Shoot the breeze with the Holland & Holland Range Rover

Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations unit has teamed up with British gunmaker Holland & Holland to create its most luxurious (and expensive) model to date…

Based on the Range-topping LWB Autobiography Black edition, the Holland & Holland shooting special will follow its predecessors by offering keen shots a host of bespoke enhancements.

Racking up the mileage

There are some discreet upgrades to the exterior – including an exclusive green paintjob, H&H badging and some chrome highlights – but the interior is where the collaboration between the two Royal Warrant-holders is most evident. Electronically deployed walnut tables serve the tan leather reclining rear seats, while a leather-trimmed aluminium loadspace cabinet slides out to present the guns within. Costing £180,000 and limited to 40 examples per year over three years, the Holland & Holland Range Rover is available with either the 334bhp 4.4-litre SDV8 diesel, or the 503bhp 5.0-litre Supercharged V8.

Photos: Land Rover

You can find numerous modern and classic Land Rovers for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

Kerry Burkheimer, a passionate fly fisherman,

Kerry Burkheimer, a passionate fly fisherman, builds "one at a time, one of a kind" fly fishing rods.

Burkheimer from Filson on Vimeo.

BSMC GEAR GUIDE #33

This week’s Gear Guide features iconic bike boots from Lewis Leathers, biker jackets for kids, great new designs from illustrators and bike painters Monday Mo Co, another lovely bit of kit from Bolt, and expedition socks to keep your pinkies warm in the dark months.

 

LEWIS LEATHERS MOTORWAY BOOTS NO.191

Lewis Leathers, the London based heritage biker wear company, are best known for their iconic styles that were adopted by the cafe boy racers and rockers of the 50s and 60s and the racers of the 70s. But they also supplied the police with equipment, the Motorway boots being a staple amongst the two wheeled rozzers of the late 60s and 70s.

The 191 Boot features a superior quality zip made by the Riri company of Switzerland for long lasting abuse, three back straps for extra safety and an inner strap to grip the trouser leg to prevent riding up and baggy knees.

Made from premium highly polished bull hide these boots are peerless. The soles are a vintage racing grip using the Goodyear Welted system which means they can replaced when worn, which means these can last a lifetime of riding.

The Motorway boot first appeared in 1969 as an update to the earlier styles that were based on horse riding boots. It immediately proved popular with the British Motor Cycle Policemen. The polished finish meant that the boot was smart enough for ceremonial duties.

I have a pair of these that I bought on ebay from a retired bike cop who wore them every day for twelve years. Thank god he changed his socks more often! They’re still in fantastic condition.

Lewis Leathers are a true Brit bike institution, for decades catering  for the whole spectrum of bikers –  cops, racers and cafe racer hooligans.

These boots are available on line at at their West End shop.

www.lewisleathers.com

CLUTCH KID – CHILDREN’S BIKER PATCH JACKETS

Recycled in the USA – Clutch Kid is a boutique children’s vest line that repurposes high-quality denim with vintage American and moto inspired themes. These are 100% Recycled & Handmade!

One day biker mum and model Sabrina Nova decided to let her creativity and passion for riding collide. She plucked a perfectly worn denim kids vest from her sons closet and started laying out a design with the many moto and pop culture patches she had been collecting. Once the embellishments were in place and professionally sewn on the quality and design was evident, this vest was ‘bad to the bone’ !

Immediately whenever her son would wear this one of a kind creation  in public they would literally be stopped on the street by countless people asking, “where did you buy that vest?!” That’s when a light bulb went off in Sabrina’s head. The search was on for all the high quality kids denim she could find and the patch collection grew to heaps and mounds! Before long her creations were becoming reality so that ‘…any kid could rock this unique cultural style!’

Just like the very first vest that started it all, every Clutch Kid clothing item is handmade and one of a kind and ‘…sure to be a show stopper!!!”

www.clutchkidclothing.com

MONDAY MO CO Ts

Monday Mo.Co is a new motorcycle clothing and lifestyle store. The bastard child from the guys behind Boneshaker Choppers, Ilovedust, The Black Douglas & Superrb.

Situated in the heart of Birmingham a cool little bike shed style store tucked away in the melting pot of all things creative that is ‘The Custard Factory’. You can pull your bike up directly outside the doors and browse products from brands such as Red Wing Boots, Deus Ex Machina, Pike Brothers, Biltwell Helmets, Tsovet Watches, Eat Dust and Raen to name just a few of the heavy hitters.

Because some of the founders also build bikes you can even sort arrange that via the store. 
Boneshaker Choppers, Mutt Motorcycles & The Black Douglas

As well as stocking a selection of their favourite brands Monday Mo.Co have also released their own line of products under the Monday Mo.Co brand. Included in the collection you’ll find tees, wallets, belts, a tool wrap and trucker caps.

Most of the tees were designed in-house, but for their ‘Stay High’ tee Monday Mo.Co commissioned the work of ‘Pinkyvision’ an artist they admired for his work with Flip Skateboards and Altamont clothing.

You can buy the Ts online at http://shop.mondaymoco.com/collections/monday-mo-co or visit the guys in shore at Monday Mo.Co, Gallery 38, The Custard Factory, Gib Street, Birmingham, B4 9AA.

BOLT SCF DUFFEL BAG

Mate of the Shed, Andrew Almond, has been up to his eyeballs in paint this week fitting out his new premises (right next door to his old yard). I hope he hasn’t been transporting his brushes in this lovely bag, its too nice to be covered in emulsion.

Duffle bag, kit bag, swag bag, bucket bag or holdall – call it what you will. The fact is, there are several different ways to sport it.

It’s made out of a 15.oz tight-weaved natural canvas body. The base, strap and top are constructed from premium mid-weight chocolate brown leather. It features a leather-embossed front pocket and rear strap brace. It’s finished with a tartan-lined interior with canvas pocket and lined with nickel-plated trimmings.

This is a lovely and practical piece of kit to throw over your shoulder on short urban trips.

http://www.boltlondon.com

MUND K2 EXTREME COLD WEATHER SOCKS 308

So it’s November, and the commercial vultures are hovering, and the spectre of unwanted presents looms. However, if you get a pair of these in your stocking from the in-laws you should be well chuffed.

From the Sahara to the North/South Poles to the highest Himalayan peaks, Mund socks have been subjected to the most extreme uses by expeditions, professional guides and athletes so you can rely on them totally. Most recently, Mund Socks were worn by all 19 Chinese-Tibetan mountaineers in their successful Olympic torch relay to the summit of Everest on 8 May 2008.

Mund K2 Extreme Cold Weather Socks 308 are mountain socks designed for use in extremely low temperatures to help keep your feet warm even down to -28°C.

K2 Extreme Cold Socks are made from Thermolite fibre, a special hollow fibre that provides extra warmth without extra weight to give effective insulation even in the harshest climates. Lycra fits very closely to the form of the foot, making K2 Extreme Cold Socks particularly comfortable and avoiding the friction that can result in blisters.

Reinforced toe and heel sections on Mund K2 Extreme Cold Socks reduce wear and ensure they are hard-wearing while a double-weave material offers extra padding for increased comfort.

These are ideal for keeping your toes warm on your winters blasts. Frost-bite and motorcycles are never a good look.

http://www.adventuregearpost.com

via The Bike Shed

WRC ; Le balayage, le lest du rallye ! / ‘Road sweeping’… rallying’s ballast!

Suite au vote des membres du Conseil Mondial du Sport Automobile, la Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile vient de confirmer l’ordre des départs en WRC 2015. Le leader du championnat ouvrira la route le vendredi ET le samedi.

Le problème du balayage sur terre et sur neige n’est pas nouveau en rallye, mais il a pris une dimension particulière depuis la réduction et la concentration des parcours. Le phénomène est plus ou moins important selon les épreuves, mais de manière générale, les premières voitures balaient la couche superficielle de terre meuble ou de neige qui recouvrent les pistes et souffrent d’un manque de grip évident par rapport à leurs concurrentes. Le championnat WRC 2015 comptera neufs rallyes et demis sur terre et un sur neige.

L’ordre des départs est donc déterminant. Ces dernières années, le leader du championnat avait le triste « privilège » d’ouvrir la route le premier jour. Ensuite, les pilotes prioritaires s’élançaient dans l’ordre inverse du classement du rallye. La saison prochaine, le leader du championnat sera doublement pénalisé puisqu’il va ouvrir la route le premier ET le deuxième jour, autant dire la grande majorité du parcours puisque la dernière étape est souvent la plus courte.

Cette mesure, proposée puis votée par les membres du Conseil Mondial, vient d’être confirmée par la FIA. Elle n’est forcément pas du goût de Sébastien Ogier, ni des meilleurs pilotes du WRC qui redoutent de balayer les pistes sur deux étapes consécutives. Les pourfendeurs du système parlent d’injustice et d’insécurité pour les équipages et le public.

Le balayage est en quelque sort le lest du rallye. Au lieu d’alourdir les véhicules les plus rapides, comme il est parfois d’usage en circuit (WTCC), les meilleurs pilotes de rallye sont ralentis par leurs positions sur la route.

Les défenseurs de ce système estiment qu’il permet d’éviter une trop forte domination d’un pilote, en l’occurrence Seb Ogier actuellement, mais Sébastien Loeb en a aussi beaucoup souffert dans le passé. Le balayage ne les a pourtant pas empêchés de remporter plusieurs titres mondiaux. Cette année par exemple, Sébastien Ogier a remporté cinq rallyes terre après avoir balayé les pistes le premier jour. Au Mexique, en Pologne, en Australie et en Espagne, il a même conclu la première journée en tête après avoir ouvert la route.

Mais en 2015, il est vrai que le vainqueur du Rallye Monte-Carlo devra jouer le chasse-neige sur 262,94 km au Rallye de Suède (84% du parcours). Puis, à l’issue de la manche suédoise, le leader du championnat devra balayer les pistes sur les longues spéciales mexicaines, etc…

Bref, on n’a pas fini de reparler du balayage en WRC…

A vote of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council has confirmed a new WRC start order procedure for 2015: the championship leader will be first on the road on Friday AND Saturday.

The issue of ‘road sweeping’ on snow and dirt is nothing new in rallying. However, its importance has grown as events have visited fewer stages and competitive distances have shrunk. The phenomenon’s influence differs from one rally to the next but, in general, the first driver on the road faces the penalising task of sweeping aside the top-coating of loose gravel or fresh snow and consequently benefits from less grip than his chasers. The 2015 WRC calendar features nine rallies with gravel stages and one on snow…

Start orders can and do play a decisive role but, in recent years, the championship leader has had the dubious privilege of being first into the stages on Day 1 alone. For the following legs, the field has started in the reverse order of their overnight positions. Next season, the championship pace-setter will be doubly penalised by having to run first on the road on Days 1 and 2. Given that Sunday’s action is usually far shorter, that represents the majority of the rally.

This measure clearly favours neither the 2014 world champion Sébastien Ogier nor the championship’s other front-runners who face road sweeping duty to varying degrees on consecutive days. The system’s critics describe it as an injustice and unsafe for the crews and spectators.

In a way, road sweeping is the rallying equivalent to racing’s ballast. Instead of making the faster cars heavier, which is a solution used in competitions like the World Touring Car Championship, the top drivers are slowed by their position on the road.

Defenders of the system see it as a means to prevent excessive domination by a single driver, namely Sébastien Ogier today, and previously Sébastien Loeb who also suffered from the phenomenon. That said, it didn’t prevent them from collecting a high number of world titles. This season, for example, Ogier won five gravel rallies after running first on the road on Day 1. In Mexico, Poland, Australia and Spain, he even led after spending the first leg at the front of the field.

Even so, in 2015, the winner of the Rallye Monte-Carlo (and therefore the early championship leader) faces playing the role of snowplough for 84% of Rally Sweden’s stages (262.94km). After that, the driver with the highest number of points will be the first to tackle most of Mexico’s long stages, and so on.

The issue clearly promises to remain a big talking point in world class rallying…

Harley ...

SHANGHAI CUSTOMS GN250

I presume the Chinese equivalent of the Highway Code is a simple document. From my time there I recall seeing just one ‘rule of the road’ as such. That appeared to be: Try not to crash into anyone else, if you can. Everything else was handled in a take-it-or-leave-it kind of way. Yet strangely, for the most part it seemed to work; the number of accidents falling way below the expected amount considering the incoherent way the traffic flows through the blue neon lit roads. Be it getting t-boned by an electric scooter, wrestling for lane superiority with one of the numerous VW Jetta taxis or avoiding the random sink holes, a trip through Shanghai can be classed as anything but dull. To do so on a motorbike sends the experience into videogame squeeky-bum-Russian-roulette levels of excitement.

In many of China’s urban areas, large capacity bikes are banned in a futile attempt to reduce congestion and smog in city centres. If you want a bike bigger than 250cc in Shanghai, you need a bundle of cash and some seriously good Guanxi to get the requisite documents for a non-domestic bike. So it’s best to just go with the flow, accept the laws and take advantage of the joy of small capacity travel. You’ll soon realise 250cc is more than enough for the city, perfect for a bimble up the Bund and back in time for some Jasmine tea. The custom scene, having breached the Great Wall, is finding builders braving the roads and dodging the rules to produce some fresh new customs in China’s largest city.

Matthew, an ex-pat from New Zealand living in Shanghai, got into motorbikes while on holiday in the Philippines. Upon returning to China, he’d found his scooter had, ironically, been Shanghaied so he decided a bike was a far better idea. In Matthew’s own words, it was a piece of crap, so he started investigating doing some custom work on it. This seemed to go well and he started getting requests to buy it. One thing led to another, the day job was soon dispensed with and Shanghai Customs was born. A year and a half later, Matthew and his crew have found their feet and are growing quicker than the city around them.

For this build a 1998 example of the venerable Suzuki GN250 was sourced and a plan was formed. More power, less weight, exaggerate the classic form, yet retain the every-day function. Unafraid to dig deep, the engine had a thorough going over. Over-bored to 300cc for a bit more oomph, the rockers, cams, valves and cam-chain were all replaced. Checking over the gearbox, all seemed fine but a new clutch was put in ensuring the bike can handle the stop-start traffic. New Mikuni carbs with pod filters were fitted and jetted to suit and the whole lot breathes out through a slim reverse-cone exhaust, grafted onto the black wrapped 2-1 down pipes.

The frame was stripped back, looped and cleaned up. The kink to the rear end giving suspension clearance and enough room for a pillion. The sleek electrics box built between the frame rails houses the CDI, Reg/Rec and assorted relays, while the battery is housed in a separate box, easily accessible just above the swingarm . It’s worth noting that nearly all the electrics on the bike have been replaced. From the alternator and starter motor to the lighting system, the whole lot has been replaced. The ignition has been relocated next to the riders knee and the the rider is provided with not only a new analogue speedo but a digital gear indicator in a custom mount as well.

The diamond stitch seat was built upon a custom pan and provides a generous amount of cushion. Wrapped in genuine bovine hide Matthew was considering perhaps using gold thread to pick out the paint but settled for black. Custom mudguards are minimalist but practical, the rear guard suspended from the swingarm to avoid an unwanted badger stripe on wet days. The tank and guards received a simple and sleek paint job, block white with silver panels highlighted by gold pinstriping and the Shanghai Customs logo. Chop Suey Cycles handled the painting detail as well as the coating of the engine in a high temperature finish.

A number of small handmade touches adorn the bike. New foot controls provide solid standing and a classic sit-up-and-beg riding position. Picking out the pinstriping the gold oil filler cap also nestles in side of engine. While many of us enjoy a game of hide the indicators in a quest to streamline the looks of our bikes, I cannot blame Matthew for ensuring the winkers on the GN are as visible as possible, given the environment to be tackled. A bates light up front penetrates the city smog, and an LED rear keeps things clean: simple and effective.

18 inch Duro tyres wrap the powdercoated wheels at either end; 120 at the front and 130 at the rear give a nice chunky profile for the uncertain streets.  While the suspension is standard, a check over deemed all was well so front gators were added to look after the stanchions. A brake upgrade has improved stopping performance, the bike is now fitted with a Frando disc and modified caliper mount to accept the larger diameter rotor. By all accounts the bike is a hoot to ride around city streets and the Shanghai Customs guys will be sorry to see her go. The photos, taken by Matthew as well, show it to it’s very best and I don’t imagine it will be long before it finds a new home.

Matthew is still developing the Shanghai Customs website but it will be in rude health soon. It’s certainly going to be a busy year for the guys with some interesting projects in the pipeline. Next on the cards is an SR400, ready to go in the workshop. After that Shanghai Customs will be stepping into unknown waters developing and building their own bike  from scratch using Chinese power-plants and looking to export them. A new build, clean sheet Cafe or Tracker at an affordable price? Sounds good to us.

via The Bike Shed

Moto GP ; Un retour décevant pour De Puniet et Suzuki

Victime d’un problème avec sa boîte de vitesses, Randy de Puniet n’a pu couvrir que les douze premiers tours du Grand Prix Generali de Valence, qu’il disputait en wildcard avec Suzuki.

Suite aux problèmes qu’il avait rencontrés avec le moteur de la GSX-RR lors des deux premières journées, Randy de Puniet a malheureusement eu une course gâchée par un autre problème technique, qui concernait cette fois-ci sa boîte de vitesses.

Après avoir commencé à travailler avec Suzuki en tant que pilote d’essais en 2013, le Français bénéficiait d’une wildcard pour disputer son premier Grand Prix de l’année mais n’avait malheureusement pas la chance de son côté. De Puniet va maintenant rejoindre le Championnat du Monde Superbike tout en conservant son rôle de pilote d’essais avec le team MotoGP de Suzuki, qui travaille cette semaine avec ses nouveaux pilotes titulaires : Aleix Espargaró et Maverick Viñales.

Randy de Puniet : « Nous savions que le week-end n’allait pas être facile mais nous ne nous attendions pas à avoir ces problèmes. Tout le monde a fait de son mieux au sein du team mais ce n’était pas suffisant pour finir et j’ai souffert de problèmes avec la boîte de vitesses. C’est dommage parce qu’avec ces conditions pour la course, j’aurais pu me battre pour une bonne position. Maintenant l’heure est venue pour moi de me tourner vers le Superbike. Je pense avoir fait du bon travail avec Suzuki cette année et je suis impatient de voir et d’écouter les réactions des nouveaux pilotes. »

Satoru Terada - Directeur du Team Suzuki MotoGP : « Ça a été un week-end difficile pour le team. Nous avons eu des problèmes techniques et nous n’avons pas pu trouver de solution satisfaisante. Nous sommes désolés pour Randy parce qu’il a fourni beaucoup d’efforts ces deux dernières années, au cours du développement de la moto, et nous avons apprécié qu’il donne le meilleur de lui-même pour la dernière course de la saison. C’était notre première course en trois ans et nous avons beaucoup appris, principalement sur ce qu’il nous manque. Demain nous aurons deux jeunes pilotes qui testeront nos motos et nous sommes impatients d’avoir leurs réactions. Nous devrons d’abord résoudre nos problèmes, écouter les requêtes de nos pilotes et ensuite préparer les tests qui auront lieu à Sepang en février prochain. »

Moto GP ; Lorenzo mène la première journée du Test de Valence / Lorenzo fastest on Monday in Valencia test

Jorge Lorenzo a été le plus rapide lundi à Valence, où commençait la pré-saison MotoGP™ 2015 et où Marc Márquez a prêté l'une de ses motos à son frère Álex pour quelques tours de piste.

Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a signé le meilleur chrono de la première des trois journées du Test Officiel de Valence en 1'30.975 et a essayé quelques nouveautés sur son YZR-M1, que Yamaha a commencé à alléger en prévision d'une perte de poids de 2 kg imposée par le règlement technique de 2015. Valentino Rossi s'est classé quatrième, à 0.275s de son coéquipier et derrière les deux pilotes de Monster Yamaha Tech3, Pol Espargaró et Bradley Smith, qui avaient pour mission d’évaluer de nouvelles pièces pour Yamaha.

Vainqueur du Championnat du Monde Moto3™ la veille, Álex Márquez a eu le privilège de tester l'une des RC213V de son frère Marc Márquez, qui était en piste à ses côtés. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) a fini la journée en sixième position, à 0.627s de Lorenzo.

Andrea Dovizioso a terminé en septième position tandis que Andrea Iannone, son nouveau coéquipier, a réalisé le cinquième temps sur une moto similaire à celles que les deux Italiens utilisaient pour la saison 2014. Ducati ne disposera de son prototype 2015 qu'en février prochain, pour les tests de Sepang, et avait donc décidé de ne participer qu'à la première journée d'essais à Valence.

Chez Pramac Racing, Yonny Hernández et Danilo Petrucci, nouvelle recrue du clan Ducati, ont respectivement pris les dixième et treizième places sur la feuille de temps. Les deux pilotes roulaient sur GP14 mais Hernández passera sur la GP14.2 à partir de mardi. 

Le team CWM LCR Honda a accueilli ses deux nouveaux pilotes, Cal Crutchlow et Jack Miller. Le Britannique a donc fait ses débuts sur RC213V tandis que Miller a bouclé 61 tours avec la Honda Open 2014 pour sa première journée en MotoGP™. Chez Marc VDS Racing, Scott Redding s'est classé quinzième pour sa première journée sur RC213V, à deux secondes du temps de référence.

Aleix Espargaró et Maverick Viñales ont commencé à travailler avec Suzuki et ont respectivement fini aux 14e et 17e positions.

Chez Aprilia, Alex Hofmann s'est chargé de faire la majeure partie du travail avant que Marco Melandri et Álvaro Bautista n'entrent en piste en fin de journée. Le constructeur italien testait différentes entrées d'air mais aussi un nouveau moteur à rappel pneumatique.

Le team NGM Forward Racing inaugurait aussi une nouvelle équipe avec Stefan Bradl et Loris Baz. Les deux pilotes se sont concentrés sur le châssis et les suspensions afin de s'adapter le plus rapidement possible à la Forward-Yamaha.

Les essais continuent mardi et mercredi de 10h à 17h et peuvent être suivis en direct grâce au Live Timing de motogp.com.

Le Live Vidéo sera par ailleurs disponible mardi de 11 à 13h puis de 14 à 17h. A retrouver en fin de journée : résumés vidéo, inteviews et reportages exclusifs.

Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was Monday’s fastest rider in the post-GP Valencia test, with the day also featuring MotoGP™ World Champion Marc Marquez showing his brother Alex Marquez how to ride a premier class prototype.

Lorenzo’s fastest time of 1’30.975 was the best of the day as he and his teammate Valentino Rossi worked on various updates to their YZR-M1. Rossi was fourth fastest and 0.275s off Lorenzo’s time, the Italian behind Monster Yamaha Tech3 pair Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith as Yamaha locked out the top four.

Alex Marquez got a nice present for winning the Moto3™ title on Sunday as his brother Marc Marquez rode a few laps with him on the elder brother’s Repsol Honda RC213V machines. Marquez’s Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa was sixth fastest overall, 0.627s down on Lorenzo.

Bridgestone brought the same tyre specifications as the race weekend to help the teams with cross-referencing their data, with only the harder rear tyre featuring a slightly different spec.

Andrea Dovizioso was seventh fastest and new factory Ducati Team colleague Andrea Iannone was fifth, as they worked with a similar package to that which they ended the 2014 season on. Their 2015 bike will only be available from Sepang testing after the winter break and they therefore ended their test on Monday.

Yonny Hernandez was 10th and his new Pramac Racing teammate Danilo Petrucci was 13^th as they tested only the GP14, whilst Hernandez will switch to the GP14.2 from Tuesday.

The new look CWM LCR Honda team were hard at work with new recruits Cal Crutchlow and Jack Miller both on track. Crutchlow ended the day eighth on his new RC213V, with Miller further down the timesheet notching up 61 laps on a 2014 Open Honda as he adapted to MotoGP. Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team) ended the day 15th, as he too tested the RC213V and lapped two seconds slower than Lorenzo.

Spanish pair Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales started their Suzuki adventure with rookie Viñales in 17^th - roughly a second behind his more experienced new teammate. Espargaro was 14^th overall and 1.34s off P1 pace.

Evolving Aprilia machines were tested by Alex Hofmann, with Marco Melandri making an appearance late in the day for the new Factory Aprilia Gresini team. Alvaro Bautista also featured, with the Italian manufacturer experimenting with differing air intake options and a new pneumatic valve engine.

NGM Forward Racing welcomed Stefan Bradl and Loris Baz as the team focused their work on chassis and suspension, with the new riders adapting to the Forward-Yamaha package.

The test will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday (10am-5pm), with Live Timing available throughout on motogp.com.

There will also be live video coverage of the test on motogp.com from 11am-1pm and 2pm-5pm on Tuesday. There will also be highlights videos at the end of each day, plus all the latest news and exclusive features.

LE CASTING DE TOP GEAR FRANCE DÉVOILÉ

PAR ALEXANDRE LAZERGES

La déclinaison française de l’émission automobile de la BBC vient de dévoiler son casting. Un trio de choc pour un programme culte.

— © Visual Press Agency

Ca y est le casting de Top Gear France, la déclinaison française de l’émission de voiture culte de la BBC, vient d’être dévoilé après plusieurs longs mois d’attente. Depuis l’été dernier, la planète automobilo-médiatique bruissait de rumeurs sur les potentiels présentateurs. Ce sera finalement l’acteur et réalisateur Philippe Lellouche, dans le rôle de chef de bande, l’ancien pilote des 24H00 du Mans Bruce Joanny (Pescarolo Sport) pour le coup de volant et enfin Le Tone, ancien rédacteur en chef du magazineIntersection. Ce dernier sera l’expert en culture automobile. Moins célèbre que Philippe Lellouche, Le Tone a pourtant déjà connu la gloire en tant que musicien et auteur du tube électro suave « Joli Dragon » en 1999. Le Tone est, entre autres, amateur de vieilles BMW en en particulier de la Série 3 E30 dont il possède un splendide exemplaire 325 i. Bref ce trio de choc a largement de quoi devenir aussi désopilant que les anglais Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hamond et James May.

Ainsi s’achève donc le suspense qui aura duré plusieurs mois. Le nom de Stéphane De Groodt revenait le plus souvent et il confiait même à GQ dès le mois de juillet qu’il avait été approché par la filiale française de la BBC. « Ça m’aurait beaucoup amusé il y a trois ans, maintenant j’ai d’autres priorités » nous avouait-il. Il faut dire que, depuis, cet ancien pilote devenu acteur et auteur à succès est désormais mis en avant comme un des grand talents de Canal+.  Il n’allait pas présenter une émission sur RMC Découverte, la chaine du groupe BFM.

Reste la question principale. L’émission française sera-t-elle à la hauteur de la matrice britannique, le programme Télé le plus regardé au monde avec 350 millions de téléspectateurs ? A en juger les moyens conséquents déployés pour le seul casting : 2 voitures de sports, 2 voitures « low budget », une équipe complète de techniciens pour la prise de vue et une autre entièrement dédiée aux véhicules, sans compter la location d’un circuit plusieurs jours d’affilée … il semble que les moyens soient aux rendez-vous. La rédaction quant à elle reste entièrement sous le contrôle de la BBC ce qui garantirait une certaine indépendance vis-à-vis des marques automobiles. Evidemment le Stig reste totalement anonyme.  Les tournages commenceront d’ici quelques jours pour une diffusion au printemps.

via GQ

Moto GP ; Rossi se confirme comme vice-Champion du Monde MotoGP™ 2014 / Rossi converts pole to second in race and championship

Deuxième en course à Valence, Valentino Rossi a terminé la saison 2014 avec une treizième podium et le titre de vice-Champion du Monde MotoGP™.

Surpris de se qualifier en pole position samedi après-midi, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a été devancé par son compatriote Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) au départ de la dernière course de l’année mais a pu rattraper son retard sur l’Italien en compagnie de Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda).

Une fois passé devant Iannone, Rossi a essayé de suivre Márquez mais n’avait plus suffisamment de pneu pour tenir le rythme du  Champion du Monde en titre. L’Italien finissait cependant l’année avec le titre de vice-Champion du Monde.

« Je suis très content parce que je finis une bonne saison avec une bonne course, » a affirmé Rossi. « La course a été difficile aujourd’hui parce qu’il était impossible de comprendre les conditions. Nous avions bien travaillé et nous avons été forts. Je n’étais pas très loin de Marc et je me sentais bien sur la moto. Nous avions par contre un problème sur le côté droit du pneu, nous nous en étions rendu compte lors des essais. Le pneu a souffert à cause des températures et des conditions de piste et je ne pouvais pas suivre Marc dans les virages à droite. »

« J’étais très content après ma course au Qatar, je savais que je pouvais être compétitif mais c’est très dur avec Marc. J’ai eu beaucoup de podiums et beaucoup de points mais seulement deux victoires ! Marc en a remportées 13, il y a une grosse différence. Nous devons nous concentrer sur la moto et le team pour faire un gros pas en avant en 2015. »

Having started from pole position for the first time in over four years, Valentino Rossi secured second at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana – also confirming his runner-up spot in the 2014 standings.

A surprise pole position put Rossi in prime position to battle teammate Jorge Lorenzo for that second place in the championship. Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) led off the line with Rossi settling into second behind his compatriot.

The Ducati rider was able to create a one second gap to Rossi, before a charging Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) aided Rossi in catching, and passing, Iannone. Rossi then set about trying to stay with the 2014 MotoGP™ World Champion, but tyre wear meant he was not able to match the pace of Marquez.

Several brief spits of rain had riders questioning whether or not to stay on slicks, Rossi elected to do as Lorenzo gambled on wet weather tyres. The gamble did not pay off and Lorenzo was forced to retire, ensuring Rossi’s second place in the general classification with 295 points.

“I’m so happy because I finished this positive season with a good race. Today was very difficult, the conditions were impossible to understand. We worked well and I was strong. I wasn’t so far from Marc and I felt good on the bike. We had a problem on the right side of the tyre, we knew about it during the practice. The temperature and condition of the track made the trye suffer a lot so I couldn’t stay with Marc through the right handers,” Rossi commented on today.

Looking back at the season as a whole, “After Qatar I was very happy for the race, I thought I could be competitive, but fuck it’s difficult with Marc. A lot of podiums and points, but only two victories! Marc won 13, a big difference. We have to focus on the bike and the team to make a big step in 2015.”