Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Vamaha sent out a press release I prior to Christmas omcially endinr its sponsorship relationship with Akadis/Seita, the company that owns Gauloiies - the cigarette maker whose logos adorned the factory MotocP team of Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards in 2004 and 2005. The .ompany also backed the Fortuna Yamaha team. Yarnaha says h will announce its 2006 MotoGP program shortly. 'iAltadis/Seitas sponsorship retard- ing Yamahas Facton/ MotoGP Team will not continue after lhe end of the 2005 season," the release stated. Then carne word from Altadis, via a company press release that stated: "Yarnaha's announcement comes \{hile the two companies are stjll in the midst of n otiatirE the terms of a settlement agreement that would amicably resoh/e the dispute that arose berween them eadier this year. Altadis considers that Yamaha is still bound by e letal obli- Ftion that prevents Yamaha from collaborating with sponsors wh6e products comp€te directly with the Gaulc'ises brand or with Ahadis products for the 2006 season." ln the absence of a settlement, Altadis will not hesitate to seek the appropriate le8al remedies if Yamaha fails to abide by its letal oblitations toward Altadis and the Gauloises brand, accordinS to Altadis. Slay tuned. o o o Yamahas Smoke Don't fhere won't be Gouloises on rhe ride of the Yomohor in 20O6. Briefly... Date Change For MotoGP ll-e Por.lg.lese G"and D r.. scl'cduled [o rhe .ir.u t of Estori ha! beer rnovcd ironl rs orrg raldate oiOcrobcr 22 to O(tober 15, accord ns ro the Flll. The 2006 Road Racrng World Champronshrp Grand Prix ca cndar is now as follows: March 26 Spain, Jerer de la tmntem AprlB oatar,ooha April 30 Turkey, lstanbul N4av 14 Ch na, Slrirnqha May 2i trance, Le Mans Jlne 4 taly, N4ugcllo June 18 Catalunya, Catalunya Junc 24 Holland, Assen rluly 2 Groat Britain, ooninqton Pa* Jlly 16 Germany, Sachsenr ntr iJuly 23 t nited States, Laguna Seca ALrtusl 20 Crech Bepublic, Bmo September 10 Malaysia, Sepang SepteDiber I7 Austra a, Ph rp ls and $eptember 24 Japan, l\,lotgqi 0ctober 15 Porruga , Esl0ril 9ciober 29 Spain, Valencia World Superbike Schedule Changes Conrioued ho''! page 7 was dry" Byrne said after day t!vo. "lt was also my first time on a Superbike and on Dunlop tires for the Iast two years. Partic!- la.rly in the moming, I wes riding the GSX- R1000 like a MotoGP bike, and I had to change my riding style rlightly. Once I adapt- ed, I got on wellwith the current bike before switching to the new-development 2 )6 GSX-R I 000. we spent ell aftemoon workinS on that and tot it to a Sood posl- tion. I wasn't quickelt overall but was close and think I may have been able to go faster. We willgo to the next te5t with a Sood bike and improve more. I'm also h+py with the team and support around me - having a happy working environment is important, Overall, l'm delighted; it'5 like Christmas has come early." Byrne finished iust two-tenthi of a second behind the fastest man at the test, Honda's Michael Rutter With 250cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa moving to its MotoGP team, the Repiol Honda 25(kc Grand Prix team will now field Sebastian Porto and Shuhei Aoyama for the 2006 GP season. Porto and Aoyama will ride NS250s for the Alberto PuiS-man- aged team. Porto, the 250cc World Champi- onship runner-up in 2004, has won seven GPs in his l0 years ofGP racint. The 2l- year-old Aoyama won the 2005 250cc All- lapan Championshipi last year he qualified third for theJapanese Grand Prix, but crashed on the third lap of the race. The pair will betin tertint in late January at the Catalurya circuit in Spain. Yamaha has annouficed an expanded rcad- racing contingen

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