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/128320
MARCO MElANDRI- FORlUNA GAULDISES YAMAHA The ex-250 champ showed signs of immawrTty in his first big-bike year, including temperament and a tendency to crash. Poor guy: the M I Yamaha is clearly no easy bike to learn 00. Uke all the other M I riders, ~ the bike improves, he'll challenge the Hondas, But he'd be lucky to win a race. He still has plenty to prove. mate Neil Hodgson; and that he crashes an awful lot . Did it again in preseason testing, helicoptered off at Phillip Island. Not short of talent, courage and self-confidence. Oh dear. rode it like the ex-dirt-tracker he is. It's a tried and tested road for U.S. riders to reach the top. Nicky's heading down it fast . Will win more than one race . Sometimes you have to worry. KURTIS ROBERTS - PROTON TEAM KR LORIS CAPIROSSI - MARLBORO DUCATI It's all in place for the two -time World Superbike Champion: Last year was former 125 and 250cc World Champion Loris' best in the big class. On a two-stroke, he was part of the Rossi-Biaggi-Capirossi triangle; on the Desmosedici he was a right bike, right tires , right time. Consistency will be vital in man on a lone mission: to find a way to use the bike's never- 2004, a year with many race winners. Colin excels at consis- failing horsepower. If they get the new one sorted, he 's anoth- te ncy. He 's also another guy in a hurry. At 30, the re are not many years left . And anyway, next year Rossi will be strong again. Just watch Edwards rack up those points. er serious title candidate. The wild ch ild of the Roberts tribe, Kurtis comes blazin' in to his dad 's team, fresh from a couple of AMA 5uperbike wins on a Honda. The Proton will be a different deal, but he 's already been very fast on it in testing. There'll be fireworks here, because Kurt is is like that. The family legen d continues. COUN EDWARDS - TELEFONICA MOVISTAR HONDA NEIL HODGSON - D'ANTIN DUCATI Neil's been around the houses on the way to ALEX HOFMANN - KAWASAKI RAC ING TEAM The ser ious German spent last year as Kawasaki's test rider the big ti me , and he picked up a World Champions hip o n the way. So he has plenty of experience, He 'll need it in a tough debut year. Nobody should expect more than cons istent finishes and consistent improvement. And that he should be a regular top eight or 10 by the season's end. and te nded to beat the team regulars in his wild ca rd rides . That's probably because his deve lo pme nt bike was better, but he still had to ride it. And this year he has to ride it again. Kawasaki need s to make a big jump fo rward to become competitive. It's always possible. The bright and cheerful Japanese rider promised much on a 2S0 but has always been foiled one way or another. Even some strong rides on the M I last year weren't enough to save his Yamaha job . So now he has a Kawasaki. Last year, this was a curse fo r any rider. Will it be different in 2004? Wide-eyed and breathless Shaky may have been when he first jumped 00 the mightily powerful Aprilia Cube, but he was soon chasing it pretty hard and wringing its neck okay. The British latecomer has a big mountain to climb. IfAprilia does what it promised , the new bike will make it easier for him. Be fun to watch. NICKY HAYDEN - REPSOL HONDA RUBEN XAUS - D'ANTIN DUCATI What does GP racing know of Ruben Xaus? That he 's riding one o f last year's Ducatis; that he's fast. often faster than team - 14 APRIL 21 ,2004 • CYCLE N EWS ALEX BARROS - REPSOL HONDA Is there still time enough fo r the most seasoned rider on the SHANE BYRNE - APR ILIA SHINYA NAKANO - KAWASAKI RACING TEAM JEREMY MCWILLIAMS - APRILIA The old man of the grid had a difficult choice - stay with Pro to n, may be on Dunlop t ires, or go to Apri lia on Michelins. He too k the latt e r option. Was he right? We 'll have to see if Aprilia can develo p its fast bike into something better balanced before Proton makes its well-balanced bike faste r. He'll get the best out the Cube, either way. Hayden started last year as a rookie do ing pretty well , ended it as a regular rostrum threat. Mighty im pre ssive debut. The AMA Superbike champ took to the RCV Honda right awa y and 40th Anniversary grid? After 225 starts, the Brazilian has ridden for everyone, and he seemed finally to have matured when he beat Rossi twice on the Honda in 2002. Switching to Yamaha spoiled everything, but now he returns to Honda again, still carrying injuries from last year. Could still win a race. NORICK ABE - FORTUNA GAULOISES YAMAHA The return , for some reason , of Old Faithful. His career began in 1994, and Abe has now and then touched greatness. He seemed to be heading for involuntary retirement at the end of last year, but not so , and here he is back in the factory team again . Bet they wish they could have kept Nakano.