Roberts Sets The Record Straight
J
oe Roberts would have been
forgiven for taking his eye
off the ball at the 2020 season
finale in Portugal. Arriving in
Algarve, the Californian learned
of the Aprilia factory's last-minute
interest to sign him for a debut
MotoGP campaign in 2021, lead-
ing to a few sleepless nights as
he considered his options.
But after finishing a solid
seventh on Sunday, the one-time
Moto2 podium finisher would ulti-
mately turn the offer down. Rob-
erts had already signed a contract
with Italtrans, the team that just
won the intermediate crown with
Italian Enea Bastianini for 2021.
And he wants to be victorious in
the Moto2 class—a goal he feels is
entirely achievable next year—be-
fore entertaining the idea of step-
ping up to the class of kings.
Cycle News caught up with
Roberts to hear the reasoning
behind his decision.
When did you first learn of
Aprilia's interest?
I learned of it at the beginning
of the weekend. My management
IN
THE
WIND
P20
Joe Roberts sat down
with us and clarified his
decision to turn down
Aprilia's offer to race
MotoGP in 2021. PHOTO:
GOLD & GOOSE
