Tom Sykes on provisional pole at Magny Cours

with Twowheelsblog

Tom Sykes was the fastest rider in this afternoon’s first qualifying practice the French circuit of Magny-Cours. The British rider who is wearing a new helmet design based on Joan Lascorz’s sticker with #17 and Power for Lascorz on it put his Kawasaki on the top of the charts with a best lap of 1.38.200 and also broke the 2009 race lap record that was held by Noriyuki Haga.

Carlos Checa was second fastest but he was already more than four tenths of a second adrift from Sykes, while the gap with rest of the field was much tighter. Marco Melandri was third followed by Althea’s Davide Giugliano and Jonathan Rea who jumped up the charts in the final minutes.

Michel Fabrizio made a vast improvement with his satellite BMW machine to edge out Max Biaggi for sixth place by just 0.005s. Leon Haslam, none the worse after his morning highside followed both Italians in eighth. Sylvain Guintoli put his Ducati in 9th making it three Ducatis in the top ten and the Frenchman was the last rider to be within a second from Sykes, while Leon Camier (who should be reconfirmed for the 2013 season with FIXI Suzuki) rounded out the top ten.…

WSBK Magny-Cours QP1 results:

1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1′38.200
2. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1′38.648
3. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1′38.742
4. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1′38.962
5. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1′39.014
6. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1′39.139
7. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′39.144
8. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1′39.149
9. Sylvain Guintoli (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 1′39.186
10. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′39.285

Pope Benedict XVI blesses Harley-Davidson tanks in Vatican city

With Twowheelsblog 

Harley-Davidson will be celebrating its 110th Anniversary from June 13th to the 16th 2013 in the eternal city of Rome and to kick off the countdown to the event, Pope Benedict XVI blessed and signed two commemorative HD motorcycle gas tanks presented to him by Willie G. Davidson, grandson of one of the company’s founders, and next year the Pope will also be blessing the bikes when they gather at St. Peters Square.

Both tanks will be returned to be mounted on two motorcycles - one will be displayed in the Harley-Davidson Museum, while the other will be auctioned to support the Good Samaritan Foundation.

Press Release:

Next June, tens of thousands of Harley-Davidson riders and fans from around the globe are expected to make their way to Italy’s capital city to celebrate Harley-Davidson’s 110th Anniversary and the shared passion for freedom that unites riders everywhere.

Pope Benedict XVI along with Willie G. Davidson, grandson of one of Harley-Davidson’s founders and his son, Bill Davidson, Vice President of the Harley-Davidson Museum, launched the countdown to Harley-Davidson’s 110th Anniversary event in Rome, June 13-16, 2013, by presenting two commemorative motorcycle gas tanks to the Pope for a blessing. The tanks will be signed by Pope Benedict, Willie G. and Bill, and mounted on two motorcycles—one will return to the company’s hometown of Milwaukee to be displayed at the Harley-Davidson Museum, while the other will be auctioned to support the Good Samaritan Foundation.

“The 110th Anniversary Celebration will be a rockin’ party and so much more,” said Ken Ostermann, Harley-Davidson’s General Manager of International Marketing Operations. “Along with next year’s 110th Anniversary events around the world, the event in Rome is truly the most epic way we can show our thanks for the 110 years of riding and fun our passionate fans have given Harley-Davidson.”

Highlights of Harley-Davidson’s 110th Anniversary Celebration in Rome next year include a party in the Port of Ostia, a parade through the heart of Rome, two headlining concerts at Stadio Olimpico and a papal bike blessing at St. Peter’s Square.

“We’re anticipating next year’s celebration in Rome to be one of the largest events we’ve ever held outside the U.S.,” said Ostermann. “That is a strong testament to our continued global transformation as we respond to our growing fan base all over the world.”

The Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary is a year-long, global celebration featuring 12 anniversary experiences the company will bring to existing motorcycle events in global markets through September 2013. The events span 11 countries on six continents.

Capping the global experiences are two main anniversary events in Rome and Milwaukee. The event in Milwaukee Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 2013, is an expanded celebration including fan-organized rides to the city, a party on the shores of Lake Michigan, a massive parade, activities at the Harley-Davidson Museum and three headlining concerts.

For more information about the 110th Anniversary events, visit h-d.com/110.

Louis Rossi to switch to Moto2 with Tech3 Racing

This year’s Le Mans Moto3 winner Louis Rossi will be switching categories next season and will be moving up to Moto2 to ride the Mistral 610 for Herve Poncharal’s Tech3 Racing team.

“I am delighted that Louis has decided to commit his future to Tech 3 Racing Moto2 Team. I have monitored him very closely and he is a rider with great potential who I am really looking forward to help take the next step in his career. I am confident the combination of Louis and the Tech 3 Racing’s Mistral 610 project will be a formidable one in 2013,” said Poncharal who will be giving the 23-year old Le Mans born rider the new opportunity.

Rossi who is currently 13th in the Moto3 standings, will be replacing Bradley Smith who will be moving to Tech3’s Yamaha MotoGP team in 2013.

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