Professional motorcycle racing and sports medicine now go hand and hand and World Superbike team Effenbert Liberty Racing had riders Jakub Smrz, Sylvain Guintoli and newly signed Maxime Berger undergo a complete physical at the “Medicina dello Sport degli Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo,” in order to see the athletic, physical, and mental state of their riders and then prepare a specific training program for each of them.

The idea came from the Liberty Group CZs CEO, Mario Bertuccio who said it was his pet project of his: “This is a project to which I am particularly fond of. Infact I can’t deny that everything that I and the team do is based on obtaining the maximum potential, without neglecting any detail, because these details have their importance, and I don’t want to underestimate anything. The Medical Check Up Program has been tailored to the Effenbert Team so we carefully follow the preparation of our riders in the terms of athletic preparation I would like to thank the specialists for supporting us and I also appreciate the availability of our riders. We have confidence in them and they in us, this is the best basis for our interaction together. Our aim is to maintain excellent team work, both on and off the track.”

The three riders underwent a battery of tests under the supervision of doctors Fabio Lorenzelli, Giacomo Poggioli, Professor Matteo Arzuffi and the Effenbert project coordinator Emmanuele Airoli.

“So far our riders have done their training with a methodical but general preparation, and following indications that were certainly adequate, but not specific,” said Arioli. “Obviously this is an good starting point, but our team wanted to do something more for them, that is, to manage their training in a more targeted way and set up to their individual physiological needs. The tests that were performed have given us a general framework. With the support of the medical team and the different findings, each rider can start to work on their particular characteristics which will be reprogrammed in various steps.”

Continue reading: Effenbert Liberty WSBK team gets medical check-up and training programme

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As widely predicted Carlos Checa easily won Race 1 at Miller Motorsports Park. Starting in pole position the Althea Ducati rider dropped to fifth on the opening lap, but the surgically picked off his opponents one at a time to then overtake front runner Troy Corser on the sixth lap and from that point on there was no longer any doubt in any one’s mind that the Spaniard would take his Ducati to the top spot of the podium.

Checa not only won in his impressive style he also lead a Ducati 1-2-3 podium, with Effenbert-Liberty’s Jakub Smrz and Sylvain Guintoli taking the final two spots on the podium confirming their fast pace shown during Sunday’s Superpole and that the twins were able to conserve much better their Pirelli tires than the rest of the field, especially in the latter stages of the race.

Leon Camier took the fourth spot after an error cost him at least a fight for the podium, while team mate and reigning World Champion Max Biaggi got mixed up with Jonathan Rea on lap two and both crashed out. Biaggi would later blame Rea for the crash and Honda’s Carlo Fiorani speaking for his rider said it was Biaggi’s fault for cutting the Castrol Honda rider off. Unfortunately the cameras only caught the two arguing off track covered in mud, with Rea much more upset than the Roman Emperor.

Continue reading: WSBK MMP: Carlos Checa wins Race 1 with an all Ducati podium

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This afternoon’s first qualifying practice at Assen, continued to see Jakub Smrz on top of the timesheets, confirming his good form on the Ducati after his second place in race 1 at Donington. The Czech rider put in a best lap of 1.36.058, again in the dying minutes of the session, that pushed him ahead of reigning World Champion Max Biaggi by 0.229s.

Biaggi who is sporting a chicken on his helmet a la Valentino Rossi, was followed by fellow countrymen Marco Melandri and Michel Fabrizio, both Italians improving dramatically from this morning’s free practice and less than half a second from the Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati rider

The fifth spot was taken by Tom Sykes and he was the only Kawasaki rider to break the top ten. BMW team mates Troy Corser and Leon Haslam were sixth and seventh respectively.

Continue reading: WSBK Assen: Jakub Smrz on top in QP1

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The first free practice at Assen under sunny skies, kicked off with an unexpected Jakub Smrz taking the top of the timesheets, but he did it in the last dying seconds of the session with a best lap of 1.37.159, pipping points leader, Carlos Checa by only 0.040s.

The third spot went to Jonathan Rea, who will be looking to repeat his 2010 double win on the Castrol Honda’s home track. Noriyuki Haga took fourth after leading much of the hour practice session, while the BMW Motorrad duo Troy Corser and Leon Haslam took fifth and sixth respectively.

Reigning World Champion Max Biaggi was seventh and trying hard to forget his Donington meltdown. Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri for Yamaha were eighth and ninth, with Ruben Xaus on the second Castrol Honda closed out the top ten.

Continue reading: WSBK Assen: Jakub Smrz pips top spot in free practice

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Jakub Smrz in the dying moments of this afternoon’s WSBK test a Portimao pipped Jonathan Rea for the top of the chart, leaving the Castrol Honda rider in second, but knowing that he had cleanly dominated almost entire afternoon session. The Czech Liberty Ducati rider, known for these type of last lap lunges decided to give it all he had, and put a little more than a tenth and half second between himself and Rea.

New Yamaha rider Eugene Laverty was third, jumping from his 14th spot this morning, while team mate and also Superbike newbie Marco Melandri, was second to last, happy that he’s able to ride, but hindered by pain, lack of strength and tiredness, and unable to tuck in properly on the straight.

Tom Sykes continued his progession on the new Ninja followed in fourth. Carlos Checa was another rider who also made a big jump forward to fifth on his Althea Ducati, after a crash during the morning session had left him down in 15th.

Max Biaggi took sixth with the Aprilia factory bike and Michel Fabrizio was seventh on the Alstare Suzuki. Both Italians falling back from the previous, 3rd and 4th places during the morning session.

Sylvain Guintoli coming to grips with his Ducati was 8th, while Leon Camier and Joan Lascorz claimed the 9th and 10th spots on the chart.

Continue reading: WSBK Test Portimao Day 1: Jakub Smrz edges out Rea for top spot

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World Superbike newbie team Liberty Racing has concluded a private two day test session at the Spanish circuit of Gaudix. Jakub Smrz spent the test familiarizing himself with the upgraded electronics on his Ducati 1198 F10, while French rider Sylvain Guintoli got his first taste of the Ducati Superbike

The first day of testing was interrupted by fog and cold temperatures and dirty circuit, but the two riders were able to put in about 50 laps during the afternoon session on the 3,5 km track and on the second day the both completed a full day’s work posting the same identical lap time of 1.14s.

“The track today was all right, it was my first ride on a Ducati and the first impression was very good, both the team and the bike. Today we went with the basic setup on the Ducati and after my surgery, it was a great feeling to sit on a motorcycle once again,” said Guintoli.

Liberty Racing will be back in action for the official tests that take place January 26th to 28th at Portimao.

Source | liberty-racing.com via motosblog.fr

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Last Thursday at the Hard Rock Cafè in Prague, Liberty Racing, the new Czech based team that will contest next season in the World Superbike Championship, gave it’s official launch party.

Fielding Jakub Smrz and Sylvain Guintoli and run by Natale Egi, the team backed by Liberty CZ Group with title sponsor, Czech beer maker Effenbert, threw a big party that included Miss 2009 Czech Republic Iveta Lutovska, and 2008 winner Eliska Buckova.

The new team will have an experienced staff that includes techs and engineers from Ducati and Ferrari and will have Ducati official technical support and will be using the upgraded versions of the former factory team’s Ducati 1198 F10’s and will be at Portimao for testing at the end of January.

Source | buongiornoslovacchia.sk

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With Ducati formally out of World Superbikes with their factory team, Czech based Liberty Racing, who will debut next season with Jakub Smrz and Sylvain Guintoli, will be using the four 1198 F10 Ducati superbikes used by Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio in 2010.

The bike development will be followed by Ducati Corse under the supervision of former Ducati Xerox team manager Ernesto Marinelli (project leader Ducati Superbike) and Luca Ferraccioli, while Natale Egi will run the team with Francesco Mastrandrea as Sporting Director and Lorenzo Gandini on suspensions.

The team will run a private test January 12th and 13th at Gaudix circuit in Spain and will take part in the official tests at Portimao, January 26-28 and at Phillip Island, February 21-22.

Source | bikeracing.it

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Yesterday we posted that Sylvain Guintoli was in talks with Liberty Racing and now we can confirm that the French rider has officially signed with the new Czech team.

Guintoli finished his rookie season with Alstare Suzuki, seventh overall in the championship standings and will again be riding a Ducati albeit a 1198 instead of a Desmosedici 800cc when he raced in MotoGP in 2008 with the Alice Pramac D’Antin team.

Mario Bertuccio, Liberty Cz Group CEO and owner of the team said that he is very satisfied that they were able to pick up another top rider and they will soon announce the names of the crew and staff members who already have numerous years of experience in world level teams.

Want to bet that at least one of the pit crew members will be from the now defunct Ducati Xerox factory team?

Source | motoblog.it

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Cal Crutchlow took his sixth Superpole of the season ahead of tomorrow’s World Superbike races at Magny-Cours and also set the fastest lap of the French circuit breaking Ben Spies’ last year record with his best lap of 1′37.699.

The Yamaha Sterilgarda rider, who will be in MotoGP next season, was followed by an amazing soon to be unemployed Sylvain Guintoli who has found form in front of his home audience and he was just 0.069s from a superpole expert like Crutchlow. Jakub Smrz on the privateer Aprilia was also very close to the Brit’s pole time just 0.085s off taking the third spot ahead of factory Aprilia World Champion Max Biaggi who could not break the 1.38 barrier having wasted both his qualifying tires in SP2.

The second row will see Michel Fabrizio, another rider who has still to find a new team and injured Jonathan Rea who is desperately looking to keep his third place in the standings from Carlos Checa, who qualified behind the Ten Kate Honda rider.

Noriyuki Haga, who crashed both his Ducati’s in the second free practice session, giving his team a lot of work to do before the Superpole finished in eighth. Ninth went to Troy Corser who finished ahead of his future BMW team mate Leon Haslam.

Continue reading: WSBK Magny-Cours: Cal Crutchlow grabs last Superpole of the season

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At Brno Pata B&G Racing switched to an Aprilia RSV4, but Jakub Smrz will be leaving the Italian team at the end of the season to ride for Liberty Racing, an all new team based in the Czech Republic.

The all Czech team owned by Liberty CZ Group is in the foodstuffs (Grazie) and office supplies (OK Cancel) sectors and also owns Effenbert beer, which has been present in the championship as a sponsor for a few years.

The team who will debut in the World Superbike championship in 2011 will be fielding Ducati 1198’s and has negotiated a two year deal with Smrz and the team may field a second rider in time for the post season tests.

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Here’s the Aprilia RSV4 with B&G Racing livery that will be using starting at this upcoming round at Brno and for the rest of the 2010 World Superbike Championship, after the team decided to switch manufacturers.

Switching from Ducati wasn’t a last minute idea for team managers Marco Borciani and Mirco Guandalini, because they were already in talks with both Aprilia and BMW back in May and the main reason behind the switch was an apparent lack of help by Ducati in solving reliability and technical issues on the 1098RS.

“We really wanted to reach this deal. We are confident that as a result of this collaboration, we will be able to prepare for Smrz the best machine in Superbike, if we look at the overall standings. However, changing will not be easy, but we are working very hard in order for us to be at our best at Brno, where we will be in three days time. I’m sure this change will be exciting for our rider too, who has been slowed down by technical issues lately and his hard work did not bear fruit.” stated Borciani and Guandalini.

B&G Racing will be the first Aprilia satellite team in the WSBK Championship.

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