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		<title><![CDATA[ Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme : News EN ]]></title>
		<link>http://www.fim-live.com/</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme News ]]></description>
		<language>en</language>
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		<lastBuildDate>Wed, 30 May 2012 16:24:00 +0200</lastBuildDate>
		
		
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			<title>Speiser out – Di Palma in</title>
			<link>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338387883-speiser-out-di-palma-in/</link>
            <guid>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338387883-speiser-out-di-palma-in/</guid>
			<description>Richard Speiser is 2011 FIM World Long-Track Vice-Champion, but he won't have the opportunity to bri...</description>
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			Richard Speiser is 2011 FIM World Long-Track Vice-Champion, but he won't have the opportunity to bring the title home again in 2012. Here is why.Richard, you are out for the upcoming season, what's going on?I had problems with my shoulder. It has dropped out six times now. I didn't have any problems riding at Plattling, but then my shoulder dislocated itself in the final heat. What are you doing now?I have to have an operation straight away because the shoulder is not stable enough to race... I wanted wait until after the season but I have no alternative. All the ligaments are broken and the joint is already damaged.Will you be out for the whole season or do you expect to make a comeback at the end of 2012?It will be a big operation and I shall need a long recovery. I hope I can do some meetings this year but I can't say right now.After the withdrawal of German rider Richard Speiser, French rider Théo Di Palma is the first on the substitute list and will wear race jacket n°21 for the FIM World Long-Track Championship in 2012.Text by Lydia RobinPhotos Gaedtke, SycoraBallot Final 1 - Forssa (Finland)Ballot, Finale 2 - Forus (Norway
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			<pubDate>Wed, 30 May 2012 16:24:00 +0200</pubDate>
			
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			<title>European regulars face strong home challenge at Japanese GP</title>
			<link>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338373426-european-regulars-face-strong-home-challenge-at-japanese-gp/</link>
            <guid>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338373426-european-regulars-face-strong-home-challenge-at-japanese-gp/</guid>
			<description>Following last weekend's first ever Australian GP, the riders of the 2012 FIM Trial World Championsh...</description>
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			Following last weekend's first ever Australian GP, the riders of the 2012 FIM Trial World Championship will now head to Japan for the third round of the series this coming weekend.The action will be played out over two days at Honda's famous Twin Ring Motegi racing complex, and with approximately one third of competitors waving the Japanese flag local fans will be hoping to see some solid home performances. Australia, Spain, Great Britain, France, Italy and Norway will also be represented in this weekend's starting line-up.Takahisa Fujinami - Repsol Montesa (fifth in current standings) has been Japan's lone rider in previous rounds of the series, but will be joined by no less than twenty other Japanese competitors this weekend. Joining Fujinami in the World Pro class will be home crowd favourites, Kenichi Kuroyama - Yamaha, Fuitaka Nozaki - Yamaha, Tomoyuki Ogawa - Honda, Tsuyoshi Ogawa - Beta, Akira Shibata - Honda and Akio Saito - Honda. The remaining Japanese riders will compete in the Junior, Youth and Open International divisions.Whilst Fujinami and his compatriots aim for success at their home GP, Spanish World Pro heavyweight Toni Bou - Repsol Montesa will once again be looking to extend his championship lead. Fellow Spanish rider, Adam Raga - Gas Gas, who beat Bou on day one of the French opening round and is second in current standings, will be determined to again put Bou under pressure. Raga will also aim to create some distance between himself and his other Spanish rivals Jeroni Fajardo - Beta and Albert Cabestany - Sherco who lag just three and five pointsbehind Raga, in third and fourth place respectively.Also lining up for battle in the World Pro class in Japan this weekend will be Europe's finest. Representing Great Britain's James Dabill - Beta, Jack Challoner - Beta, Alexz Wigg - Gas Gas and Michael Brown - Gas Gas who will be joined by Daniel Oliveras - Ossa and Pere Borrellas - Gas Gas from Spain, Italian Matteo Grattarola - Gas Gas and Loris Gubian - Gas Gas from France.In the Junior division, Alexandre Ferrer - Sherco from France, who already has an impressive twenty-one point lead over his second-placed Spanish rival Francesc Moret - Montesa, will aim to continue his winning ways after clinching four consecutive victories in France and Australia.Spaniard Pol Tarres - JTG, who is third in the current standings, will be hoping to improve on his latest performance in Australia that saw him finish in disappointing sixth place on day two. Benoit Dagnicourt - Beta will be full of confidence after scoring his first podium position of the series in the Australian GP, whilst Jack Sheppard - Beta will hope to follow suit by gaining his first podium placing in Japan.French rider Steven Coquelin - Gas Gas, Bradley Cox - Beta from Great Britain, Norway's Sverre Lundevold - Beta and Oriol Noguera – Sherco from Spain will be among the regular protagonists competing alongside Japanese newcomers in the Youth class this weekend.
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			<pubDate>Wed, 30 May 2012 12:23:00 +0200</pubDate>
			
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			<title>Ducati Team returns to Spain for Catalan GP</title>
			<link>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338365712-ducati-team-returns-to-spain-for-catalan-gp/</link>
            <guid>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338365712-ducati-team-returns-to-spain-for-catalan-gp/</guid>
			<description>The Ducati Team is preparing for Sunday's Catalan Grand Prix at the wonderful Circuit de Catalunya, ...</description>
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			The Ducati Team is preparing for Sunday's Catalan Grand Prix at the wonderful Circuit de Catalunya, which hosts the second of four MotoGP races held in Spain this season.&nbsp;The circuit is one of Valentino Rossi's favorites, having served as the scene for nine of his victories, and while Nicky Hayden has only achieved one podium finish at the track, he also appreciates its fast, open layout.&nbsp;In addition to working on a race setup, the riders and the Ducati Team engineers, headed by Filippo Preziosi, will try to confirm that the development work on the Desmosedici GP12 is heading in the right direction. On Monday, they'll also take part in a post-race test.&nbsp;VALENTINO ROSSI:"Two Sundays ago, we got a nice result because we took advantage of the wet track, a condition in which we know we can be competitive, but we're aware that we must continue improving in normal, dry conditions. Some of the things we tried in the Mugello test last week seemed promising. It will be interesting to try them on a different track, and with must less time to set the bike up, to see if they're really a small step forward. The Catalunya circuit has always been one of my favorites, and although it's hard to imagine another podium, we must still do our best to finish with the front riders."&nbsp;NICKY HAYDEN:"Although I've struggled a bit at Catalunya the last few years, I do like the track, and it's one of the calendar's great GPs. It's pretty wide, open and fast, and it's really important to have good edge grip, especially in the last bit with all the long right-handers. Luckily we got some good weather in Mugello and were able to test a few things with setup, and I look forward to taking them to a race to see if we've really done any progress."&nbsp;VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager"First of all, I'd like to extend a thought to the people who were affected by the earthquake that struck the Emilia Romagna region, which we're all deeply attached to, and in which Ducati and its workers are located. As for our work, we'll continue giving our all. We're going to Catalunya, which is a fast track with big, long corners that require good grip. It's a good opportunity to check the work we've been doing. At Le Mans we confirmed that we're competitive in the wet, but our main goal is still to reduce the gap to the front in the dry."&nbsp;CATALUNYA CIRCUIT RECORDSCircuit Record: Dani Pedrosa (Honda – 2008), 1:42.358 – 166.251 Km/h (103.304 mph)Best Pole: Casey Stoner (Ducati – 2008), 1:41.186 – 168.177 Km/h (104.500 mph)&nbsp;Circuit Length: 4.727 km (2.937 mi)2012 MotoGP Race: 25 laps (118.175 km/73.431 mi)MotoGP Schedule 2011: 2:00 p.m. Local Time&nbsp;2011 PODIUM: 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd Ben Spies2011 POLE: Marco Simoncelli (Honda) 1:42.413 – 166.162 km/h&nbsp;DUCATI TEAM'S BEST RESULT AT CATALUNYA2011: 5th (Rossi)2010: 3rd (Stoner)2009: 3rd (Stoner)2008: 3rd (Stoner)2007: 1st (Stoner)2006: - DNF2005: 11th (Checa)2004: 10th (Capirossi)2003: 1st (Capirossi)
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			<pubDate>Wed, 30 May 2012 10:15:00 +0200</pubDate>
			
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			<title>Lorenzo to defend championship lead at Catalunya</title>
			<link>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338283778-lorenzo-to-defend-championship-lead-at-catalunya/</link>
            <guid>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338283778-lorenzo-to-defend-championship-lead-at-catalunya/</guid>
			<description>After battling the elements in an incident-strewn Le Mans, the MotoGP™ paddock once again returns to...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
			After battling the elements in an incident-strewn Le Mans, the MotoGP™ paddock once again returns to action this weekend at the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya, where current championship leader Jorge Lorenzo will aim to defend his eight point lead over rival Casey Stoner in front of his home crowd.Yamaha Factory Racing's Lorenzo, who has so far been the only Yamaha rider on the podium in the first four races, will take confidence from his dominant display in France, and will no doubt be buoyed by local support at the Montmeló circuit on the outskirts of Barcelona. Repsol Honda Team's reigning world champion Stoner will however be looking to improve on his third place last time out at circuit where has tasted success on a few occasions. The Australian has had two victories at the Circuit de Catalunya in his premier-class career compared to Lorenzo's one.The two front runners are likely to face a tough challenge from Stoner's teammate Dani Pedrosa, who will see his home race as the ideal place to kick-start his championship challenge. Pedrosa won previously in 2008, yet missed last year's race with a broken collarbone, obtained in a crash with Marco Simoncelli at the preceding round.The battle for fourth has now turned into a three-horse race, with Ducati Team's Valentino Rossi closely on the heels of Monster Yamaha Tech 3 duo of Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso. After crashes at Le Mans, both Crutchlow and Dovizioso will be hoping for better fortunes at the Catalan circuit, as they look to continue their pursuit of the three aliens and fight it out for number one Tech 3 rider. Rossi, who recorded his best-ever Ducati position with a stunning ride in the wet in Le Mans, will aim to continue this momentum at a track where he has won a record nine times in his career. Yet despite private tests in Mugello last week and his podium, Rossi maintains that the team's dry form is not yet as good as in the wet, meaning the Italian will no doubt be hoping for a few showers this coming weekend.His teammate Nicky Hayden will be looking for a similar resurgence at Catalunya, as he will try to leapfrog LCR Honda MotoGP's rookie Stefan Bradl and San Carlo Honda Gresini's Álvaro Bautista, who are both two points ahead with 35 each. Whilst Bautista did not fare well in the wet, Bradl recorded his career-best premier-class result in fifth, and will undoubtedly look to give his German fans something else to cheers about in Spain. Lorenzo's Yamaha teammate Ben Spies, who has been somewhat off-colour all season, will return to the circuit aiming to rebuild some confidence and get his season on-track.Pramac Racing Team's Héctor Barberá has been consistent so far this season and will aim for another solid ride in front of his home fans, while Cardion AB Racing's Karel Abraham, who lies last in the championship, will look to finish a race for only the second time this season.The CRT field welcomes back NGM Mobile Forward Racing's Colin Edwards, who broke his left collarbone in Estoril three weeks ago, while Paul Bird Motorsports' James Ellison will once again look to finish as top CTR bike. Ellison's 11th place finish at Le Mans was the highest CRT finish since the teams' introduction this year. Power Electronics Aspar's Aleix Espargaró will however be looking to extend his lead at the top of the CRT standings with the help of some home support, while his teammate Randy de Puniet will aim to forget his less than ideal outing in Le Mans where he crashed twice. Speed Master's Mattia Pasini, Came IodaRacing Project's Danilo Petrucci, San Carlo Honda Gresini's Michele Pirro and Avintia Blusens pair, Yonny Hernández and Iván Silva, complete the Catalunya line-up.World Championship Standings MotoGP™1- Jorge Lorenzo - SPA - Yamaha - 902- Casey Stoner - AUS - Honda - 823- Dani Pedrosa - SPA - Honda - 654- Cal Crutchlow - GBR - Yamaha - 455- Andrea Dovizioso - ITA - Yamaha - 4
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			<pubDate>Tue, 29 May 2012 11:29:00 +0200</pubDate>
			
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			<title>Three points separate the top three Moto2™ riders</title>
			<link>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338283628-three-points-separate-the-top-three-moto2TM-riders/</link>
            <guid>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338283628-three-points-separate-the-top-three-moto2TM-riders/</guid>
			<description>With only three points separating the top three Moto2™ riders, the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya pr...</description>
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			With only three points separating the top three Moto2™ riders, the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya promises to be yet another nail-bighting affair in the quest for intermediate-class supremacy.With 71 points so far, Pons 40 HP Tuenti rider Pol Espargaró currently leads the championship by one point over Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol's championship favourite Marc Márquez, who has now recovered from a thumb injury sustained in his crash in Le Mans. Espargaró has been on the podium twice at the Catalan circuit in the 125cc class, while Márquez took a win on a 125cc bike and was runner up in Moto2 last year. Trying to upset the Spanish one-two on their home ground will be Interwetten-Paddock's Tom Lüthi, no doubt brimming with confidence off the back of his dominant wet-weather performance in France, where he took his first victory of the season.Speed Master's Andrea Iannone will aim to edge closer to the top three after putting in a solid performance last time out. The Italian, who is renowned for being stronger on race day than in qualifying, will take heart from the fact that he qualified in pole position at the Catalan circuit in the 2010 Moto2 season. Closely on his heels, Marc VDS Racing's Scott Redding, who recorded his first podium in 22 races at Le Mans, will undoubtedly be looking for a repeat this weekend, though his teammate Mika Kallio will also be pushing to get back towards the front once again.Italtrans Racing Team's Claudio Corti, who managed his first podium ever at Le Mans, is in a buoyant mood and looking to continue his momentum, while JiR Moto2's charging rookie Johann Zarco will look to make amends for his crash at his home round. Having grabbed the headlines for reasons other than racing, Blusens Avintia's Julián Simón will not only hope to put memories of his bad crash at Catalunya last year out of his mind, but also that he won't have to push his bike across the line to finish.There will be one change to the usual Moto2 line-up, as Catalan rider Jordi Torres replaces the injured Xavier Siméon in the Tech 3 Racing team.World Championship Standings Moto2™1- Pol Espargaró - SPA- Kalex - 712- Marc Márquez - SPA - Suter - 703- Thomas Luthi - SWI - Suter - 684- Andrea Iannone - ITA - Speed Up - 465- Scott Redding - GBR - Kalex - 44
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			<pubDate>Tue, 29 May 2012 11:27:00 +0200</pubDate>
			
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			<title>Moto3™:Ajo's German championship leader</title>
			<link>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338283363-moto3TMajos-german-championship-leader/</link>
            <guid>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338283363-moto3TMajos-german-championship-leader/</guid>
			<description>Following an eventful race in the wet at Le Mans, the Moto3™ grid lines up at the Gran Premi Aperol ...</description>
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			Following an eventful race in the wet at Le Mans, the Moto3™ grid lines up at the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya this weekend, where Red Bull KTM Ajo's German championship leader Sandro Cortese will look to increase his points tally over title-rival Maverick Viñales. Cortese managed to salvage some points after a crash in France, meaning that he has now taken points from 20 of the last 21 races, making him one of the most consistent riders in the pack.Blusens Avintia's Viñales will be looking to bounce back after his crash last time out and get one over the German in front of his home crowd, as well as reduce his 12 point deficit to the top. Viñales was leading the race last year, yet was beaten by current 125cc World Champion Nico Terol in the end. Third in the table, RW Racing GP's Luis Salom will no doubt hope to reverse his fortunes at the Catalan track, as he has not finished a race here in the last three years. Team Italia FMI's Romano Fenati, who made the headlines in the first two races in the season, after which he has suffered two DNFs, will be one to watch, as he looks to rediscover his earlier form.Estrella Galicia 0,0's Alex Rins, who underwent surgery last week on his little finger, is fit to race and defend his fifth place in the table, yet will undoubtedly face tough competition from Bankia Aspar compatriot Alberto Moncayo, who had a good race in Le Mans. Many eyes will also turn to Racing Team Germany's French rider Louis Rossi, who recorded his first ever win in France in front of his home crowd.Other top contenders this weekend are likely to include Rins' teammate Miguel Oliveira, San Carlo Gresini Moto3's Niccolo Antonelli, AirAsia-SIC-Ajo's Zulfahmi Khairuddin, as well as Cortese's teammates Arthurs Sissis and Danny Kent.The class will see two wildcard entries joining the race in the form of Alex Márquez for the Estrella Galicia 0,0 team and British rider John McPhee of the KRP Racing Step Foundation.World Championship Standings Moto3™1- Sandro Cortese - GER - KTM - 672- Maverick Viñales - SPA - FTR Honda - 553- Luis Salom - ITA - Kalex KTM - 494- Romano Fenati - ITA - FTR Honda - 455- Alex Rins - SPA - Suter - 44
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			<pubDate>Tue, 29 May 2012 11:22:00 +0200</pubDate>
			
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			<title>Checa up and down as Melandri wins another</title>
			<link>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338273126-checa-up-and-down-as-melandri-wins-another/</link>
            <guid>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338273126-checa-up-and-down-as-melandri-wins-another/</guid>
			<description>On a sunny race day at Miller Motorsports Park the sixth round of the eni FIM Superbike World Champi...</description>
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			On a sunny race day at Miller Motorsports Park the sixth round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship delivered some great action and two different race winners to the 49,000 strong weekend crowd. In a landmark day for the series, race one saw World Superbike reach its 600th individual race mark.Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) and Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) took one race victory apiece, but the weekend winner was the rider who finished third each time today, Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing). With his haul of 32 points Biaggi now leads the series by 18, from Melandri and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team). Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) was the other podium finisher today, second in race two, and after scoring fourth in race one he is fourth overall and only 1.5 points from Melandri and Sykes.It was a truly up and down day for Checa, as he fell in race two. His fourth no-score of the season, coming along so shortly after his fourth race win, puts him fifth overall.Race 1Checa pulled a controlled win out of the bag, eventually heading home Melandri by 2.313 seconds. Third was Biaggi who had to work hard in the final laps to hold off Rea. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing) finished fifth, with pole man Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati) sixth. Slowing front row starter Tom Sykes was finally caught by Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Aprilia) with Davies seventh and Sykes eighth.Carlos Checa: "I had a great time and I always enjoy coming to America, spending time around here, and I always feel really well at this track. It is a fantastic moment for me to win again, get on the podium, to take a victory, so some great feelings come back. It is a really special day for all the Americans here as it is Memorial Day so I want to dedicate this victory to you."Marco Melandri: "I was struggling a lot last year so to get such a good race was amazing for me. I tried to make life not easy for Carlos but when I came back in the end, I tried to come back to him a few times but I made a mistake. So, for the last lap I chose not to try too much because it was easy to make another mistake. Second place was good for me after such a tough qualifying."Max Biaggi: "It is good to be on the podium and I appreciate the third position. I had a long fight with Rea and his Honda and we got good points for the championship. In the end I could not go faster than that. On the first lap with so many riders there was a battle and I am happy now because we had a good race and finally we got some California-style weather." Results: 1. Checa (Ducati) 21 Laps/103.047 km in 38'21.283 average 161.201 kph; 2. Melandri (BMW) 2.313; 3. Biaggi (Aprilia) 5.338; 4. Rea (Honda) 5.517; 5. Laverty (Aprilia) 12.201; 6. Smrz (Ducati) 13.262; 7. Davies (Aprilia) 19.662; 8. Sykes (Kawasaki) 21.292; 9. Fabrizio (BMW) 21.450; 10. Haslam (BMW) 23.433; 11. Giugliano (Ducati) 23.696; 12. Guintoli (Ducati) 24.752; 13. Camier (Suzuki) 29.400; 14. Badovini (BMW) 31.222; 15. Baz (Kawasaki) 32.966; 16. Berger (Ducati) 35.409; etc.Race 2Melandri and Rea went 1-2 in the second race at Miller, which was halted, shortened to 18 laps, and then re-started late after an oil spill following a crash. The wait was worth it for the spectators as the last lap fight was tense and exciting right up until Melandri took his second win of 2012, by only 0.195 seconds. Biaggi was third and Davies fourth, easily the SBK rookie's best result of the year. Fifth was Sykes, sixth came Laverty, with Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) seventh. Early leader Carlos Checa was unlucky to fall and no score.Marco Melandri: "It was such a difficult race for me, I was lucky for sure when Carlos made a mistake. I was struggling a little bit with a full fuel tank but after 50% of the race it was getting better. When Johnny passed me he was much faster than me, and I lost a bit of concentration, so Max passed me and then Chaz Davies did as well. So I tried to stay calm, take my rhythm and try to get a good feeling to catch Johnny. I was very lucky because my engine was so strong so I could pass him on the straight. Otherwise for me it would have been really difficult to pass him. So a podium in race one and a win in race two is really unbelievable."Jonathan Rea: "Marco made some mistakes in the middle of the race and then I was making some mistakes at the end of the race. He was really strong but I am just so happy to come out of Miller with a fourth and a second. It is so nice to be here on the podium in America. I grew up watching AMA motocross and it was my dream to come to America and race. My team did a fantastic job. We have been lacking a little bit in a straight line but it is unbelievable everywhere else and I could really push to the maximum."Max Biaggi: "To come all the way to Utah and finish on the podium twice is not so bad, but my dream was to win a race. But there were some other guys who did a better job than me so third position is not so bad. I am not super happy, but not so bad."Results: 1. Melandri (BMW) 18 Laps/88.326 km in 32'56.257 average 160.897 kph; 2. Rea (Honda) 0.195; 3. Biaggi (Aprilia) 2.137; 4. Davies (Aprilia) 4.245; 5. Sykes (Kawasaki) 9.534; 6. Laverty (Aprilia) 9.798; 7. Giugliano (Ducati) 11.891; 8. Haslam (BMW) 12.715; 9. Smrz (Ducati) 13.017; 10. Guintoli (Ducati) 13.703; 11. Camier (Suzuki) 15.687; 12. Fabrizio (BMW) 21.923; 13. Badovini (BMW) 23.940; 14. Baz (Kawasaki) 24.051; 15. Berger (Ducati) 33.897; 16. Hopkins (Suzuki) 38.692; etc.Points (after 6 of 14 rounds): 1. Biaggi 160.5; 2. Melandri 142.5; 3. Sykes 142.5; 4. Rea 141; 5. Checa 130.5; 6. Haslam 103; 7. Guintoli 95; 8. Laverty 86; 9. Giugliano 64; 10. Smrz 61.5; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 195.5; 2. BMW 176; 3. Aprilia 171; 4. Kawasaki 148.5; 5. Honda 145; 6. Suzuki 48.5.
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			<pubDate>Tue, 29 May 2012 08:32:00 +0200</pubDate>
			
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			<title>Fujinami aims for glory at home GP</title>
			<link>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338211972-fujinami-aims-for-glory-at-home-gp/</link>
            <guid>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338211972-fujinami-aims-for-glory-at-home-gp/</guid>
			<description>Japanese World Trial veteran, Takahisa Fujinami will be aiming to repeat his 2005 victory, which was...</description>
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			Japanese World Trial veteran, Takahisa Fujinami will be aiming to repeat his 2005 victory, which was the last time he triumphed on home soil, when the 2012 FIM Trial World Championship heads to Motegi, Japan this coming weekend. The thirty-two-year-old rider has begun the 2012 series in consistent form having finished within the top-five on all four counting days to date – twice in France and twice in Australia, and as a result holds fifth position in the current championship standings. Despite experiencing some machine problems in last weekend's Australian GP, Fujinami proved that he is still a force to be reckoned with, missing out on a podium placing to Albert Cabestany - Sherco on day one by only a whisker, before finally climbing to finish third on the rostrum on day two. Fujinami will now be looking to build on this success and at least earn more podium placings in the two-day Japanese GP on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd June. Feeling confident after gaining his first podium finish of the series in Australia last weekend, Fujinami said: "I am very happy with this podium as it shows that I am going in the right direction to getting further podiums at the Japanese round. I feel under more pressure when competing in my homeland. I always want to deliver a good performance and to achieve my best results, as being in Japan always provides good motivation for me." One of Fujinami's best results last season was in Japan when he took to the podium on both days in third and second place. So it would certainly seem that being back on home soil could just prove the source of empowerment for the Takahisa, along with all the support and encouragement he is sure to receive from his many fans. Despite being one of the oldest riders of the World series, Takahisa Fujinami has so far shown little sign of slowing down. Fujinami has finished third in the FIM Trial World Championship for the last five years in a row (in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011). Before Bou's winning years began, Takahisa was the second placed rider in 2006 and 2005 and was World Champion in 2004. Fujinami's results in Australia have put him only four points away from fourth-placed rider, Albert Cabestany - Sherco and only six points behind Jeroni Farjardo in third place. With five rounds still to go, a top-three 2012 World ranking is still comfortably within reach for the Japanese rider. Rivals and fans alike can once again expect Fujinami to use all of his experience as one of the championship's longest serving competitors to his advantage this weekend, as he aims to give Japan another GP to remember as he goes in search of glory in his usual flamboyant manner. 
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			<pubDate>Mon, 28 May 2012 15:32:00 +0200</pubDate>
			
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			<title>Yamaha return to Spain</title>
			<link>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338207224-yamaha-return-to-spain/</link>
            <guid>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338207224-yamaha-return-to-spain/</guid>
			<description>Yamaha Factory Racing return to Spain this week for the second Spanish race of the 2012 MotoGP Champ...</description>
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			Yamaha Factory Racing return to Spain this week for the second Spanish race of the 2012 MotoGP Championship. Round five will be played out at the Montmeló circuit, a stone's throw from Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo's home in Barcelona. The local hero will be determined to repeat last week's decisive victory in Le Mans in front of the Catalan crowd. Lorenzo has a strong record at the Montmeló circuit, taking second in 2009 after an intense battle with Valentino Rossi, a victory in 2010 and second in 2011. He currently leads the 2012 Championship by eight points over Casey Stoner. Texan Yamaha Factory rider Ben Spies arrives in Spain with renewed determination to put his Championship attack firmly back on track. Montmeló is a strong circuit for the American, delivering his first Factory podium last year with third behind his team mate Lorenzo. The result moved him five places up the Championship standings, a result he will be determined to repeat this weekend.  The Catalunya circuit can boast one of the longest main straights in the world. Riders Lorenzo and Spies will need bikes with optimum chassis balance and front-end feel to deal with the long radius, medium and high speed sweeping corners along with the two tight left-hand hairpins and numerous camber changes.   Jorge Lorenzo    "Now we arrive at Montmeló, with no need to fly, I love to have this race so close to my home! I remember my victories and podiums here well, not just in this class but also from my 250cc days. It's going to be a tough race because our competitors are very strong but our victory in Le Mans has given us extra confidence. We know we can be very fast and competitive so we will be focused from the first session. This is a special race for me as my home race so I want to give all the fans the best show that we can."    Ben Spies      "I really enjoy riding this track so I've been looking forward to getting here and getting started. It's been a really challenging season so far, I really believe this weekend will see a turn around and we can get it back on track. As always I'm going to give it 100% to produce the best results possible. We know the bike is competitive so we'll focus on finding a good base set up quickly and hope we finally have a full dry weekend for everyone!"   Wilco Zeelenberg       "This is of course the home race for Jorge. His racing has always been very spectacular here and it's a favourite track for him, we're looking forward to seeing all the Spanish fans cheer us on. The whole team loves the atmosphere and the Yamaha is good here as it's a smooth fast track so hopefully it'll stay dry because I've seen enough rain this year!"   Massimo Meregalli      "Montmeló is traditionally a very good track for Yamaha and we have had excellent results here with both riders last year. It's a special race for Jorge in front of his home fans and with the race win last weekend we are expecting a strong performance. We know Ben likes this track a lot and his podium finish here last year gives me confidence that with the right set up he can perform strongly and put a difficult start to the year behind him."
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			<pubDate>Mon, 28 May 2012 14:13:00 +0200</pubDate>
			
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			<title>Smrz scores first pole</title>
			<link>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338163046-smrz-scores-first-pole/</link>
            <guid>http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1338163046-smrz-scores-first-pole/</guid>
			<description>Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati) scored his first Tissot-Superpole win of the seaso...</description>
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			Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati) scored his first Tissot-Superpole win of the season after setting a lap time of 1 minute 47.626 seconds in the last of three sessions. It was his second career pole position in this class, following the one he obtained back in 2009 at Misano. Despite a few spots of rain appearing on the riders' visors during a dry Superpole contest Smrz rode with full pace right at the end to earn the perfect starting place for Monday's two SBK races. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) was second quickest and would have been on pole but for the late push put in by Smrz, a rider who has stamped his authority on the practice sessions since the start of the weekend. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) posted third best time, with the front row places competed by Checa's team-mate Davide Giugliano, the Italian looking at ease on his first visit to Miller.  Jakub Smrz: "I am very happy to take the pole because in all the practices we have been doing a good job and my bike has been perfectly prepared. I had a small crash in free practice but we got the bike back in time for Superpole and I am happy that we should have good pace for the races tomorrow."  Carlos Checa: "I am quite satisfied and I think we did a good job for the race and for the qualifying as well. Smrz was very fast because I expected to take pole position but at the end he went faster and congratulations to him. We got a start on the front row, I feel quite comfortable and I think the sun will arrive. We have had many wet races and sessions this year and this track is pretty nice in the dry, so hopefully tomorrow it will be good weather."  Tom Sykes: "I'm surprised to be on the front row because we have been struggling here at Miller. Once again the guys have done a great job because we changed something for Superpole to try and make something happen and fair play to the Kawasaki team because on the first lap on a race tyre I knew we had a lot better package."  Davide Giugliano: "It's my first time here and when I arrived at Miller, I went around in the car and could immediately see it was a great circuit for me and I really like it. So far the bike has never been as good as it was today but as long as it goes like this, then things are looking good."  Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) was fifth, Monza pole man Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing) sixth, Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) seventh and Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing) eighth, despite not being able to set a lap in Superpole 3.  Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) qualified ninth after just failing to get into the final Superpole 3 session. His team-mate Leon Haslam failed to make it out of Superpole one and qualified on the fourth row, in an unlucky 13th place. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) missed out on Tissot-Superpole qualifying but his team-mate John Hopkins was 16th.  The Utah USA Round will have the honour of being the venue for the 600th race in World Superbike, which this year is celebrating its 25th anniversary.  Results: 1. Smrz (Ducati) 1'47.626 average 164.135 kph; 2. Checa (Ducati) 1'47.810; 3. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'48.062; 4. Giugliano (Ducati) 1'48.220; 5. Rea (Honda) 1'48.563; 6. Guintoli (Ducati) 1'48.568; 7. Biaggi (Aprilia) 1'48.794; 8. Laverty (Aprilia) 1'48.354; 9. Melandri (BMW) 1'48.422; 10. Fabrizio (BMW) 1'48.566; 11. Davies (Aprilia) 1'48.669; 12. Zanetti (Ducati) 1'49.929; 13. Haslam (BMW) 1'49.552; 14. Berger (Ducati) 1'49.750; 15. Canepa (Ducati) 1'49.818; 16. Hopkins (Suzuki) 1'49.966; 17. Baz (Kawasaki); 18. Badovini (BMW); 19. Salom (Kawasaki); 20. Camier (Suzuki); 21. Aoyama (Honda); 22. Mercado (Kawasaki); 23. Holden (BMW); 24. Turpin (Ducati).
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			<pubDate>Mon, 28 May 2012 01:57:00 +0200</pubDate>
			
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