprehensible, as he saw his starting place stolen by a compatriot who was certainly less experienced than him, with a talent still to be demonstrated. But anyway, these are the mysteries of Valencia, for one certainty: Vermeulen and De Puniet don't work miracles. And they are unlikely to do so…

Prize tests, rich prizes and cotillons

Happy, satisfied. And I believe you: testing the Honda RC211V is no small feat, especially if you are a full-fledged motorcyclist, aspiring MotoGP world champion. Everyone's dream came true for a prize test following the results achieved this season: a scholarship for Thomas Luthi (125 champion with Honda Elit), Andrea Dovizioso (second test in 12 months with RCV) and Max Neukirchner (WSBK surprise). All riders under contract with Honda, who knows if sooner or later this dream will be realized with a place in the MotoGP. “Champions, the dream”. See, goodnight…
For the moment, smiles, satisfaction from a few laps of Valencia done with the ex-Gibernau RCV (the bike 2 used on Sunday in Valencia, taken over by HRC and repainted Repsol on the tail), nothing more. Similar declarations for everyone, for a future that who knows will ever see them together in MotoGP with Honda. The case of Chris Vermeulen is not auspicious...

Yes but…Biaggi?

Yep, they're all here, the only thing missing is Valentino Rossi (testing with Ferrari at Mugello) and...Max Biaggi. Dismissed by Honda, what will be his future? Mystery, for now what is known is his presence on Saturday 19 November at the Milan Motorcycle Show at the Suomy stand, and that Camel intends to follow him in his next two-wheeled adventure. He is helping him at all costs, with a resolution that could become reality: Team “Camel Yamaha Tech 3”, with Erv Kanemoto technical director, and a YZR M1 at his disposal. We prefer to avoid any moment, leaving open even future scenarios in Kawasaki, Suzuki or Ducati. By now, the concern is not "which" motorbike, but "any" motorbike...

The times of the first day of testing

01- Nicky Hayden – Honda – 1'34.4
02- Marco Melandri – Honda – 1'34.7
03- John Hopkins – Suzuki – 1'34.9
04- Casey Stoner – Honda – 1'35.0
05- Carlos Checa – Honda – 1'35.1
06- Sete Gibernau – Ducati – 1'35.2
07- Daniel Pedrosa – Honda – 1'35.5
08- Toni Elias – Honda – 1'35.7
09- James Ellison – Ducati – 1'35.7
10- Roberto Rolfo – Ducati – 1'35.7
11- Nobuatsu Aoki – Suzuki – 1'35.8
12- Olivier Jacque – Kawasaki – 1'35.9
13- Chris Vermeulen – Suzuki – 1'36.3
14- Randy De Puniet – Kawasaki – 1'36.5
15- Loris Capirossi – Ducati – 1'36.8
16- Andrea Dovizioso – Honda – 1'39.5
17- Thomas Luthi – Honda – 1'44.2

Alessio Piana