Ducati
Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Alex Hofmann
endured a difficult Dutch TT on Saturday, Capirossi
finishing 15th while suffering badly from recent
injuries, Hofmann taking a 12th-place finish in his
first race on the Desmosedici GP6 after just two days of
practice. Capirossi, who led the World Championship
going into last Sunday's Catalan GP where he was brought
down in a nasty turn-one crash, struggled with agonising
chest pains and lack of upper-body strength. He was
rewarded with a single World Championship point for his
brave efforts.
Hofmann, subbing for Sete Gibernau who broke a
collarbone in that same Catalunya accident, lost time
during the early stages of the race but recovered well
to finish just 2.5 seconds outside the top ten. Thanks
to the Pramac d'Antin MotoGP Team and its sponsors, Luis
d'Antin, Paolo Campitoti and Alex Hofmann, the Italian
team was though in a position to race both its
Desmosedici GP6 machines in the Netherlands, despite the
short period of time between Barcelona and Assen.
LORIS CAPIROSSI, 15th place,
100 points, 3rd overall: "The only positive things to
come out of this weekend are managing to finish the race and
score one point. The race was very, very difficult, the pain
in my chest was almost unbearable but I never gave up and
one championship point could be useful. Racing injured is
always terrible, I just hope I can get better quickly
because Donington is only a few days away. Many thanks to
the Clinica Mobile and Dr Costa because they take great care
of me, they've been invaluable to me here."
ALEX HOFMANN, 12th place, 16 points, 16th overall: "I
got a really good start off the line but through the first
two corners I was always where I shouldn't have been and I
lost a lot of places. Then I saw that Loris was close behind
me and after warm-up I thought he could probably do better
lap times than me and also I didn't want to get in his way,
but after he got past I quickly saw that he wasn't strong
enough to push as hard as usual.
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Members of Ducati Corse
with the Alfa Romeo 147 and 159 which were used as
official cars use by the Italian MotoGP bike team in
Holland this weekend. |
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Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi (top)
and Alex Hofmann (above) endured a difficult Dutch
TT, Capirossi finishing 15th while suffering badly
from recent injuries, Hofmann taking a 12th-place
finish in his first race on the Desmosedici GP6
after just two days of practice. |
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"From lap seven or eight I picked up my pace and saw the
group ahead of me - Vermeulen, Tamada and Checa - coming
closer but the time I lost early on cost me the chance of
going for a top-ten position. There is still room for
improvement but considering the time I've had on the bike
I'm happy enough."
LIVIO SUPPO, Ducati MotoGP
project manager: "It's been a difficult weekend.
Loris did his best and his ride was astonishing because he
is suffering a lot. We have to thank him for never giving up
and for believing so much in this World Championship. Alex
did a great job all weekend. And thanks, as always, to our
technical partners Bridgestone and Shell Advance, whose
support is just as vital through difficult times."
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