AND CONFIRMS THE COMPETITIVE EDGE THAT HE REACQUIRED WITH THE WINS AT SEPANG

WITH TWO PLACINGS GUINTOLI DEFENDS HIS SECOND PLACE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Misano, 22 June 2014 – Finishing on the podium twice in Misano, Marco Melandri confirms the competitive edge that he reacquired with the double win at Sepang in Malaysia, while team mate Sylvain Guintoli managed to defend his second place in the championship standings.

The 32 points earned in Emilia Romagna – thanks to two third place finishes – are the second major spoils for Marco Melandri in his first season astride the Aprilia RSV4 and allow him to continue his climb in the upper part of the world championship standings. At Misano Marco gained 12 points on Rea and reduced the gap behind fourth place to 20 points.

In Race 1 Melandri got stuck in the pack through the first turns, then having to fight to regain positions from eights place, a job he carried out skilfully, finishing in third place for his first podium of the day. Race 2 was an exciting duel behind Sykes, battled out between Melandri and Baz to the excitement of the Italian crowd with Marco finishing the race in third place.

Marco Melandri: “I'm pleased with the way I rode today. I had a good feeling with the bike. In Race 1 after a few mistakes at the start I was able to overtake the riders in front of me, but the Kawasakis were quite simply faster. I'm disappointed about Race 2 because I was able to make up some ground thanks to the work done in the garage. Unfortunately it is very difficult to overtake here and Baz rode very well and didn't make any mistakes. I think I could have given Sykes a run for it. I wouldn't have made it easy for him. It's a shame that we weren't able to fully verify the progress we made. After Sepang I was consistently fast here too. We are on the right track in terms of feeling so we just need to keep improving from here. Portimao, with its layout, will be able to give us a hand”.

Sylvain Guintoli was one of the protagonists of the day, battling in the top spots but stopping at the foot of the podium twice, finishing fifth and fourth, placements that allowed him to fend off the attack by countryman Baz and hold onto second place in the championship standings.

Sylvain Guintoli: “In terms of the championship at least I am holding onto second place in the standings. But I definitely was expecting more. We are not missing any pure speed, but we need to work on consistent performance as far as race pace goes. In Race 1 we made the wrong tyre choice, whereas in Race 2 with the right options and a few changes to the bike geometry we were able to significantly reduce the gap behind the leaders. While I was with Marco and Baz I made a few mistakes too many which kept me from battling for the podium in the end. It's a shame there is no Race 3... All joking aside, we need to keep working to be more consistent in the race”.

Pata Honda’s World Supersport championship leader Michael van der Mark finished second in today’s seventh-round race at Misano World Circuit ‘Marco Simoncelli’ in Italy, his sixth successive podium finish, which gives him a 28-point lead in the series as it enters the second half of the season.

The 21-year-old Dutch rider got a good start from the front row of the grid but his race almost ended at the beginning of lap three when another rider ran wide at Misano’s first turn and re-joined the track, almost colliding with van der Mark. The Pata Honda rider took evasive action but lost a position before beginning a charge back to race leader and eventual winner Jules Cluzel.

Van der Mark’s Pata Honda team-mate Lorenzo Zanetti was in the leading group for the early part of the race and held a lonely fifth place for 12 of the 19 laps around the 4.226km Misano circuit. The Italian ace, 26, dropped back to sixth at the flag to match his grid position but moves up to fourth place in the championship standings with five rounds to go.

Sixty-nine per cent of drivers would not consider buying an electric car, according road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) analysis of the latest government research.1

The most important factors deterring motorists from buying an electric vehicle were recharging (40 per cent), the distanced travelled on a battery (39 per cent) and cost (33 per cent).

Currently, less than one per cent of drivers already own an electric car or van. Five per cent said they were thinking about buying an electric car and eighteen per cent had thought about purchasing an electric vehicle but later changed their mind.

However, not all motorists are put off the idea of an electric vehicle. Thirty-seven per cent said that lower cost would encourage them to buy an electric vehicle as well as the distance travelled (20 per cent), widely available recharging points (17 per cent) and environmentally friendly (16 per cent). With costs, the most important cost stated was the purchase cost, followed by fuel and recharging costs, maintenance, insurance and vehicle excise duty.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “It is clear that the government have a long way to go to convince drivers that electric vehicles really are the future. On the positive side drivers are not worried about safety or comfort issues, but range anxiety and charging infrastructure remain real stumbling blocks. For the good of the environment the IAM want to see quicker roll out of charging points and long term guarantees that the current £5000 subsidy will remain in place.”

New in Richa’s 2014 collection is the Bonneville, a waxed jacket that takes its style straight from the golden age of motorcycling and is manufactured using the highest quality of waxed cotton from The British Millerain® Company Ltd.

The Bonneville offers more bang for your buck and has everything you’d expect from a top-of-the-range jacket, apart from the price tag. The cut of the jacket is slim-fit and has a double-fronted zip with popper fastening, removable quilted lining and internal pockets that sit behind the waterproof membrane to keep your valuables dry. It also has a waterproof and breathable Reissa membrane, as well as a removable padded liner and four-piece CE approved armour.

Attention to detail has gone into the finishing of the jacket with brushed authentic look buttons, buckle-neck tartan lining and a removable, and adjustable waist belt. The Bonneville is now available in UK dealers with an RRP of £179.99.

www.nevis.uk.com

The World Supersport championship heads to Italy this weekend (20-22 June) for round seven of the 2014 series which returns to Misano World Circuit ‘Marco Simoncelli’ after a two-year absence.

Both Pata Honda riders, Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti, have a strong motivation to aim for top results on their Honda CBR600RR machines in Sunday’s 19-lap race at the 4.226km circuit.

Dutch ace, van der Mark, will be seeking to maintain his impressive form this season that has seen the 21-year-old take three race wins and two second places in the five races since he crashed out of round one in Australia in February.

Van der Mark currently heads the World Supersport championship leaderboard by 33 points over Frenchman Jules Cluzel while his Pata Honda team-mate Zanetti sits in fourth place overall.

The Italian rider is determined to put himself in a position to repeat his triumph at his home race in Imola last month when he took his debut World Supersport victory. The 26-year-old has been a consistent top-five finisher this season but is resolute in his aim to become a regular podium visitor as the season reaches its halfway point.

www.patahonda.com