VOL. 52 ISSUE 27 JUNE 7, 2015 P23
thing it is always to the full. I like
his thoroughness and calmness.
He knows all the constraints of
the event and he is a genuine
leader. To co-pilot this event, in
which the exceptional is a daily
fact of life, this is the very least
that we need."
"My first reaction was 'wow,' I
was in shock!" said Coma. "Win-
ning the Dakar five times was
already a dream for me, but now
I realize just how lucky I am—be-
ing part of the organizing team,
with his level of responsibility
is an opportunity for me to put
back into the rally everything that
the Dakar has given me. My goal
is to put all my energy into ensur-
ing that the Dakar remains the
greatest rally in the world and my
philosophy is to give priority to a
sense of adventure."
Jean Turner
HOPKINS HEADING
BACK TO BSB
J
ohn Hopkins will make his return to the British
Superbike Championship at the next round of
the series at Brands Hatch on July 18-19.
Hopkins will fill in for fellow former World
Superbike rider Jakub Smrz on the Lloyds Brit-
ish Moto Rapido Panigale R. The Brands Hatch
round marks Hopkins' first competitive outing
after he was unable to secure a ride following a
difficult 2014 campaign
on the Cresent Suzuki
GSX-R1000.
"For sure it's been
frustrating waiting but
I looked at my career
and decided straight
away it couldn't end
as it did in 2014,"
Hopkins said. "And
because of that I am
more motivated than
ever to prove I have
more. This is the mo-
ment I want to resur-
rect myself and show
what I can still do. This
is a great opportunity
for me to prove this.
I am sorry for Jakub
[Smrz], that he is in-
jured, but I intend on doing my best to make him,
myself and the team proud.
"[Brands Hatch] has always been a great circuit
for me and I know I can enjoy it—the track knowl-
edge there will definitely help me especially with
my limited knowledge of this bike. The team and
Kuba [Smrz] have proven that the bike is competi-
tive this season and despite having never ridden
a Ducati before, I think it should suit my riding
style."
John Hopkins
returns to
racing in a few
weeks' time at
Brands Hatch.
PHOTO
COURTESY
OF
BSB
