Yamaha kembali mengeluarkan produk baru untuk motor kategori 150 ? 200cc. Product tersebut bernama Byson. Jauh sebelum motor ini diumumkan resmi oleh Yamaha Indonesia, sebagian besar bikers sudah berminat dengan motor ini. Alhasil permintaan Yamaha Byson pra peluncurannya cukup besar. Untuk itu Yamaha membuat program Indent Online Yamaha Byson untuk mengakomodir permintaan.

Program Indent Online Yamaha Byson saat itu baru diadakan di Jakarta dan Medan. Untuk Jakarta diadakan selama periode 13 ? 19 Agustus 2010 sedangkan untuk daerah Medan diadakan selama periode 16 Agustus ? 20 September 2010. Adapun proses Indent Online ini dilakukan secara terintegrasi di seluruh channel online Yamaha mulai dari www.yamaha-motor.co.id, www.yamaholigan.com dan facebook Yamaha Moto Indonesia.

Acara penyerahan motor Yamaha Byson dilakukan bersamaan dengan soft launching Byson. Untuk Jakarta, penyerahannya dilakukan pada 27 Agustus 2010 di Rolling Stone Café sedangkan untuk kota Medan diadakan di Sentral Yamaha kota Medan. Pada saat soft launching di Jakarta turut pula endorser Yamaha Xeon yaitu Choki Sitohang dan endorser Mio, Putri Titian.

Kehadiran Byson di Indonesia kembali membuktikan bahwa Yamaha konsiten pada kebutuhan masyarakat terhadap roda dua. Kini Byson dengan teknologi SOHC dan ditambah kekuatan 153cc menjadi alternatif utama bagi lelaki yang menyukai touring ataupun membutuhkan kendaraan untuk perjalanan jauh. Itu semua karena Byson diciptakan dengan kemampuan terbaik yang sesuai bagi bikers di Indonesia.

Jok lebar dengan tangki besar nyaman diapit kedua paha, ukuran stang 727mm  membuat riding position Byson sangat menantang. Usai 'melahap' tiga polisi tidur dan beberapa cone, Byson pun langsung melaju. Hasilnya pada posisi persneling awal hentakan cukup responsif begitupun pada perpindahan ke persneling selanjutnya.

Setelah menggeber Byson pada trek lurus, saatnya melakukan manuver pada tikungan yang cukup tajam. Hasilnya, tidak ada getaran sama sekali, sementara bodinya yang cukup besar tidak mempengaruhi getaran apapun. Byson tetap melaju stabil sesaat setelah melakukan manuver. Ban tubeless yang disematkan pada bagian depan dan belakang sedikit berpengaruh. Ukuran ban belakang yang lebih besar membuat motor melaju dengan lancer dan tidak ada getaran dan goyangan saat menikung. Speed-nya juga sangat mumpuni dengan kapasitas mesin 153cc. Kesimpulan yang didapat usai test ride, Byson asyik saat digeber dijalan lurus dan stabil saat manuver ditikungan.

Buat bikers yang ingin dapat gaya dari sebuah motor "Lelaki" Byson menjadi pilihan utama. Dengan mesin 153cc, ditambah stang lebar dengan ban tubeless memberikan pegangan tepat untuk bikers yang punya jiwa petualang sekaligus ingin bergaya. Kelebihan itu hanya ada di Byson yang akan dipasarkan tidak lama lagi di dealer Yamaha.

Ketahanan Byson Di Riset Selama 3 Tahun

Pada undangan Test Ride Yahama Byson mendapat penjelasan langsung dari GM Promotion & Motor Sport Division, Paulus S. Firmanto. "Pihak Yamaha sudah melakukan riset selama tiga tahun. Kami telah melakukan pengujian dan pengetesan terhadap ketahanan. Karena itu, motor ini akan kami luncurkan dalam waktu dekat nanti," terangnya, saat jumpa pers test ride Yamaha Byson di Sirkuit Sentul, Jawa Barat.

Ditambahkan Paulus, target pasar motor yang tankinya mampu menampung bahan bakar hingga 12 liter ini adalah kalangan anak muda yang gaya dan macho namun tetap cool. Dari segi desain dan konsep mesin, Yamaha Byson memang berbeda dengan pendahulunya. Motor ini mengusung mesin 4 langkah, SOHC, 2 klep dengan pendingin udara, tipe rangka diamond, dengan karburator Mikuni BS26x1, serta fork depan menggunakan ukuran lebih besar yakni 41 mm. Sebagai tambahan, Byson menggunakan dua ban tubeless (depan: 100/80-17M/C 52 P - belakang : 120/70-17M/C 58 P.

"Motor ini beda dengan pendahulunya. Dari segi konsep, desain hingga mesinnya berbeda dan baru. Kami memang tidak mau terburu-buru merilis motor ini. Namun demikian, setelah lebaran motor ini bisa Anda dapatkan di dealer-dealer terdekat," imbuhnya. Motor Byson tersedia dalam warna merah maroon, hitam, biru dan putih.

Starting from pole position for the first time in his premier class career, Spies made a blistering start and streaked away from the field in the early stages with a succession of fast laps as he looked at ease leading a MotoGP race for the first time.

Such was Spies' phenomenal early speed that he was a second clear after just three laps, the reigning World Superbike champion leavin g his illustrious rivals trailing in his wake. Only Dani Pedrosa was able to get close to matching his rhythm as a crowd of over 62,000 fans roared the Texan on.

Spies was producing heroics to keep Pedrosa at bay but the Spaniard made a decisive attack on lap seven to move into the lead. Spies produced a super human effort in gruelling heat and humidity to try and keep the pressure on Pedrosa before he eventually eased off to secure a richly deserved second.

The 26-year-old's performance received a huge ovation from the appreciative Indianapolis crowed with Spies celebrating being top Yamaha rider for the first time in his career. And marking his career best result in front of his home fans shortly after confirming his 2011 move to Yamaha's factory team only made his accomplishment even more special.

Colin Edwards had a tough afternoon after he was one of only four r iders to select the hardest compound Bridgestone rear tyre available for the 28-lap race. With temperatures and humidity higher than at any stage during the weekend, Edwards hoped his choice would enable him to mount a strong showing in the second half of the race.

But he opted to change to the softer compound tyre at the end of lap 11 and while his lap times instantly improved, the 36-year-old retired on lap 17.

Ben Spies 2nd -110 points

"I'm really happy to have got my best result in MotoGP in front of the American crowd and at a track as famous as Indianapolis. I always said I wanted my best result in my home race, so it's mission accomplished. After the pole position I got a great start and it felt good to be out front for the first time in MotoGP. But I didn't have the pace for Dani today and he rode a great race. I'm happy because I didn't make too many mistakes when I was out in front and I was consistent for the whole race. When Dani passed me I knew I couldn't follow him, so I let him go and concentrated on keeping a gap to Jorge in third and that's what I achieved. I can't complain because it was a great weekend and to be top Yamaha rider when you look at who else is on that bike is pretty satisfying. It hasn't sunk in yet that I've finished second in my home race. But I'll enjoy it before I hop on a plane and try and do it again in Misano next weekend."

Colin Edwards DNF - 57 points

"I went for the hard tyre because I'd done a 41.6 on that tyre on Friday and felt pretty comfortable and confident. I'd not been able to make the soft tyre last close to race distance. I'd started to have a problem after eight or nine laps with it, so with the temperature and humidity coming up I was getting excit ed about using the hard tyre. But I had a problem with edge grip from the start and I was having an issue turning. I was riding on the limit but way off the pace so I pulled in for the softer tyre and did a few laps and my lap times were immediately better. The tyre choice cost me today but congratulations to Ben. He's just riding at an amazing level and second in this field is something to be proud of."

Herve Poncharal - Team Manager

"That was a fantastic weekend from Ben and he delivered an unbelievable performance for the American fans. We could not have hoped for more and he showed why we are so sad to see him leaving us to join Yamaha's factory team next season. But I'm happy for him though because clearly with the factory team he will be with the top four. His pole position yesterday was incredible when you consider how tough it is to achieve that against such a h igh level of competition. He got an incredible start and he was very strong at the beginning of the race. Only Dani could match him and pass him but Ben rode immaculately and it never looked like Jorge was going to catch him. It wasn't the race Colin was expecting and unfortunately his decision to run the hard tyre didn't pay off. Conditions were very demanding but it was clear when he switched to the softer tyre that he had the pace to have scored possibly his best result of the season."

Kegembiraan kesebelasan Garuda yang menjuarai juara Yamaha ASEAN Football Cup U-13 2010 semakin lengkap. Presiden Bambang Yudhoyono menyambangi Garuda di PUSDIKPASSUS Batujajar - Jawa Barat. Inilah momentum titik balik dari kejayaan sepakbola Indonesia di masa depan.

Dalam kesempatan ini Menteri Pemuda dan Olahraga, Andi Mallarangeng memperkenalkan tim Garuda yang baru saja memenangkan kejuaraan sepakbola tingkat ASEAN dalam ajang Yamaha ASEAN Football Cup U-13. Dalam kesempatan itu Menpora menyampaikan kebanggaannya yang ada dalam acara ini. ?Bahwa hanya ada dua kesempatan bendera Indonesia dikibarkan di Negara orang. Pertama saat kunjungan Presiden RI atau urusan kenegaraan. Dan yang kedua saat atlet Indonesia memenangkan medali emas di pertandingan tingkat Internasional? tutur Andi Mallarangeng. Perkenalan tim Garuda oleh Menpora disambut tepuk tangan meriah dari seluruh undangan yang hadir.

Kesebelasan Garuda asuhan Pelatih Kepala Rahmat ini mendapatkan kesempatan sebagai tim yang diundang dalam acara Tatap Muka dengan atlet PRIMA. PRIMA adalah program pelatihan bagi atlet yang dipersiapkan untuk menghadapi Sea Games mewakili Indonesia. 

Presiden Bambang Yudhoyono menyampaikan pidatonya kepada seluruh undangan yang hadir sore itu. "Olahraga tidak jauh beda dengan militer. Sama-sama berjuang demi Negara, dengan semboyan berjuang sampai tetes darah penghabisan. Namun bagi atlet tetes darah penghabisan hanyalah kiasan sedangkan untuk militer itu merupakan pengertian sesungguhnya. Jadi, para atlet harus mempunyai semangat yang sama", jelas Presiden RI.

Di akhir acara, Presiden Bambang Yudhoyono dan Andi Mallarangeng berfoto bersama dengan tim Garuda beserta perwakilan Yamaha Indonesia yaitu Presiden Direktur Dyonisius Beti, Tsuneji Suzuki, Eiji Tada, Bambang Asmarabudi, Paulus S. Firmanto dan Indra Dwi Sunda.

Profil Tim Garuda

Yamaha ASEAN Cup Football U-13 2010 telah mendapatkan sang juara baru. Kesebelasan Garuda menjadi juara pertama setelah melalui pertandingan 2 kali 30 menit melawan kesebelasan Thailand di babak final dengan skor 3 - 1. Kemenangan tim Garuda di tingkat ASEAN menjadi babak baru Indonesia menatap sepakbola di masa depan.

Di usia 13 tahun pemain muda berbakat dari Indonesia sudah mampu bersaing di tingkat ASEAN. Yamaha ASEAN Cup Football U-13 2010 diikuti oleh 4 negara yaitu Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam dan Indonesia. Indonesia dan Vietnam berhak mengirimkan 2 tim karena Vietnam sebagai juara bertahan dan Indonesia sebagai tuan rumah. Indonesia mengirimkan 2 tim yang diberi nama Indonesia I dan Indonesia II. Dan gabungan dari tim Indonesia I dan II diubah namanya menjadi tim Garuda.

Ajang Yamaha ASEAN Football Cup U-13 tahun 2010 diadakan di Jakarta mulai dari 30 Juli hingga 1 Agustus 2010. Perhelatan ini diadakan di GOR Soemantri Brodjonegoro di daerah Kuningan Jakarta. Dalam acara ini melibatkan 6 tim yaitu Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam I, Vietnam II, Indonesia I dan Indonesia II. Pertandingan diawali dari babak kualifikasi dimana posisi tim dalam grup ditentukan oleh undian yang diadakan sehari sebelumnya. Setelah melalui kualifikasi kemudian menuju babak semifinal dan diakhiri dengan babak final. Sistem regulasi yang diterapkan dalam pertandingan ini memiliki standar regulasi U-13 Internasional.

Hasil dari Yamaha ASEAN Football Cup U-13 2010 menempatkan Indonesia berada di juara pertama. Sedangkan posisi kedua ditempati oleh Thailand dan untuk posisi ketiga dan ke empat disi oleh tim Indonesia I dan tim asal Malaysia.

Kini melalui Yamaha ASEAN Cup U-13, Yamaha Motor berharap bahwa pemain-pemain muda yang bertanding didalamnya akan terus memelihara cita-cita dan ambisinya untuk bisa berlaga di pentas sepakbola dunia seperti Piala Dunia ataupun Olimpiade.

Menyaksikan Piala Dunia 2010 dimana terdapat negara asal Asia seperti Jepang, Korea Selatan, Korea Utara dan Australia, membuktikan bahwa pembinaan dan kompetisi pemain-pemain muda yang terarah akan melahirkan pemain sepakbola bertaraf internasional. Begitupun dengan harapan bangsa Indonesia yang mendambakan kesebelasannya bisa berada di panggung sepakbola internasional. Untuk itu Yamaha memfasilitasinya sejak dini melalui Yamaha ASEAN Cup U-13.

Bagi Yamaha, dengan diadakannya Yamaha ASEAN Cup U-13 2010 membuktikan kontribusi Yamaha Motor untuk pembangunan masa depan dengan meningkatkan sumber daya manusia terutama di bidang sepakbola Indonesia usia 13 tahun kebawah.

Di usia 13 tahun pemain muda berbakat dari Indonesia sudah mampu bersaing di tingkat ASEAN. Yamaha ASEAN Cup U-13 2010 diikuti oleh 4 negara yaitu Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam dan Indonesia. Indonesia dan Vietnam berhak mengirimkan 2 tim karena Vietnam sebagai juara bertahan dan Indonesia sebagai tuan rumah. Indonesia mengirimkan 2 tim yang diberi nama Indonesia I dan Indonesia II.

Dibawah pelatih kepala, Rahmat, tim Indonesia I dan Indonesia II digembleng secara ketat. Pemain diseleksi mulai dari tinggi badan dan kekuatan fisik standar pemain bola. Setelah melalui proses seleksi awal, kemudian pemain diberikan latihan seputar fisik, teknik, strategi dan mental. Pemin yang tergabung dalam Indonesia di Yamaha ASEAN Cup U-13 berjumlah total 38 pemain. Seluruh pemain dipilih melalui kompetisi lokal yang diadakan di 12 provinsi di Indonesia. Hanya dalam waktu 1 bulan untuk persiapan, tim Indonesia akhirnya mampu menapak di pentas regional melalui juara Yamaha ASEAN Cup U-13 tahun 2010.

Ajang Yamaha ASEAN U-13 tahun 2010 diadakan di Jakarta mulai dari 30 Juli hingga 1 Agustus 2010. Perhelatan ini diadakan di GOR Brodjosoemantri di daerah Kuningan Jakarta. Dalam acara ini melibatkan 6 tim yaitu Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam I, Vietnam II, Indonesia I dan Indonesia II. Pertandingan diawali dari babak kualifikasi dimana posisi tim dalam grup ditentukan oleh undian yang diadakan sehari sebelumnya. Setelah melalui kualifikasi kemudian menuju babak semifinal dan diakhiri dengan babak final. Sistem regulasi yang diterapkan dalam pertandingan ini memiliki standar regulasi U-13 Internasional.

Hasil dari Yamaha ASEAN Cup U-13 2010 menempatkan Indonesia II berada di juara pertama. Sedangkan posisi kedua ditempati oleh Thailand dan untuk posisi ketiga dan ke empat disi oleh tim Indonesia I dan tim asal Malaysia.

Kesuksesan Yamaha dalam mendukung sepakbola dunia sudah diawali dengan dukungannya kepada tim sepakbola jepang Jubilo Iwata. Kesebelasan Jubilo Iwata adalah salah satu tim besar tidak hanya di Jepang tapi juga di Asia. Dukungan Yamaha kepada Jubilo Iwata menjadikan tim ini sebagai kesebelasan macan asia yang dikenal luas di dunia sepakbola internasional. Jubilo Iwata memberi jejak emas bagi generasi muda Yamaha di bidang sepakbola. Terbukti 2 pemain diantara tim nasional Jepang yang mengikuti Piala Dunia 2010 di Afrika Selatan berasal dari club ini. Bahkan pelatih nasional Brazil, Carlos Dunga juga pernah bermain bersama club Jubilo Iwata.

Yamaha memulai dukungan terhadap dunia sepakbola sejak tahun 1974. Waktu itu lahir Yamaha Motor Football Club yang akhirnya melahirkan bibit-bibit pemain Jubilo Iwata. Setelah sukses di bidang sepakbola, Yamaha mengembangkan dukungannya pada dunia olahraga di bidang Rugby.

Kini melalui Yamaha ASEAN Cup U-13, Yamaha Motor berharap bahwa pemain-pemain muda yang bertanding didalamnya akan terus memelihara cita-cita dan ambisinya untuk bisa berlaga di pentas sepakbola dunia seperti Piala Dunia ataupun Olimpiade.

Menyaksikan Piala Dunia 2010 dimana terdapat negara asal Asia seperti Jepang, Korea Selatan, Korea Utara dan Australia, membuktikan bahwa pembinaan dan kompetisi pemain-pemain muda yang terarah akan melahirkan pemain sepakbola bertaraf internasional. Begitupun dengan harapan bangsa Indonesia yang mendambakan kesebelasannya bisa berada di panggung sepakbola internasional. Untuk itu Yamaha memfasilitasinya sejak dini melalui Yamaha ASEAN Cup U-13.

Bagi Yamaha, dengan diadakannya Yamaha ASEAN Cup U-13 2010 membuktikan kontribusi Yamaha Motor untuk pembangunan masa depan dengan meningkatkan sumber daya manusia terutama di bidang sepakbola Indonesia usia 13 tahun kebawah.

Rossi did an initial run of 11 laps at 18.30 CET with a best time of 1'41.000, then a second run of 15 laps at 19.45 CET with a best time of 1'38.200 (unofficial times).

The reigning World Champion was able to ride well but he had some pain in his leg and his shoulder. He will now continue with an updated rehabilitation programme and make a decision within the next week as to whether he will ride at the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring, in ten days time.

"We made this test in order to understand how we must work from here and to see more or less how I can ride the bike," said Rossi. "The test was positive, because I can at least ride, but there is a lot more to a MotoGP race than to a test like this one. I had some pain in the ankle, the knee and the shoulder, but above all I lacked strength in the shoulder and a bit of movement in the ankle. I would really like to come back at Sachsenring, but it is still too early to say. We still have twelve days and we must wait and see how much we can improve my condition in the next few days. The Superbike today was good and great fun to ride! I really would like to ride at Sachsenring, but we must wait another week before making a decision."

sumber : www.yamaha-racing.com

The test will take place using a YZF-R1 WSB machine provided by the Yamaha World Superbike Team to the Fiat Yamaha Team. Yamaha will inform the media later today of the results of the test and of Valentino's condition.

sumber : www.yamaha-racing.com

Ben Spies - Position: 6thTime:
"I got an okay start but got shuffled around in the first couple of corners but I'm not really happy with today. We didn't have the grip that the other guys have in the first ten laps and that lost me some places. When everybody had a big drop with their tyre performance and they were sliding and moving around, they were in the same boat as me and I could go through the field. For the last ten laps I was probably the fourth quickest guy on track. But coming from where I was it was the best result I could get. I rode as hard as I could and did everything I could. I made a couple of small mistakes and definitely should have been fifth. I'd have caught Bautista in time to pass him but I took too long to get around Loris. I'm not really satisfied with sixth because a couple of guys crashed out in front of me and that helped make us look a bit better."

Colin Edwards - Position: 11th Time:
"That was a tough race. I had big problems all weekend and I tried a completely different set-up this morning. I put some more weight on the front and it seemed to work this morning when the temperature was a bit cooler. At the start of the race it felt good, even though I got an awful start. But I started pushing really hard and was able to get ahead of Nicky but immediately I started having a lot of trouble on the right side of the front tyre. After that it wasn't a whole lot of fun because I couldn't ride the bike how I wanted and kept running wide. I tried carrying less lean angle but nothing I could do was going to help me go any faster. I was riding as hard as I could and finished but 11th is not where I expect to be or where the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team expects to be."

Herve Poncharal - Team Manager
"We are a little bit disappointed with the race today because it was clear that in the final laps that Ben was very strong as always. He did a race simulation yesterday and was really fast, so we felt quite confident. But he was unable to repeat that performance and had an issue in the first ten laps where he couldn't push at the pace he wanted. But he came back really strong and unfortunately it was just too late to finish fifth. But I'd say in the last ten laps he was easily the fourth fastest rider on track and with a better first half to the race, I think fourth was a possibility. But another top six keeps the momentum going for Ben and he's only ten-points off fourth place in the championship. Colin was the opposite and he had a very strong first ten laps but he was unable to keep his pace. As usual though he never gave up and continued to push and it was a shame because he deserved much better. It has been a hectic period in whi ch the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 has done well in MotoGP, so we hope for a good rest ahead of the Sachsenring and then a big race for Ben and Colin at Laguna Seca."

source : www.yamaha-racing.com

Starting from pole, also for the third consecutive race, Lorenzo lost ground to Dani Pedrosa into turn one but his fellow Spaniard then ran wide, leaving the Fiat Yamaha man in the lead. The next few laps saw Lorenzo at the head of a tight trio, as Andrea Dovizioso and Casey Stoner pushed hard to stay with him. Early on lap four the Italian Dovizioso briefly got his nose in front but Lorenzo soon got back by him to lead once again the next time around. On lap six the trio became a twosome when Stoner ran off track, but it looked like Lorenzo might have a battle on his hands as Dovizioso showed no signs of letting him get away. With ten laps to go however Dovizioso crashed out, leaving Lorenzo nearly six seconds clear of Pedrosa in second. From then on it was just a case of keeping his head as the tyres started to slide more and more in the extreme heat, but the 23-year-old is a cool customer these days and he eventually flew over the line 4.754 seconds ahead of Pedrosa, with Stoner third. Lorenzo has taken a hat-trick of wins once before in his career, in his 250cc days, and is the first Yamaha rider to take three wins from three poles since Eddie Lawson in 1986.

Having not raced competitively since 2002, Yamaha test rider Yoshikawa was faced with a near impossible task this weekend in the testing conditions at a track he had never seen before. The 41-year-old fought on to the finish however, gathering important information for the M1's future development in the process, and was rewarded with a championship point for his efforts.

Lorenzo now has an impressive 52-point lead in the standings ahead of Pedrosa, whilst Rossi drops to seventh after missing four races. Following three punishing weeks on the road, the MotoGP paddock now has a ten-day rest before it reconvenes at the Sachsenring in Germany for round eight.

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 1st Time: 43'22.805
"This is very special. After losing so closely last year I was happy but not completely so and today I can say I am completely happy, winning here at my home race. It was very difficult today because it was so hot and the front tyre was sliding a lot. I thought I was going to have a big battle with Dovizioso because he was pushing very hard but then he crashed and I was alone; it was lucky for me because then I was able to take it more gently to the finish. I think I rode a clever race today. I am so grateful to my team and to everyone at Yamaha and Bridgestone because they are working so hard to make our bike competitive at every track. I also want to say thank you to all the fans that came to watch today, it is a great feeling for me to win here in front of them all."

Wataru Yoshikawa - Position: 15 Time: +1'35.237
"It was really hard to ride in the heat plus after eight years without racing 25 laps is a lot, but I am really happy to finish and to win one point. I hope that this experience will help me at Sachsenring and in my future work. I have really enjoyed working with the best team in the paddock; they were quick and professional at the same time as being relaxed and friendly and the atmosphere in the garage was great. I am glad that I have had the chance to work with them."

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager
"What can we say? Five races won out of seven, three in a row...it's amazing. I was a little bit worried about this one because it's Barcelona, Jorge's home track and there was maybe a little bit more pressure for him, I think he was even a little bit nervous! But finally we decided to use the same tyre as the others and just go for it. He was under pressure from Dovizioso plus Moto2 had changed the grip conditions quite a lot so the race pace was quite a lot slower, but he was clever and smart, stayed on two wheels and won the race. Well done to him and to our whole team."

Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"We are really happy that Wataru was able to finish and he really deserved this championship point. He did very well this weekend in an extremely difficult situation; it was very hot, he's been away from racing a long time and he didn't know the track so I think he can be happy with what he has achieved."

source : www.yamaha-racing.com

Today's qualifying session at the 4.727km circuit near Barcelona took place in sweltering heat, with the American duo preparing to start from fifth and 11th on the grid for the 25-lap race.

Scorching hot conditions at the fast and technical circuit are likely to be repeated tomorrow, with Spies and Edwards putting in tremendous effort all weekend to get their YZR-M1 machines set-up to cope with the extreme weather.

Spies will start from fifth on the grid, the Texan disappointed he couldn't improve on his best time of 1.42.710 having encountered a slower rider while pushing hard on his last soft compound Bridgestone tyre.

The 25-year-old though remains confident of extending his outstanding form in his first full MotoGP season after completing an endurance run of 20-laps this afternoon.

The long run, five laps short of full race distance, gave Spies a wealth of information on Bridgestone's hard tyre in the extreme conditions often only experienced at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.

Air tempera ture peaked at 35 degrees and track temperature a sizzling 53 degrees, but Spies was able to lap consistently in the low 1.43s bracket in full race trim.

He missed equalling his best premier class qualifying result of fourth by just 0.118s, but is confident he will be a strong contender for a third successive top four finish.

Edwards will start from the fourth row having set a best time of 1.43.059. Edwards called on all his vast experience to try and improve turning performance on his YZR-M1 machine while also fine-tuning suspension settings to gain maximum tyre endurance in the intense heat.

His hard work though was only rewarded with 11th, Edwards missing a top six grid position by less than 0.3s in another closely fought and exciting session.

Ben Spies 5th 1.42.710 - 30-laps
"We did close to a full race simulation at the beginning just to see how it was, check how the bike is going to be in the heat and when the grip drops off. The first ten laps won't decide the race here and that's why I wanted to do the distance run. I was only going to do ten laps but I ended up staying out and doing 20 and we got some good information. I was pretty happy with the performance of the bike and physically I felt great. I tried to put in a couple of quick laps at the end on the soft tyre and I rode really hard to get myself up the grid. I'm pretty upset because Espargaro blocked me. He saw me coming and didn't even move and I was lucky because that was already on my third lap on the last soft tyre I had available. I had to do my fastest lap on the fourth lap on the tyre and I didn't think I'd get as high as fifth and was worried I'd be a lot further down. So considering that, I'm pretty happy with how it ended. It will be a tough race but I'll be giving it my all to continue the momentum I gained with good results at Silverstone and Assen."

Colin Edwards 11th 1.43.059 ? 26-laps
"Nobody wants to be down in 11th, least of all me, but I know I am riding better than ever and that is all I can do with the package we have got. It is really tough to go any faster than I am and it is not through a lack of trying on my part and my crew at Monster Yamaha Tech 3. Obviously it is unbelievably hot out there and we've spent a lot of time concentrating on getting the bike to work good at the end of the race when everybody is go ing to be chasing grip. If I race with the hard tyre I can probably be fighting for tenth and if I go with the soft tyre then at least I might be able to get in a good rhythm early on and see where we end up. But it is going to be tough and I'll sit down with my crew and Bridgestone tonight and see what they say about tyre choice for the race. I'll be giving it my all as usual but it is a little bit frustrating at the moment. I am so close to the top six on the times but I can't physically ride the bike any harder than I am to get those last couple of tenths I need to be higher up."

source : www.yamaha-racing.com

23-year-old Lorenzo was fastest once again in morning practice but spent most of the qualifying session a little further down the standings, as he concentrated on perfecting his race set-up and gathering as much information as possible about the two available Bridgestone tyre compounds. With just under ten minutes to go he leapt up the leader board to take pole, surrendering it briefly to Stoner before improving again on both of his next two laps to ensure himself a hat-trick of pole positions from the last three races.

Having learnt the track yesterday, Yoshikawa was able to spend a little more time today working on the set-up of his M1, finishing 17th. He made a significant improvement and is hopeful of gathering some useful information and improving further still during tomorrow's race.

With more soaring temperatures today, tomorrow's 25-lap race looks like being a scorching affair when the lights go out at 1400 CET.

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 1stTime: 1'42.046Laps: 29
"I'm really happy with this third pole position, it seems we're doing a very good job and it's very special to get it at my home round. It was a hard session but finally I was able to do some quick laps at the end with the soft tyre. It is so hot here and I think it's easy to say that tomorrow will be the hardest race so far this season. I will have to concentrate extra hard in this weather and also make sure that my physical condition is the best it can be. The tyres are going to be very important and we still have to make a final choice; before the practice we thought we had chosen but we're not so sure now so we will have to make our final decision tomorrow after warm-up."

Wataru Yoshikawa - Position: 17th Time: 1'45.759 Laps: 20
"I think I did a bit better on this second day here in Barcelona, and now that I understood the track more I was able to work on some small setting details and make some adjustments. I think that I can improve even more tomorrow, even though the race will be very hard. I will do my best to stay in touch and use the time to gather as much information as possible, which can help Yamaha in future development."

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager
"It's our third pole in a row and we're really happy about this. Jorge was once again very mature today, not getting distracted with an early fight for times but concentrating on finding the best set-up and managing to improve his race-pace before putting in some fast laps at the end. We still need to decide about the tyres because at the moment our choice keeps changing, especially on the rear. They're both good but we will have to wait for tomorrow to make the final decision."

Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"Wataru improved his lap time a lot today. It's very difficult for him here; it's a new track, it's very hot and he's been away from racing for a long time, so he's not used to pushing hard in a short time. He has made a big effort and is getting quicker, so tomorrow we will see what happens. We know he will try his very best."

source : www.yamaha-racing.com

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 1stTime: 1'43.259Laps: 27
"This was a good practice and I was fast straight away again, although I did think that I would be able to improve my lap time a bit more during the session. Unfortunately the rear was sliding a lot which was partly to do with the heat, but we will try to improve this tomorrow. I love racing here, it's so close to my home and it's always extra special for me because all my family and friends come to watch. I hope I can give them a good show!"

Wataru Yoshikawa - Position: 1st Time: 1'48.015 Laps: 24
"I have already ridden many laps on the M1 but this bike of Valentino's feels quite different to the test bike and I need some more time to become used to it. Today was quite tough because in this heat the track was quite slippery, which didn't make it so easy for me to learn it, but I felt better by the end. We need to do some more laps and I will be ready to improve tomorrow."

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager
"It was good to be fastest in these incredibly hot conditions, but we definitely have room for improvement because the bike didn't behave exactly how we wanted it to today. At the moment the problem is the rear sliding, so we need to look carefully at our setting and make some changes. Tomorrow we will compare Jorge's setting from last year to the one of today and see if we can make some small improvements."

Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"Today gave Wataru a chance to learn the track, which is new to him, and to give an initial indication of the bike setting to the team. It will be interesting now to see how much we can improve during the weekend, as he becomes more comfortable on the bike."

Fifth for fast learner Spies in sunny Spain
Ben Spies slipped seamlessly and impressively back into learner mode today, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider quickly mastering the challenging Catalunya circuit near Barcelona with a supremely composed display.

Temperatures soared to a physically demanding 37 degrees during the opening MotoGP practice session and Spies was able to produce a hot pace with a flying lap of 1.43.854. That put the reigning World Superbike champion in fifth place on the timesheets as the 25-year-old made significant progress with improving corner entry performance on his YZR-M1 machine.

Methodically building up his speed on a track he'd never seen before, Spies was able to knock one second off his previous best lap time on his final quick lap to finish just 0.595s behind fastest rider Jorge Lorenzo.

Using the harder front and rear Bridgestone tyre options to cope with the extreme track temperature that hit 53 degrees, Spies was just 0.129s behind Andrea Dovizioso in fourth to once again finish top non-factory rider.

Fellow American Colin Edwards was also delighted with the progress he made with the turning performance of his Yamaha.

Weight distribution changes gave Edwards much more confidence on corner entry and he put the modifications to good use.

A best lap of 1.44.551 put him ninth with Edwards spending the entire session using the same hard compound Bridgestone rear tyre to gain crucial information in preparation for Sunday's 25-lap race.

Ben Spies - Position: 5thTime: 1'43.854Laps: 27
"The track is fun but the longer turns are pretty hard to learn. The last three turns are definitely a little bit different but I felt I was slowly getting to grips with it and I'm really surprised I ended so high up in fifth. I went out on one bike and just worked on learning the track and when I switched to the other bike I found the turning was a lot better. I fixed the twitchy feel I was having on the front and that was a positive. Then I put the hard front tyre on and it was a hundred times better for me and it ended up being a really good session. We changed the geometry in the front-end and got the bike turning even better. I didn't have to hold the front brake to help the bike turn. Now I can let off the brake, throw it into the corner and get it turned. It is obvious rear grip is vital here in the hot conditions and the key is going to be who can set the bike up for the end of the race when there's not much grip. I'm looking decent on speed right now but we've got to manage it and make sure I'm fast for the end of the race."

Colin Edwards - Position: 9th Time: 1'44.551Laps: 21
"I think I went about a tenth faster than my best time in last year's Friday session. It's the same rider, the same tyres, pretty much the same bike with a slightly different engine, so I can honestly say I'm trying my hardest and not getting any slower! I feel good and I'm definitely making some strides with the bike. We put some more weight on the front and got it turning a lot better. I feel a lot more comfortable and the bike is not running wide now when I get into the corner. It has been a nightmare with the turning this year but finally we've made big progress in that area. I went out on the hard rear tyre and I just stayed on that for the wh ole session. It is really hot out there and there wasn't a lot of grip and we'll need to make some changes overnight to the rear suspension because tyre management in those conditions is going to be crucial."

Circuit Length: 4727
Weather: Dry

Lap Record: 1'43.195 (Valentino Rossi, 01/01/2005) Fastest Lap Ever: 1'41.186 (Casey Stoner, 08/06/2008) Last Years Winner: Valentino Rossi

source : www.yamaha-racing.com

Last year the Mallorcan-born Lorenzo lost out to his team-mate Valentino Rossi in a titanic last-lap battle, which Rossi named one of his best ever wins. With the Italian still out of action, Lorenzo is robbed of the chance to exact revenge on his team-mate but a second Spanish win of the season, following his victory in Jerez, would be sweet nonetheless for the 23-year-old and he will be going all out to stand on the podium once again.

As one of the key test riders in Yamaha's MotoGP development programme, Yoshikawa is well acquainted with the M1-Bridgestone package. He has ridden as a wild card once previously in MotoGP, at the 2002 Motegi round, but this will be his first visit to the Montmeló circuit.

The Circuit de Catalunya features one of the longest main straights in the world, watched over by a vast grandstand, which is always full to bursting from Saturday morning. The rest of the track is characterised by long radius, medium and high-speed sweeping corners, with two tight left-hand hairpins thrown into the mix. This variation combined with regular changes in camber makes the circuit particularly demanding on chassis balance and means that front-end feel is a key concern for every rider.

Jorge Lorenzo: "We should enjoy Montmeló"
"Montmeló is a very special track for me, it is the closest to Mallorca and I can feel the people supporting me. Last year I lost at the final corner but now I will try to come back to the podium to celebrate with all my fans. We have a big gap in the standings and it give us confidence and allows us to be calm, but the team will be working at the same level, I am sure. We still have twelve more races, double what we've already had! We should enjoy Montmeló and then, after these three consecutives races, we have earned a little break - a week for a rest!"

Wataru Yoshikawa: "Helpful for our development"
"I'm excited about riding the M1 in Spain this week, even if I'm very sorry for Valentino's injury. I have only ridden in a MotoGP race once, at Motegi in 2002, and this is the first time I have ridden at the Montmeló track. We can see from the team's results this season that Yamaha did a good job with the winter development of the M1 and I am sure that these few races I will contest now will be extremely helpful for the future development of our bike."

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager Jorge Lorenzo: "Keeping focused"
"After six races we are leading the standings with a big gap so we can be very happy with the job we have done. Jorge has done very well to keep so focused through such a busy period of races and we just have one more before we can all enjoy a short rest. Barcelona is Jorge's home race and last year he lost there very closely to Valentino in an exciting finish. This week we will carry on in the same way, trying to keep focused and aiming for the podium once again."

Davide Brivio - Team Manager Valentino Rossi: "Good to come back"
"This weekend our team will come back to the paddock after a strange time watching from home! We go to Barcelona where we have some amazing memories from last year. Of course we will miss Valentino but he is recovering well and now we will give our maximum support to Wataru as he joins our team. It will be nice to see the fourth M1 back on the track, Wataru is an experienced rider even though he doesn't know Barcelona and we will see what happens."

Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 31
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 104 (78 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 230 (169 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 59 (49 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
World Championships: 9 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 6 x MotoGP)

Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 23
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 30 (9 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 134 (39 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 37 (11 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 (250cc, 2006/7)

Montmelo': Record Lap
D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2008, 1'42.358

Montmelo': Best Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1'41.186

Grand Prix Results: Montmelo' 2009
1. V.Rossi (Yamaha) 43'11.897
2. J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.095
3. C.Stoner (Ducati) +8.884

sumber : www.yamaha-racing.com

"Three weeks have passed since the accident and two since I was discharged from hospital, and I am very happy about how my recuperation is progressing. I am feeling a lot better and I'm starting to live a semi-normal life again, although for a completely ?normal' life I will have to wait until I'm back on my bike! I am walking with crutches and since a few days I've been able to put my foot to the floor. Honestly, I didn't expect to feel this good just a few weeks after the incident, and I mean both physically and in my ?spirit.'

"The rehabilitation is continuing as usual, both sitting in the hyperbaric chamber and with some exercises in the gym. Unfortunately my shoulder is still giving me some pain but I am working on the muscles to reduce the pain a bit. If the rehabilitation proceeds without trouble and if everything continues in this way, then my objective is to return at the Czech Grand Prix in Brno.

"I have started to leave the house and my good friends haven't left me on my own for even a minute, although I'm not used to spending so much time in Tavullia! I miss my bike, my team and the paddock a lot and this ?new' sensation is pushing me to get better as quickly as possible. "I'll speak to you, but more importantly see you, soon. Ciao, Valentino Rossi."

sumber : www.yamaha-racing.com

Mallorcan Lorenzo had looked the man to beat all weekend after topping both practice and qualifying and he got a great start from pole position and quickly pulled out a second's gap, but by lap five Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner were looming large behind him and for a few laps it looked as if a tense three-way battle was in the offing. However Lorenzo's choice of the harder Bridgestone tyre soon began to pay off and, with a lighter fuel load by mid-race distance, he was able to step things up a notch and gave himself an unassailable lead, crossing the line 2.935 seconds ahead of Pedrosa, with Stoner third and Spies fourth.

The Fiat Yamaha man's second win on the bounce sees him extend his championship lead to an impressive 47 points from Pedrosa, while Rossi remains fourth in the standings. The next round comes in just a week's time at Barcelona in Spain, when Wataru Yoshikawa will join the Fiat Yamaha Team to fill in until Rossi is back on board his M1.

Jorge Lorenzo - 1st, Time: 41'18.629
"This race was a bit more difficult than Silverstone because Dani was so fast with the softer tyre early on in the race and I had to really keep my concentration to stay in front of him at that point. I was confident that my harder Bridgestone tyre would help me later on and this was the case, so we made the right choice. It wasn't easy though and at the end I was sliding quite a lot, in fact I made a mistake at the chicane and nearly crashed so I was quite glad to finish! I am really happy that I have won here in all three classes because it's such a historic place and the football I had in Parc Ferme was to celebrate this 'hat-trick.' Thanks to all my Yamaha guys and also to Bridgestone for this win, we have a big lead in the championship so we can afford to stay calm and relaxed. Now we go to my home in Barcelona and I am excited about another chance to race in front of the Spanish fans."

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager Jorge Lorenzo
"We knew before the start that Pedrosa and Stoner had chosen the softer tyre so we expected them to be fast at the beginning and in fact we were quite pleasantly surprised that Jorge was able to make a gap so early on. Then they came back to him but he is mentally very strong at the moment and he just kept his head and did very well to stay in front, because they were pushing him hard for a while. Once the laps went on and our fuel load was reduced, Jorge was able to use the harder tyre to his advantage and he succeeded brilliantly, we had no doubts about him. Well done to him and to all the team for this second win in a row on this special TT Anniversary"

Ben Spies scores a brilliant fourth at Sun-kissed Assen
Ben Spies produced another outstanding ride today in the 80th running of the historic Dutch TT, the Texan thrilling a crowd of nearly 100,000 fans with a stunning fourth place. 

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Spies made a blistering start from fourth on the grid to take up the tough challenge of fighting with dominant MotoGP world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo in the early stages. Opting to use the softer compound Bridgestone rear tyre, Spies kept Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner at bay with a hard charge in the opening laps before he slipped down to fourth on lap four. Unable to match the pace of the leading trio despite pushing his YZR-M1 machine to the limit, Spies became locked in a close dice with Andrea Dovizioso. The Italian looked at ease in fourth spot before Spies mounted a brilliant attack on lap 15 from fifth position. He started the lap over 0.7s adrift of Dovizioso but slashed the deficit to 0.103s at the end of lap 15. 

Spies then produced a brilliantly executed overtake on Dovizioso at the final chicane on lap 16 and was able to use his superior speed to pull out a comfortable gap over the Repsol Honda rider. But Dovizioso wasn't finished and inspired by Randy de Puniet's attack, both began to hunt down Spies as the battle for fourth intensified.

Spies responded with a masterful performance in the final four laps, the 25-year-old holding his nerve with some brilliantly aggressive riding to prevent de Puniet and Dovizioso from getting close to denying him fourth place. Spies took fourth by nearly two seconds at the conclusion of the 26-lap race to continue the excellent form he displayed when storming to a maiden podium at Silverstone last weekend. It is the second successive race that he has finished leading non-factory rider and he moved firmly into the battle for a top four championship placing.

Fellow American Colin Edwards extended his impressive record of scoring points in all six races so far this season with a solid ride to eighth place. Edwards continued to adapt to a new front-end geometry set-up he first tried this weekend and gained crucial information that he hopes will help him close the gap to the leading group in future races. The 21-points collected by Spies and Edwards today moved the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad into fourth place in the Team World Championship standings, the French squad once again the leading independent squad in the series.

Ben Spies - 4th, Time: +13.265
"I got a good start and was happy with that. I ran the soft rear tyre because it made the front load better for turning and the track temperature was hotter than all weekend. But it didn't work as well I'd hoped in the first ten laps and then when Dani and Casey came by I knew I was holding them up. But I was sticking with my game plan. I tried as hard as I could and 12 laps in Andrea passed me. But then his tyres dropped down to where I was with mine and I reeled him back in. The podium battle had gone away and then over the last three laps I heard Andrea and Randy putting the pressure on. I put my head down hard and managed to open a gap. I was sliding a lot but I managed to stretch away and I could cruise the last lap. I wanted at least fourth place today and I'm happy but I didn't have the pace for the podium like in Silverstone. I'm happy with the result and we go to Catalunya next week not knowing the track and I think we will be a little bit on the back foot again. But I'll do the same as the past two weeks and push as hard as I can."

Colin Edwards - 8th, Time: +28.991
"I can't be disappointed or upset with eighth place and wonder why I didn't get a better result when I rode my heart out. There was nothing else I could have done today but I know what we can improve. We've been experimenting with some different front-end settings and we've made it better, but I just lose a bit of time when I release the brakes and can't turn the bike how I want. And losing that little bit everywhere adds up by the end of the lap and makes it difficult. I know I rode harder than last year when I finished fourth, but I'm eighth. I guess that proves that those guys at the front are running an unbelievable pace. I was behind Nicky for a long time but I could never get close enough to put a pass on him. Looking at Ben it can be better and once again, I can't praise him enough. He's riding really good and I have to congratulate him because at the last two races he's been really impressive."

Herve Poncharal - Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team Manager
"I can't say enough good things about Ben. He made an incredible start and he almost took the lead. We knew Casey and Dani would push hard and in the first few laps I don't think Ben had a great feeling with the bike. But he dug deep and continued to push and I have to give him enormous credit for that. Dovizioso and de Puniet were pushing really hard at the end but Ben's strength is his pace on used tyres and he demonstrated this again. Being greedy we'd have liked to be on the podium again but fourth showed he is the best of the rest of the moment. His confidence is really high and he's proving a massive asset for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. Colin had a strong race and after Silverstone he found a direction with the bike, which we hope will work in the future. He was pushing hard and never gave up and the points he scored have helped us move back into fourth place in the Team Championship. That is very important for us. I said that in 2010 the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team had its strongest line-up ever in MotoGP and I think today again we proved that."

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Spies made a blistering start from fourth on the grid to take up the tough challenge of fighting with dominant MotoGP world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo in the early stages.

Opting to use the softer compound Bridgestone rear tyre, Spies kept Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner at bay with a hard charge in the opening laps before he slipped down to fourth on lap four.

Unable to match the pace of the leading trio despite pushing his YZR-M1 machine to the limit, Spies became locked in a close dice with Andrea Dovizioso. The Italian looked at ease in fourth spot before Spies mounted a brilliant attack on lap 15 from fifth position.

He started the lap over 0.7s adrift of Dovizioso but slashed the deficit to 0.103s at the end of lap 15.

Spies then produced a brilliantly executed overtake on Dovizioso at the final chicane on lap 16 and was able to use his superior speed to pull out a comfortable gap over the Repsol Honda rider.

But Dovizioso wasn't finished and inspired by Randy de Puniet's attack, both began to hunt down Spies as the battle for fourth intensified.

Spies responded with a masterful performance in the final four laps, the 25-year-old holding his nerve with some brilliantly aggressive riding to prevent de Puniet and Dovizioso fro m getting close to denying him fourth place.

Spies took fourth by nearly two seconds at the conclusion of the 26-lap race to continue the excellent form he displayed when storming to a maiden podium at Silverstone last weekend. It is the second successive race that he has finished leading non-factory rider and he moved firmly into the battle for a top four championship placing.

Fellow American Colin Edwards extended his impressive record of scoring points in all six races so far this season with a solid ride to eighth place.

Edwards continued to adapt to a new front-end geometry set-up he first tried this weekend and gained crucial information that he hopes will help him close the gap to the leading group in future races.

The 21-points collected by Spies and Edwards today moved the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad into fourth place in the Team World Championship standings, the French squad once again the leading independent squad in the series.

Ben Spies 4th 49-points

?I got a good start and was happy with that. I ran the soft rear tyre because it made the front load better for turning and the track temperature was hotter than all weekend. But it didn't work as well I'd hoped in the first ten laps and then when Dani and Casey came by I knew I was holding them up. But I was sticking with my game plan. I tried as hard as I could and 12 laps in Andrea passed me. But then his tyres dropped down to where I was with mine and I reeled him back in. The podium battle had gone away and then over the last three laps I heard Andrea and Randy putting the pressure on. I put my head down hard and managed to open a gap. I was sliding a lot but I managed to stretch away and I could cruise the last lap. I wanted at least fourth p lace today and I'm happy but I didn't have the pace for the podium like in Silverstone. I'm happy with the result and we go to Catalunya next week not knowing the track and I think we will be a little bit on the back foot again. But I'll do the same as the past two weeks and push as hard as I can."

Colin Edwards 8th 34-points

?I can't be disappointed or upset with eighth place and wonder why I didn't get a better result when I rode my heart out. There was nothing else I could have done today but I know what we can improve. We've been experimenting with some different front-end settings and we've made it better, but I just lose a bit of time when I release the brakes and can't turn the bike how I want. And losing that little bit everywhere adds up by the end of the lap and makes it difficult. I know I rode harder than last year when I finished fourth, but I'm eighth. I guess that pr oves that those guys at the front are running an unbelievable pace. I was behind Nicky for a long time but I could never get close enough to put a pass on him. Looking at Ben it can be better and once again, I can't praise him enough. He's riding really good and I have to congratulate him because at the last two races he's been really impressive.?

Herve Poncharal ? Team Manager

?I can't say enough good things about Ben. He made an incredible start and he almost took the lead. We knew Casey and Dani would push hard and in the first few laps I don't think Ben had a great feeling with the bike. But he dug deep and continued to push and I have to give him enormous credit for that. Dovizioso and de Puniet were pushing really hard at the end but Ben's strength is his pace on used tyres and he demonstrated this again. Being greedy we'd have liked to be on the podium again but fo urth showed he is the best of the rest of the moment. His confidence is really high and he's proving a massive asset for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. Colin had a strong race and after Silverstone he found a direction with the bike, which we hope will work in the future. He was pushing hard and never gave up and the points he scored have helped us move back into fourth place in the Team Championship. That is very important for us. I said that in 2010 the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team had its strongest line-up ever in MotoGP and I think today again we proved that.?

sumber : Monster Yamaha Tech3 Communications

Giacomo Agostini, Shigeto Kitagawa, President of Yamaha Motor Racing and Ferry Brouwer, owner of the Yamaha Classic Racing Team presented the celebrated 1975 YZR500 OW23, on which Agostini won his last ever world title in 1975 and also the Dutch TT in 1974. In addition Yamaha unveiled a surprise ?Agostini' 2010 YZR-M1 in Fiat Yamaha Team colours, with the Italian's famous Number One stickers.

Yamaha legend Agostini will ride a display lap of Assen on both motorcycles tomorrow at 13.10 to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the TT.

Shigeto Kitagawa, President of Yamaha Motor Racing, said: "I am very pleased to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Dutch TT with Yamaha's first and latest premier class championship-winning bikes. It is going to be a great pleasure to see both machines ridden by the great and legendary champion Giacomo Agostini."

Giacomo Agostini added: "It's a double pleasure and honour for to be here at Assen on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Dutch TT. First of all, I was honoured to be invited by the TT for this important occasion and secondly I am very excited to celebrate this event riding for Yamaha, to whom I gave a first world title in the 500cc series. I have a beautiful memory of this TT race and of these fans. I remember that when I used to ride here, many years ago, there were 160,000 fans all around the track. Unbelievable! Tomorrow I will have the chance to ride the "past" and the "present;" the first and the latest world champion bikes. My OW23 was like a bicycle with 120bhp, but used to get power at 6000rpm...whilst the M1 has 240bhp! When you ride the M1 for the first time, it seems that it's very easy: engine, gear, brakes, it seems that it does everything itself, but then when you open the throttle you discover its power and you realize how difficult it is to control such a force!"

Ferry Brouwer, Team owner of Yamaha Classic Racing Team, concluded: "This is going to be a very special moment during the 80th Dutch TT. Yamaha's past and present has joined forces to bring about a fantastic spectacle for the public here on Saturday. We sincerely hope that the fans will enjoy watching these bikes being ridden by Giacomo as much as we have enjoyed preparing everything for this moment."

sumber : www.yamaha-racing.com

Lorenzo found himself comfortable and fast on his M1 from the start of the session, taking the lead mid-way through and remaining at the top of the standings as he consistently improved his time. The 23-year-old tried both the soft and hard Bridgestone tyres and worked especially on the front tyre, having encountered some small problems in that area at this race last year. The track has undergone an alteration to the chicane at turns six and seven, meaning Lorenzo's time today was almost a second quicker than Rossi's pole of last year. Casey Stoner finished just 0.011 off Lorenzo today, with a further half-second gap back to Nicky Hayden in third.

Jorge Lorenzo - 1st, Time: 1'35.169, laps: 28
"I am happy with today and I feel very good on the bike; the weather is perfect and I love Assen! The new corner is very fast and I really like it, it's great fun to ride through the chicane at such a speed. We could probably have a bit more traction but we have two more sessions to work on this and then we will try to get the best possible grid position again. The team is working so well and the ambience and atmosphere in our garage is amazing at the moment."

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager Jorge Lorenzo
"The weather is unbelievable which we're really happy about because it can be quite nasty here, but it looks like being very consistent, which is exactly what Jorge was today! He enjoyed it from the start and this showed in his times. We tried both the soft and hard Bridgestone tyres and worked a bit on the front, where he had some issues last year, but it looks good so far. We think the track will be about two seconds faster in the end so we can definitely find some more pace tomorrow, but we've made a good start here in Holland."

Confident start for Monster Yamaha Tech 3 at Assen
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team made a flying start to the 80th staging of the legendary Dutch TT at Assen today. In unusually warm temperatures that peaked at 27 degrees, Colin Edwards made a welcome return to form at the iconic Assen circuit. The experienced American took to the track this afternoon using a new front-end geometry setting on his YZR-M1 machine and he immediately felt much more confident and able to show his true potential after a tough start to 2010.

Capitalising brilliantly on the improved turning performance as a result of the front-end setting modification, Edwards finished fourth an d was just 0.013s away from the top three. He easily finished leading non-factory rider with a best time of 1.35.699 as he looks to extend his impressive record of scoring points in every race so far this season.

Ben Spies also produced an encouraging display this afternoon, the reigning World Superbike champion determined to build on the momentum gained from his outstanding maiden MotoGP podium at Silverstone last weekend. The Texan was able to reel off a series of consistent laps and in the final ten minutes he stormed into the top four. A best lap of 1.35.942 saw Spies finish eighth but he was just 0.020s away from the top six. The hot conditions saw track temperatures soar to 44 degrees and Spies spent the session exclusively on the hard compound Bridgestone rear tyre option to gain crucial information ahead of Saturday's 26-l ap race.

He will make minor set-up tweaks overnight to improve turning performance on his YZR-M1 and he is confident of claiming his first top six grid position in tomorrow's qualifying session.

Colin Edwards - 4th, Time: 1.35.699, laps:25
"I really needed that after a tough start to the season and thanks to my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 who have been working really hard to improve my situation. I really like Assen and the change they made on the back section made it feel a little bit more like the old circuit. My bike is quite a bit different to what it has been this season and I'm running a front geometry setting that is a lot different to what I've ever run before. I'm just trying to make the bike turn easier and feel a little more natural and it is similar to the setting that Valentino and Jorge like.

I've got a lot more confidence than Silverstone because that was not a positive weekend at all. This track is a lot more free flowing and you have to keep a lot of momentum and that suits my style. And I can just get the bike to turn better and that's where I've been lacking. Now the bike feels great and I'm looking forward to a good weekend."

Ben Spies - 8th, Time: 1.35.942, laps:29
"It was a decent session though we definitely need to make a couple of changes to the bike to make it a bit better in the longer turns. I had quite a good set-up at Silverstone to make the bike more nimble and we started with that setting here. But it wasn't working that well so we'll go back to what we know works tomorrow and I'm confident it should be better. I worked a lot on the hard race tyre and I'm definitely happy with the performance and the balance of the bike. I just need to make the bike turn better when I'm on the throttle. I 'm really happy with corner entry but I'm losing a lot on the longer turns.

The target tomorrow will be to get on the second row and I've not managed that yet. But the times are so close that with a couple of improvements to the bike I'm sure that a top six is a realistic target. Looking at my last eight laps I'm not far off at all and I'm looking forward to another positive weekend."

Circuit Length: 4555
Temp: 27
Weather: Sunny

Lap Record: 1'36.411 (John Hopkins, 01/01/2006) Fastest Lap Ever: 1'35.520 (Casey Stoner, 28/06/2008) Last Years Winner: Valentino Rossi

sumber : www.yamaha-racing.com

Lorenzo was the only rider to dip into the 1'34s this morning and was the first to do so again this afternoon as he set about refining the set-up of his M1 around the elegant twists and turns of the historic track. He surrendered the top spot to de Puniet for a short while but with ten minutes to go he moved back into pole position and remained in command to the end, extending his lead with a brilliant final lap to secure his second pole of the season for the 80th Dutch TT tomorrow.

Jorge Lorenzo - 1st, Time:1'34.515, Laps:31
"I'm very happy to take my second pole of the season but I feel even more comfortable and confident because I've been first in all three practice sessions, despite the other riders pushing hard during qualifying. I think tomorrow's race could be interesting and of course I want to try to win, but as always the main goal is to finish and take points. I will try to escape but if I can't I will fight for the podium. We can afford to be very calm because of our lead in the standings but the team and I are still working as hard as we can to keep going at this level; we're not relaxing."

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager Jorge Lorenzo
: "Once again it's been a very smooth weekend for us so far and we're happy to get another pole position. Jorge is satisfied with the improvements we've made to the bike since yesterday and he was a few tenths faster today, plus he's been extremely consistent in his pace so we can see everything is working well. The only thing left for us to do is to make our final tyre choice for the race, because both Bridgestone compounds are working well here. We will wait to see the temperature tomorrow, make some checks in warm-up and then decide."

MotoGP career best qualifying for Spies
Ben Spies powered his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine to a career best qualifying result in Assen today after another dazzling display from the Texan.
Brimming with confidence after recording his first MotoGP podium at Silverstone last weekend, Spies set himself up perfectly for another rostrum challenge in the historic Dutch TT after qualifying on the second row for the second time in his premier class career. Aided by improved turning performance with his YZR-M1 machine after key front-end changes by his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew, Spies posted a best time of 1.34.926 with just over a minute of qualifying remaining to claim a brilliant fourth place on the grid.

The 25-year-old, who has demonstrated a fast and consistent pace on both soft and hard compound Bridgestone tyre options, was just 0.123s away from Casey Stoner in third position and just over 0.4s away from pole position.
Spies will now carefully analyse data and consult with Bridgestone and his Tech 3 crew before deciding on whether to race the hard or soft rear tyre in tomorrow's race, which is the 80th running of the legendary Dutch TT.

Texan team-mate Colin Edwards will start from ninth on the grid after he concentrated on adapting to a new front-end geometry setting. Edwards made further adjustments to the front-end of his YZR-M1 machine today after an encouraging fourth place in practice yesterday. The experienced American declared himself happy with progress and finished with a best time of 1.35.393 in warm but cooler conditions than yesterday. Tomorrow's 26-lap race is round six of the 2010 MotoGP world championship.

Ben Spies - 4th, Time:1.34.926, Laps:21
"It's my best qualifying session and I'm really happy. I wanted to get on the second row but I was a little bit worried that I would be at the back of it and for the first corner here I wanted to be in a better position. I wasn't sure how much I would get out of the soft tyre, but as soon as we bolted it on I was faster. We've got good pace so we'll look at the weather conditions and comments but I think both tyres will work. I've got good pace on the hard and soft tyre so we just need to see what Bridgestone's opinion is. The soft tyre will be quicker in the beginning so we'll see but it will be a tough call. Judging by where I qualified another podium is a realistic target. Obviously Jorge is a way ahead of me at the front but the fight between third to sixth is pretty close. I'm in that fight and that could land me on the podium. But it could easily be a dogfight and I could end up sixth or seventh. Going into the race though I'm closer than I was with the lap times than Silverstone, so anything is possible."

Colin Edwards - 9th, Time:1.35.393, Laps:32
"We had both bikes set-up quite a bit differently with the front-end geometry and one I didn't like that much. But the other bike felt better and I was able to push harder. It's even closer to the front-end geometry that Jorge uses than I tried yesterday and it makes it feel like I'm not chasing the front and I can put the front tyre right where I want it. The set-up is still not perfect and I think the front fork spring is a little bit too hard but we'll play with that tonight. To be back down in ninth shows how tough it is in MotoGP this year because I was really riding hard and the bike felt good. I certainly feel like we're in better shape than we have been at some other races so I need to get a good start. I've pretty much decided to go with the softer tyre. I did a mid-35 on the 20th lap of the soft tyre so I'm going to go with that. The harder tyre doesn't have the side grip that I want to make the lap time"

Circuit Length: 4555
Weather: Sunny

Lap Record: 1'36.411 (John Hopkins, 01/01/2006) Fastest Lap Ever: 1'34.515 (Jorge Lorenzo, 26/06/2010) Last Years Winner: Valentino Rossi

sumber : www.yamaha-racing.com