ERC: after Corsica, Belgium’s low country / Après la Corse, le « plat pays »

Almost six weeks after Bryan Bouffier’s triumph in mountainous Corsica, the FIA European Rally Championship moves on to Belgium’s polder country for the Geko Ypres Rally. Freddy Loix is targeting an eighth victory.

Quarante jours après le triomphe de Bryan Bouffier dans les montagnes corses, le Championnat d’Europe des Rallyes FIA reprend en Belgique, le « plat pays », avec le Geko Ypres Rally que Freddy Loix tentera de remporter pour la 8e fois.

Although the sixth round of the 12-round 2013 ERC is one of Europe's oldest fixtures, it is poised to provide a glimpse of the future this weekend.

Indeed, Ford and Peugeot have chosen Ypres to reveal their latest creations (the Ford Fiesta R5 and the Peugeot 208 T16) which will soon defend the two brands’ colours in the sport. Meanwhile, Michelin will be unveiling its new Pilot Sport R customer competition tyre range.

True to tradition, the Belgian rally has attracted a strong entry, led by local star Freddy Loix. Loix is standing in for Jan Kopecky in the works Skoda Fabia S2000/Michelin and will be hoping to take his personal score to eight Ypres wins. The 2011 PWRC champion Hayden Paddon is also back, in a Symtech Racing-run Ford Fiesta S2000. Finland’s Mikko Pajunen is driving a similar car, while Craig Breen, Bryan Bouffier and Jean-Matthieu Léandri will compete in Peugeot 207 S2000s. François Delecour has withdrawn, however. Poland’s Michal Solowow is the only driver to have entered a Regional Rally Car (Fiesta RRC).

The event’s fast, narrow, dusty stages, long straights and right-angled bends are a hallmark of the region, but three tests have been modified this time round, namely Heuvelland (14.99km), Mesen (9.66km) and Wijtschate (24.89km). The programme features 20 stages totalling 297.93km, plus a 4.88km Qualifying Stage (8pm, Thursday), which is a first for an asphalt rally.

Ce week-end, outre la sixième des douze manches européennes, c’est l’avenir du rallye qui sera présenté sur l’une des plus anciennes épreuves de sport automobile européennes.

Ford et Peugeot ont choisi le Rallye d’Ypres pour dévoiler au public leurs dernières créations - la Ford Fiesta R5 et la Peugeot 208 T16 - qui portent le futur de ces deux marques dans la discipline. De son côté, Michelin présente sa nouvelle gamme de pneus « compétition-client » Pilot Sport R.

Comme chaque année, le plateau est copieux au Rallye d’Ypres. Le Belge Freddy Loix remplace Jan Kopecky au volant de la Skoda Fabia S2000/Michelin officielle avec laquelle il va tenter d’améliorer son propre record de victoires (7) sur cette épreuve. Le Champion du monde PWRC 2011, Hayden Paddon, est de retour au haut niveau sur une Ford Fiesta S2000 du team Symtech Racing. Même monture pour l’espoir finlandais Mikko Pajunen. Craig Breen, Bryan Bouffier et Jean-Matthieu Léandri représenteront le clan des Peugeot 207 S2000 (François Delecour est annoncé forfait), alors que le Polonais Michal Solowow est le seul concurrent engagé sur une Regional Rally Car (Fiesta RRC).

Avec ses spéciales rapides, étroites, poussiéreuses, ses longues lignes droites ponctuées de virages à angle droit, le parcours du Rallye d’Ypres est très particulier. Cette année, trois spéciales ont été modifiées : Heuvelland (14,99 km), Mesen (9,66 km), Wijtschate (24,89 km). Le parcours compte 20 spéciales pour un total de 297,93 km chronométrés. Une Qualifying Stage (4,88 km) est organisée pour la première fois sur asphalte. Elle se tiendra jeudi soir à 20h00.

2013 Assen: Valentino Rossi feels the extra pressure, Cal Crutchlow doesn't

from TWOWHEELSBLOG

Jorge Lorenzo was just seven points behind Dani Pedrosa in the standings before his crash this afternoon ruled him out of the Assen GP.

Valentino Rossi who finished the dry session in fourth and the second one in the wet second admitted after wishing Lorenzo a speedy recovery, that he now feels more pressure and motivation to try to stop Repsol Honda duo Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez, in order for them not to take too many points off of his team mate and see if he can finally return to the podium.

“It’s a great pity for Yamaha, for the Team and for him [Lorenzo] as he is fighting for the Championship. I hope that he comes back as soon as possible, hopefully for the next race in Sachsenring. I hope to do a good result because I am now the man of the team for Yamaha, for the Factory team and all the guys. Now there is some extra motivation and some extra pressure because unfortunately Jorge had a big crash and is injured and cannot race, so I will be the only factory Yamaha. I will have to try and make a good result in front of the Hondas for the championship,” said Rossi.

Talking about his first day at a dry and wet Assen Rossi added, “It’s been a positive day for us because in the dry it was not so bad this morning, we continued to work with our new setting and the first impression was positive, although we still have to work to improve. We had something important to try this afternoon in the dry but unfortunately it was wet. Anyway we continued our work in the wet and it was a good practice, we did a good job with our new setting and the bike was also very good in the wet. I improved lap by lap; I had good pace and I was in second position. We have to continue to work in both conditions, everybody knows here in Assen it can be wet or dry.

Yamaha Tech3 rider Cal Crutchlow, who is still in the middle of negotiating with a number of teams next season for a factory bike, also wished reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo a quick recovery, but he said that Lorenzo’s crash won’t put him under any extra pressure, because his job is to beat the other riders, including the Yamaha factory riders.

“I will be doing my own job which is to ride for our team and my job is to finish as high up as I can. My job is to also beat the factory Yamahas so if I have a chance, I am going to try and beat Jorge anyway. It changes my position not one bit, makes no difference at all,” said Crutchlow. “It’s unfortunate it has happened to Jorge as he was going to be the man to beat again, for sure. I’m pleased in a way it’s only a broken collarbone because it could have been a lot worse, especially how fast that part of the track is.”

The British rider was second fastest in the morning time session, but dropped down to seventh in the wet, because he opted to sit out the final minutes when a number of riders upped their paces demoting him.

“I am really happy with today. I was second in the dry this morning although I need to improve my pace in the first sector because the gap to Lorenzo in that section was pretty big. The gap of everybody else was pretty big to be fair and Jorge was doing an amazing job. It’s a huge shame that he got injured in FP2 and I wish him a speedy recovery because the Championship is not the same with him not in it. In the rain this afternoon I was very comfortable and I am one of the fastest on track. Before the end of the session I didn’t want to take any risks so I came into the pits and lost a few places. Had I stayed out I am sure I could have been in the top three again but I am happy enough with my performance in both conditions,” continued Crutchlow.

Jorge Lorenzo out of Assen GP with fractured collarbone

from TWOWHEELSBLOG

Jorge Lorenzo’s run for the championship title was dealt a cruel blow this afternoon when the Yamaha rider was pitched off of his M1 during a wet second free practice at the Dutch circuit at Assen, suffering a left collarbone fracture and a slight concussion.

Lorenzo had arrived at Assen brimming with confidence after two consecutive victories, and his words during the pre-event press conference admitting he was feeling very strong and at the top of his form, now sounds - if one is superstitious - omninous, as if he was tempting fate.

The reigning world champion was on his 9th lap of the session when he entered turn 13 - the Hoge Heide - and touched the painted lines and got caught out by standing water, crashing at 238 km/h.

A suffering Lorenzo was transported the Clinica Mobile where he was immediately diagnosed with a fracture to his left collarbone and sent the Assen hospital for further tests and then will return to Barcelona where he will undergo surgery under the capable hands of Dr. Xavier Mir either Saturday night or Sunday morning.

Dr. Mir said, “Jorge has a high inertia trauma but results are normal from initial neurological examination. We will move to Assen to make head and chest scans and also an abdominal exploration. Our first diagnosis revealed that there is a left clavicle fracture with a slight shift that will need surgery to repair the bone. This injury is in the background while we rule out any other major injury that may become apparent within 24 hours. These kind of impacts at more than 200 km/h need some time for the body to recover to be able to discard any other major injuries. In principle tomorrow he can travel and within 48 hours he will be operable.”

At the present Lorenzo’s recovery period is uknown, but Dr.Costa who is at Imola to follow World Superbikes believes it could take a month before the Spaniard is at full fitness, but with two back-to-back races, at Sachsenring (July 14th) and Laguna Seca (July 21st) and both with mainly left hand corners, Lorenzo who many are expecting to return for the German round will have to call on all his mental strength to make up for the physical weakness that he will be suffering.

Just reminder, a heroic Colin Edwards broke his collarbone and damaged his muscles around his ribs during the 2011 Catalunya GP on a Friday. Dr. Mir operated the American rider inserting a plate and some screws, and just nine day Edwards took a third place podium at a wet Silverstone.

Marc Marquez fastest in wet FP2 at Assen as Lorenzo fractures collarbone

from TWOWHEELSBLOG

The weather forecasts for Assen were more than right, as buckets of rain were falling during this afternoon’s MotoGP’s second free practice.

The wet session was important to find a set-up for a race that is expected to be wet, and also for the riders to see if their helmet visors were working better than during the Le Mans round. Many may remember that in the French round a number of riders suffered huge issues with fogging.

Marc Marquez took a number of risks - like using a hard rear wet tire - to end up on the top of the timesheets with a best lap of 1:47.617 with his last flying lap demoting Valentino Rossi to second and +0.252 adrift.

Team mate Jorge Lorenzo suffered a huge highside twenty minutes in to the session - he had a hard rear on his M1 - when he touched the slippery wet kerb at the Hoge Heide.

The Yamaha rider initially seemed okay as he walked away from the crash with just one of his boots partially unlatched, but he slowed down holding his wrist and forearm, but it was immediately suspected that he was suffering from a collarbone fracture, which has now been officially confirmed, and this could mean an end to his title hopes, as it is a compound fracture.

Lorenzo is now expected to fly to Barcelona and undergo surgery at the Dexeus Clinic, and tentative news have him returning for the Sachsenring round.

Third fastest Dani Pedrosa, but the Repsol Honda rider was more than six tenths from his rookie team mate who showed an impressive ability to adapt in wet conditions.

Stefan Bradl was fourth and is now using Brembo brakes and he was followed by the Ducati factory riders, Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden who posted the exact same times. Yamaha Tech3’s Cal Crutchlow was seventh and 1.444 second off pace, but apparently the British rider wasn’t taking any unnecessary risks in the very tricky conditions.

Three CRT riders closed out the top ten and they were Danilo Petrucci, Yonny Hernandez and Michael Laverty.

Aleix Espargaro also binned his ART machine and he was seen holding his left wrist, while Karel Abraham also crashed as his CRT machine continued by itself smashing into the tire barrier.

2013 MotoGP Assen FP2 results:

01- Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – 1’47.617
02- Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.252
03- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 0.623
04- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 0.977
05- Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 1.065
06- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 1.065
07- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.144
08- Danilo Petrucci – CAME Iodaracing Project – Ioda Suter BMW – + 1.414
09- Yonny Hernandez – Paul Bird Motorsport – ART GP13 – + 1.512
10- Michael Laverty – Paul Bird Motorsport – PBM 01 – + 1.821