Gran Premio de Motociclismo regresa a la Argentina!

On Tuesday (Euro time) it was announced that Dorna had signed a three-year deal with the Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo will host the Grand Prix of Argentina beginning on 2013. That will make it a 14 year absence, so you can be sure that motorcycle racing fans there will be celebrating tonight...and anxiously awaiting ticket sales!

http://tinyurl.com/5w6ftqq

Sunday Morning Moto News - Dakar Stories for All

Well, the Rally Dakar is over now and we all know that Cyril Despres and his KTM won the event in convincing style. But, what we may not know are all of the stories around the event which ended several hours ago. First up are some stories on the victor, then there is a story about the American rider, Jonah Street. The rest of these come from various sources and will give you full coverage of the event. So, since it is Sunday, sit back and click on some links!

http://tinyurl.com/ye67crb

http://tinyurl.com/y96hycw

http://tinyurl.com/ycqhnxv

Jonah Street: http://tinyurl.com/yel8srb

Team Aprilia Giofil report: http://tinyurl.com/ye2d3cy

Saturday Morning Moto News - Dakar Winner!

This will have to be a Stage 13 and Stage 14 report as all of the news now is about the winner. Stage 13 saw the KTM 690 machines take the advantage over the Aprilia machines, with KTM's Pal-Anders Ullevalseter taking the S13 win, Cyril Despres in second and Marc Coma finishing in that order. The Aprilia team did manage a high position of fourth in S13. Lopez sat in third overall by the end of S13. In Stage 14, Despres took the stage victory, Ullevalseter took second and Francisco Lopez rounded out the podium.

These results give the overall victory to the constant leader Cyril Despres! He now has his third Dakar victory and looks to still be a threat for the next running of this historic event. It's an impressive career so far, and it only looks to be getting better. This means that Francisco Lopez has taken victory in the 450 class, but he ended up third overall in the Rally Dakar - and it was his first. Look for Lopez to be a real threat in all such rallies in the future; his Aprilia team is very capable of winning any of these events.

Stage 13 Results: http://tinyurl.com/ygzx3vh

Stage 13 Aprilia Report: http://tinyurl.com/y92o6v5

Stage 13 Video: http://tinyurl.com/yaztz6s

Stage 14 Article: http://tinyurl.com/y8qmbvb

More on the Despres victory: http://tinyurl.com/y8u8tld

Friday Morning Moto Racing News - Dakar and WSBK

Well, we finally get updates on Stage 11's issues and the corrected times of everyone who was sent the wrong way by incorrect course markers. So, yesterday's results may have changed, though I did post the 'fixed' list yesterday. So, on to Stage 12 and we hear that, indeed, Francisco Lopez took the stage victory, with Yamaha's French rider David Fretigne in second and KTM mounted Norseman Pal-Anders Ullevalseter rounding out the podium. Stage 12's route really favored the 450 machines and the results demonstrate that. Of course, Cyril Despres is still in the overall lead, but Aprilia's Lopez is now firmly in second.

http://tinyurl.com/ylsygyz

http://tinyurl.com/yjvyhsl

http://tinyurl.com/yje6aw4

http://tinyurl.com/yffwhgm

Early Stage 13 results: http://tinyurl.com/ygzx3vh

Speaking of Aprilia, we wonder if the Borciani-Guandalini with Aprilia deal has gone through. It appears to have been decided, though nothing has been officially announced, based on a leaked World Superbike entry list. They have hired Jakub Smrz to ride on the satellite Aprilia team. (There are other little tid-bits here too.)

http://tinyurl.com/yfal6xy

Thursday Morning Moto Race News - Dakar and Aprilia WSBK

Rally Dakar has finished Stage 11 now and the teams are now back into Argentina as of the end of this stage. Cyril Despres still holds a commanding overall lead after taking the win in this stage. Right behind him was the American KTM rider Jonah Street, with third place going to French KTM rider Alain Duclos. At least that is what the article says about Stage 11. According to the actual results, everyone is in a different order with Marc Coma taking the win. At least the overall standings match up right. According to one article, Francisco Lopez is in third overall, but the stat page shows him in a solid second place. Apparently, the confusion arises due to a policeman sending riders down the wrong path and they had to loop back around and join the rest of the race later. So, according to reports, the final/corrected Stage 11 rankings are in the first link.

http://tinyurl.com/ylsq82w - official results

http://tinyurl.com/yzaf6v5 - early report on Stage 11

http://tinyurl.com/yfqtnyn - Team Aprilia Giofil report

Early Stage 12 reports: http://tinyurl.com/yffwhgm - http://tinyurl.com/yzuxacf - Lopez looks to have won another Stage

Staying on the Aprilia theme which is part of the Dakar story, let's have a look at a short piece/interview with Aprilia's World Superbike team manager Luigi Dall’Igna. After 2009, we can all imagine that this team will be on top again in the 2010 season...

http://tinyurl.com/yhxkalh

More Friday Afternoon Moto News - Honda, Adventure and the BMW R1200GS Adventure

First, a trip to the past - again - to look at Honda's racing heritage. This is an incredibly detailed look into Honda's early racing experiences in Japan and their preparation for Soichiro Honda's goal of racing in - and winning - the Isle of Man TT. There is some great information here about the models raced in Japan during those early years and some of the great racers from the factory. Read it and you will learn something...

http://tinyurl.com/ycq3gez

A story of Ivan Pisarenko and his attempts at riding the continental divide (see previous post on another attempt). See, he had many problems during his riding experiences and has managed to come back and try again and again. This man is determined and has also become a sort of folk hero. He even took time during his journey to earn money to continue it...it's an inspiring story and one which should be written about in a book.

http://tinyurl.com/yb5blps

http://tinyurl.com/yfgymmp

And, finally for this post, another riding impression of a BMW - and an appropriate model considering the previous story - the R1200GS Adventure. What an amazing machine! However, it will have to compete with even more similarly focused motorcycles coming from the likes of Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Moto Morini and more. However, the fact that this machine is adventure-proven does make it a very good choice for riding anywhere you want to go...

http://tinyurl.com/yac7p78

Welcome to Wednesday! More Rally Dakar News for All of Us

It is a rather news-filled morning, so not all of it will make it into the first post - there will be more news in the next one or two.

Starting out, of course, you will probably want to get updated on the Rally Dakar. They have entered Chile now. First of all, let's look at the raw results:

http://tinyurl.com/yfq2cke

Next, on the same site, we have a story about the Aprilia contingent, Team Aprilia Giofil. Apparently, they are starting to get some good results - at least with Francisco Contardo Lopez, who sits in seventh overall. But, they keep running out of fuel - not good in the Dakar.

http://tinyurl.com/yb7f5ro

And, of course, KTM's Marc Coma has finally won his first stage of the event by beating out Sherco's David Casteu.

http://tinyurl.com/y853nzw

That's about it for the Dakar information for today. If there are more stories which come in during the day, I will add them here.

Your Tuesday Moto News Part 1 - Drink the Coffee and Sit Back!

Yep, we have plenty of news this morning, though it is still just crawling in from around the 'Net.

First we hear of a new sponsorship deal between James Stewart, Ryan Dungey and Nike. According to Road Racer X, Stewart and Dungey will be sporting Nike motocross boots during the 2010 Supercross and Motocross events. The debut will be this coming weekend's Anaheim Supercross in California.

http://tinyurl.com/ybfho3j

Now, if you are looking for Rally Dakar information, you have come to the right place. I have several stories, some with only one link where you can read to your heart's content with racing news. In that vein, I will give you the first link; the article which you will immediately face has the results from the Stage 3 motorcycle event and the overall ranking as of that stage. Below that piece, though, you will see some 20 other articles which go into much more detail, so click away and read!

http://tinyurl.com/yckhfru

More results and some news: http://tinyurl.com/ybhahu4

Much more detail via MotorcycleUSA and a great map as well. This link is well worth taking if you really want a good look at the Stage 3 results in the motorbike category: http://tinyurl.com/ya8f4jy

Stage 3 of the Rally Dakar was not very kind to Canada's riders, and they have a video! http://tinyurl.com/y9zw8k2

For Rally Dakar, that is it for this morning. See the next post for moto racing news...

Monday Morning Moto News - Back to Work Edition

Yep, the holiday season is now over - we have to face it and get back to work. Some of us worked over the holiday anyway, but it is always evident that normalcy has returned when the e-mail inbox gets full by 7 AM.

In the first story of the first work week of 2010, we get yet another spy shot of the forthcoming MV Agusta 3-cylinder 675c.c. machine (rumored), which may be known as the F3. It may be just the same as the shot we have from the Euro magazines, so expect no more.

http://tinyurl.com/y9juqmf

How about some more updates from the 2010 Rally Dakar in South America. There are a few here, so take your time in reading them. Coma has been assessed a penalty which could see him lose his chance at the title this year, but the 450 machine of Sherco rider David Casteu put him in second with Yamaha WR450 rider Frenchman David Fretigne taking the victory on the second day. There is much more beyond the links.

http://tinyurl.com/ycgdxrl

http://tinyurl.com/y8kkpnp (English needs work on this site)

Valentino Rossi will be showing up at the Auto Expo in New Delhi, India, 5 - 11 January 2010. He will be there representing Yamaha Motors for the event. It will certainly add to the attendance at the show!

http://tinyurl.com/y8nm2ke

A short piece on the World Superbike 2009 season and what we might expect in 2010. After all, Ben Spies won fully half of the races lats season, so who will take his place on the podium? Hopefully, it will finally be Haga's year!

http://tinyurl.com/yauaxmh

Rally Dakar Update from Day 1 in Argentina

Day one is finished in the Rally Dakar and we have an interesting finish on our hands. David Casteu, who is running the Rally with his own Sherco-based team, took victory in the first race of the two week event. Behind him were the KTMs of Frenchman Cyril Despres and Spaniard - and 2009 champion - Marc Coma. So far, the event has had no major problems and it all seems to be going smoothly, at least from the spectator side of things. We will see more results throughout the Dakar and I will post all I see.

http://tinyurl.com/y9cwv8t

Saturday Morning Moto News - Racing Reports

One important mention here is the news that Roger Lee Hayden will be riding a Kawasaki ZX-10R for Pedercini Racing in the 2010 World Superbike Championship. This means that Rog will be joining his brother Nicky on the world racing stage. It is really about time that another Hayden brother makes it to that level - they are all quite skilled at riding motorcycles.

http://tinyurl.com/ybtms6p

Now, an update or more from the Rally Dakar which began yesterday in South America. As you would expect, there is not a great deal of information on how well anyone is doing, but at least we can see how the first day started off. So, jump on over and have a read. The first link is an update on the Giofil Aprilia Racing Team from before the start, and the second link is really just another introduction to the event itself - and a bit about the first day in Argentina.

http://tinyurl.com/y9ppvhe

http://tinyurl.com/ya5mpz9

New Year's Eve Moto News - Rally Dakar Edition

That's right, the Rally Dakar is coming around very quickly now and we have some news about the event to go over in preparation.

First off, it seems that they have set up the course to be even more grueling than it was in previous years. 9000 Km of rough riding or driving across the South American nations of Chile and Argentina. It is some of the toughest off-road conditions in the world and it will be a real test of endurance, drive and determination for every participant. It all starts tomorrow, 1 January 2010, so get ready!

http://tinyurl.com/yzqjypg

Aprilia has released photos and information on the 2010 RXV 4.5 Dakar, which Team Giofil will be using in the Rally Dakar. Paolo Ceci, Gerard Farres, Francisco Lopez and Alex Zanotti will all ride the Italian off-road machine starting tomorrow, 1 January 2010. The team had a great 2009 Rally of the Pharoahs, so they are a real threat for the Dakar this year...

http://tinyurl.com/yhmrq49

http://tinyurl.com/yhdt3qy

Here are some important milestones of the Dakar:

http://tinyurl.com/yb9sajs

On the USA Today website:

http://tinyurl.com/ycuw7lj

There were other stories, but most of them were simply re-writes of these few, so we will stay with this group for now. More news to come...

Tuesday Morning News from the Moto World - Part 2

Now, we head on over to the second part of this morning's news...

First story here is an interview with current Rally Dakar champion Marc Coma. He is getting ready for the 2010 running of the event and the author caught up with him to ask him how it is all going. The 450c.c. limit - and the restriction of bikes with larger displacements - is a major area of discussion. Have a good read...

http://tinyurl.com/ylx8p2h

Apparently, earlier reports of John Hopkins joining the MotoGP FB Corse team are not accurate. His manager has now related that Hopper is considering many options and he is working with FB Corse now, but has signed nothing.

http://tinyurl.com/yg9jbzx

We also hear from some of his companions (Cal Crutchlow and Troy Corser) in the World Superbike Championship for 2010, James Toseland will enjoy and prosper in the series. They state that the culture there is much better suited to Toseland, even if it has changed since the last time he raced there.

http://tinyurl.com/ygx3v4j

Marco Simoncelli and Hiroshi Aoyama have finished up with their testing at the Sepang track in Malaysia. The first days of testing were hampered by bad weather, but the remaining time was very useful for both riders as they prepare for their first year in MotoGP in 2010.

http://tinyurl.com/yfp75d8

Team Pan-Am Sent Off from San Francisco for Rally Dakar

The team is based around rider Jonah Street, who will be riding a KTM 690 in the Rally Dakar in South America. The San Francisco Motorcycle Club was the location for the send off party held this pas weekend. There is much here about the Club, which was founded in 1903, and the company supporting some of the riders participating in the Dakar, Rally Management Services.

http://tinyurl.com/ydu4n47

Aprilia Will Back Team Giofil’s Dakar Rally 2010

The Aprilia RXV 4.5 race bikes have already won the Rally of the Pharoahs in both 2008 and 2009. Now, with the factory support of Aprilia, Team Giofil will have a real chance at winning the Dakar Rally in 2010. Their team consists of proven racers Paolo Ceci, Gerard Farres, Francisco Lopez and Alex Zanotti. It will be an interesting race in the South American backroads next year.

http://tinyurl.com/yjfy5ub

Rally Dakar Ready for 2010 Running in South America

For the second consecutive year, the Dakar Rally will be held in South America running between the nations of Argentina and Chile. It will be the usual competitors for the most part, but some newcomers are also expected to shine during the event. So, get yourself ready and take the link...

http://tinyurl.com/ygmm5bf