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/128401
De Puniet Gets Kawi MotoGP Ride Vawasaki announced during the Australian Grand Prix that I'Frenchman Randy de Puniet will join Shinya Nakano on its 2006 MotoGP squad, though the decision didn't sit well with team manager Harold Eckl, who said he had little input in rider choice and was disillusioned with the way his position has evolved. "I did not pick the riders, which is by contract," Eckl said. "The contract says the final decision is in Japan to decide the riders. Maybe there is some market interest or other interest, priorities. For me, as a race manager, I would like to decide a winning rider. For me, 1like performance and 1 need results, If I had the decision, I would take the best two riders on the bike, of course, but there is budget limitations and market consideration." Eckl said he appreciated that they were taking a young rider: "Not the oldies, the grandies from over 30. Sure, one side, you need the performance. You need the results, immedi- ately. It means next year. Because we need to find sponsors, you need to justify what you're doing. You need results. On the other hand, you also need to build up for the future young riders and you need to give them a chance. However, for Kawasaki as well as for Suzuki, I think we almost cannot, because have only two places and to risk in a two-rider team to build up a young rider and maybe the number-one rider crashes and breaks his hand like Alex Hofmann did in the second race this year in Estori!. If it happens to Shinya [Nakano], we look pretty bad. I would not take the risk as the manager for a two-rider team. When you have a satellite team, you can build up young riders like Honda, Yamaha." Asked if he thought it was strange that he couldn't choose riders, he answered, "It's very strange." As for his relationship with Kawasaki, he said, "Sometimes 1 stay in bed and ask myself, 'What are you doing here?' When decisions like riders, etc., are taken, team setup or strategies, I question why I'm here and why my 30 years of racing experience - this year I am exactly 30 years in racing - if your proposals or ideas are not really accepted, then okay, you might think about what's happening. Since last year, I was involved a lot in the technical decisions, the chassis. Since this year, this is in Kawasaki's hands. In the future, our bike will be built in japan again." The 24-year-old de Puniet will move from the 2S0cc class to MotoGP, and he will make his debut on the Ninja ZX-RR at the official test that follows the season-ending Valencia GP in November. De Puniet's most recent success came with a victory in the rain-soaked British Grand Prix at Donington in july. Since joining the 2S0cc championship at the japanese Grand Prix in 200 I, de Puniet has scored nine pole positions and 22 podiums to back up his five race wins. "Moving up to MotoGP with Kawasaki is a fantastic opportunity for me; it's like a dream come true," de Puniet said. "I know it's not going to be easy next year; a MotoGP machine is very dif- ferent to the 2S0cc two-stroke bikes that I'm used to, but I'm very much looking forward to the challenge ahead. I know I'm facing a steep learning curve next year, but I think that working with such an experienced team will help a lot during my debut MotoGP season. It's difficult to say what I can expect in terms of results, as I have not ridden the bike yet; I will have a better understanding of my potential after the Valencia test. I hope that during my debut year I will be able to get closer and closer to the front- runners as the year progresses." Henny Ray Abrams Randy de Puniet will jain Shinya Nakano on the Kawasaki MotoGP team next year. in Superbike, first they're going to close this, what they're going to do here. Is there an option like a second team? Because it's not sure that d'Antin will finish next year with Ducati. I hear many things. What I know is that he didn't pay the bikes the last two years and the riders. So you know how it's going. GQING so WEU.. NEIL'S OLD RECURRENT NIGHTMARE PROBLEM CAl't\E BACK... World Supermoto the Austrian manufacturer announced So he could stay with Ducati or he could go somewhere else." Xaus said he wouldn't return to the d'Antin team unless the team owner stayed home. Xaus and Hodgson famously clashed during their two years as teammates, first in World Superbike and then in MotoGP. He wouldn't be drawn into a discussion of what would happen if they were teamed again. "First thing, I need to get an offer from Ducati," he said. "That's the first thing to JUST WHEN THINGS' WERE last week. After four successful seasons since the inception of the World Championship, in which KTM has won two World Championships, KTM says it will concentrate its Supermoto racing efforts in National Championships. Despite efforts to increase the profile of the World Championship, it has proved very difficult for the FIM and Championship promoters to maintain a stable calendar of quality events, a rei ease from KTM stated. The number of spectators attending World think about. Because my mind right now is Xaus And AMA Superbikes Rueben Xaus said he had nothing to say about the possibility of moving the AMA Superbike Championship; then he went on for another 14 minutes. The Spaniard is out after two frustrating years in MotoGp, one with the d'Antin Ducati team and this year with Fortuna Yamaha. At the moment, he's had discussions with various teams, but nothing has been set. "For sure, I'm not going to lie to you," Xaus said of his contact with Ducati Corse. '" talked to them last week. [Paolo Ciabatti] proposed to me a few things, and one of the things is America. Let's see. I've got some 12 other offers for Superbikes. because the window's not closed yet. They're putting a few new bikes with the good teams. So that's another offer. So let's see what's going on. I want to race on a good level, with a good team and a good bike. So I'm not 100-percent sure that I can race for Ducati or another manufacturer. Xaus said he would talk to Ducati's Ciabatti after the Australian GP. "It's like I said, if they want me, first of all, they make an offer," he said. "I did talk to Paolo, but knowing what they're going to do OOOBER 26, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS II really open to many championships, so I cannot be focused on only one. I'll be pleased to stay somewhere that I am really welcome." Xaus admitted knOWing very little about the AMA series. He's been to Laguna Seca and had watched a broadcast of a race at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Xaus had a previous chance to race in America. "Ducati offered me. The problem was, after finishing second in the Superbike World Championship, i was talking to d'Antin, trying to do my thing. I wasn't sure yet. And they didn't want to sign first, before Neil. Because normally, I was like second position in the championship. It was looking bad, me signing with d'Antin and Neil not yet until the last moment. So they pushed really hard to keep me out there." Henny Ray Abrams KTM Says No To KTM will not field a factory team in the 2006 Supermoto World Championship, Championship events, and the amount of media coverage, does not warrant the continued investment in a full KTM fac- tory World Championship team, the release continued. KTM, however, will continue, through its national subsidiaries, to support the National Championships in the United States, Australia, France, Germany and Italy. "Supermoto remains an important racing sector for KTM, and the research-and-development activity remains at current levels to support the domestic racing and the continued development of the Supermoto motorcycle models in the KTM range," the KTM release stated.