WRC : Rally Poland : Le Grand huit de Mikolajki / Rally Poland: Mikolajki’s ‘figure-of-eight’ showpiece

Vue du ciel, la Superspéciale de Mikolajki ressemble à un Grand huit tracé près du complexe hôtelier de Golebiewski. Les concurrents du Rally Poland 2014 la parcourent tous les jours et il s’y passe toujours quelque chose.

Tracée dans un champ de 15 hectares, cette Superspéciale offre deux pistes parallèles qui s’entrecroisent grâce à un pont. Elle a été inaugurée en 2009 et est utilisée chaque année par le Rally Poland et, le reste du temps, par une école de pilotage et diverses opérations sportives et d’évènementiel.

En 2009, cette Superspéciale a été rendue célèbre par Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford Focus WRC), 2^edu classement général au départ cette dernière spéciale du rallye. Le Finlandais a percuté un rail, cassé sa direction et dût abandonner, privant Ford d’un doublé. Un crash stupide. « Le plus mauvais souvenir de ma vie, pas seulement de ma carrière sportive », a confirmé Jari-Matti en conférence de presse avant le départ du rallye. « J’étais en pleurs. Mais je me souviens aussi des mots d’encouragement des photographes qui étaient là. » Le Finlandais avait une « boule au ventre » jeudi soir en prenant le départ de cette Superspéciale.

Mikolajki Arena figure au programme de chaque journée du Rally Poland 2014 : à 20h00 jeudi soir, puis à 22h00 vendredi et samedi juste avant des concerts donnés sur la scène dressée tout à côté. Demain, dimanche, elle sera parcourue avant la Power Stage. Tribunes, buvettes, motor show, stands, concerts : les organisateurs ont prévu tout un tas d’animation autour de cette Superspéciale qui attire chaque soir 10 000 spectateurs.

Sur un plan sportif, outre la mésaventure de Latvala en 2009, il se passe toujours quelque chose dans cette Superspéciale. Par exemple, le leader du Rally Poland a changé jeudi et vendredi soir à l’issue de cette spéciale-spectacle. Elle a même créé davantage d’écart que les « vraies » spéciales (2s7 ES4, 1s9 ES10) et Sébastien Ogier y a repris la tête de l’épreuve à deux reprises.

« Contrairement aux autres ES, il y a beaucoup de grip, alors on peut se « lâcher ». Au 1^erpassage, la piste était bien balayée pour moi. Hier, les organisateurs avaient arrosé pour éviter la poussière. Avant de partir, j’ai regardé passer la voiture 0 puis j’ai demandé à son pilote comment était l’adhérence, il m’a dit que c’était OK, alors je ne me suis pas posé de questions. Comme c’est parti, le rallye pourrait se jouer là, dimanche, avant la Power Stage. Mais attention, car c’est une spéciale qui « râpe » beaucoup les pneus. »

Alors, que va-t-il se passer dans cette Superspéciale ce soir et demain ?

Seen from the sky, the Mikolajki super-special forms a big figure of eight alongside the Golebiewski hotel complex. This year, Rally Poland competitors face four visits in total, and something always seems to happen on this show stage.

The stage is located in a 15-hectare field and takes the form of two parallel tracks which cross via a bridge. The test was first used in 2009 and, in addition to featuring on Rally Poland’s menu, it serves as a driving tuition centre, as well as for a variety of sporting and special events.

In 2009, it was made famous by Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford Focus WRC) who was second overall before starting the rally’s ultimate stage. The unhappy Finn smashed a guardrail, broke his steering and had to retire, depriving Ford of a welcome one-two finish. “It’s the worst memory of my life, not just of my rallying career,” he admitted at the pre-start press conference. “I was in tears. I remember the words of consolation the photographers who were there gave me.”

Unsurprisingly, the Finn was extremely tense at the start of Thursday evening’s super-special…

Mikolajki Arena figures on the menu every day this week: at 8pm on Thursday, then 10pm on Friday and Saturday, just before the concerts which close each leg’s programme. Then, on Sunday, it will be run ahead of the Power Stage. For the casual spectator, it’s the ideal spot, with grandstands, food and drinks stands, a motor show, displays, concerts, etc. Every evening, there’s a crowd of around 10,000.

In addition to Latvala’s mishap in 2009, something invariably happens on this stage. On Thursday and Friday evenings, for example, the lead changed hands here, with Ogier recovering top spot both times.

“Unlike the other stages, there is plenty of grip, so you can really ‘go for it’. On Thursday, the surface had been swept clean for me, then, yesterday, the organisers sprayed it with water to keep the dust down. After the driver of the ‘zero’ car went through, I asked him what the grip was like. He said it was ‘okay’, so I didn’t hesitate to push. The way it’s going, the outcome could be decided on this stage on Sunday, before the Power Stage. That said, it’s quite hard-wearing for the tyres…”

RUOTE RUGGINOSE MINERVA

For a motorcycle named after Minerva – the Roman Goddess of War – you may have expected a touch more brute force and anger apparent in the finished form, but it was Minerva’s less aggressive tendencies, specifically her patronage of craftsmen, that prompted her name to grace this beautiful little Ducati.  Simone Ceccarelli from Viterbo, near Rome, is the man for whom the Goddess played Muse and she surely would be delighted by the level of craftsmanship which he has bestowed upon his creation.

“I love old Motorbikes with a racing attitude and a little bit of artistic blood” begins Simone, the one man band behind Ruote Rugginose or Rusty Wheels (not that there is anything rusty about these wheels!).  A 1971 Ducati 250 mark 3 procured from a deaf, grumpy, old motorcycle collector provided all the stimulus he needed to let his artstic ideas flow.

“The Vision was a racing motorbike (café racer if you want) that recalled classic materials like wood, brass, iron, glass and bronze, belonging to the past.”  This desire to vary his use of materials manifests itself most strikingly in the fairing, which Simone with help from friend Davide Aresi, fabricated out of wood.  No doubt Davide’s job at KD Kustom furniture benefitted in this extraordinary process. At first glance you would never realise this bold choice of material such is the execution of the finished product, yet it adds a warmth, beauty and unique talking point to the little machine, channelling the Italian artisan cabinet makers of yore.

When Simone was finished with the planes and wood saws he turned to more traditional motorcycle tooling to cut and clean the frame before creating the long curvaceous tank and classically profiled tail piece out of fibreglass. The seat unit conceals the minimal electrics and was finely upholstered by Alessandro Starace Seats. The exquisite 250 single was then restored and tuned before slotting back into the black frame married to a wrapped exhaust.

The Beretta wheels were donated from another vintage Ducati and are pulled up short by Racing Grimeca drum brakes.  The handlebars came courtesy of Menani, and are fitted with the original Domino throttle, Menani also provided the rearsets. The forks have been slid through the yokes to maintain the long, low sloping lines of a racer, pushing the single Smith’s RPM guage high into the fairing.  To light the way a headlight from an unknown origin has been secured low to the left front fork, allowing that masterfully smooth fairing to be free from interruption.

The paint has a base of gold leaf with a candy red overcoat and was applied by Greaser Garage in Genova, the colour ties in beautifully with the deep lustre of the wood, the combination of matte and deep shine finishes satisfying the initial ambition to recall and combine classic materials.  Simone entered the bike into the IMC Italian Motorcycle Championship and was delighted with both the response and his third place in what must have been a very stiff competition.

The Goddess must no doubt be proud to have her monicker emblazoned upon the product of Simone’s year of hard work that embodies traditional Italian craftsmanship in a two wheeled form. Glorious stuff Simone, and fittingly beautiful Italian picture locations, we look forward to seeing what the future holds for Ruote Rugginose!

The Bike Shed 

Moto GP Assen :Márquez s’impose à nouveau dans la Cathédrale d’Assen/ Fantastic Marquez maintains winning form in complicated TT race

Marc Márquez a décroché sa huitième victoire en autant de courses depuis le début de la saison 2014 samedi à l’Iveco Daily TT Assen, dans une épreuve qui avait commencé sur piste mouillée. Andrea Dovizioso, brillant et sur le podium pour la deuxième fois de la saison, et Dani Pedrosa étaient à ses côtés sur le podium.

Décidément, rien n’arrête Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda), pas même les difficiles conditions météo d’Assen, où l’épreuve de la catégorie MotoGP™ a été déclarée course sur piste mouillée quelques minutes avant le départ. 

Seul pilote en pneus slick sur le tour de formation, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) rentre immédiatement aux stands afin de passer sur pneus pluie, quitte à devoir partir de la pit-lane, en compagnie de Broc Parkes (PBM), victime d'un problème technique quelques instants plus tôt.

Deuxième sur la grille derrière Aleix Espargaró (NGM Forward Racing), Márquez réussit son départ mais se fait brièvement devancer par Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), qui aura au final été son seul réel adversaire ce samedi aux Pays-Bas. Sur piste mouillée mais en l’absence de pluie, Márquez et Dovizioso creusent l’écart et rentrent en même temps aux stands dans le cinquième tour pour repartir sur leurs secondes motos chaussées de pneus slick. Les deux pilotes sont imités par la plupart de leurs concurrents alors que Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) ou encore Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) attendent un peu plus tard pour effecteur le changement.

La piste est néanmoins encore mouillée et Márquez part à la faute dès son premier tour sur slicks. Reparti du garage Ducati sur le pneu tendre réservé à la catégorie Open, Dovizioso en profite pour prendre le contrôle de la course ainsi qu’une bonne avance sur le Champion du Monde en titre. Ce dernier rattrape cependant ses quatre secondes de retard sur l’Italien un peu plus tard et le passe dans le quatorzième tour pour ensuite filer vers la victoire. 

Derrière eux, Aleix Espargaró (NGM Forward Racing), qui, comme Dovizioso, roule sur pneu tendre, rivalise avec Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) pour la troisième place mais abdique en fin de course, se contentant volontiers de la quatrième place.

Passé par les stands sur le même tour que Márquez et Dovizioso, Rossi réalise sur la seconde partie de la course une impressionnante remontée pour finir dans le Top 5 après s’être battu avec Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing), Álvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) et Cal Crutchlow (Ducati).

Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) prend quant à lui la dixième place, devant un formidable Broc Parkes (PBM), dans les points pour la deuxième fois. L’Australien termine devant Scott Redding (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) et Lorenzo, qui aura de nouveau connu bien des déboires à Assen après s’y être fracturé la clavicule l’an dernier.

Mike Di Meglio (Avintia Racing) prend au final la vingtième place tandis que Pol Espargaró (Monster Yamaha Tech3) est le seul pilote à abandon.

Grâce à cette huitième victoire consécutive, Márquez dispose de 72 points d’avance sur Rossi et Pedrosa, désormais ex aequo. Dovizioso passe quant à lui devant Lorenzo, à la quatrième place, avec dix points de plus que le Majorquin.

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MotoGP™ World Champion Marc Marquez produced a masterclass in difficult conditions at the Iveco Daily TT Assen to make it eight wins from eight races in 2014, ahead of fellow podium finishers Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) - after an entertaining flag-to-flag contest.

In a race which started after a delay due to wet conditions Marquez judged the 26-lap challenge to perfection, running with Dovizioso at the front in the early stages and asserting his authority as the riders changed to dry set-up machines on the seventh lap.

Marquez eventually clinched the win by 6.7s seconds to become the first rider since the great Giacomo Agostini in 1971 to win the first eight premier-class races of the year.

Dovizioso stepped onto the rostrum for the second time in 2014, with Pedrosa completing the podium after holding off the pursuing Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) for several laps. Espargaro rode well to hold fourth, having started on pole on the ‘Open’ Forward Yamaha.

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took fifth having shown great pace in the second half of the race, his problem being a late decision to swap back from slicks to wets at the start. Rossi started from pit lane on wets, therefore, and recovered considerable ground before and after eventually the swap back to slicks.

Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing), Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3), Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team) and Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP) completed the top ten.

Broc Parkes (Paul Bird Motorsport) rode superbly to 11^th having started from pit lane following a problem on the warm up lap. Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3) retired with six laps to go after crashes on slicks and then wet tyres.

TRIUMPH ENDURO BY 32 TO ONE

The Triumph Scrambler has quickly become a prime target for custom motorcycle builders, it’s based on the Bonneville and because of this, there’s a huge aftermarket parts catalogue rivalled only by the likes of Harley-Davidson.

The Triumph you see here started life as a Scrambler, before being rebuilt after it was wrecked with just 900 miles on the odometer. Santiago Ares decided to take the project on and it all started with a strip down – to gauge the damage and begin the process of figuring out what could be kept and what needed to be thrown out.

Santiago is a long time fan of the classic enduro motorcycles of the ’70s and so he saw this build as an opportunity to take a Scrambler and turn it into its own arch rival. One of the first new additions to the bike was that huge Baja 1000 headlight, apparently it throws out as much illumination as a Cessna’s landing lights – meaning that drivers can see the bike coming from a very, very long way away.

He then called in the services of Mark, a former Boeing engineer with some serious fabrication capabilities. Mark hand-built the new aluminium dashboard and bash plate – Personally I much prefer it to the official Triumph part.

A new ProTaper handlebar was then added, with Joker levers and grips by British Customs. A set of lightweight scrambler pipes were bolted into place and the bike was finished off in a colour from the Porsche catalogue by the team at Perfection Auto.

The completed bike is weighs in at 25lbs less than stock and has improved off-road abilities according to Santiago – who makes a regular habit of taking it up abandoned fire roads whenever he has the chance.

If you’d like to see more from Santiago, you can visit his website here.

via SILODROME