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Category: Superbikes
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The agreement, which follows on from a long-time partnership, which began in 2011 and grown strong over the years, will see the Italian Group, leader in Europe in the field of tube manipulation and its components, supporting the activities of the team in the MotoGP and Moto3 World Championships.
The new logo of SAG TUBI, which recently renovated its corporate identity, will be featured on the leather suits of the two Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders, Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl, and on the bikes of the Gresini Racing Team Moto3, ridden by Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio, as well as on the team equipments.
Making use of highly qualified personnel and advanced equipment, and thanks to over 40 years of experience, SAG TUBI is today capable to produce any kind of rigid tube or flexible hose combination for any application. High quality competitive products, accompanied by an extraordinary service, which led SAG TUBI to become a partner of the most important manufacturers of engines, agricultural machinery, earthmoving equipment, forklifts, passenger and freight transport.
WALTER ZINI (CEO SAG Group)
“In 2016 we will be on track with Gresini Racing for the sixth consecutive year: we are approaching a very interesting season, with the debut of a completely new Aprilia prototype in MotoGP and an all-Italian rider line-up in Moto3, that for sure will give us a lot of satisfactions. Since 2011 we have been sharing with Fausto Gresini’s team a great passion for motorcycling, but that’s not all: Gresini Racing, exactly like our group of companies, is an Italian company with a strong international vocation, always ready to take on new challenges. Now we just have to wait for the start of the season to live many more good times together with the whole team!”.
FAUSTO GRESINI
“SAG TUBI has now become a nice constant with regard to our major racing programs: during the 2015 season Walter Zini, a big fan of the sport who I personally thank, has followed closely and with great enthusiasm our new partnership with Aprilia in MotoGP and together we collected a lot of satisfactory results in the smaller displacement, the Moto3 class, where Enea Bastianini was able to fight for the World Title, giving us the great victory at Misano. 2016 promises to be even more interesting: the upcoming season will see the debut of the new Aprilia prototype in MotoGP, while in Moto3 we have all it takes to be protagonists. We hope therefore to be able to achieve great results together with SAG TUBI!”.
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Losail (Qatar), 23 February 2016 - The first true tests of the Aprilia MotoGP project have just been concluded. In fact, the three days of testing had the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini hard at work on the new RS-GP, the prototype developed entirely at Noale that will be used in the upcoming 2016 season.
Despite the extremely recent debut of a completely new project, the Aprilia garage is highly optimistic. Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl began working on development straight away, immediately noticing promising room for improvement in the new prototype. There really isn't one single area where efforts were focused: the new RS-GP has nothing in common with previous Aprilia projects except for know-how. It is a completely new MotoGP bike in every component without exception, developed based on the data gathered during the 2015 season with last year's laboratory bikes.
The Aprilia RS-GP machines will be back on the track in Qatar just a few days from now for the official IRTA tests that precede the first race of the season.
ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
"After the Aragon shakedown with the test riders, Alvaro and Stefan began to get to know the new Aprilia RS-GP here in Qatar. These were three very intense and positive days of work. We are bringing home a lot of information and some growing pain problems we need to solve, but above all we are leaving with confirmation that the new bike's dynamic performance is significantly better than the 2015 bike. We have an important development path ahead of us that will be necessarily accelerated, but we are confident that this will be a season of growth toward a decidedly interesting level."
FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
"Hearing the positive comments from our riders after the first kilometers ridden astride a completely new bike was exciting. The RS-GP seems to have gotten off on the right foot. Alvaro and Stefan noticed a clear improvement in dynamic performance compared to the 2015 bike. Now we have a big development schedule ahead of us but we know we are starting from an extremely solid base.”
ALVARO BAUTISTA
"In these three days we explored the new bike, doing a lot of work with short sessions since this was the first real test with the 2016 RS-GP. Obviously we are not at 100% but we have a very good starting point. I think that we are already at a similar level as the end of 2015 with the difference being that we are just at the beginning. There is a lot of room for development whereas with the old bike we were at the limit. We still need to work on a lot of things but I'm pleased with the work Aprilia has done. In the next tests I hope to be able to lay the foundation for the new season.”
STEFAN BRADL
"This test was really important as it was the first contact with the new bike. First impressions are good. I see a clear difference compared to the old bike and we are moving in the right direction. At the moment I have a good feeling despite the fact that we have a long way to go before we'll be able to say that we're satisfied. That was to be expected at the beginning. This is a completely new and decidedly demanding project, but we can truly say that we are off on the right foot.”
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DESPITE THE STOP BAUTISTA AND BRADL COMPLETE THE SCHEDULED WORK ON THE THIRD DAY OF TESTING
Sepang also had the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders only taking partial advantage of the eight hours available. This was due to the rain showers in the morning, not hard enough to justify using rain tyres but enough to force Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl to come into the garage.
Back on the track just after 4 in the afternoon, Alvaro and Stefan continued the scheduled tests with their usual professionalism until the red light came on, focusing specifically on developing the new controlled electronics package. At the end of the tests both riders pointed out the progress achieved both in terms of the new tyres and the electronics package, confirming the latter as the area with most room for improvement where efforts need to be concentrated between now and the first race in Qatar.
Over the three days Bautista put in 132 laps with a best time of 2'02,876. 128 laps with a best time of 2'02.372 for Stefan Bradl.
ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
"Here at Sepang we worked on two fronts, the new electronics and the Michelin tyres. I'm rather satisfied with the progress the tyres show, especially the front which provides the riders with a good feeling and lets them push with confidence. On the electronics front, on the other hand, we still have a lot of work to do in order to reach a satisfactory base level. We need more time to figure out how to take the best advantage of the settings for all the parameters. Overall we have taken some steps forward and now we have the most difficult challenge ahead - taking the new 2016 bike onto the track."
FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
“Three very useful days to increase our familiarity with the new aspects of this season, tyres and the new electronics. Being able to finish various assessments was extremely important, especially in terms of the electronics, in order to create a good base setup to transfer to the new prototype. Stefan and Alvaro once again proved to be great professionals. The data collected will allow us to streamline setting up development on the new bike. It will début before long and I would like to thank all the Aprilia engineers and technicians who put in an enormous effort to make a new bike. We can't wait to see it in action.”
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“We did a lot of work over these three days, especially on the electronics. We put in a lot of short sessions to give our technicians a change to analyse a large quantity of small changes, gathering information which will then be analysed at home. There is still a lot to do. For the tyres I'm beginning to learn the characteristics and the feeling has greatly improved. After riding for my entire MotoGP career on a certain type of tyre it took some time to adapt. I can't wait to get to Doha where there will be more days of hard work but with the important motivation of the new bike.”
STEFAN BRADL
“These were some intense tests, spent above all on trying to improve the electronics package. Progress was made although we know that there is still plenty of room for improvement. This was the last test with the 2015 bike, so gathering as much data as possible was fundamental to facilitate the racing department's job. My mind is already on the next tests in Qatar where we'll have a completely new bike on which to apply everything we've learned thus far. By analysing the data and crunching the numbers on what we've tested I think that we'll be able to start from the best possible base electronics settings and then improve on it race after race.”
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Sepang (Malaysia), 3 February 2016 - The third and final day of testing with the Aprilia RS-GP machines at THE THE FIRST OF THREE DAYS OF TESTING TODAY FOR BAUTISTA AND BRADL ON THE APRILIA RS-GP MACHINES
Sepang (Malaysia), 1 February 2016 - The 2016 MotoGP season kicked off with the first day of tests, traditionally held at Sepang, with Aprilia committed to their second year in the top motorcycle racing category.
For the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini official riders, Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl, it is also a return to the saddle after the long winter break, so for the first day they were mainly focused on getting back into the groove. From a technical point of view, the area of greatest interest has to do with the new electronics, a unique package that must be developed and matched to the peculiar characteristics of each bike. The team focused their efforts on this front, looking for a basic setup that can then be transferred to the new 2016 Aprilia RS-GP prototype.
On the first of the three days scheduled Alvaro Bautista put in 34 laps and his team mate, Stefan Bradl, put in 39.
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“After two months without a bike this first test is essential for getting back into the groove. We have a lot of work to do, especially in terms of the new electronics package. I'm expecting three intense days where we can take as many steps forward as possible, progress that we'll then be able to use on the new bike.”
STEFAN BRADL
“Here at Sepang we'll use the 2015 RS-GP, but the work schedule is rather tight for us anyway. The feeling with the new electronics and the new tyres must be developed lap by lap. The first tests of the season are always something special. You get back onto the track after a long break but it really only takes a few kilometres to reacquire the right sensations.”
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Antonio Maeso, the Spanish Road Racer, who had a serious accident at the 2013 Isle of Man TT Races, has announced that he will return to road racing this season.
Following the accident that shattered his right leg, doctors in Liverpool decided not to amputate only because of the character of the young man and spent 12 hours of surgery to rebuild his leg. After a miraculous, arduous and very painful recovery Maeso will return to the roads next May 10th in the International North West 200, one of the best international meetings, that runs in the famous triangle circuit in Northern Ireland.
Last July Maeso received clearance to race following a medical examination at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, but it was not until recently that he decided to return after making a series of track outings that gradually carried him closer to the level he had before suffering the accident. All this has coincided with improved flexibility in his leg following a long journey of hospitals and rehabilitation.
Maeso never gave up despite the many bad moments not only with the injury but concerning personal affairs that made these two and half years the worst of his life as he admits:
"The truth is that it was very difficult and I did not expect it to be that tough all the time. It is true that I gave everything on the island, chasing a dream of many, but always knew exactly where I was going and doing and, in fact, the stones I clipped where on a corner where nobody usually gets close to. Well, that and all the bad things are behind me now. I have a second chance at life and I'm trying to have fun and develop doing what I do best which is racing a motorcycle."
The Almeria rider, who was named Racer of the Year in 2013 in Spain and awarded the Golden Shield in his home City, has launched a project that will see him race a motorcycle in the Lightweight 650 class at international road races starting with the NW200.
At the rider’s, official website (www.maeso.eu) Maeso provides information about the project and offers the possibility of collaborating with him and supporting him in different ways. The site has a sponsorship dossier and also the “your name on the flag” crowd funding activity where anyone can have their name on Maeso’s fairings for a modest contribution to the Team.
Maeso said:
"I felt compelled because, beyond essential support that I need, I want to open the door many fans and friends who have always supported me in this unique cross-Road Racing career to be part of the team and experience the thrill of road racing."
In the same sense of connection, Maeso announced that his social media network will broadcast regular updates of the progress of the project and preparation of the bike, including the usual Facebook and Twitter channels, but also weekly broadcasting lived on Periscope.
In the coming weeks more details about the project, sponsoring agreements and official Team launch presentation dates are planned and the rider will be announce these through the different media channels.
Maeso himself, as the leading and most proficient Spanish Road Racer in recent years, hopes that this news is greeted with enthusiasm by many Road Racing fans around the world who have followed his career to date.
www.maeso.eu
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