Huge enthusiasm in Sestriere on the occasion of a SBK and Superstock team launch.
Held in Sestriere, on the top of the Piemonte Mountains, Effenbert Liberty Racing Team has officially presented the team for the 2012 championship.

The whole team attended this special event to celebrate the upcoming season including SBK protagonists Sylvain Guintoli, Jakub Smrz and Maxime Berger as well as the new Superstock duo comprising Brett McCormick and Federico Sandi.
“I’m very satisfied with the enthusiastic cooperation of our team, “ said Fabio Alberti, the team manager of Effenbert Liberty, “ this opportunity was enough to show the motivation of the team and the riders, who are going to have our full support. The optimism of the team manager reflected the overall attitude of the team owner and the CEO Mario Bertuccio, who bravely declared during his speech on Saturday’s night meet and greet : “We are here to win the championship! I can see already now that there’s a great possibility to make this dream come true.”

The atmosphere was outstanding. The team performed a mock grid procedure with the assistance of local police in the heart of the city covered in snow. Sylvain Guintoli, dressed up in his leather suit, was surrounded by the whole team and many curious fans and passers-by. When the sun went down, the team, sponsors and other special guests, including Giancarlo Falappa and Ernesto Marinelli, gathered for a pompous dinner and a special program that, for some, didn’t end until 6 in the morning.
Ernesto Marinelli, the Ducati Superbike project manager, shared his positive view and disclosed some main features of the brand new Ducati Panigale: “I’m very happy to see that the team is growing. Now, they have 2 riders in Superstock and it’s an important class for us because it’s more close to the production motorcycle. On one hand, there are many differences between the new Ducati and the old one, on the other hand there are very few. Many from the technological point of view, we installed in this new bike all the highest technology that we’ve learnt from racing over the past 5 year. The similarities? It’s still a Ducati. We wanted to keep the familiar feeling, the characteristics and the feedback that the bike gives to the rider, of course with the emphasis on performance, lightness and beauty.”

The program continued on Sunday to round up a successful weekend and to say goodbye, although not for a long time, since the team will meet soon, this time in much warmer Australia.

“Everything’s been great so far. This is my second year in world superbikes with even more experience and resources and it comes without saying that I’m going to do my best, “commented Maxime Berger, the youngest SBK protagonist of the team. Also Brett McCormick, who’s expressed his overall satisfaction with the team, declared the event a success: “I got to do the test last October and the team is a great bunch of guys. Good chemistry, good people, I’m super satisfied. It’s hard to be successful if you don’t surround yourself with good people. It’s hard to say what I expect coming in because it’s my first full year over here, but I think I’m definitely capable of winning races and I’ve heard really good things about the new bike.”

Everyone was leaving with a beaming smile on their face. “I would like to thank everybody, especially Barbara Delmastro Meoni and everybody else who made this event so special. The atmosphere was amazing,” concluded Fabio Alberti.

Following the first winter test at Sepang, where his participation was limited due to his left shoulder lacking the strength to ride well, Nicky Hayden traveled directly to Fremont, California, for a thorough examination at Doctor Arthur Ting’s clinic. There, tests revealed damage to cartilage in the American’s shoulder, as well as to muscles in his back. Tomorrow the Ducati Team rider will undergo an operation in order to have his condition evaluated more thoroughly, and to treat his injuries.

“Of course another operation before the season is never a good thing, Hayden said, “but I’m actually happy that I tried to ride at Malaysia, because it helped me to discover that the problem with the shoulder was bigger than we thought. After seeing the scans, it was clear why I couldn’t ride well. Setbacks are a part of life and a part of MotoGP, so we’ll deal with it and do everything possible to get back on the bike in good condition as soon as possible. Ducati and the team are putting maximum effort into this championship, and that helps me to keep my spirits high and to be confident heading into the season.”

The Team signs Federico Sandi
Following an earlier announcement, this season the Effenbert Liberty Racing Team has decided to take up a new challenge and put their money on young talented riders. The team has been very active on the market looking out for new opportunities and the signing of a 22-year-old Frenchman Maxime Berger, riding in the Superbike Championship, and a 20-year-old Canadian Brett McCormick soon followed.
In the course of the latest events, a brand new opportunity arose that the team couldn’t help but consider. The management of the team had an offer on their table to complete the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup line-up with a 2nd rider, yet another promising young contestant.

Finally, the team owner Dr. Mario Bertuccio and the Superstock Team Manager Natale Egi put under contract a 22-year-old Italian Federico Sandi, who is eager to show his potential on the new 1199 Ducati Panigale that he is now going to have at his disposal. He will be given the opportunity to step up with a new bike that, as advised towards the end of last season, will replace, even in the Superbike Championship, the glorious Ducati 1198.

Sandi spent a season riding in the Italian CIV championship with Althea Ducati Team, where he finished third overall and won a race in Vallelunga. He also has an experience from participation in the World SBK Championship in Superstock FIM Cup in 2009 on an Aprilia and has taken up the challenge to race as a wild card rider on several occasions in Superbike Championship in 2010 and 2011. Last, but not the least, the eager youngster has raced in 125cc and 250cc classes in Moto GP world championship from 2005 until 2008.

After signing the agreement Sandi commented: “My goal for the season was to race with the new 1199 Ducati Panigale. The chances to fulfill this goal were very low because there are not going to be many teams having the Panigale available to them. I am delighted to have signed the agreement with the Liberty Racing Team from the technical standpoint as well as from the human one. I will do my very best to pay the team back for believing in me as I will be aiming for top positions.”

Natale Egi, Manager of the Superstock project of the Effenbert Team, who has over twenty years’ experience in racing, is looking forward to kicking off this new adventure focused on growing the potential of new talents.
“I’m really happy about the agreement we signed with Federico. I can see his motivation. In a few days, he will leave to Australia with us, where both him and Brett McCormick will have the opportunity to test the new bike during the private test at Phillip Island on 13th to 15th February “ .

The first winter MotoGP test finished today at Sepang International Circuit with a day that was affected by rather variable weather conditions, with intense heat in the middle of the day and a shower that cut short the planned work schedule at 5:25 p.m. Nicky Hayden had already finished riding around noon after having tried riding with heavy taping on his painful left shoulder. Still lacking the necessary strength to push hard, he and the team agreed it was best to finish early. As for Valentino Rossi, he continued until the rain arrived, finishing the session with the fifth-best time.

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 5th, 2:00.824 (42 laps) “We on the team are all happy with how this test has gone, especially today. With a 2:00.8, we’re starting to get to a decent time. The two Hondas and the two Yamahas are still ahead of us, but we consider this test to be a starting point. The most positive things we’ve achieved are that the front now lets me ride a little more as I’m able, that the bike reacts well to changes and that we have very clear ideas on what’s still missing. In particular, if we manage to improve the bike’s behaviour on acceleration, we’ll be able to take a consistent step forward. I know that the work has never stopped at Ducati, and now with the information we’ve gathered, they’ll keep working on the areas that we’ve identified. That might take a while, but there’s still some time before the first race. We have to keep improving, so we’re not getting too excited, but I’m pleased with how things have gone so far.”

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 10th, 2:01.729 (19 laps) “Obviously, I’d like to have done more. I can’t really say it was a real test for me, but I did a few laps each morning in order to at least get a feel for the new bike, get a little data and understand a couple of things. Even in that limited time, I was able to make small improvements and go quicker each day. Ducati did an amazing job with this bike in a short amount of time. It’s smoother than any other Ducati I’ve ever ridden, it looks slick and it’s good to work on. It’s got good power, and the front end is working well, but with the extra power, now we’ve got to find better rear traction at the first touch of the throttle. With the few adjustments we’ve made, everything seems to be going in a good way, so now I just need to get healthy.”

Althea Racing today took the opportunity to officially present its 2012 World Superbike outfit to sponsors and members of the press at the team’s headquarters in Civita Castellana.
Later this month the 2011 World SBK Champions will be back in action at the opening round of the 2012 World SBK Championship, but before embarking on what will be an inevitably challenging journey, team manager Genesio Bevilacqua, riders Carlos Checa and Davide Giugliano and team members were all on hand to officially launch the season and unveil the new livery of the Ducati 1198 machines.

Key sponsors, including representatives from Unibat, TIM and SNAI, were present for an informal lunch followed by the formal presentation, during which team members and riders spoke about their expectations for the coming season. Also on stage were special guests including Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports, Paolo Ciabatti, General Manager of Infront Motor Sports, and Ernesto Marinelli, SBK Project Director for Ducati. The event was attended by many members of the national and international press with guests also having the chance to view Genesio Bevilacqua’s extensive private bike collection, housed at the same location.

Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager of Althea Racing spoke about his team’s objectives going into the new year: “I’m very happy to officially present our 2012 line-up. As you know, our confirmed riders are SBK champion Carlos Checa and Davide Giugliano, a rising talent. We thank all of our sponsors, and particularly Unibat, SNAI and TIM, as it is thanks to them that we are able to embark on this adventure. We start the season with high expectations, having won in both the Superbike and Superstock categories last year. We know it won’t be easy as the competition is very strong but we will do our best to repeat last year’s incredible performance, knowing that we can count on the experience gained by our men in the field during 2011. We hope that this experience will help us to do even better than last year.”

Carlos Checa, the 2011 championship winner, knows that competition will be stiffer than ever this year but is confident as he sets about defending his title: “I prefer not to say too much, it’s impossible to make predictions when it comes to racing! We do know that this coming season will be tough, there will be stiff competition and we will fight with more or less the same bike as in previous seasons. Having said that, I am confident and can’t wait to get back on track with my team – it goes without saying that we will do our utmost to defend the title!”

Having demonstrated his potential by winning the 2011 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup with Althea Racing, Davide Giugliano makes an important step up to the Superbike class this year and relishes the chance to compete in such a strong field:
“I hope to be strong right from the start. I’m riding the championship winning bike and am part of the championship winning team so I don’t have any excuses really! I realize that I need to get straight down to work and learn fast if I want to start seeing the results.”

The Althea Racing team leaves for Phillip Island, Australia next week, and will participate in final testing sessions before preparing for Round 1 of the 2012 World SBK championship, taking place at the same track over the weekend of 24-26th February.

For the Ducati Team, the second day of testing at Sepang was marked by a busy schedule that focused on preparing the GP12’s base setup. Valentino Rossi was engaged in the work that Filippo Preziosi had planned for the team, using all the time at his disposition, while Nicky Hayden was forced to stop after sixteen laps due to pain in his injured left shoulder. Test rider Franco Battaini took over the American’s seat in order to complete the work planned for today.

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 7th, 2:01.886 (44 laps)
“It was another positive day, both because we achieved our goal of lapping at 2:01 and because we managed to make further progress with the bike’s setup. On the other hand, as is normal with a brand-new bike like the GP12, as we progress with our tests we also find other details that can’t be addressed with setup alone and that will therefore have to be perfected in the coming weeks. We had already identified those areas yesterday, acceleration and electronics, and we confirmed the progress made with the front end. Honda and Yamaha have been working on their bikes for a year, while we’ve just had two days, which makes our job particularly challenging, but we already knew that as well. Tomorrow will be important as well because we’ll be able to make an overall assessment of the three days, and we’ll have a clearer idea of where we stand compared to the others. If we manage to stay under one second from the top, I’ll be happy.”

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 10th, 2:02.354 (16 laps)
“I was okay when I first went out this morning, and on my second lap I managed to make a pretty decent step from yesterday. After that I lost strength in the shoulder and wasn’t really able to ride fast or consistently enough to test much. I’m okay under braking because I can lock my shoulder out, but when the bike shakes I don’t have enough strength to hold on. I didn’t want to crash and cause bigger problems, so I just decided to chill out. It’s a bit of a bummer, but that’s how it goes sometimes. They’ve done a great job with the new bike, and you can see just from looking at it that it’s really slick. I just wish I could ride it closer to the edge and really see what it does and how it reacts to changes. Maybe I’ll do a few more exits tomorrow, but that’s about it.”

Ducati UK are pleased to announce their support of the BikeSafe initiative with the loan of a Multistrada 1200 to BikeSafe’s National Co-ordinator, Glen Dennis. Glen will use the bike to provide assessed ride outs, BikeSafe workshops and coverage at high profile events.
BikeSafe is a police led motorcycle project that is run by most forces throughout the UK. The main aim is to reduce the number of bikers being hurt on the roads. BikeSafe thinks that riding should be fun and by improving skills, knowledge and hazard awareness it will hopefully make riding safer and more enjoyable.

The BikeSafe workshop explores the main issues facing today’s bikers. It also explores the principles of advanced riding through the on-road element. The BikeSafe Observer will give assessment and feedback which will highlight areas where the rider needs to develop.

BikeSafe is about starting on the right path to development as it “Bridges the Gap”. Riders should continue to train throughout their riding years and not just stop once they have passed their bike test.
Glen Dennis commented on the support from Ducati UK, “The name ‘Ducati’ has always stood for fun, dynamically sporting and beautifully stylish motorcycles. Therefore, BikeSafe is extremely proud to be working with Ducati and accept the Multistrada 1200 for use on BikeSafe events. This is a really exciting opportunity which should raise the profile of safe and enjoyable motorcycling across the country”

From the availability of ABS on the entry-level Monster 696 to switchable riding modes that allow the customer to adapt power delivery, traction control and ABS settings to suit conditions on the Diavel, Multistrada and forthcoming 1199 Panigale, Ducati is at the forefront of providing safety enhancing features on new motorcycles. However, the bike is only part of the story as Tim Maccabee commented “Ducati UK are delighted to be able to support the BikeSafe initiative. I personally believe that BikeSafe is a valuable programme and would recommend it to all motorcyclists – indeed I made sure all staff at Ducati UK who ride bikes had an assessment earlier this year. No matter how frequently you ride or how experienced you are, anything that can improve your riding safety has to be worth it.”

Battle of the Lowlands
This year the event will happen that’s for sure!
On Sunday, October 14th: the five best Belgian riders and the 5 best Dutch riders will battle among themselves to find out who will be the fastest Lowland rider!

The Batlle of the Lowlands is a “course américaine” where 10 riders will start together and each lap the last rider will be removed from the battle until only two riders will remain at the end. Who will be the fastest?

Note the weekends in your calendar. Besides the Battle of the Lowlands, the paddock will be filled with animation and stunt work world.

The Effenbert Liberty Racing has chosen Sestriere to officially present the team for the 2012 SBK season, which kicks off at Phillip Island on the last Sunday of the month of February.

This splendid winter resort, which boasts the distinction of being the Italian town of the highest altitude will, on February 4th and 5th , provide a stage for an event presenting three top SBK protagonists: Maxime Berger, Sylvain Guintoli and Jakub Smrž , their official bikes and, of course, the complete management of the team.
Not only will the peaks of the Alps of Piedmont be in the spotlight, but also a rendezvous that has all the credentials to be very special.
“This event has a very important meaning for the team – says Fabio Alberti, Team Manager Effenbert Liberty Racing – it will be a great opportunity to put everything together and enjoy a weekend at leisure, before the more serious step that marks the countdown to the start of the Championship. It is going to be our 2nd year in the World Superbike Championship; the Team has grown and is still growing. In everything we do, there is a clear desire not to overlook anything and to aim for the best result from every point of view. At Sestriere we will greet the beginning of this new world adventure with confidence! The program for these two days is full of surprises and I invite you all to join us. Be sure you will be satisfied. ”

The special rendezvous will begin in the afternoon on Saturday 4th February, with an autograph session in the heart of the Piedmont town, and, if weather permits, there will be a very spectacular activity full of interaction of riders with all those, who decide to attend.
Afterwards, there will be a gala dinner at the restaurant of the Hotel Belvedere.

The evening program, which will be attended by partners of the team and gorgeous girls, will be ended at the Tabata disco in Sestriere, the heart of the bustling nightlife area in the popular winter ski resort, owned by the beautiful and fascinating model Barbara Delmastro Meoni, whose charm you can admire in the latest February Playboy issue.
Sunday morning will be dedicated to photograph sessions with riders and bikes, meeting with the press and with the fans.

Everything is ready! The Effenbert Liberty Racing Team revs up the engines of SBK passion in the snow of Sestriere.

The 2012 MotoGP test season started with today’s first day of a three-day test at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit. The Ducati Team took to the track with its Desmosedici GP12, and after official test rider Franco Battaini carried out the shakedown, Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden started the important work of finding a base setup.

Ducati Corse Technical Director Filippo Preziosi followed the team’s work from the garage. Last night’s rainfall resulted in a damp track surface this morning, delaying the team’s start until around midday. Valentino Rossi and his team progressed step by step, improving the lap time in each outing before finishing with the fifth-fastest time, .735 seconds behind that of Jorge Lorenzo. Nicky Hayden also began working on the GP12’s setup, although his physical condition was still affected by the injury to his left scapula. The American finished the day tenth, having completed 25 laps.

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 5th, 2:02.392 (30 laps)
“I’m happy because first impressions are important, and already in the first few laps, I could tell that I like the bike. Ducati did a good job in a just a short time. The bike is beautiful, but more importantly, it’s nice to ride. The riding position has improved a lot, and it’s better on braking and corner entry. I can brake like I want to and take the lines that I like, and I feel comfortable in general. I was able to ride well and not make mistakes, and there’s a reason for that. It means that the bike can be ridden. It’s more agile in change of direction, and it wheelies much less. We’re 7 tenths back today, and of course there’s still a lot of work to do before we can win. We have to improve in some areas: acceleration, electronics, power delivery and setup. I’d say we’ll be able to make a more accurate assessment at the end of the test, because let’s remember, the bike is just 40 days old. To leave here a second back from the top would be okay because anyway, we know that there’s still much more to be done. But one of the best things from today is that the bike reacts well to changes. That enabled us to drop one or two tenths every outing, which means further progress should be possible.”

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 10th, 2:03.151 (25 laps)
“It’s great to be back at the track with the team, riding a motorcycle. We lost a little time this morning, but I hadn’t planned to ride the whole day anyway. Obviously, I wish my physical condition were better. On one hand I’m happy just to be here and not miss another test after missing the one in Valencia, but I wasn’t able to do a lot of laps, and definitely no long stints. We know how important shoulders are on these bikes, and I didn’t have the strength I would like. The bone itself was okay, but I had a lot of pain in the joint, although there was no problem with the ribs and very few problems with the wrist. Anyway, it was great to try the new bike and get some information. We made a step forward with the feeling at the front while braking and turning, but I need to find more edge grip and rear grip on entry, and a better balance with the electronics. We’ll do some treatment to my shoulder tonight and see how I feel in the morning.”