This afternoon the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid was converted into an authentic spectacle of light and music so that Repsol Honda Team`s latest addition, Andrea Dovizioso, could be presented to Spanish fans. Dani Pedrosa, still recovering from the injuries he picked up in the latest practice sessions in Qatar, did not want to miss out on the presentation either, and even though he was not able to be there in person he was there as a virtual guest via satellite. This allowed him to greet all the fans in the stadium from Barcelona and even to respond to the questions made by some Repsol workers.
At the end of the presentation Dovizioso unveiled the Repsol Honda RC212V 2009, A bike that he will ride and battle to be up with best on in this season`s World MotoGP Championship, and which thanks to the latest regulations, promises to be very competitive.
With the 2009 season about to start and with all eyes on the first race on 12th April, at night in Qatar, the final round of the World Indoor Trial Championship became a party for all the fans in the stadium. The recently crowned three times World Indoor Trial Champion, Toni Bou, made a spectacular entrance into the hall alongside Andrea Dovizioso. The two jumped onto the stage riding trial bikes, a fantastic sight that was a great warm-up for the official presentation of the riders that will defend the Repsol colours in the 2009 World MotoGP Championship.
Music from Melocos and a spectacular light show were the atmospheric setting that gave a chance to all the fans packed into the Palacio de Deportes to get to know the new member of the Repsol Honda Team, and his brand new official RC212V. His teammate Dani Pedrosa, who was not able to go to Madrid, did not miss out on the opportunity to accompany Dovizioso either and he greeted the public by taking advantage of the latest satellite technology. And he in turn received the support and affection of the public in the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid thanks to a video-conference.
The party carried on with the final round of the World Indoor Trial Championship, something that gave Bou a chance to offer his fifth world title to the public – this is his third indoor title – after he wrapped the championship by winning the penultimate round in Italy. The next time the Repsol Honda Team is together will be at the Official MotoGP Test that will take place in Jerez in two weeks, but only Andrea Dovizioso will be there. For Dani Pedrosa things are different, his objective is to be fit enough for the first race of the year: on 12th April at the Circuit of Losail, Qatar.
Dani Pedrosa
“I feel fine – that is making progress at a normal pace – and taking things with a lot of patience, because I still have two weeks left before I can begin to bend my knee. That is why I have not been able to be with the fans that have gone to see the presentation in Madrid, I have to let my body recover, which after all is what you have to bear in mind in a case like this. But being able to greet the fans that have gone to the presentation thanks to the video-conference from Barcelona, I am glad that I was able to be present, even though it was through a monitor. I would like to be fit enough to do more practice, but I will have to find another way to prepare. The objective is stil the same, try to be fit for the first race in Qatar in a month`s time.”
Andrea Dovizioso
“Becoming an official rider in the Repsol Honda Team is a dream come true for me. It is a great experience and an incredible challenge, something I have already had a chance to see in the pre-season practice sessions. Being in the official team means that you carry more responsibility, I now have to help develop the motorbike, and that in the world of MotoGP is quite complex. All I did before was to ride and go as fast as possible, refining the setup, but now I also have to think about how the bike behaves so that its overall performance can be improved. The bike is going quite a bit better as we have more power coming from the engine, and a new chassis has really helped us with the sensations that the front end transmits to us, it now leans over better. I am very pleased to be in Madrid for the presentation of the Repsol team, and from now on I will do all I can in the fight for the world title.”
