Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128318
in Motorcycling Big In Barcelona Arguably the two biggest teams in motorcycle racing recently unveiled their teams to the public. They made their presentations in Barcelona , Spain, the site of the recent officiallRTAtest at the Catalunya circuit. The Repsol Honda team, consisting of Alex Barros and Nicky Hayden , held their presentation at the Reales Atarazanas in the center of Barcelona . The two-rider team will try to clinch the squad's third consecutive World Championship in MotoGP. The presentation was also an opportunity to celebrate the IO-year anniversary of the partnership between Repsol and Honda - with the pairing accounting for eight titles, 75 victories, 165 podium finishes and 71 pole positions . The list of riders contributing to that success are Mick Doohan, Alex Criville , Sinichi Itoh, Tadayuki Okada , Takuma Aoki, Sete Gibernau, Tohru Ukawa, Valentino Rossi and Hayden. With only a few weeks left before the opening round of the series in Welkom , South Africa, few would argue against the fact that this season should be both spectacular and unpredictable. "It will be a very open championship ," said Barros in a Honda release. '~nd no doubt very interesting because there are several riders with options. I'm sure that it will be exciting and that we'll be there. I arrive at the first race completely recovered from the injury that caused me several problems last year, and I've adapted very well to the new bike during the winter tests." Hayden, now in his second year in the team, shares the opinion of his teammate, highlighting how much easier things are, knowing the circuits and the rivals. "l'm going to feel much more comfortable because I know the circuits and I have more experience on the bike," said Hayden . "This will allow me to ride more confident, and although I know that I have a long way ahead , I'm eager to compare our performance with that of the other riders ." The presentation concluded with the words of Koji Nakajima, manager of HRC. "We are still looking for the same [results] , and we have not stopped pro gressing thanks to both companies' efforts . We want this year to be a year filled with success ." The same day Yamaha officially unveiled its pair of MotoGP teams to a huge crowd of spectators excited to see World Champion Valentino Rossi up close and personal in his new livery. Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha riders Rossiand Carlos Checa were joined by Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 teammates Marco Melandri and Norick Abe as they unveiled their 2004 MotoGP machines for the first time in front of the packed press conference. The local public was then treated to a display of wheelies and burn-outs as the four riders took to the streets in the shadow of Montjuic Castle and showed off the power of their YZR-M Is. Rossi then spoke about his move from Honda to Yamaha. "For sure it was a big decision, a big change and a big challenge for me, my mechanics and Yamaha," Rossi said. "We know that it's going to be more difficultthan last year, but I'm confident we can get some good results . My situation is different from 2003 . We know that we are still a little behind and need more time to work on the bike, so that means that there's not as much pressure to win each race. But all this is a big motivation! I am very happy with where we are at the moment and with what we've achieved in only two months - Yamaha has worked very hard , and that looks good for the future." Then local star Checa, who starts his sixth season in the Yamaha factory team, added his opinions . "Each year you expect a lot from the new season, but so far this year the impression I have is even more positive than usual. Yamaha has made a big change since last year. We'll have to wait and see what happens when the racing starts, but I do feel optimistic . It's a great pleasure for me to have Valentino Rossi as my teammate and to stay working with Yamaha. He's the number-one rider in the world , so it' s a big motivation to ride with him." Their team managers, Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha team director Davide Brivio and his Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 counterpart Herve Poncharal preceded the rider introductions on stage . "It's been a very busy winter with something new to try and evaluate at every test," said Brivio. "But the machinery is getting better each time . It's going to be interesting at these last two tests to see where we are with the competition before we start racing." 104 APRIL7,2004 • CYCLE NEWS 40th Anniversary (Left) Norick Abe, Morco Melandri, Carlos Cheea and Rossi (left to right) pose in front of Montjuic Castle. (Below) Cheea wheelies for the fans.