Cycle News

Cycle News 2014 Issue 09 March 4 2014

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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VOL. 51 ISSUE 9 MARCH 4, 2014 P27 for each rider to test last year's race tire and three new tire options. There were a total of six new tire options that were separated in two categories – compound changes and construction changes. The riders began the day with last year's tire and then were scheduled to do two six-lap runs on each of the new tires. Lorenzo, Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa, and Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso test- ed the tires with the new rubber while Doviziosio's teammate Cal Crutchlow and Yamaha's Valentino Rossi tested the tires with the new construction. For the most part the riders preferred last year's race tire. But the fastest man of the day, Lorenzo, got his time on one of the new tires that he pre- ferred out of the three. "Very similar," Lorenzo said comparing the new tire to last year's. "For example the last one in gen- eral was better to make a lap time, but the warming up was a little bit worse. Also in the traction area was a little bit softer. So we still don't know which is the best." While Pedrosa set his fastest time with last year's tire, he shared the same consensus that one of the three new compound tires stood out as the best. "On performance, I think the race tire was the most performing," Pedrosa said. "The other ones are more into the safety side. But one of the tires I try was more performing than the others." Dovisioso also felt that one of the new com- pound tires was similar to last year's tire but with more longevity. "The difference it wasn't so big compared to the one we used in the race last year - about the feeling and about the lap time, but the consistency was a little bit more," Dovizioso said. "So is interesting. I cannot say is a right tire for the race because the condition is different and still we didn't make too many laps." On the other side of the coin, Crutchlow and Ros- si tested the tires with the new construction. Both rider's preferred and set their fastest time on last year's race tire. "The normal race tire we clarified straight away that it was a lot better," Crutchlow said. "And it was the one that lasted the most. It was the one that was most consistent. We did 27 laps on it this morning. I said to Bridge- stone at lunchtime we might as well go home because I was already pleased with the nor- mal race tire. There was no blistering and we'd done a lot of laps on it and it seemed good. The rest of the stuff I was already a bit worried about and it was confirmed when I tested it." Briefly... UCLA Medical Center. The operation went well and 22 days later he was discharged from the hos- pital, but he later returned to intensive care with fluid buildup around the lungs. He is now recuperating at home according to speedway insider Howie Zechner. Schwantz School Hiatus The Schwantz School, the road racing school owned and operated by former World Champion Kevin Schwantz, will take a hiatus in 2014 and looks to make a return in 2015, according to a release is- sued on March 1. Jonnum Dispatched Dispatch Communica- tions, a marketing and communications agency with clients in the action sports, beverage, cycling, motorsports, and travel and tourism industries, has hired former Cycle News associate editor and former Ducati Mo- toGP press officer Chris Jonnum as powersports director. Jorge Lorenzo was the fastest of the Bridgestone tire testers at the Phillip Island Circuit in Australia on Monday. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE continued on next page

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