VOL. 51 ISSUE 41 OCTOBER 14, 2014 P25
ONE AND DONE FOR VILLOPOTO
F
our-time AMA Supercross
Champion Ryan Villopoto
says his 2015 season in the Mo-
tocross World Championship will
be his final season – win or lose.
"Most of all, I'm just trying to
go over there and really enjoy
this last year," Villopoto wrote in
a blog on his website last week.
"This is a one-time deal. I am go-
ing to finish my career win or lose
after this next season… But I'd
love to win and leave on top."
Villopoto recently signed a
contract with Kawasaki Europe to
contest the MX1 class in the 2015
World Championship.
"By now you probably know
that I will be racing MXGP next
season," Villopoto wrote. "What a
relief it is to get that off my chest
and share it with all of you. I know
the suspense was driv-
ing some of you crazy,
but I had to keep my lips
sealed until my contract
with Kawasaki of America
was complete. Together
we had a good run with
some great memories,
but now it's time to switch
gears and try something a
little different."
Villopoto said he was
considering retiring until coming
up with the option of a season of
GP racing.
"I know a lot of people were
speculating that I was going to
retire, and to be honest, I con-
sidered it," Villopoto wrote. "Life
for a pro motocross racer can be
pretty tough - especially if you
fall down a lot, LOL. Did I want
to have to climb back up that
ladder? Get myself back into
shape? I didn't know if I want-
ed to tackle that all again. I've
done that already twice - coming
back from a fairly major injury.
Even at this point right now it's
five months or so until the gate
drops in Qatar…
Ryan Villopoto will retire at the
end of the 2015 season.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
KIT
PALMER
SUZUKI READY
FOR MOTOGP?
M
otoGPs runaway top Open
category rider Aleix Espar-
garo is under no illusions of the
scale of the task he and fellow-
Spaniard Maverick Vinales will
face when they join Suzuki for
the Japanese company's Mo-
toGP return next year.
Already common knowledge
in the paddock, the official an-
nouncement of the riders' recruit-
ment came in the week after the
Aragon GP, at the Cologne show.
The Yamaha-like in-line four
has been undergoing tests since
last year with ex-MotoGP rid-
ers Randy de Puniet and
Nobuatsu Aoki, but at a
handful of joint tests with
current MotoGP runners
has been significantly off
the pace.
"It will not be easy," Es-
pargaro said. "There will be
a lot of work with the bike. But I
think this is the best moment of
my career. I chose Suzuki be-
cause everyone wants a factory
ride. And in 2016 we have some
big changes."
Of his new teammate, reigning
Moto3 World Champion and a
mathematical if not distant threat
to do even better than third in
his sole Moto2 year, Espargaro
added: "It is important to have a
teammate with a good level."
Michael Scott
Aleix Espargaro knows he
faces a tough challenge as
the lead rider in Suzuki's
return to MotoGP in 2015.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
GOLD
&
GOOSE
