Losail (Qatar), 2 November
2014 – It
is a triumph, a double world championship win that was unimaginable just a few
races ago. On the Losail track in Qatar Sylvain Guintoli completed a comeback
that will go down in Superbike history and with two brilliant and undisputable
wins in the two night races on the desert circuit he overtook Tom Sykes,
earning the World Champion crown for the first time in his career.
Aprilia
doubles the celebration by becoming the Manufacturer World Champion for the
third consecutive year, reaffirming the undisputed technical superiority of the
RSV4, the Italian bike that has rooted the best competition in the world since
its rookie year in World SBK (2009), winning 7 World titles (three Rider and
four Manufacturer). This world championship combination (Rider and
Manufacturer) is the third one for the Aprilia RSV4 after sweeping the
competition in 2010 and 2012 with Max Biaggi.
The
manufacturer from Noale now totals 7
World Superbike championships in the last five years and takes its
extraordinary collection to 54 world
championship titles won in just over twenty years.
For
the Manufacturer World Championship Aprilia racked up 11 wins (5 for Guintoli,
6 for Melandri) and another 16 podiums for a total of 468 points against
Kawasaki´s 431, Honda´s 350, Ducati´s 291, Suzuki´s 234, BMW´s 81 and MV
Agusta´s 34.
The
new Aprilia Racing adventure in World Superbike began in 2009 with the
development of the innovative RSV4. With its exclusive 65 degree V engine and a
chassis derived from years of racing experience, the Aprilia Superbike marked a
turning point in the super sport bike world. Already capable of winning in its
rookie year, the RSV4 broke the WSBK bank in 2010, its second season in the
championship, taking both the World titles up for grabs: Manufacturer and Rider
with Max Biaggi. This
was the start of a long series of wins. Biaggi – the first Italian to win the
World Superbike championship – doubled the Rider title in 2012 and the RSV4
once again took the World Championship for manufacturers in 2012, 2013 and
again this year in 2014.
Seven
World Championship Titles (3 Rider and 4 Manufacturer), 41 wins, another 89
podiums and 10 pole positions make up the extraordinary World SBK spoils of a
unique bike, created to dominate both on the track and on the road.
In
all Aprilia boasts 54 World Titles (38 in MotoGP, 7 in Superbike and 9 in
off-road disciplines) which make it one of the most victorious brands ever on a
global level in motorcycle racing. The Piaggio Group´s extraordinary trophy
case, thanks to Aprilia as well as its other historic brands, Moto Guzzi,
Gilera and Derbi, now contains 104 World Titles to make it the most decorated
European motorcycle manufacturing group.
MV AGUSTA F3 800 AGO: THE LEGEND CONTINUES
Tricolour, gold and that Number 1: the fairings of the campionissimo
evoke the exhilarating world of racing and the atmosphere of the tracks
where the legend of the unbeatable MV Agusta Grand Prix bikes was born.
These bikes made Giacomo Agostini a motorcycling legend and have now
re-emerged from the past thanks to the most faithful replica ever: the
F3 800 AGO, packed with unsurpassed technology that provides
jaw-dropping performance and unparalleled riding pleasure.
MV AGUSTA AND JULES CLUZEL ON THE PODIUM AGAIN
In the third round of the World Supersport championship, MV Agusta
and French rider Jules Cluzel were back on the podium again. The poor
start, which saw both riders of the MV Agusta Reparto Corse – Yakhnich
Motorsport Team lose
several positions, made the race a difficult, uphill challenge. While
Jules Cluzel managed to disentangle himself and reach the group fighting
for fourth place, Vladimir Leonov got boxed in, coming into direct
contact with other
riders numerous times. Nevertheless, the two riders fought like lions,
and Jules managed to conquer a fantastic third place. He now lies 4th in
the overall standings, just eight points behind the leader Florian
Marino.
Jules Cluzel: “It was a very long, hard race. I didn’t get off to a
good start and initially found myself fighting for 7th/8th place. I
wasn’t at my best today, but was still convinced I could make it into
the top four and, in the
end, that’s exactly what happened. Zanetti put in a great performance,
attacking all the time, but I managed to get past him and clinch fourth
place: then Sofuoglu’s unexpected retirement gifted me a place on the
podium. We need to
keep on working hard to make our bike even more competitive at the next
race”.
Vladimir Leonov: “I made a mistake at the start and lost several
positions. I tried to claw back as many as possible, but it’s hard to
fight back when you’re continually obstructed by close-quarters fighting
in the midst of the
bunch and can’t make full use of our bike’s outstanding speed. I was
pushed off the track not once, but twice! At a certain point one of my
rivals hit me as I was heading into a left-hand bend and damaged both
the exhaust and my
leather suit. Luckily, I managed to stay on the bike. It was tough, but I
managed to recover and finish twelfth.
Superbike Race 1 unexpectedly took place on a dry track so the riders
were able to battle it out under the best possible conditions. For much
of the time Claudio Corti was straddling 16th place, but in the second
half of the
race he started closing the gap between him and the group in front and
then managed to bridge it entirely. In the closing stages of the race
the rider from Como was lapping about half a second faster than the
three/four riders
preceding him, but an early red flag meant he had to be content with
14th place. In Race 2, in the wet, Claudio was clearly demonstrating
both his own racing talent and the excellent set-up of his F4 RR (from
both a suspension
and electronic viewpoint) as, lap after lap, he made his way up the
field. Unluckily, when Claudio was in ninth place, the transponder
caused him to fall. The lithium battery inside the transponder exploded
so the latter stopped
sending the control unit the signal indicating the bike’s passage over
the finishing line; this put the entire electronic set-up out of phase
and Corti suddenly found he had no traction control. Hence the
inevitable fall.
Claudio Corti: “We were really unlucky! The morning race wasn’t easy.
Our goal has always been to stay ahead of the EVOs. We’d almost reached
them but, just as the opportunity for us to attack came, the race was
interrupted.
I reckon I could otherwise have gained at least three more positions. In
the afternoon things got even more complicated as we have no racing
experience in such tough weather. I started in 17th place, but still
managed to climb back
to 9th. We were in the top ten, ahead of the EVOs. Unfortunately we
hadn’t reckoned with the compulsory transponder. Its internal lithium
battery exploded so the transponder stopped working and failed to send
the control unit the
over-the-finish-line signal; this sent all the electronic set-ups
haywire. I found myself cornering without traction control and that’s
why I fell. I’m also really sorry for the team because they worked their
hearts out this weekend.”
Tuono V4 has beaten all Super Naked machines including the new BMW, KTM and Ducati on a fully comprehensive test on road and track. The Tuono impressed with smooth and refined electronics and delivered the highest top speed (165mph).
Tests, ratings and verdicts can be seen here http://goo.gl/liHhZY
Finance Offer applies to models ordered new from 01 January 2013. Offer applicable at participating MotoGB dealers and is at the promoter´s absolute discretion. Subject to model and colour availability. Indemnities may be required in certain circumstances. Offer applies to personal loan finance. Finance is only available to persons aged 18 or over subject to status. All figures are correct at time of publication but may be subject to change. Promoter reserves the right to extend promotions from time to time.
This offer is available with:
– Brutale 920
– Brutale 990R
– Brutale 1090R
– Brutale 1090RR
– F4 1000