Two good friends and 2 world champions

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM: BEST PODIUM OF 2003 AT  MUGELLO
Loris Capirossi on his Ducati rode a "inspired" and breathtaking race at the Italian GP. Scorching sun at Mugello made this afternoons race on of the hottest in memory. Race time temp of 35c, made the race even more difficult.  

Pushing as hard as possible

Mugello is Ducati's home GP, so Capiriossi's battle with rival Max Biaggi for second place, just 1.4 seconds down on winner Valentino Rossi. It was a remarkable performance. How remarkable Capirossi rode his Desmosedici V4 is worth real discussion. It is actually a blessing to be able watch the Moto GP races on TV as so much of the action that is important would be lost if you were sitting in the stands. Below we see what is proof that Capiriossi was riding the bike as hard as possible. The only question is once Rossi got by to take first, it looked as if the Ducati's tire was going away early. Loris was fighting the fact that the rear tire was stepping out on him when it was unexpected. Was a rear tire to soft for the hot track conditions??

Loris proves the Ducati can best the Honda's

But the victory was how Capiriossi was able to battle and fight back again and again to break Max Biaggi and then set off after Valentino Rossi and his Honda. The fight with Max Biaggi one that proves to everyone that the Capiriossi could have caught Rossi and made a challenge for victory. Biaggi was desprate to hang on to second place for many reasons. Not the least of which to prove the only serious challenger to Rossi in the eyes of Honda.

Loris fighting back against Max

The battle between Baggi and Capiriossi got so phyiscal that the two riders came together in what could have been a disaster for any other riders of lesser skills. Just look with care at the photo below. Biaggi and Capiriossi are in the process of forcing each other aside. In what look more like a "body check" in game seven of the Stanley Cup!!

Here is fender banging at it's best

Now this whole battle and the proof that the Ducati can run in front of the Honda's takes the Ducati Team's challenge another step up. But the one thing noticed is that the Ducati does not produce it's power as fast or soon as the Honda. However once Loris was around Biaggi he showed that Biaggi was actully slowing the Ducati rider!! 

Dialing in the Desmo Deci

  

The Italian factory competing in its first home GP in 31 years in front of 72,000 enthusiastic fans. Team-mate Troy Bayliss had a more difficult time in the torrid 35-degree heat – the Australian was pushing through the pack when he crashed out at half-distance.

It's hard to tell who is happier

“I can hardly believe the way Loris rode – he never gave up,” said a delighted Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Corse CEO. “He kept trying so hard because he wanted to be in a position to take advantage if Rossi made a mistake. I think he knew it was possible to win today with our bike, but Valentino and Max (Biaggi) rode brilliantly. Our straight-line speed is fantastic, now we just need to make some improvements to the handling. Anyway, second in our first home GP in more than thirty years is a really great result. Troy was one of the fastest men on the track when he crashed, which proved he had found a good set-up after two difficult days of practice. Once again we had two of the quickest riders out there, which shows the project is heading in the right direction.”

During the race Capirossi set a new GP top-speed record at 332.4kmh, with Bayliss second at 331.2kmh.


CAPIROSSI: “THIS FEELS AS GOOD AS A WIN!”
Loris Capirossi was the star of the MotoGP show at Mugello today – eliciting roars of delight from the home crowd whenever he pulled a move on rivals Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi (Honda).

Super Soaker time at Mugello

By leading the first four laps the Italian maintained the Ducati Marlboro Team’s amazing record of leading every GP so far, then settled into a long and nail-biting race that had him battling back and forth with his compatriots in a rerun of their unforgettable 2000 Italian GP contest. He spent the mid-stages of the race third, then once Rossi took off out front he came back at Biaggi with gusto, the pair passing and repassing and colliding on at least one occasion. When he finally got the better of the Roman he was 2.5 seconds down on Rossi, but he still refused to give up, his Desmosedici bucking and sliding as he closed the gap to one second with a lap to go. He crossed the line just 1.4 seconds down – by far Ducati’s best race result.

The Man of the moment for Ductai Fans

“This is fantastic – it feels as good as a win,” said a sweat-drenched Capirossi. “It’s a great day for Ducati, for all of us, and for the fans. I tried my best – got into a good rhythm from the start, but then Max and Valentino came. Valentino was so fast, then I had a big fight with Max. It was so difficult to overtake him but my bike had fantastic top speed, so I was able to do it. Then I gave 105 per cent over the last few laps. I caught Valentino a little, but with one lap to go I saw the gap was too much, so I just made sure I finished.”

Ducati fans put on a show

BAYLISS BACK ON THE PACE, THEN FALLS
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss rode a typically tough race at Mugello today – fighting back from a third-row start to move into sixth place on lap nine. But two laps later he crashed.

“It’s not been a great weekend,” said the Aussie who had struggled during practice to find the right set-up for this technically challenging track. “The race was going okay, though the rear tyre I’d chosen wasn’t going to plan. I thought I had it under control, I was riding hard, trying to bridge the gap, had a few moments with the front, then just crashed. I really hate not finishing races and that’s two races in a row I’ve not finished.”

What this race revals are several important issues. First now that Loris knows he can run in front of Rossi & Biaggi, can Ducati find just a little more power in the mid-range?  Also has tire choice cost the Ducati the ability to challenge Rossi late in the race? Can Team Ducati find a Bike "set-up" that will allow Troy to stay on the bike. What is different in the Desmo Deci that is giving Troy grief now??  Even bigger does this race prove that Max Biaggi is past his prime??  


Two place Desmo Deci get first riders.

The Desmo Deci make it's first series of demonstration rides. We will post more photos when they are ready. So for now we only have the few that have been released.

Troy, Loris and Randy....pit bike or race bike??

Former 125 and 250 World Champion Luca Cadalora returned to action at Mugello this morning – as passenger to former rival Randy Mamola on the Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici two-seater MotoGP bike. The pair rode two laps of the track, Cadalora becoming the first ever two-seater guest to get his knee down.

Yes 2 up ......notice the handles. Hang on Baby

“That was great, you just need to place total trust in the rider, which was difficult because it was Randy!” joked Cadalora, who raced 500 GPs for Marlboro Team Roberts and 250s for Marlboro Team Agostini. “After half a lap we both shifted forward and then the fun really began, that’s when I started to get my knee down. It was great!”

Randy Mamola takes Ducati team boss for a ride.

Ducati aerodynamics consultant Alan Jenkins also took a ride this morning. “I spend quite a lot of time in wind tunnels,” said the Briton. “But I really had to fight to stay on down the straights. And it’s so physical on the brakes, you kind of lose your focus because you’re trying not to end up in the grandstand!”